Cozen O'Connor’s Intellectual Property Department has again been included in the World Trademark Review 1000 (WTR 1000). Amy Divino, Noelle Engle-Hardy, Lisa Ferrari, Shane Hardy, Ashley Kessler, Lorraine Linford, Camille Miller, Melanie Miller, Brigeeta Richdale, and Edward Weisz were named to the WTR 1000 for 2025.
The WTR 1000 is determined by an exhaustive qualitative research project over a four-month period with hundreds of lawyers and their clients involved with trademarks. WTR conducted face-to-face and telephone interviews and exchanged correspondence with industry leaders to identify firms and individuals that are deemed outstanding in the trademark field. Firms qualify for a listing on the basis of their depth of experience, market presence, and the level of work on which they are typically instructed. Only those firms and recognized individuals that deliver top-quality legal services receive recognition in the WTR 1000. While all included firms and individuals are leaders in their field, the WTR 1000 has devised Gold, Silver, and Bronze bandings to reflect diversity of services within the top end of the market.
The Pennsylvania IP practice was awarded Silver banding in the WTR 1000 for 2025. Additionally, Camille Miller was honored with a Gold banding for prosecution and strategy, and Melanie Miller was awarded a Silver banding for enforcement and litigation. The WTR 1000 attributed the firm’s success in supporting numerous innovative businesses across diverse industries and managing extensive international portfolios to Philadelphia-based attorneys Camille and Melanie, who “are standout names, well versed in both registering and enforcing trademarks.” Camille and Melanie were recognized for serving as trusted partners to prestigious clients.
The New York IP practice was awarded a Bronze banding for prosecution and strategy. Amy Divino, Lisa Ferrari, Ashley Kessler, and Edward Weisz were recognized for excellence within the Bronze banding for their work in this category. Divino was acknowledged for being trusted to “craft staunch trademark strategies to build and protect her clients’ marks.” The WTR 1000 highlighted Ferrari for her trustworthy work with trademark dispute resolution and building resilience against competing brands. Weisz was recognized for being a top choice for securing and maintaining important trademarks for his clients, who appreciate his “thoroughness, knowledge, and responsiveness.” The WTR 1000 highlighted Kessler for her extensive experience with the TTAB and USPTO and noted her significant licensing agreements, including an agreement between jewelry brand Stephanie Gottlieb and musician Taylor Swift.
The Canadian IP practice was awarded a Bronze banding for work that “excels in serving fast-growing international companies.” The WTR 1000 ranked Noelle Engle-Hardy within the Bronze band for prosecution and strategy; Shane Hardy in the Silver band for both prosecution and strategy and enforcement and litigation, as well as a Recommended Individual for transactions involving trademarks; and Brigeeta Richdale in the Silver band for her work involving anti-counterfeiting. Engle-Hardy was recognized as “a prosecution maven with a host of loyal clients who turn to her to protect their most valuable marks.” The WTR 1000 acknowledged Hardy for his “business-focused mindset when managing global portfolios as well as his ability to confidently step into the courtroom when necessary.” Richdale was recognized for “her plethora of knowledge and incisive advice, particularly in the realm of online infringement and counterfeit matters.”
Divino, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor’s Trademark Prosecution Practice, has extensive experience in all phases of trademark law in the United States and throughout the world. Her practice is focused on trademark protection and enforcement in dozens of fields, including food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, health care, banking and financial, e-commerce, computer electronics, hardware and software, transportation, print and electronic media, and apparel. She represents clients in connection with cybersecurity, counterfeiting, domain name infringement matters, and other Internet-related issues. She has transactional experience involving foreign and domestic trademark licensing and distribution agreements, as well as other agreements involving intellectual property interests.
Engle-Hardy is a registered trademark agent who focuses her practice on intellectual property disputes and litigation in a variety of industries, including consumer packaged goods, sporting goods, video games, alcohol, food and beverage products, luxury goods, professional sports, pharmaceuticals, furniture and lighting, clothing and cosmetics, cannabis, casino and real estate development, franchise, and fine art. She has experience at all stages of litigation, from obtaining Anton Piller Orders and interlocutory injunctive relief to successfully arguing multiple appeals before the Federal Court of Appeal. She helps her clients secure timely trademark registration in Canada and routinely drafts evidence to expedite their trademark applications. She regularly conducts and defends summary expungement and opposition proceedings before the Trademark Opposition Board.
Ferrari, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor’s Copyright Practice, litigates trademark, copyright, and patent infringement actions in U.S. federal courts. In addition to her litigation practice, she maintains an active trademark protection and enforcement practice, advising clients in various fields, including art, apparel, hospitality, food and beverage products, jewelry and accessories, dentistry, housewares, and electronics. She also prosecutes trademark applications, represents clients in trademark cancellation and opposition proceedings in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and handles matters relating to copyright registration and enforcement. In addition, she represents clients in areas involving licensing, royalties, assignments, liens, trademark co-existence, comparative advertising, and the seizure of counterfeit goods. She also regularly assists clients in filing takedown notices under the DMCA and addressing issues arising from the online sales of NFTs, the gray market, and counterfeit goods.
Hardy, chair of Cozen O'Connor’s Canadian Intellectual Property Practice, is a strategic business adviser who has assisted in acquiring, licensing, and marketing some of the world’s most famous trademarks and IP assets. He is one of a select few Canadian practitioners recognized for his experience in commercial transactions regarding intellectual property assets and is frequently called upon by brand owners around the world to assist with their international acquisition and licensing plans. He has assisted clients with dozens of cross-border acquisitions where target entities have an intellectual property focus. As a registered trademark agent, he has managed intellectual property portfolios on behalf of some of the world’s most successful brands.
Kessler focuses her practice on trademark prosecution, licensing, litigation, and internet disputes. She handles all phases of trademark protection and enforcement including advising clients on mark selection, clearance searches, branding and rebranding as well as matters relating to ICANN proceedings, trademark proceedings within TTAB and copyright and entertainment matters. In addition, she has experience handling trademark matters for clients in various industries including retail, apparel, food and beverage, jewelry, cannabis, CBD, and beauty and wellness industries. She regularly counsels clients on all phases of intellectual property licensing and litigation, royalties, assignments, liens, trademark co-existence and the seizure of counterfeit goods. She also regularly assists clients in filing takedown notices under the DMCA and the wild west of social media takedown procedures.
Linford, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor’s Trademark Prosecution Practice, focuses on helping clients develop comprehensive IP strategies to further their business goals and meet industry challenges, including procurement and enforcement of trademark registrations and utility and design patents. She helps clients in the United States and other countries create global trademark and patent portfolios across various fields and technologies, including mechanical and aeronautical engineering, automotive, apparel, software, and personal care products. She also helps clients with the global enforcement of their trademark portfolios, including strategic planning, trademark oppositions, and cancellation actions around the world; and various manufacturing, distribution, and license agreements.
Camille Miller, chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Intellectual Property Department, is an internationally respected intellectual property attorney and a senior leader in Cozen O’Connor, currently serving as a member of the board of directors, Management Committee, and Investment Committee. She has deep experience in many aspects of intellectual property, including trademark, trade dress, copyright, unfair competition, cybersecurity and data breaches, right of privacy, right of publicity, domain names, counterfeiting, licensing, and intellectual property litigation. She is frequently engaged to consult and advise in each of these areas. She is ongoing global trademark counsel to Fortune 500 companies and manages massive client trademark portfolios, oversees IP strategy and new registrations, monitors usage 24/7, and leads enforcement efforts to shut down any improper use or infringement.
Melanie Miller concentrates her practice on all aspects of complex commercial, general, and intellectual property litigation. She has 30 years of experience litigating trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, business and commercial disputes, and contract cases. She currently focuses on trademark and copyright infringement, unfair competition, false advertising, trade secret litigation, technology and internet counseling, trademark and copyright enforcement, and IP licensing. She has extensive experience enforcing trademark rights, responding to threats of infringement, and litigating business, commercial, and contract disputes in federal courts across the country or before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She also advises clients on how best to protect and enforce brands through policing programs or in court. She regularly assists clients with trademark and copyright matters, including launching advertising campaigns, advising on branding strategies, managing portfolios, policing efforts to protect trademarks and copyrights, and counseling on domain name disputes and various intellectual property licensing arrangements.
Richdale, co-chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Luxury Brand Protection and Enforcement Practice, focuses her practice on counterfeit and online IP infringements, providing her clients counsel and advice in all aspects of regulatory investigations and proceedings, intellectual property enforcement, and related litigation. She has also been called upon to educate international brand holders on internal and external investigations and the strategic prevention of counterfeit goods and services within the international market. Brigeeta has extensive experience guiding clients through online piracy issues and complex disputes, including private and public company litigation. Her experience in matters related to counterfeit goods is invaluable to clients prosecuting and defending applications before the Trademarks Opposition Board and in enforcement actions before Canada’s Federal Court.
Weisz, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor’s Patent Prosecution Practice, practices in all areas of intellectual property law, most recently focusing his work on U.S. patent and trademark prosecution, counseling, licensing, and litigation. He prosecutes patent and trademark applications, renders legal opinions, and advises clients on infringement, due diligence, freedom to operate, and validity issues. He has represented clients in oral and written arguments before federal courts and before examiners and various tribunals of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other government agencies.
About Cozen O'Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 925 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 33 offices across two continents.