Maria R. Sinatra
Counsel
Maria has handled all aspects of federal litigation, from the drafting of initial pleadings to discovery, and through jury trial. She has obtained emergency relief on behalf of clients, including ex parte seizure orders, temporary restraining orders (TROs), preliminary injunctive relief, and asset freezes.
Outside of litigation, Maria is an experienced advisor who helps businesses and nonprofits in all stages of growth as they develop and expand their brands. She helps startups identify the most essential intellectual property assets to protect, ensuring that available resources go where they are needed the most. For large, established companies, she monitors counterfeiting issues, handles trademark enforcement, and helps them launch new product lines.
Maria is also a frequent speaker at industry tradeshows, sharing her knowledge and unique perspective on brand protection with major players in the retail and consumer goods industries.
Experience
Experience
Representative Matters
Federal Litigation Matters
- Represented U.S. consumer products companies in anti-counterfeiting matters, including obtaining ex parte seizure orders in U.S. district courts throughout the country
- Represented Defendant-Appellees in a Ninth Circuit appeal challenging denial of a preliminary injunction. Successfully argued that the decision of the district court should be affirmed finding no likelihood of success on the merits of the plaintiff's alleged trademark infringement claims
- Represented U.S. consumer products companies in anti-counterfeiting and trademark infringement matters, obtaining injunctive relief, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and permanent injunctions in U.S. district courts across the country
- Represented a global entertainment and apparel company in obtaining judgment against trademark counterfeiters involving fraudulent activities concerning non-fungible token (NFT) and digital asset technology
- Represented a consumer products company in a trademark dispute against a customer involving the sale of products outside of the trademark owner’s product quality controls
- Defended companies in copyright disputes involving allegations of unauthorized use of alleged copyrighted materials on social media
- Defended a national retailer against trademark infringement claims brought by a trademark troll
- Defended a Grammy Award-winning musician against trademark infringement claims
- Represented a youth organization for girls in successfully defeating a motion for a preliminary injunction filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Middle Tennessee. The decision involved the national youth organization's rights to control the use of its brand
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Disputes
- Represented a consumer products company in a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) cancellation action against a trademark troll to recoup a trademark involving respirator masks
- Represented a fitness company in TTAB opposition proceedings against applicants of confusingly similar trademark applications
UDRP Enforcement Matters
- Represented consumer products, technology, fitness, and nonprofit companies in Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) enforcement actions against registrants of unauthorized domain names
- Secured UDRP enforcement action victories for a storied maker of technical footwear and apparel. The UDRP wins led to the shutdown and transfer of 40 infringing website domains using client’s trademarks without authorization.
Insights
Insights
Credentials
Credentials
Education
- J.D. Fordham University School of Law
- Member, Fordham Law Review
- Member, Fordham Law Moot Court
- Intern, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York County District Attorney’s Office
- B.S. Business Administration summa cum laude Boston University School of Management
Bar Admissions
- New York
- New Jersey
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Professional Memberships and Activities
- Mediator, included on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center’s List of Mediators
- Vice-chair, Young Lawyers Division, Intellectual Property Law Committee, American Bar Association, 2025
- Member, International Trademark Association
- Member, New York Intellectual Property Law Association
Recognition
Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2024 – 2025
- Super Lawyers, Rising Star, New York Metro, 2023 – 2025
Community
Community
Pro Bono
- Represented and successfully obtained asylum for an individual under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)