Fross Zelnick is a leading IP boutique with just shy of 50 attorneys in New York and Washington, DC, focused solely on intellectual property and related disputes. Through the years, the firm has represented companies like PepsiCo, LEGO, Movado, The Gap, Chanel, DC Comics, Tiffany & Co., and New York Life Insurance Company, just to name a few, as well as a list of celebrities.

Small but Mighty East Coast Fleet

Fross Zelnick was founded in 1969 by Peter Weiss, Heinz Dawid, Alvin Fross, and Ron Lehrman, who had been colleagues for more than a decade at what had been the leading international trademark firm at the time. Soon after, the original partners were joined by their former colleagues to build up the copyright practice, entertainment industry practice, litigation practice, and much more. Originally called Weiss, Dawid, Fross & Lehrman, the firm evolved throughout the years and doubled in size during the 1990s. Today, the firm handles IP transactions and disputes globally, including in China, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

Protecting What We Know Best

Some of Fross Zelnick’s most famous victories have been protecting the names and characters of familiar childhood villains and heroes. The firm's victories include restoring U.S. copyright protection for Troll dolls after years in the public domain, protecting royalty rights for Winnie-the-Pooh, and procuring a ruling that the Batmobile is protectable under copyright law as a character. The Muppets, Superman, Batman, Tarzan, Harry Potter, and The Walking Dead are a few more famous fictional names that have benefitted from the firm’s IP prowess. And speaking of beloved names, the firm also specializes in the toy industry, where it has long represented LEGO by managing and protecting its trademark portfolio—in fact, it’s thanks to the firm that the “MiniFigure” and eight-stud configuration of the LEGO brick are registered trademarks. Fross Zelnick also serves clients like Sega and Square Enix, navigating video game trademarks in a crowded industry.

“Well-known” is a descriptor for other clientele too. The firm’s Celebrities, Bands, and Athletes industry group navigates trademark, copyright, and other IP issues such as individual branding, personality rights, and licensing for the nation’s most prominent people. You just might be familiar with a few names on the client roster: Beck, Ellen DeGeneres, Dr. Dre, Green Day, Snoop, Foo Fighters, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mariah Carey, Nirvana, Mary J. Blige, Jerry Bruckheimer, Cypress Hill, Ina Garten, and Frank Sinatra Enterprises are all clients of the firm. For names a little closer to home, the firm has no shortage of work representing household names, including Ann Taylor, Energizer, Colgate, The Gap, Heineken, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, and Unilever.

Shine Bright Like a Diamond

Some of Fross Zelnick’s most famous work has been in the world of high-end jewelry. The firm has long worked with luxury brands including Tiffany & Co. and Timex to develop and protect their trademarks, copyrights, and design patents in both the jewelry itself and the associated products and branding. Did you know that “Tiffany Blue” is a registered trademark? That’s thanks to Fross Zelnick. And as an expert on fashion color trademarks, the firm has stepped in as an advisor in other disputes—for example, the firm filed an amicus brief on behalf of Tiffany & Co. in a lawsuit regarding Louboutin’s famous red bottoms.