U.S. Soccer Federation Settles With Charitable Arm Over 'Hijacked' Trademarks
Quinn Emanuel and Crowell & Moring had been litigating a dispute over the organizations' trademarks for the last 18 months.
May 18, 2020 at 11:09 AM
2 minute read
The original version of this story was published on New York Law Journal
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The revamped U.S. Soccer Federation has put another lawsuit in the rearview mirror.
A few weeks after winning an equal pay dispute with the U.S. Senior Women's National Team, the federation has settled a trademark suit that its charitable arm brought against it in 2018.
The federation is the governing body that oversees the U.S. national teams. The foundation is focused on promoting youth soccer, particularly among disadvantaged children. On Friday they jointly stipulated to dismiss U.S. Soccer Federation Foundation v. U.S. Soccer Federation and stated publicly that the agreement is in the best interest of the sport.
"As we move forward, the U.S. Soccer Federation and the U.S. Soccer Foundation will work together to provide access and opportunities for all soccer players across the country, particularly those in low-income communities and others in need," the organizations stated.
The federation registered the name "U.S. Soccer Foundation" and its familiar shooting ball logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the late 1990s. The foundation alleged that the two organizations "have shared the understanding" that the foundation actually owned the marks, and that the federation was trying to "hijack" them for its own use. The federation maintained that it had invested many millions over decades in developing, promoting and policing the marks.
In recent months the federation has shaken up its executive ranks, including placing its chief legal officer on leave, as it's absorbed the PR hit of being sued by the women's team while facing the same kinds of financial and operational challenges that the coronavirus is posing to most sports.
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan represented the foundation, defeating a motion to disqualify the firm along the way. Partner Robert Raskopf signed Friday's stipulation, along with partners Todd Anten and Julia Beskin and associate Scott Lerner. Crowell & Moring partners Kent Goss and David Ervin and counsel Molly Jones led the federation's team.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View All
Chicago Cubs' IP Claim to Continue Against Wrigley View Rooftop, Judge Rules
2 minute read
SEC Puts Beat Down on Ex-Wrestling CEO Vince McMahon for Not Reporting Settlements
3 minute read
$15K Family Vacation Turned 'Colossal Nightmare': Lawsuit Filed Against Vail Ski Resorts
Law Firms Mentioned
Trending Stories
Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250
