November 13, 2020
The AmLaw Litigation Daily
Mark Sommers, Naresh Kilaru, and Morgan Smith were recognized as a “Litigator of the Week” runner-up for securing a trademark litigation win for the American Retirement Association (ARA), a nonprofit organization that offers educational programs on employer-based retirement plans. ARA launched a new credential under the name Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) and faced claims from the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute alleging the “CPFA” acronym infringed on the trademark for its “Chartered Financial Analyst” program, which operates under the acronym “CFA”. Unlike the CPFA credential, the “Chartered Financial Analyst” credential is generally targeted at financial advisors. The CFA Institute opposed ARA’s trademark application at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and then later filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. After the close of discovery, ARA filed a motion for summary judgment on liability and, in the alternative, summary judgment on compensatory damages. On November 5, the district court granted ARA’s motion for summary judgment finding CFA Institute couldn’t overcome “evidence regarding the sophistication of the consuming parties, the innocent intent of defendants, and, most importantly, the absence of any evidence indicating actual confusion in the marketplace.”
Press Release
September 11, 2024
Announcement
Finnegan and Partner Daniel Chung Recognized by The National Law Journal
September 3, 2024
Announcement
September 3, 2024
Press Release
Finnegan Named a “True Trailblazer” for Its Continued Commitment to Mansfield Certification Process
August 16, 2024
Due to international data regulations, we’ve updated our privacy policy. Click here to read our privacy policy in full.
We use cookies on this website to provide you with the best user experience. By accepting cookies, you agree to our use of cookies. Please note that if you opt not to accept or if you disable cookies, the “Your Finnegan” feature on this website will be disabled as well. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.
Finnegan is thrilled to announce the launch of our new blog, Ad Law Buzz, devoted solely to breaking news, developments, trends, and analysis in advertising law.