Joyce Liou
Joyce Liou chairs the Trademark Group and is a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. She engages in a broad intellectual property practice, with an emphasis on both IP counseling and litigation for a diverse roster of clients.
Clients turn to Joyce Liou to handle complex matters involving trademark, copyright, false advertising, right of publicity, and unfair competition claims. Joyce is a Chambers-ranked trademark litigator and counselor, with deep experience leading high-stakes disputes for leading technology companies. She has secured preliminary injunctions, summary judgment rulings, and trial verdicts in federal courts nationwide, and she regularly practices before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Joyce combines litigation strength with strategic prosecution experience to manage IP portfolios across a broad range of industries, including AI, digital media, consumer goods, entertainment, pharmaceuticals, food, and agriculture, which make her particularly well-suited for providing end-to-end services for companies of all sizes.
Joyce’s successes have earned her reputation as a leader in the IP field. She has been praised for her “tremendous knowledge of all aspects of trademark law” and her ability to “dissect[] really complex matters in a super impressive way.” In 2025, she was honored as Trademark Lawyer of the Year by Euromoney Legal Media. Joyce has also served on multiple committees for the International Trademark Association.
Joyce received her J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 2010. While attending law school, she externed for the Honorable William H. Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She received her B.A. in economics and political science with distinction from the University of California, Berkeley in 2007.
Experience
Lambda, Inc. v. LambdaTest, Inc.
(Northern District of California). Successfully represented Lambda in a trademark infringement action against LambdaTest involving AI-based software testing services.
AK Futures LLC v. Boyd Street Distro, LLC.
(Northern District of California). Obtained a preliminary injunction for AK Futures in a counterfeiting lawsuit involving its hemp-derived Delta-8 vaping devices, which the Ninth Circuit affirmed in a precedential decision regarding the scope of lawful use in commerce.
The Upper Deck Company v. Panini America, Inc.
(Southern District of California). Obtained a judgment on the pleadings for Panini in a lawsuit by Upper Deck asserting trademark, false advertising, and right of publicity claims based on an alleged exclusive license of Michael Jordan’s NIL rights for trading cards.
Cirba, Inc., et al. v. VMware, Inc.
(District of Delaware). Obtained a defense trial verdict for VMware on trademark infringement claims by Cirba d/b/a Densify over VMware’s descriptive fair use of “densify” for virtualization technology.
Lambda Labs, Inc. v. Lambda, Inc.
(Northern District of California). Successfully represented Lambda Labs in a trademark infringement lawsuit against Lambda School, now Bloom Institute of Technology, concerning educational and software consulting services.
Ironhawk Technologies, Inc. v. Dropbox, Inc.
Synopsys, Inc. v. Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. et al.
(Northern District of California). Obtained a tentative summary judgment ruling for Ubiquiti regarding the non-extraterritoriality of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in a lawsuit alleging circumvention of Synopsys’ licensing restrictions in Taiwan. The case settled shortly thereafter.
One World Foods, Inc. v. Stubb’s Austin Restaurant Company LC et al.
(Western District of Texas). Secured a stipulated permanent injunction for One World Foods in a lawsuit against the Stubb’s Austin restaurant and concert venue over its use of STUBB’S for additional locations in violation of an implied trademark license.
McCormick & Company, Incorporated v. Primal Palate, LLC.
(District of Maryland). Successfully represented McCormick, owner of the OLD BAY mark, in a trademark infringement lawsuit concerning Primal Palate’s NEW BAE mark. The case settled after completion of discovery.
Novadaq Technologies, Inc. v. Karl Storz GmbH and Karl Storz Endoscopy America, Inc.
(Northern District of California). Successfully represented Novadaq in a trademark infringement lawsuit against Karl Storz over its competing medical fluorescence imaging technology. The case settled four days before trial.
MI Technologies, Inc. v. Electrified Discounters, Inc.
(District of Connecticut). Obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction for MI Technologies against Electrified Discounters in a trademark infringement lawsuit involving counterfeit bulbs.
Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. v. Kozumi USA, et al.
Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) Matters (Trademark Trial and Appeal Board).
Successfully represented ACI-NA and affiliated North American airports in TTAB proceedings involving Anheuser-Busch’s applications to register “airport code” trademarks.
Rankings
40 & Under List
Benchmark 2025
California: Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets
Chambers USA 2025-2026
Recommended for Intellectual Property: Trademarks: Litigation
The Legal 500 US 2025-2026
40 & Under List, Dispute Resolution
Benchmark Litigation 2025
California: Enforcement & Litigation
World Trademark Review 1000 2024-2026
California: Prosecution & Strategy
World Trademark Review 1000 2023-2026
Trademark Lawyer of the Year
Women in Business Law 2025