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Overview
Meredith Williams focuses on representing and advising clients in protecting their intellectual property rights. Meredith’s practice emphasizes trademark and copyright litigation, trade secret misappropriation, false advertising, and unfair competition, and she advises clients on how best to promote and defend their brands and other IP assets given novel legal issues raised by social media and advances in technology. Her experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state court, in ex parte and inter partes proceedings before the USPTO and TTAB, and in domain name dispute and other takedown procedures gives Meredith a variety of tools to assist clients in both enforcing and defending their rights.
Prior to joining Rutan & Tucker, Meredith worked at Jones Day, where she represented clients in all aspects of complex litigation in state and federal courts, including drafting and responding to pleadings, discovery, and pre- and post-trial motions, taking and defending depositions, and preparing matters for hearing at trial and arbitration proceedings.
Experience
Representative Litigation Experience
- Ongoing representation of apparel and other companies in trademark litigation, ex parte, and inter partes proceedings to secure, defend, and enforce trademark registrations.
- Ongoing representation of a leading automotive industry company in its trademark infringement litigation throughout the State of California.
- Represented massage products company in trademark prosecution and litigation against infringer, obtaining reversal of office action refusal and trademark registration as well as favorable settlement, with infringer ceasing use of trademark.
- Represented international wine distributor in defending new wine brand against infringement and unfair competition claims, obtaining dismissal with leave to amend and subsequent favorable settlement.
- Represented cosmetics company in defending major, celebrity-sponsored lipstick and mascara brand, obtaining favorable settlement.
- Represented clients including REIT that develops and manages apartment communities nationwide, international strength training equipment manufacturer, professional golfer, restaurant chain, and wholesale fruit and vegetable distributor in pursuing and managing trademark portfolios at the USPTO and in inter partes proceedings before the TTAB.
Pro Bono
- 2019 Advocate of the Year, Sonenshine Pro Bono Reception
- 2019 Rutan & Tucker Pro Bono Award Recipient
- Represented pro bono client in presenting affirmative case at custody trial, negotiating a settlement that resulted in reuniting mother and son; obtained further step-up in parenting time and sanctions for other parent’s obstruction of custody evaluation and parental relationship.
- Represented detained asylum client in immigration court, obtaining withholding of removal so that transgender client may remain safely in the United States rather than face deportation.
- Represented client in unlawful detainer action, obtaining favorable settlement preventing client’s eviction.
- Advised pro se litigants and victims of domestic abuse through the Public Law Center’s Federal Pro Se Clinic and Domestic Violence Clinic.
Speaking Engagements/Publications
- “The Supreme Court contemplates a 3-year copyright damages bar,” Daily Journal (February 28, 2024)
- Speaker, OCBA IP & Technology Law and Entertainment, Sports & Marketing Joint Section Webinar, “Litigation, Tiger King, and Fair Use – Oh My!: Recent Interesting IP Rights Cases,” November 15, 2021
- Speaker, Orange County Intellectual Property Law Association (“OCIPLA”), “This Year’s Most Entertaining Trademark Cases,” October 21, 2021
- Panelist, Docket Alarm Series: Litigation in Light of COVID-19, “Managing a Trademark Portfolio During COVID-19,” May 8, 2020
- Speaker, OCIPLA, “Trademark and Copyright Law 2019 Highlights and 2020 Preview,” co-presenting with Catherine J. Holland of Knobbe Martens, February 19, 2020
- Speaker, OCIPLA, “Scandalous Trademarks and the First Amendment,” exploring potential constitutional invalidation of statutory prohibition on “scandalous or immoral” trademarks as well as legality issues for marijuana-related trademarks, March 28, 2019
- Panelist, OCBA Young Lawyers Division Panel, “Navigating Your Discomfort and Improving Collaboration Between Partners and Associates,” November 7, 2018
- “Standing to Enforce Foreign Trademark Rights After Belmora v. Bayer Certiorari Denial,” Jones Day Publications (March 2017)
- “FRCP Amendments: Implications for IP and Patent Troll Litigation,” The Intellectual Property Strategist (May 2016)
- “Second Circuit Holds that Google’s Searchable, Digital Google Books and Library Project is Fair Use,” Jones Day Publications (October 2015)
News & Insights
Awards & Affiliations
Awards & Honors
- Southern California Super Lawyers, Rising Stars Edition (2020 – 2024)
- Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2024 – 2025)
Memberships & Associations
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Member
- Orange County Bar Association, Member
- OCBA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, Member and Co-Chair of Mock Trial Program
- OCBA IP & Technology Law Section, Member
- Orange County Intellectual Property Association, Treasurer
- Orange County Federal Bar Association, Member
- Orange County Coalition for Diversity in the Law, Member Representative and Former Co-Chair
