Marsha K. Hoover is a founding member of Davis McGrath LLC who specializes in intellectual property law and litigation. She counsels corporations and individuals with respect to trademark rights, copyrights, and rights of privacy and publicity. Marsha assists a wide variety of businesses with selecting, screening, registering and enforcing trademarks and service marks, and with registering and protecting copyrights.

Marsha's clients include publishing companies, banks, insurers, owners of hotels and restaurants, not-for-profit associations, television and film producers, religious and educational institutions, and creators of content for digital media such as the Internet and interactive CD ROM products. At the same time, she frequently works directly with individuals who are just beginning their creative careers. Her knowledge of trademark and copyright issues has proven extremely useful to clients who are creating new works to avoid conflicts with the existing intellectual property rights of others and in dealing with the plethora of issues engendered by the widespread and increasing use of the Internet.

Marsha has considerable experience in copyright and trademark protection for characters portrayed in a variety of media, and in protecting, enforcing or securing intellectual property licensing rights. She works regularly with companies' in-house counsel who want assistance with special intellectual property projects and issues. Her practice includes representing clients in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, along with coordinating international trademark registration and enforcement programs.

Marsha began her private practice in commercial litigation, primarily in the field of antitrust, gaining experience in handling complex cases before establishing her intellectual property law practice. After law school, she completed a two-year judicial clerkship for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Education

J.D., Northwestern University School of Law, 1980 B.S., Northwestern University School of Communication, 1977

Bar Admissions

State of Illinois (1980) U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (1980) (Trial Bar, 1987) U.S. District Court for the Central Districts of Illinois (1998) (Trial Bar, 1998) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (1981)

Professional Activities

Chicago Bar Association American Bar Association International Trademark Association (INTA)