Overview
Experience
Awards
Publications
News & Videos
Sharon Urias is a partner in the Litigation practice group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. Ms. Urias is experienced in providing business and intellectual property litigation, including trademark, domain name disputes, patent and copyright litigation. Ms. Urias regularly contributes to the Greenspoon Marder Intellectual Property Blog.
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, District of Arizona
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
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
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
- 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
- International Trade Association, Member
Speaking Engagements
- 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
Recognition
- Martindale-Hubbell, Rated AV Preeminent®
Publications
- 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
- 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
- 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?
- Mar 27, 2018 Graffiti and Street Artists Sue for Copyright Infringement
- 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
- Oct 20, 2020 Greenspoon Marder Hosts The You, Me & IP Webinar Series: “The Washington Football Team Is A $3.4B Identity Crisis”
- Aug 13, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Sharon Urias and Todd Langford Featured Speakers At AZTC Lunch & Learn: The Legal Layers of 3D Printing
- Jun 28, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Partner Sharon Urias Speaker At The Arizona State Bar Convention
- Jun 12, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Partner Sharon Urias Featured Speaker At Arizona Apparel Foundation’s 3D Printed Fashion Workshop “Dress To Impress: How To Protect Your Trademark”
- Apr 29, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Supports Emerge Americas 2019
- Jun 27, 2018 Greenspoon Marder Partner Sharon Urias Featured Speaker at the State Bar of Arizona’s 2018 Annual Convention
- Apr 23, 2018 Greenspoon Marder Announces Further Expansion with Addition of New Partner Sharon Urias in Arizona