Karen Feisthamel is a principal with the firm focusing on a wide variety of intellectual property matters. Karen has extensive experience with respect to the creation, selection, acquisition, protection, and enforcement of intellectual property rights with a focus in trademarks. Her strategic and pragmatic approach to KDW clients’ needs, wide scope of experience in all areas of intellectual property, in addition to her first-hand understanding of trademark prosecution, makes her a versatile IP practitioner and indispensable business partner to KDW clients. 

Prior to joining KDW, Karen was senior legal counsel, Intellectual Property, for CVS Health Corporation, where she oversaw and managed all IP issues on an enterprise-wide basis for the Fortune 10 company. In addition to her in-house experience, Karen has practiced intellectual property law at a variety of large firms, as well as served as a trademark examining attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 

Her specific experience includes: 

• Managing portfolio development and transactional work for numerous clients, varying in size from startups to large Fortune 100 companies in varying industries 
• Handling deal due diligence and related transactional agreements for significant corporate transactions 
• Overseeing intellectual property related litigation 
• Drafting and negotiating licenses, contracts and other agreements relating to intellectual property rights for clients

Contributed Content

• Karen Feisthamel and Michael Hall, “Parent or Subsidiary? Think Twice Before Opting Not to Have the Parent Own the Trademark,” IP Watchdog (July 24, 2016)
• Karen Feisthamel, “Know Your Rights: Protect Your Products’ Design,” Providence Business News (February 2006)
• Co-Authored, “Trade Dress 101: Best Practices for Registration of Product Configuration Trade Dress with the USPTO”, 95 Trademark Reporter 1374 (November-December 2005)
• Co-Authored, “Best Practices for Registration of Product Configuration Trade Dress in the USPTO,” INTA Special Report on Trade Dress (May 2005)
• Karen Feisthamel, “Getting Proper Clearance for a New Business Name,” Providence Business News (August 2005)
• Karen Feisthamel, “Copy Right or Wrong? Use Others’ Work Fairly,” Providence Business News (February 2005)
• Karen Feisthamel, “Using IP Rights to Secure Loans Can Be Tricky Work,” Providence Business News (October 2004)
• Karen Feisthamel, “Avoiding Genericide or How to Keep Your Trademarks Alive,” Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP (April 2004)
• Karen Feisthamel, “But I Paid for it, So Why Can’t I Change It?” Providence Business News (December 2003)
• Karen Feisthamel “Tech Companies Should Learn from Trademark Violations,” Providence Business News (August 2003)
• Karen Feisthamel, “Protecting Product Design in the United States,” Terralex Intellectual Property Newsletter, 8th Edition (June 2003)
• Co-authored, “Protecting Your Intellectual Property,” The Potomac Tech Journal (June 2001)

Spotlight

Learn more about Karen by viewing her KDW Lawyer Spotlight.