Mary Ann Novak is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Irell & Manella LLP, where she is a member of the high-tech, entertainment, and intellectual property transactions, and intellectual property litigation practice groups.  Her practice focuses on trademark, unfair competition, patent, copyright, and right of publicity.  Ms. Novak counsels clients on acquiring and maintaining U.S. and foreign rights and on issues relating to potential and pending infringement problems.  She conducts searches of titles, names, logos and configurations, and prosecutes trademark applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Additionally, Ms. Novak counsels clients regarding Internet issues pertaining to proprietary rights, cybersquatting, and related intellectual property issues.

Ms. Novak also litigates oppositions before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and litigates trademark, patent, unfair competition, and copyright matters in federal court.  Her experience includes representing Newport Corporation in a trademark and service mark action in federal district court in Connecticut.  After a three-week trial, the jury returned a complete defense verdict in favor of Newport Corporation.  Ms. Novak also defended a patent and trademark case brought by Sharper Image in the Northern District of California against retailers and manufacturers of air purifiers that competed against its flagship "Ionic Breeze."  The case settled after Sharper Image's claims of trade dress and design patent infringement were dismissed on summary judgment.

In 2007 and 2008, Ms. Novak was recognized by Los Angeles Magazine as a Southern California "Rising Star" in intellectual property litigation.

Ms. Novak graduated from the University of Michigan, with Highest Distinction, with a B.A. in Political Science in 1994.  She earned her J.D. with Distinction from Stanford Law School in 1997, where she served as an associate editor of the Stanford Law Review.  Before joining Irell & Manella, Ms. Novak served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael R. Murphy of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Professional Activities

• Ms. Novak's professional activities include membership in the Los Angeles Copyright Society.

Bar & Court Admissions

• 1999, California
• U.S. District Court, Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California; U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; U.S. District Court, District of Colorado