Michael William Rafter Jr.

Mike Rafter focuses his practice in the areas of trademark and advertising law. He serves as principal trademark counsel for a number of companies with well-known brands and large brand portfolios and manages their trademark portfolios and disputes throughout the world.

Mike helps clients implement cost-effective strategies to protect their existing trademarks and, when necessary, to enforce their rights in those marks. He provides straightforward, practical advice when they are considering new marks, helping them understand and evaluate, for example, whether the new mark will be difficult or expensive to protect, or whether someone is likely to sue them for infringement.

Mike regularly coordinates and manages trademark litigation, opposition and cancellation proceedings in Europe, Asia and South America and has represented many companies in trademark and false advertising litigation in the United States, both in federal court and in proceedings before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. He has recommended and successfully resolved trademark disputes through mediation and has resolved false advertising disputes through binding arbitration as well as proceedings before the National Advertising Division (“NAD”) of the Council for Better Business Bureaus.

While Mike's clients are not limited to particular industries, he does have particular experience representing owners of well-known brands for batteries, beer, building materials, carpet and flooring products, cleaning chemicals, doughnuts, electric hair dryers, clippers and shavers, flashlights, franchised electrical and plumbing service providers, franchised restaurant chains, fertilizers, frozen retail foods, insect repellants and insecticides, lawn and garden chemicals, lighting fixtures and controls, paper towels, pet products, synthetic turf, and wood preservative chemicals