Roger Colaizzi chairs Venable’s national Intellectual Property Litigation and Advertising Litigation Groups. He has significant trial experience in Intellectual Property Rights, including Lanham Act false advertising, state deceptive trade practices, trademark, trade dress, patent, copyright, unfair competition, direct to consumer marketing, social networking, domain names, affiliate advertising, keyword advertising, and other e-commerce matters. He has successfully brought and defended against dozens of preliminary injunction motions and requests for temporary restraining orders, which are important remedies in competitive advertising and the protection of intellectual property, product brands and other proprietary assets. He has represented clients before regulatory agencies such as the FTC and self-regulating bodies such as ERSP and NAD, and in state AG investigations. He also counsels clients in many global brand protection matters.
In 2010, 2011 and 2012, Mr. Colaizzi was named one of the top advertising litigators by legal guides Chambers USA and Legal 500. Clients praise his “ability to handle complex litigation, separate law from business points and find strategic ways to settle disputes” (Legal 500), and describe him as “tenacious and smart and just the best there is when it comes to advertising litigation”(Chambers USA).
Mr. Colaizzi's clients include large corporations, small businesses and advertising agencies in the creation and protection of advertising programs and brand names. As a counselor, he seeks to help clients avoid litigation through advance analysis of proposed advertising for potential false advertising claims, government regulatory problems and infringements of competitors' rights.
Mr. Colaizzi began his career in the Honors Program at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, where he devoted more than four years to representing the United States in the prosecution of employment-related race and sex discrimination claims. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia prosecuting criminal cases.
