Professional Experience
Nicole (Nikki) Murray practices in the Firm’s Intellectual Property Group. Ms. Murray focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation. She also counsels clients on intellectual property issues, including infringement, licensing, and branding. She also counsels clients on marketing and advertising issues arising both in traditional media and on social media platforms. Nikki represents companies in a broad range of industries, including consumer products, advertising, and manufacturing. She assists clients in the acquisition, protection and exploitation of their intellectual property around the world. Her recent experience includes:
- Counseling clients on how to structure sweepstakes, contests and promotions and reviewing traditional and social media advertising campaigns for legal compliance.
- Negotiating trademark license and celebrity spokesperson agreements for a major U.S. home furnishings manufacturer.
- Advising clients on “green” advertising claims and marketing.
- Trademark prosecution and counseling, including selecting, clearing and registering trademarks, as well as representing businesses in trademark oppositions and cancellations.
- Representing Midway Games Inc., a videogame developer and publisher, in a copyright infringement action relating to Midway's Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy videogame and obtained summary judgment of non-infringement on behalf of Midway.
- Defending City Colleges of Chicago Ms. Murray obtained a judgment of non-infringement of the plaintiff’s trademark after a bench trial.
- Representing Kos Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded drug company, Ms. Murray successfully enforced the client’s well known ADVICOR trademark against infringement by Andrx’s ALTOCOR mark. Andrx changed the name of its drug, recalled the infringing drug, and paid Kos $6 million in settlement. Kos Pharms., Inc. v. Andrx Corp., 369 F.3d 700 (3d Cir. 2004).
Representative Cases Crawford v. Midway Games Inc., (C.D. Cal.) (alleged copyright infringement relating to plaintiff's screenplay);
Kos Pharmaceuticals v. Andrx (D.N.J. and 3d Cir.) (prescription drug trademark infringement);
Vincent v. City Colleges of Chicago (N.D. Ill.) (alleged trademark infringement);
Doheny Enterprises, Inc. v. R&P Pools, Inc., (N.D. Ill. and 7th Cir.) (trade secret misappropriation);
Stan Winston v. Midway Games Inc. (C.D. Cal. and Cal. Superior Court) (alleged breach of contract relating to licensing of Area 51 video game property);
Murata Mfg. Co. v. Bel Fuse, Inc. (N.D. Ill.) (infringement of modular jack patent);
Andrew Corp. v. Beverly Mfg. Co. (N.D. Ill.) (patent infringement related to patents for cable transmission line hangers and grounding clips used in wireless networks).
Education and Honors
- University of Virginia School of Law (J.D., 2002)
- Purdue University (B.S., 1998)
Bar Admissions
Illinois,
2002
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Professional Recognition
Selected for inclusion in
Illinois Super Lawyers®–Rising Stars Editions 2010 & 2011 (Intellectual Property).
Professional and Civic Activities
International Trademark Association (Member).
Lawyers for the Creative Arts (Member).