Naresh Kilaru
Partner
Naresh Kilaru, leader of the firm’s trademark practice, counsels clients on brand protection and enforcement strategies in the United States and around the world. His extensive experience in all aspects of trademark, copyright, and unfair competition litigation includes cases involving computer source code, traditional trademarks, product packaging and product configuration trade dress, false advertising, counterfeiting, gray-market goods, and domain names. He is also involved in domestic and international trademark prosecution. Naresh has been named by The Legal 500 U.S. as a Next Generation Partner for trademark litigation as well as ranked regionally for his contributions to the fields of enforcement, litigation, prosecution, and strategy by World Trademark Review (WTR).
Experience
Marilyn D. Mintz v. Subaru of America, Inc.
At the lower court, Finnegan prevailed on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion for client Subaru of America. In that suit, the plaintiff asserted trademark and copyright infringement, trademark dilution, and false advertising against Subaru’s annual “Share the Love” holiday-season campaign, which donates money from car purchases to various buyer-designated national and local charities. Subaru’s campaign uses a particular logo comprised of a heart on a hand, and various other “love”-themed designs.
The plaintiff sought enhanced damages, punitive damages over $20 million, and attorneys’ fees. Subaru’s motion to dismiss was based largely on the facial dissimilarities between the parties’ respective designs, which the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted on all counts asserted in the complaint, without leave to further amend.
The plaintiff appealed to the Ninth Circuit, which affirmed the lower court’s decision after finding that the plaintiff did not plausibly allege any claim. The appeals court later denied plaintiff’s petition for rehearing. Consistent with the lower court’s opinion, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the marks at issue were so facially dissimilar that they could not plausibly create a likelihood of confusion, and affirmed the dismissal of the trademark dilution, copyright infringement, and false advertising claims for the same reasons, resulting in a complete win for Subaru.
16-16840, 9th Cir., Judges Lucero, Owens, Thomas
3:16-cv-03384, N.D. Cal., Judge Chesney
LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. v. Xiaowen
3:16-cv-01162, S.D. Cal., Judges Sammartino, Stormes
Ashe v. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
15-2566, 4th Cir., Judges Keenan, King, Wilkinson
8:15-cv-00144, D. Md., Judge Grimm
Shell Oil Co. v. Warren Unilube, Inc.
Served as second chair counsel for Shell Oil in trade dress infringement litigation that settled successfully the day before trial.
4:09-cv-02851, S.D. Tex., Judge Ellison
Pucci International, Ltd. v. Emilio Pucci International B.V.
Served as first chair counsel for fashion house Emilio Pucci in successful litigation against company attempting to register a similar name at the USPTO.
Opp. No. 92047394, TTAB, Judge Vogler
Sony Group Corporation v. Neil A. Campbell
Opp. No. 91245851, TTAB, Judges Zervas, Lykos, Larkin
Insights
Articles
Your Best Bet for Enforcement: Schedule A Cases or Section 337 Investigations?
November 27, 2025
World Trademark ReviewWebinar
Managing Trademark Enforcement Matters: What In-House Counsel Needs to Know
July 21, 2022
Webinar
Webinar
Wanting Something Does Not Give You the Right to Have It – Protecting Your Brands and Copyrights
April 15, 2021
Webinar
Articles
Trademarks – What Game Developers Should Know
March 29, 2021
International Game Developers AssociationProfessional Recognition
"Captaining the trademark group, Naresh Kilaru is in high demand for his 'ingenious and effective strategies. He can be highly recommended for his professionalism, knowledge, and responsiveness. His strong communication skills and commitment to client satisfaction make him an exceptional choice for any trademark-related legal matters.' His expertise has earned the trust of prestigious brands, including Sony, whom he represents in the policing and enforcement of the SONY house mark."
"A well-rounded IP practitioner, Kilaru excels in both contentious and non-contentious matters, making him a top choice for high-profile clients like Caterpillar, to whom he provides strategic advice and counsel."
"Naresh is a great partner to have on your side. He brings extensive litigation experience and is an effective communicator."
"Brand counsellor and enforcement expert Naresh Kilaru adds unfair competition, trade secret and right of publicity issues to his strong trademark and copyright repertoire. Equally comfortable with cross-border registrations as district court litigation, Kilaru is another jack-of-all-trades on Finnegan’s very deep bench."
“Naresh Kilaru is a Swiss Army knife of a trademark lawyer, who applies the right skills to the right tasks in an impressive display of efficiency.”
“Naresh, as a team lead, will deliver the most from his team…at the same time he is conscious in keeping the cost low. He makes himself available for discussion even at a short notice.”
“‘Naresh is great for the most sophisticated trademark matters affecting your key brands. His skills are formidable; in litigation, for example, he demonstrates a complete knowledge of the facts and the law and is able to think on his feet. Through creative strategies and aggressive discovery, Naresh can negotiate favourable outcomes before cases proceed to trial. He is a fierce advocate but keeps clients’ business interests in mind through a case. On the portfolio side, he is outstanding and gives common sense, commercially guided answers to complex questions.’”
“Naresh has a refined and evolved understanding of U.S. trademark law. His articulation of issues and solutions set out in briefs is highly impressive. Naresh’s arguments are logical and well-reasoned and communicated with such a degree of clarity that it is obvious he has a gift for legal writing. His litigation skills are deserving of the same praise and his performance at trial is formidable. Naresh projects assuredness and has a distinguished presence; he firmly grasps the complex facts and laws governing a case, while also thinking quickly on his feet.”
News
Commentary
Permanent Injunction Granted to USA Weightlifting Inc., Enjoining Use of Protected Marks
April 24, 2026
IP Law DailyCommentary
Grambling, After 30 Years, Separates from Pack to Trademark ‘G’
April 15, 2026
Bloomberg LawAward/Ranking
In the 2026 World Trademark Review 1000, Finnegan Called “The Best of the Best”
February 2, 2026
World Trademark ReviewCommentary
Motion Picture Trade Group Pans Instagram’s Use of “PG-13” with Cease and Desist
November 5, 2025
The Wall Street JournalAward/Ranking
Finnegan Remains a Top Tier Firm in the 2025 Legal 500 Rankings
June 11, 2025
The Legal 500Professional Activities
- District of Columbia Bar Association
(member, Section on Intellectual Property Law, 2002-present) - U.S. Council for International Business
(member, Intellectual Property Committee, 2008-present) - American Bar Association
(chair, IP Transactions & Licensing Committee, Section on Intellectual Property Law, 2013-2017; vice chair, Trademark Litigation Committee, Section on Intellectual Property Law, 2012-2015) - Intellectual Property Owners Association
(member, U.S. Trademark Law Committee, 2012-present) - International Trademark Association
(member, Young Practitioners Committee, 2014-2015) - International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI)
(chair, Trademark Committee, 2022-2023) - American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
- Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- National South Asian Bar Association
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- New York
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court, D. Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court, S.D. New York
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
Education
- George Washington University Law School
- J.D., 2002
- Harvard University
- B.A., Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, magna cum laude, 1999
Languages
- Hindi
- Urdu
- Telugu
Naresh's Practices
- Global IP Enforcement, Litigation, and Trials
- Advertising
- Copyright
- Domain Name Litigation and UDRPs
- Patent Litigation and Trials
- Trade Secrets
- Trademark Litigation and Trials
- Trademark Oppositions and Cancellations
- Prosecution and Portfolio Management
- Advertising
- Copyright
- Trade Secrets
- Trademark Counseling and Prosecution
- Trademark and Brand Management
- Advertising
- Copyright
- Domain Name Litigation and UDRPs
- Trademark Counseling and Prosecution
Naresh's Industries
- AI, Electronics, and Information Technology
- Electrical and Computer Technology
- Chemicals, Industrials, and Materials
- Manufacturing
- Textiles
- Consumer Goods and Services
- Consumer Products
- Energy
- Oil and Gas
- Transportation and Logistics
- Aerospace, Aviation, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)