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Biography

Sam is an “a to z” brand lawyer, representing both domestic and global clients in a wide array of intellectual property matters relating to trademark, copyright, and unfair competition issues, with a particular emphasis on trademark prosecution, counseling, licensing, enforcement and litigation, including the defense and prosecution of inter partes proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. 

In addition, Sam assists clients with anti-counterfeiting measures in both the U.S. and abroad, including past efforts for a world-famous cartoon brand that necessitated interaction with counsel and customs authorities in numerous countries on an almost daily basis as well as ongoing enforcement efforts for one of the world’s most recognizable collegiate brands.  Sam also has extensive experience representing clients in intellectual property disputes on the internet, including domain name disputes and the misuse of copyrighted material, and has brought successful Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) proceedings to recover domain names from cybersquatters on behalf of The Limited, Cracker Barrel, Food Network, HGTV and totes-Isotoner, just to name a few.  These UDRP proceedings included key domains for these companies, such as thelimitedscandalcollection.com, crackerbarrel.online, hgtvmagazine.com, foodnetworkasia.com and isotoner-slippers.com. 

While Sam services clients in all industries, she has extensive experience with procuring and protecting brands in the lifestyle, sports/collegiate, and food/beverage industries.  Her career has included many highlights, including her previous work assisting women’s fashion retailer The Limited with negotiating an exclusive license with ABC, actress Kerry Washington, and fashion designer Lyn Paolo for a fashion line based upon the then hit show Scandal, and her recent success with securing the widely publicized trademark registration for THE on behalf of The Ohio State University. 

Sam has also been consistently ranked in the gold band of the World Trademark Review 1000 (WTR 1000) since 2015, an independent ranking of the top 1000 trademark practitioners world-wide. According to the WTR 1000, “[Sam’s] facility for getting signatures on the dotted line is famed among peers, particularly when it comes to sports and collegiate licensing.”  The World Trademark Review has also noted Sam’s “very practical and business-minded” approach to client service and is quoted as being “one of the most knowledgeable and experienced trademark attorneys in the country” and having “built a very sophisticated practice.”

Before becoming a trademark lawyer, Sam had aspirations of becoming a business and tax attorney.  After receiving the degree of Juris Doctor (J.D.), she pursued the degree of Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Business and Taxation. During this time, Sam also took a position as a project assistant for a team of trademark attorneys and was heavily involved in the successful defense against a trademark infringement suit, including the request for a preliminary injunction, brought against the then upcoming launch of Current TV in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio. It was this very experience that signaled a change in Sam’s aspirations.

Sam is a member of the Ohio, Maryland, and D.C. bars.

Other Info About Sam

Education

Law School

Capital University Law School, J.D.

Graduate School

Capital University Law School, LL.M.

Undergraduate School

Kenyon College, B.A., magna cum laude

Bar Memberships

Sam is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Ohio, 2007

Maryland, 2018

Washington, D.C., 2023

Courts

Sam is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, 2007

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

The Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation—Intellectual Property, 2025

World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000 (The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals), 2015-2023
– Top Attorney in Ohio – Gold Band

WTR Global Leaders, 2019-2024
– Selected as a Global Leader by the World Trademark Review (WTR)

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), 2017 Fellow

Chambers USA, “Up and Coming,” Intellectual Property, 2015-2017

Chambers USA, Intellectual Property 2024

Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars®, 2014-2017

Featured in Columbus Business First “20 To Know In Technology” Article, May 2013

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

International Trademark Association (INTA)

Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, Member, 2016 – 2017; 2022-2023 (by appointment)

Non-Profit Committee, Member, Programming Team Chair, 2012 – 2015 (by appointment)

Ohio State Bar Association, Member

Columbus Bar Association, Member

American Bar Association, Member

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

Equality Ohio Education Fund (EOEF), Board of Directors, Secretary, Executive Committee, Nominations Committee Chair

Firm Committees

Sam serves or has served in the following leadership role(s) at Frost Brown Todd:

Women’s Initiative Committee, Member

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Belonging Committee, former Member

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