Danny M. Awdeh

Partner

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Danny M. Awdeh

Partner

+1 202 408 4353 +1 202 408 4353
danny.awdeh@finnegan.com danny.awdeh@finnegan.com

901 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001-4413

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Named as the 2023 Trademark Prosecution Practitioner of the Year for the Americas by Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) and recognized by World Trademark Review (WTR) as ”[o]ne of the best trademark lawyers there is,” Danny served as the leader of the firm’s trademark, copyright, and advertising group for a twice extended term. He has been widely recognized as one of the nation’s top trademark litigators and counselors, and has been described in industry rankings as “an unstoppable force, combining outstanding lawyering skills with a genuine concern for his clients businesses.” ”‘Danny is one of the best trademark lawyers and, actively involved in high-profile policy matters, is working for the betterment of the protection landscape not just for his clients, but for all brand owners in the U.S. He tailors strategies to meet specific needs and aligns his advice with clients’ business goals.‘” “Awdeh is an ‘ultra-sophisticated lawyer’ and strategic visionary who is ‘right at the top of the list of first-rate litigators.’”

Danny 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. Danny serves an international clientele with some of the world’s most well-known brands. He has managed high-profile litigations and disputes involving trademark infringement, counterfeiting, unfair competition, dilution, and false advertising. 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. He has developed effective programs and corporate protocols to stop 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.

Strategic portfolio management and counseling for U.S. and international clients with extensive international portfolios is an important part of Danny’s practice. He serves as lead counsel on numerous high-profile global trademark portfolios and has achieved important judgments around the world, including in China, where clients have been awarded highly sought after, but rarely granted, relief in the form of preliminary and permanent injunctions and recognition of well-known marks. He has been involved in many global brand launches, large licensing deals, and other significant IP transactions.

Danny has been described in WTR as an “exceptional advocate who gives candid, practical advice backed by an impressive understanding of the legal complexities”; ”[h]is knowledge of prosecution, enforcement, and strategy [is] above and beyond any other private practitioner, and he masterfully balances legal risk with commercial solutions”; “a truly talented lawyer and the go-to guy for high-profile trademark and trade dress litigation”; a “versatile rising star” who “masterfully balances legal risk with commercial solutions” and is “highly responsive and agreeable,” “organized, analytical, and strategic,” “dexterous,” and “highly capable.” MIP honored Danny as a Trade Mark Star for the District of Columbia and on a national level. He was also recognized by the National Law Journal (NLJ) as a D.C. Rising Star, “a group of game-changing legal minds” comprised of 40 individuals under the age of 40. As the NLJ noted, “The group is an elite one, with six former U.S. Supreme Court clerks in the bunch, along with those who have repeatedly scored high-stakes victories in courts across the country, at the deal table, and in working with regulatory agencies.” He has also been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in trademark non-contentious work by The Legal 500 as well as selected as a Global Leader in private practice and ranked nationally and regionally for his contributions to the fields of litigation and prosecution by WTR.

Experience

Represented Maglula Ltd. of Israel as lead counsel in a one-of-a-kind district court litigation including patent, trademark, and copyright claims over Maglula’s assertions that Amazon sold counterfeit consumer products. After the Court issued an order (i) denying Amazon’s motion for summary judgment; (ii) finding “Amazon’s attempts to avoid liability … will have minimal impact before a jury”; (iii) reflecting the Court’s belief that “not [] even the most persuasive presentation of Amazon’s evidence would make one iota of difference to a jury”; and (iv) requiring the parties to engage in mediation, the parties entered into an agreement and the case was dismissed.

1:19-cv-01570, E.D. Va., Judge O'Grady

Obtained preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and damages in high-profile infringement in China. The Supreme People’s Court, the highest court in China, affirmed the decision, securing a complete win for Under Armour.

Fujian Higher People's Court

Obtained decision reversing the TTAB and holding that the mark MILANZA conflicts with Bridgestone's POTENZA and TURANZA tire marks.

10-1376, Fed. Cir., Judges Bryson, Newman, Plager
Opp. 91168556, TTAB, Judge Dunn

Obtained a temporary restraining order and asset freeze order against entities selling counterfeit apparel products and secured an order for the seizure of counterfeit product from multiple locations in California and New York.

2:16-cv-08030, C.D. Cal., Judges Stevenson, Walter

By filing for a preliminary injunction, obtained a court-approved judgment requiring Ameriquest to cease all use of AMC mark.

1:06-cv-03303, D. Md., Judge Legg

Defeated class certification in false advertising case involving the advertisement of sports equipment. Plaintiff withdrew the case before trial.

2:13-cv-04222, C.D. Cal., Judge Olguin

Insights

Seminar

FedEx AI Summit FedEx AI Summit

October 22, 2025

Memphis

Conference

Saudi Law Conference 2024 Saudi Law Conference 2024

October 23-25, 2024

Riyadh

Webinar

From UK Disclosure to German Preliminary Injunctions and U.S. Trade Dress Litigation: The Road to Trademark/Design Litigation in the UK, Germany, and the U.S. From UK Disclosure to German Preliminary Injunctions and U.S. Trade Dress Litigation: The Road to Trademark/Design Litigation in the UK, Germany, and the U.S.

May 9, 2024

Webinar

Conference

WTR Live: Brand Strategy Summit USA 2023 WTR Live: Brand Strategy Summit USA 2023

September 27-28, 2023

New York

Seminar

Managing Trademark Assets USA 2022 Managing Trademark Assets USA 2022

October 20, 2022

New York

Lecture

Understanding Trademarks 2022 Understanding Trademarks 2022

July 11-15, 2022

Montreal

Professional Recognition

"Danny Awdeh commands deep respect both locally and nationally and is implicitly trusted by clients for staunch representation in high-stakes cases and business-savvy counsel that ensures long-term protection."

"Danny stands out for his 'extremely reliable, fast and direct communication. He is an indispensable asset who provides exceptional legal guidance and strategic counsel in all matters related to IP. His comprehensive understanding of IP law, both in the United States and internationally, is instrumental in protecting and maximizing the value of his clients’ intellectual property. Furthermore, Danny demonstrates a deep understanding of business objectives, developing tailored strategies that align with wider goals.'"

"Danny Awdeh has excellent knowledge and is able to communicate the legal position clearly and concisely."

"Danny Awdeh is 'very hardworking and is appreciated for his high level of experience and practical approach.'"

"Mr. Danny Awdeh – partner, trademark and copyright expert, a key attorney to the case handling all trademark and copyright issues. Danny’s common sense, knowledge, and shrewdness guided the team under his expertise."

"Equally capable in prosecution as litigation, the group manages more than 10,000 trademarks in over 200 countries around the world and has handled more than 100 litigations in US district court in the last five years. All-around trademark wizard Danny Awdeh represents this combination, bringing strategic vision and deft portfolio management together with an easy courtroom demeanour honed through years of litigation experience."

“Leader of the trademark, copyright and advertising group Awdeh is an ‘ultra-sophisticated lawyer’ and strategic visionary who is ‘right at the top of the list of first-rate litigators.’”

“‘Danny is one of the best trademark lawyers and, actively involved in high-profile policy matters, is working for the betterment of the protection landscape not just for his clients, but for all brand owners in the United States. He tailors strategies to meet specific needs and aligns his advice with clients’ business goals.’”

“‘One of the best trademark lawyers there is,’ Awdeh ‘masterfully balances legal risk with commercial solutions and can meet very aggressive deadlines to successfully launch new brands.’”

“Danny is a truly talented lawyer and the go-to guy for high-profile trademark and trade dress litigation. He supports his clients around the globe and has a valuable presence in China. Danny collaborates with patrons to build creative IP protection programs which proficiently deal with the threat of dilution, taking into consideration related matters of copyright, domain name and unfair competition law. He’s an unstoppable force, combining outstanding lawyering skills with a genuine concern for his clients’ businesses. His knowledge of prosecution, enforcement and strategy are above and beyond any other private practitioner, and he masterfully balances legal risk with commercial solutions.”

“Danny Awdeh is widely commended for his contentious abilities: ‘He is an exceptional advocate who gives candid, practical advice backed by an impressive understanding of the legal complexities. He has an innate sense for how disputes are likely to develop to keep his clients at least two steps ahead. He also understands corporate philosophies and takes a measured, commercially oriented approach, becoming an extension of the company.’”

“Recommended lawyers include the…’responsive and accurate’ Danny Awdeh…”

“The ‘highly responsive and agreeable’ Awdeh has ‘appreciable substantive knowledge and a gift for tactical thinking—he is also very fair with costs.’”

“…also relies on ‘organised, analytical, and strategic’ Danny Awdeh to enforce its rights. ‘He has a sturdy command of a variety of topics and interacts very well with foreign associates.’”

“Danny Awdeh wins praise for his ‘measured, commercially oriented’ approach.”

“The dexterous Danny Awdeh covers the spectrum of trademark functions for industry-leading, brand-rich entities.”

“The highly capable Danny Awdeh rounds out the trademark group…”

“Danny Awdeh is another standout in the trademark group, serving as both an advisor for clients’ portfolios, and a litigator in IP disputes.”

“Practice head Danny Awdeh is ‘an expert in the field’ and is noted as ‘the best’ and ‘most efficient attorney.’”

“Danny Awdeh, hailed for his ‘tremendous legal expertise and impeccable judgment’, leads the practice, which undertakes the full spectrum of non-contentious matters.”

“Danny Awdeh is ‘excellent’ and ‘superb’ to a client.”