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Raffi Zerounian

Raffi V. Zerounian

Los Angeles Market Leader
Partner
(213) 395-7621

Intro

Raffi specializes in intellectual property and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on trademark and copyright litigation.

Raffi has a 360-degree trademark practice, handling all facets of counseling, clearance, prosecution, enforcement, and litigation. He has pursued hundreds of trademark enforcement disputes and has been lead counsel in many federal court trademark infringement actions. He has extensively litigated opposition and cancellation proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, as well as domain name disputes through the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy (UDRP).

As part of his practice, Raffi also manages domestic and international trademark portfolios, and has overseen opposition and cancellation proceedings in countries and jurisdictions outside the United States with his network of trusted local attorneys.

He also has experience in stopping the sale of counterfeit goods. This ranges from investigating and stopping the counterfeiting at its source (often internationally) through litigating counterfeiting disputes in federal court.

Raffi is a recommended expert in the World Trademark Review, and is ranked in the gold category for “Individuals: enforcement and litigation” and “Individuals: prosecution and strategy” and holds a national silver ranking for "Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation." “Concise and hands-on”, Zerounian possesses “superior knowledge of trademark law, including the procedures for both trademark prosecution and litigation.” Enforcing and protecting a brand’s value is his specialty: “He is dogged about going after infringers and always gets results.” “He is the type of fierce advocate that a client wants on its side – yet he is always practical and affable, keeping the client’s business and interests at the heart of his efforts.” Raffi has been named to SuperLawyers and previously SuperLawyers Rising Stars for Intellectual Property Litigation.

Raffi also has significant experience with copyright litigation, including matters ranging from copyright infringement litigation involving cutting-edge technology to stopping the sale of knock-off art. He also has significant expertise in using copyright law to stop infringement on the Internet. He has experience with fair use claims, literal and non-literal copying claims, secondary liability, contributory infringement, and copyright prosecution and counseling.

In addition, Raffi counsels clients in a variety of domestic and international commercial litigation disputes in state and federal courts as well as in arbitration. This includes disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, business torts, partnerships, trade secret misappropriation, and adversary proceedings in bankruptcy court.

He began his legal career as a law clerk to The Honorable Ernest M. Robles, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California. Prior to joining the firm, he practiced at Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP (now Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP) and founded a boutique intellectual property law firm in Beverly Hills.

Education

J.D. University of California, Berkeley School of Law ( 2003 )
B.A. high honors University of California, Santa Barbara ( 1999 )

Academic Distinction

Berkeley Technology Law Journal, Annual Review Editor and Articles Editor

Student Association at Berkeley Law (formerly Boalt Hall Student Association), 3L Class Co-President

McBaine Honors Moot Court Competition, Co-Director; Moot Court, Board Advisor; Law & Technology Writing Seminar, Advisor

Admissions and Courts

California

Role

Los Angeles Market Leader
Entertainment Practice Co-Leader

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow (2020)

The Trademark Reporter® – International Trademark Association, Editorial Board (2008–present), Senior Editor (2012–present), Vice Chair (2020–2021), Chair (2022), Editor-in-Chief (2022-2023)

USC Law School Intellectual Property Institute, Planning Committee (2020–2021), Executive Committee Member (2021), Co-Chair of Trademark Subcommittee (2021-2022)

Continuing Education of the Bar's Internet Law and Practice in California Guide: “Domain Name and Trademark Issues,” Update Author

California Minority Counsel Program

Association of Business Trial Lawyers

Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association, Member

Armenian Bar Association, Member

Cyberspace Law Committee, Business Law Section of the State Bar of California (2011–2015), Co-Chair (2014-2015), Co-Vice Chair (2013–2014)

"​High Court Makes It Harder To Stop Foreign Counterfeit Goods," Law360 (June 2023)

"Jack Daniel’s Showdown Arrives at SCOTUS," World Intellectual Property Review (March 2023)

"High Court Dog Toy Case Ushers in ‘Exciting’ Trademark Law Year," Bloomberg Law (December 2022)

"Hanson Bridgett in Growth Mode, Particularly in LA,Daily Journal (September 2022)

"Columbia Spat Tests Question of When Professors Own Their Work," Bloomberg Law (November 2019)

World Trademark Review, Gold Category - "Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation" (2021-2024)

World Trademark Review, Gold Category - "Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy" (2021-2024)

World Trademark Review, National Silver - "Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation" (2022-2023)

Los Angeles Business Journal, Community Impact Award of the Year, Finalist (2023)

World Trademark Review, Silver Category - "Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation" (2017-2020)

World Trademark Review, Global Leaders: Private Practice (2021)

Super Lawyers, Intellectual Property Litigation; Business Litigation (2013-2023)

World Trademark Review, Bronze Category - "Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy” (2017-2020)

Law Clerk for the Honorable Ernest M. Robles of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California

Extern to The Honorable Andrew J. Wistrich, Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California