Brand Activation Legal Committee: July 2021

For July’s  meeting, Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, PC will provide updates in the following areas: (1) NAD and NARB, (2)  Lanham Act, and false advertising class actions; (3) FTC and State AG activity; and (4) the recent enactment of the Colorado Privacy Act and other developments in privacy law. Attorneys Mary Ann Wymore and Kirsten Ahmad will be presenting.

Mary Ann Wymore, Officer, knowledge of the fast-changing communications and media industries allows her to represent clients in a range of legal issues. She handles an array of general commercial litigation, representing media organizations, businesses, advertising firms and individuals in the areas of defamation and privacy, advertising, constitutional and technology law, unfair competition and intellectual property law. Her intellectual property work includes matters related to trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks and patents. She regularly litigates lawsuits arising under the Lanham Act and various state advertising and consumer protection laws in trial and appellate courts.

Mary Ann frequently assists with pre-publication review, evaluating legal issues ranging from clearance rights to the avoidance of privacy or defamation liability. She also helps clients ensure they are in compliance with the widely varying state and federal regulations on sweepstakes and promotions

Kirsten Ahmad, Officer, helps clients facing a range of litigation disputes, including in the areas of franchising, state constitutional law, advertising and promotions and general commercial litigation. A significant portion of Kirsten’s practice is focused on franchising issues. In working with franchise and other business clients, she has litigated contractual disputes; business torts; copyright, trademark and trade secret issues; administrative law; and products liability.

In her experience with complex litigation, Kirsten has prosecuted hundreds of intellectual property piracy actions under the Communications Act, Electronic Communications Privacy Act and Missouri common law. She has been involved with several class action cases and has handled litigation related to municipal business license and tax protest, state consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices statutes and state constitutional issues including the Missouri Hancock Amendment.