Peter B. Kunin

Cornell Law School, summa cum laude (first in class), J.D., Editor-in-Chief, Cornell Law Review

Williams College, B.A.

• Develops and manages global trademark portfolios for industry-leading manufacturers of outdoor sports equipment.
• Retained as counsel for a national gluten-free baked goods company and successfully obtained settlement agreements under which infringers agreed, outside of court, to stop using names similar to the client’s brand name.
• On behalf of a national high-end women’s clothing maker, Peter successfully obtained a settlement agreement under which the infringer agreed to abandon its trademark application and choose another brand name.
• Represented a local Vermont spirits maker that had received a baseless threat of trademark infringement, and succeeded in persuading the larger company making the threat to drop its demands.
• Obtained a highly favorable settlement for a national manufacturer of eco-friendly modular homes under which a third party agreed to cease use of the client’s trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.
• Defended a manufacturer of outdoor power equipment who had been sued for false advertising, and obtained a favorable settlement – outside of court – under which the lawsuit was dismissed.
• Successfully obtained a favorable settlement under which claims were dropped against a nationally recognized advertising agency who had been sued for trademark copyright infringement based on unauthorized activities of an employee.
• Assisted a nonprofit organization in obtaining copyright ownership to important historical materials essential to its mission.
• Succeeded in obtaining U.S. trademark registration for critical trademark for UK beverage company, despite refusal to register issued by Examining Attorney at U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and refusal to register issued by Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
• Negotiated a series of license agreements under which an app developer licensed trademarks, photographic content, audio content and textual content for use in smartphone apps.
• Negotiated a series of inter-related agreements under which an electric utility purchased hardware and software comprising a smart meter system valued at approximately $30 Million.
• On behalf of a health care software vendor, negotiated an exclusive distribution agreement covering portions of the European Union.
• Provided advice to a nonprofit organization on intellectual property ownership and licensing issues in an agreement with a leading U.S. charitable foundation providing grant funding to the client.
• Assisted a medical device manufacturer with the termination of an unfavorable license agreement and assisted in negotiating a new development and license agreement with a world-renowned academic medical center.

Vermont, 1992

Law Clerk for the Honorable James L. Oakes, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1991-1992

International Trademark Association, Former Member of Meetings Committee

Vermont Bar Association: Intellectual Property Section

Listed in Best Lawyers®, Trademark Law, Copyright Law, and Litigation- Intellectual Property, 2010-2024.

2017, 2019 and 2021 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year,” Litigation, Intellectual Property, Burlington

Peter is also recognized by his peers in Chambers USA as a “highly regarded trademark attorney.” Peter has been recognized by Chambers USA every year since 2009. Chambers USA awarded Peter and DRM’s IP practice with its prestigious “Band 1” designation. DRM’s IP practice is the only “Band 1” IP practice in Vermont.

Vermont Legal Aid, Trustee

Vermont Business Roundtable, Member

Motivated by a strong repugnance to abuses committed by patent trolls, Peter has worked to raise awareness and change the law to help neutralize the harm caused by patent trolls. Peter’s work toward solutions to the patent troll problem has been recognized in USA Today, CNN Money, The Washington Post, The American Lawyer, CFO Magazine, World IP Review, Vermontbiz.com, WCAX TV, Seven Days, Fox 44, VT Digger, The Burlington Free Press, and arstechnica.com.

In 2012 and 2013, Peter worked with DRM’s Eric Poehlmann to develop the legal approach for Vermont’s first in the nation legislation targeting patent trolls. He then worked with Vermont legislative leaders to draft the legislation, and he testified before Vermont House and Senate Committees in support of the legislation.

Peter spoke at the signing of the legislation in May 2013.

Peter has continued to work on federal patent reform efforts currently in progress in Congress. During the Fall of 2013, Peter worked with the offices of numerous U.S. Senators, staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and White House Staff in support of federal patent reform.

Peter taught trademark, copyright and trade secret law as an Adjunct Professor at Vermont Law School from 1996 to 2011.

Peter has assisted the United Way of Chittenden County in various roles, including allocations and fundraising.

Peter served on the Charlotte Planning Commission.

So You Think You Can Use Your Trademark Outside the US?

Periodically presented to business groups such as the Vermont Brewers Association and a PE firm as part of their in-house education.