World Trademark Review Recognizes Three Finnegan Partners on its 2026 Global Leaders List

World Trademark Review (WTR) released its eighth edition of WTR Global Leaders, which highlights leading trademark practitioners and corporate trademark specialists worldwide. Finnegan partners Danny Awdeh, Douglas “Chip” Rettew, and Mark Sommers were once again recognized on the list. The annual list is assembled from research conducted for the publication’s WTR 1000 and WTR 300 annual rankings.

Danny Awdeh has been recognized by WTR as ”[o]ne of the best trademark lawyers there is” and “a truly talented lawyer and the go-to guy for high-profile trademark and trade dress litigation.” He was most recently recognized among the top practitioners in 2026 by WTR 1000, both nationally and in the DC Metro area, for prosecution and strategy as well as enforcement and litigation. In addition to obtaining favorable verdicts before district and appellate courts, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and trademark tribunals around the world, Danny has negotiated countless business-oriented solutions tailored to the needs of clients’ global business and legal objectives. Danny has a proven track record of managing high-profile litigations and disputes involving trademark infringement, counterfeiting, unfair competition, dilution, and false advertising. He has developed programs and corporate protocols to halt the importation/exportation of knock-off products, combat online sales of counterfeit and grey market products, and protect a brand’s strength and integrity from generic misuse. A key part of Danny’s practice entails strategic portfolio management and counseling for U.S. and international clients with extensive international portfolios. Danny has represented some of the world’s most well-known brands and played an integral role in many global brand launches, large licensing deals, and other significant IP transactions.

Douglas “Chip” Rettew has been recognized in World Trademark Review WTR 1000 as ”[o]ne of the best litigators in the country with an unbelievable success rate,” and “a go-to litigation lead for world-famous consumer brands,” whose “shrewd litigation and trial skills are unmatched.” Chip expertly litigates cases involving myriad focus areas including traditional trademarks, false advertising, product disparagement, publicity rights, unfair competition, trade dress, design patents, and domain names. He also litigates oppositions, cancellations, and ex parte appeals before the TTAB of the USPTO. “A bigwig in the IP Arena,” according to WTR, Chip has first-chair jury and bench trial and appellate experience; he has argued appeals before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Federal, Second, Fourth, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits. Chip is also involved in advertising issues and counseling, right-of-publicity matters, and trademark and copyright prosecution and licensing. His clients include Under Armour, Bridgestone, the NFL Players Association, Capital One, Subaru, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and PNC Bank.

Mark Sommers is frequently recognized as one of the nation’s top trademark litigators and practitioners. WTR has recognized him regionally, nationally, and globally for his contributions to the fields of litigation and prosecution, and called him “a superlative lawyer, with superb legal know-how and an acute business sense.” Mark offers dynamic services in the trademark, unfair competition, and false advertising arena, including litigation before the federal district courts, federal appellate courts, and TTAB of the USPTO; strategic portfolio review and counseling; trademark and name clearance and prosecution; infringement analysis; empirical research and surveys; damages; intermediary liability; and rights of publicity. Mark’s decades of experience have earned him a reputation for readily saving substantial costs for clients, and for masterminding and implementing comprehensive strategies for acquiring and enforcing core branding rights, while culling or aggregating bloated brand portfolios. He has authored numerous articles about trademarks and unfair competition and frequently presents to both U.S. and international audiences and regularly provides press commentary on high-profile, newsworthy trademark and related cases, developments, and issues. Mark also represents many European and Asian leading brand owners, where he has gained an appreciation of foreign companies’ sensitivity to U.S. practice and procedure. He has authored numerous articles about trademarks and unfair competition. He frequently presents to both U.S. and international audiences and regularly provides press commentary on high-profile, newsworthy trademark and related cases, developments, and issues.