John Halski

Partner

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Legal Assistant:

Practical intellectual property management from clearance to global enforcement.

John Halski advises clients of all sizes, from family-owned businesses and emerging startups to Fortune 500 companies and global nonprofits. His guidance covers the full range of intellectual property matters, including trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and personality and NIL rights. His approach is grounded, pragmatic, and consistently focused on one thing: achieving your goals.

John brings particular depth to complex and non-traditional trademark matters, including color marks, product configuration marks, and the complicated grounds for refusal from the USPTO such as “failure to function.” He has negotiated trademark and copyright infringement disputes involving multinational parties, managed global trademark portfolios across diverse industries, and counseled clients on the IP challenges and opportunities surrounding cutting-edge AI-based platforms.

His client roster reflects genuine range, including tabletop game companies and international logistics firms, e-commerce app developers and Fortune 500 software companies, local political campaigns and global nonprofit organizations. Whatever the size or complexity of your matter, John’s approach begins the same way: listening carefully to your needs, identifying practical solutions, and leaving you better informed with a clearer vision of the path forward.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY

John is a recognized voice in the trademark and IP community. A frequent writer and recipient of recognition from The Burton Foundation for excellence in legal writing, he also produces Candid Re:Marks®, an ongoing video series offering plain-language explanations of complex trademark and copyright issues for clients and practitioners alike.

John is an active member of the International Trademark Association (INTA), where he has been recognized as a “High-Performing Committee Member” for his work on trademark and copyright issues related to NFTs and the Metaverse. He currently participates in INTA’s “Unreal Campaign,” a public awareness initiative promoting education among young people about the dangers of counterfeit products and the importance of respecting trademark rights.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Overcame a USPTO “failure to function” refusal by developing a comprehensive evidentiary record of consumer recognition, securing federal trademark registration for a mark in long-term commercial use
Successfully negotiated resolution of a sustained multi-year copyright infringement dispute, securing fair compensation for the client and avoiding litigation
Prevailed in a UDRP domain name proceeding based solely on the client’s common law trademark rights, without a federal registration
Led a coordinated multi-jurisdictional opposition campaign against a major corporation’s trademark applications threatening the client’s established brand through reverse confusion, successfully defending the client’s rights across six countries
Managed global trademark portfolio filings and maintenance for clients ranging from regional consumer brands to international logistics companies
Counseled clients on trademark and copyright issues arising from AI platform development and deployment
Advised nonprofits, political organizations, and advocacy groups on IP protection strategies tailored to their missions and structures

ARTICLES

“Where We Are/Where We’re Going: Current Trends and The Impact of AI on Trademark Registration”, King County Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section (June 2026)
“The Impact of Vidal v. Elsteron Political Brands“, American Bar Association Landslide® Magazine (March 2025)
“U.S. Trademark Identity Verification in the Age of Misinformation: Delays at USPTO Impact Possible Solutions to Authentication” (April 2024)
“Beware of Trademark Scams: 3 Essential Tips to Protect Your Intellectual Property” (March 2024)
Author, “Use of Trademarks in the Metaverse”, Committee Report, International Trademark Association (April 2023)
“Six Things to Know About Trademark Protection in Foreign Countries” (March 2023)
“Six Things to Know About Social Media Handles, and How They Can Benefit (or Damage) Your Brand” (October 2022)
“Six Questions to Ask if You’re Wondering Whether to Protect Your Trademarks in the Metaverse” (June 2022)
“USPTO Should Rethink Its Resistance To Political Slogan TMs” (Law360, February 2021)
“Supreme Court Holds Disparagement Clause Unconstitutional” (June 2017)
“A Question of ‘Integrity’” (March 2017)
“En Banc Federal Circuit Overhauls Inequitable Conduct Law” (July 2011)
“Applying Inwood to Online Market Place, Second Circuit Finds ‘Generalized Knowledge’ of Counterfeiting Insufficient for Contributory Trademark Infringement” (July 2010)
“Fed Circuit Affirms En Banc a Separate ‘Written Description’ Requirement under 35 U.S.C. § 112, Paragraph 1” (July 2010)
“When Your Case May Hang on a Single Comma: Ariad Revives the Written Description Debate under 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶1” (September 2009)
“Inter partes re-examination: What lies ahead?” (August 2008)

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

“Taylor Swift vs. ‘Swift(ies) For Trump’ – Name, Likeness, and Brand Protection in the Age of AI”, International Trademark Association Annual Meeting (May 2025)
“Hitting the Mark: Identifying the Best Time(s) to Use Outside Trademark Counsel”, King County Bar Association (September 2023)
“Legal Answers – Trademark Domain Name Dispute“, Ryan Swanson Video Series (May 2023)
“Trademark Law 101: Basics of Brand Selection and Protection”, Parenthood Ventures (November 2022)
“Trademark Re-Examination and Expungement Procedures at the USPTO”, King County Bar Association (October 2022)
“Selecting a Strong Trademark: Legal Considerations for Naming Your Start-Up” (July 2022)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

International Trademark Association, Unreal Campaign Committee (2026-2027)
International Trademark Association, Emerging Issues Committee
Washington State Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section
Washington Lawyers for the Arts, Board Member (2017-2021)

HOBBIES & INTERESTS

John’s interests span the arts, travel, and social activism, threads that run through both his personal life and his professional practice. Growing up in St. Louis, he split his youth between digging through record stores, exploring the local film scene, and seeking opportunities for community involvement. After college he traded the Midwest for the Middle East, spending a year interning with a civil rights organization in Israel while exploring the region in his free time. He moved from Haifa to New York for law school and began his career in Manhattan before he eventually made his way west to put down roots in Seattle.

John’s background and appreciation for culture and community informs his approach to the law. John is drawn to the creative dimensions of intellectual property – for example, the ways a trademark a can do more than just indicate source, it can also convey the identity and values of the brand owner. He finds particular satisfaction in working with artists, advocates, and mission-driven organizations to help them protect what they’ve created and fully leverage their IP to achieve their goals.

Outside the office, John is busy fostering the creative passions of his two sons (along with their passion for tabletop and video games), supporting Seattle’s record stores and cinemas, and traveling with his family whenever possible. And in between all of that, when the opportunity arises, he is an avid jogger and an aspiring novelist.

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