PARTNER
J. SCOTT GERIEN
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Scott manages both the domestic and international trademark portfolios of several high-profile companies and also acts as the U.S. trademark counsel for numerous foreign entities. For the thirteenth year in a row, World Trademark Review has recognized Scott as one of the world’s leading trademark professionals for trademark prosecution and strategy. The 2025 edition of the WTR 1000 notes that Scott, “leads the IP group at Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty and is well known as a thought and practice leader in the alcoholic beverages sector. A veteran of thousands of filings and many TTAB and litigation proceedings, he is prepared for anything.”
Scott was also identified as one of the top fifty trademark filers in the United States for several years by Trademark Insider. Wine Industry Business Journal also named him one of the top wine lawyers in Northern California and described him as “one of the most knowledgeable wine trademark-protection attorneys in the nation and the world.”
Scott is very active with the International Trademark Association (INTA) and has served as an editor for the INTA publication Geographical Indications, Certification Marks, and Collective Marks: An International Guide as well as the Chairman of the Geographical Indications Committee and a committee member for the Trademark Office Practices Committee.
Scott graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut in 1990 with a degree in Political Science. After college, Scott worked in advertising as an account executive before attending the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where he was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Remedies, a member of the Moot Court Board, and a member of the Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law.
CONTACT
sgerien@dpf-law.com
707-261-7000
1500 First St., Ste. 200
Napa, CA 94559
V-Card
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J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law (1996)
B.A., Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut (1990)
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ASSOCIATIONS
Member, International Trademark Association
Member, International Wine Law Association
Member, Napa County Bar Association
RECOGNITION
2013-2024, World Trademark Review, WTR 1000, World Leading Trademark Professional2009, Wine Industry Business Journal, Who’s Who in Wine Law
2006, 2007 and 2009, Trademark Insider, Top 50 Attorney Trademark Filer
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WRITINGS
“The Legal Protection of Geographical Indications in the United States: Following the Footsteps of Napa Valley,” Place-Branding Experiences - Perspectives from Intellectual Property Owners, Users and Lawyers, Edward Elgar Publishing (London), 2024
“Wine Brands and Appellations of Origin”, Wine Law in America
March 2023“Protecting Your Design: Message is the bottle”
July/August 2009“Protectable Trademarks for Packaging”
May/June 2009“International Trademark Treachery in the Internet Age”
August 11, 2008
“Geographical Branding,” May/June 2007“A Multilateral Register for Geographical Indications for Wines and Spirits: A Summary and Assessment of the Competing Proposals,” 2007
“Avoiding Branding’s Cardinal Sins,” November/December 2006
“The Vineyard Designation: Branding & Trademark Issues for Wineries & Vineyard Owners,” April 2003
PRESENTATIONS
Invited Speaker, “Geographical Indications & Trademarks, Genericness - US Perspective,” 2025 AIDV Annual Conference, Verona, Italy, October 2025Guest Speaker, “The Business of Wine, Trademarks and IP,” UC Berkeley School of Law, Berkeley, California, March 2025
Invited Speaker, “Trademarks for Alcohol Beverages,” USPTO Examining Attorney Official Training, November 2022
Invited Speaker, “Developments in U.S. Law for the Protection of Traditional Terms/Expressions for Wine,” 2022 AIDV Annual Conference, Madeira, Portugal, October 2022
Guest Speaker, “Personal Brands and Beyond: The Rise of the Celebrity Chef and International Restaurant Chains,” 2021 INTA In-Person Annual Meeting Virtual+, Los Angeles, California, November 2021
Invited Speaker, “Use of Geographical Indications as Part of Designations for Other Goods,” 2018 AIDV Annual Conference, Napa, California, June 2018Invited Speaker, “Geographical Indications and the Rise of the gTLDs: The Industry Perspective,” 2018 INTA Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington, May 2018
Guest Speaker, “Intellectual Property Issues in the Wine Industry,” Napa Valley College, Napa, California, September 2017, Stanford Law School, Palo Alto, California, October 2014, US Davis School of Law, March 2014Invited Speaker, “Traditional Expressions and Denominations,” 2017 AIDV Annual Conference, Bordeaux, France, June 2017
Invited Speaker, “Wine Brands & Labelling: the U.S. Perspective,” European Community Trademark Association, Budapest, Hungary, June 2017
Guest Speaker, “The Napa Valley Experience in Protecting NAPA VALLEY,” World Intellectual Property Organization, Meeting of Standing Committee on the Law of Geographical Indications, Geneva, Switzerland, May 2017
Guest Speaker, “Geographical Terms as Intellectual Property,” UC Berkeley School of Law, Berkeley, California, January 2017
Invited Speaker, “Restrictions on Trade in the Wine Market: Lessons from the U.S.,” 2016 AIDV Annual Conference, Siena, Italy, September 2016
Invited Speaker, “Intellectual Property Enforcement and Protection on the Internet,” 2014 AIDV Annual Conference, Burgundy, France, October 2014
Guest Speaker, “International Trademark Protection for Wine Brands,” CEB Wine Law Forum, November 2013
Guest Speaker, “Geographical Indications in Branding Strategies – Legal Issues and Examples in the U.S.” World Intellectual Property Organization, Worldwide Symposium of Geographical Indications Bangkok, Thailand, March 2013
Guest Speaker, “International Protection of Geographical Indications,” 2013 INTA Annual Conference, Miami, Florida, February 2013
Guest Speaker, “Trademark Protection for Wine Brands in China” Wine Institute, San Francisco, California, September 2012
Invited speaker, “U.S. Supply Agreements and Issues of Parallel Importation,” International Wine Law Association, Logroño, Spain, October 2011Invited speaker, “International Trademark Protection for Wine Brands,” Legal and Tax Issues Facing the Wine Industry, CLE, Napa, California, July 2011
Invited speaker, “Geographical Indications,” California Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section, International Committee, Napa, California
March 2011
Invited speaker, “U.S. Treatment of Geographical Indications,” European Community Trademark Association, Barcelona, Spain June 2010Invited speaker, “Label Issues and Intellectual Property,” Napa Valley Vintners Association, Yountville, California April 2010
Invited speaker, “Bottles, Labels and More: Intellectual Property Rights in the Alcohol Beverage Industry,” International Wine Law Association, Trier, Germany October 2009
Guest speaker, “Appellations of Origin and Geographic Brands,” Boalt Hall School of Law, Wine Law, Berkeley, California October 2009
Invited speaker, “Intellectual Property Issues in the Wine Industry,” Wine Law in America, CLE, Sonoma, California July 2009
Invited speaker, “I Now Pronounce You …Plaintiff and Defendant: Weddings and Intellectual Property, ”Wedding Industry Professionals Association, Napa, California 2009
Guest speaker, “Geographical Terms as Intellectual Property” and “Case Study: The Geographical Indications of Napa Valley and Champagne,” Boalt Hall School of Law, Protecting Products of Place, Berkeley, California 2009
Invited speaker, “Names, Labels and Trademarks,” Best Practices for Owning and Operating a Winery, CLE, San Francisco, California, 2007
Napa, California, 2008 and 2009Invited panel moderator, “Distinctive Signs for Collective Use – Agricultural Products,” International Forum on Distinctive Signs for Collective Use, World Intellectual Property Organization, Versailles, France 2008
Invited speaker, “A Discussion of Wine Trademarks and Appellations,” The Sacramento Seminar, Sonoma, California 2008
Invited speaker, “Branding and Wine Law,” Assn. of Cal. Water Agencies CLE, Napa, California, 2008
Invited speaker, “Geographical Terms as Intellectual Property,” National CLE Conference, Aspen, Colorado, 2007
Invited speaker, “Appellations of Origin: International Developments & Impact in Canada,” Bacchus at Brock, Niagara, Canada, 2007
Invited speaker, “Consumer Protection Debate – the Wine Trade Needs to Develop Better Consumer Protection Standards,” International Wine Law Association, Martigny, Switzerland, 2007
Invited speaker, “Cold Case File: Message on a Bottle,” Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario, Niagara, Canada, 2006
Invited speaker, “Decanting Wine Law,” Boalt Hall Alumni Reunion, Berkeley, California, 2006
Guest speaker, “Intellectual Property Issues in the Wine Industry,” Boalt Hall School of Law, Wine Law, Berkeley, California, 2005 – 2007
Invited speaker, “Intellectual Property Issues in International Distribution of Wines,” International Wine Law Association, Mornington Peninsula, Australia, 2005
Invited speaker, “Application of Article 23.2 of GATT TRIPS Under U.S. Trademark Law,” International Trademark Association, Atlanta, Georgia, 2004