Sharon Urias

Overview

Sharon Urias is a partner and serves as the Intellectual Property Practice Group Leader at Greenspoon Marder LLP. Ms. Urias has been practicing for over twenty-five years and regularly represents clients in intellectual property litigation involving trademarks, trade secrets, domain name disputes, patents and copyrights. Ms. Urias regularly contributes to the Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Blog. Ms. Urias has extensive experience in commercial litigation defending clients before state and federal courts throughout the country. She has covered a broad range of industries and litigated a wide range of legal issues.

Prior to joining Greenspoon Marder, Ms. Urias ran her own firm for 11 years. Additionally, she has been a member of the Fee Arbitration Program of the State Bar of Arizona since 2008.

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
U.S. District Court, District of Arizona
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

Bar Admissions

Arizona
California

Education

J.D., Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, 1995
- Loyola Law Review, Note and Comment Editor
B.A., Tufts University, 1992

Other Languages

Spanish

Experience

Representative Experience

Won motion for summary judgment on claims for trademark infringement, cybersquatting and reverse domain name hijacking, as well as award of attorneys’ fees under the “exceptional case” provision of the Lanham Act.
Obtained injunction for clients in connection with two hundred-million-dollar real estate project allowing for favorable settlement of trade secret action.
Obtained defense verdict in ten-day jury trial in complex commercial real estate case and obtained significant attorneys’ fee award on behalf of clients.
Obtained reversal by the California Court of Appeal of a $60.7 million judgment in a complicated medical malpractice case reported in the Daily Journal’s Verdicts and Settlement section to be the second largest California jury verdict of the year 2000 and the only one overturned on appeal.
Won motion for judgment on the pleadings on behalf of defendant manufacturer in class action filed on behalf of thousands of alleged class members.
Successfully defended trademark infringement case brought by prominent local chef in Louisiana against food manufacturer client, winning key jurisdictional motions, which allowed the negotiation of a nuisance-value settlement.
Won motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction on behalf of Sri Lankan and Pakistani cellular telephone companies, thus avoiding $30 million misappropriation of trade secrets case.
Representation of creator, publisher, and distributor of comic books in a copyright and trademark infringement action and a $23.5 million action against a movie studio for unpaid royalties in connection with use of client’s intellectual property.
Successfully handled appeal for client hit with a $1 million arbitration award despite significant and extensive adverse case law.
Set aside default judgment in trial court on behalf of defendant insurance company and successfully defended appeal from order granting default judgment.
Won motion for dismissal sanction in federal court case based on the plaintiff’s failure to cooperate in discovery.
Won successive motions to quash service of summons on behalf of Danish motion picture distribution company based on failure to comply with the Hague Convention, causing the plaintiff to dismiss the lawsuit.
Assisted publishing company client in recovering stolen domain name in trademark infringement case.
Obtained arbitration award in a bad faith action against an insurance company, including recovery of attorneys’ fees.
Obtained dismissal on behalf of client in federal trademark case alleging infringement, unfair competition and false advertising, and seeking treble damages.

Professional and Community Involvement

International Trademark Association, Member
- Public Information Committee, 2022-2023
Arizona State Bar Fee Arbitration Program, Vice-Chair
The Arizona Apparel Foundation, Former Board of Directors
Arizona Technology Council, Member
American Bar Association, Trademark Litigation Committee, Member
Arizona State Bar Association, Fee Arbitration Program, Member
California State Bar Association, Member

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, “You, Me & IP” GM Webinar, October 14, 2021
Speaker, “You, Me & IP” GM Webinar, May 21, 2021
Speaker, “You, Me & IP Series Getting Back to Basics: What Make A Strong Trademark,” Greenspoon Marder Webinar, April 15, 2021
Speaker, “You, Me & IP Series – It’s Time to Confirm You’re Properly Using Trademarks in Commerce,” Greenspoon Marder Webinar, February 19, 2021
Speaker, “You, Me & IP Series – The Grinch Who Stole Holiday Trademarks,” Greenspoon Marder Webinar, December 16, 2020
Speaker, “You, Me & IP Series – A Cannabis Haiku,” Greenspoon Marder Webinar, November 19, 2020
Speaker, “You, Me & IP Series – The Washington Football Team A $3.4B Identity Crisis,” Greenspoon Marder Webinar, October 22, 2020
Speaker, “You, Me & IP Series – COVID, Boomers and Karens: Oh my!,” Greenspoon Marder Webinar, August 27, 2020
Speaker, “Dress to Impress: How to Protect Your Trademark in the Fashion Industry,” West LegalEdcenter/Thomson Reuters, December 3, 2019
Speaker, “Ins & Outs of Fee Agreements” and the “You Be The Fee Arbitrator,” State Bar Convention, June 28, 2019
Speaker, ” “Legally Launched: Top Legal Tips for Startups,” eMerge Americas 2019, April 28, 2019
Speaker, “The Legal Lawyers of 3D Printing,” The Arizona Tech Council Monthly Lunch and Learn, April 9, 2019
Speaker, “Fee Agreements,” The State Bar of Arizona’s 2018 Annual Convention, June 27, 2018
Speaker, “You Be the Fee Arbitrator,” The State Bar of Arizona’s 2018 Annual Convention, June 27, 2018

Awards

Recognition

U.S. News & World Report, “Best Lawyers in America,” Intellectual Property, 2023
Martindale-Hubbell, Rated AV Preeminent®

Publications

Author, “Comparing trademark issues in very different industries: fashion, cannabis, high-tech“, Westlaw Today, November 21, 2022
Author, “Trademark and copyright considerations for NFTs,” Reuters, May 2, 2022
Author, “Border Patrol,” IP Magazine, September, 27, 2021
Author, “Seizure of Counterfeit, Pirated Goods Under IP Chapter of U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement,” The Lawyer’s Daily, March 12, 2020
Author, “What To Know About The Importation Of Gray Market Goods Into The United States,” Phoenix Business Journal, January 21, 2020
Author, “How Does The United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement Affect Intellectual Property Rights?,” Phoenix Business Journal, November 4, 2019
Author, “Game of Trademarks,” Intellectual Property Magazine, September 2019
Co-Author, “Protecting Your Company’s Domain Name,” Today’s General Counsel, October 1, 2018
Author, Williams v. Garcetti: Constitutional Defects in California’s Gang-Parent Liability Statute, 28 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 447, 1994

In the News

Quoted, “NDA or the highway: protecting secrets during a pitch,” wipr, January 11, 2023
Featured, “Copy Bites,” Spring 2022 Edition, United States Intellectual Property Alliance, Entertainment, Arts & Sports, June 2022
Featured, “OK Boomer, Trademark Try For ‘COVID’ Is A Real Karen Move,” Law360, August 28, 2020
Mentioned, “Cannabis Co. Wants Judge To Toss Harvest Health Merger Suit,” Law360, January 21, 2020
Quoted, “UMCA-Yay or Nay?,” Intellectual Property Magazine, November, 28, 2019
Quoted, “ASIPI 2019: Trading Up,” World Intellectual Property Review, October 28, 2019
Quoted, “Taking on Trademark Trolls and Frivolous Marks, Trademark Watch Dawgs Wade into Divisive Waters,” IP Watchdog, April 11, 2019
Quoted, “High Court Could Give Copyright Lawyers’ Advice Extra Strength,” Bloomberg BNA, July 31, 2018
Featured, “Greenspoon Marder Announces Addition of New Partner Sharon Urias in Arizona,” Yahoo Finance, April 23, 2018

Jan 13, 2023 FTC Proposes Rule on Non-Competition Agreements
Oct 14, 2021 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: Sensory Trademarks: Selling to the Subtle Perceptions of Sophisticates
May 21, 2021 GM Innovation Week: Catch You at the Border: Registering Trademarks With U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Stop Infringing Imports
Feb 18, 2021 You, Me & IP Webinar Series: It’s Time to Confirm You’re Properly Using Trademarks in Commerce
Jul 1, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Blog: Profit Awards in Trademark Cases: Supreme Court to Decide Whether Willfulness Is Required
Jun 24, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Client Alert: Supreme Court Strikes Down Ban on Scandalous Trademarks in Iancu v. Brunetti
May 29, 2019 Arizona Supreme Court Reverses Lower Court Rulings that Would Have Outlawed Cannabis Extracts
May 20, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Blog: GOTrademarks?
May 15, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Blog: Update to UGG! Generic or Not?
Mar 11, 2019 Trademark Protection in China
Feb 20, 2019 How to Protect Your Registered Trademark
Jan 25, 2019 Can Blockchain Technology Protect Your IP Assets?
Jan 15, 2019 3D Printing and IP Protection
Nov 26, 2018 Do “Old Barbee” Alcoholic Beverages Really “Dilute” Barbie?
Oct 29, 2018 Trademark Licenses in Bankruptcy Cases
Oct 11, 2018 Trademark Trolling
Sep 18, 2018 Ugg! Generic or Not?
Aug 17, 2018 Patent Lawsuit Fee Awards: How Much Is Enough to Be “Exceptional”?
Jul 20, 2018 Is Kim Kardashian Feeling The “Vibes”?
Jun 21, 2018 Coca-Cola or Dr Pepper?
Feb 22, 2018 Parodies Can Be Protected from Intellectual Property Claims
Jan 22, 2018 Another Trademark Battle Over Color
Jan 5, 2018 Update: No Infringement in Allstate v. Kia Case
Dec 11, 2017 Update: PayPal and Pandora Settle
Nov 10, 2017 A Trademark Fight Over Nearly Identical Names: Is There Confusion?
Oct 19, 2017 Yes, Colors May Be Trademarked

News & Videos