Robert T. Maldonado

(he/him/his)

Counsel | Trademark & Copyright

Education

BS, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JD, Stanford Law School

Key Industries

Consumer Products
Advertising
Fashion
Food & Beverage
Music
Mechanical Arts
Design Patents
Hemp Products
Tech Start-ups

Practice Groups

Languages

Spanish

Admitted to Practice

New York State
US Supreme Court
US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
US Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit
US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
US District Court for the Southern District of New York
US District Court for the Eastern District of New York
US District Court for the District of New Jersey
US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
US Patent and Trademark Office

Location

New York

Overview

Rob Maldonado focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation, including patent, trademark, copyright, false advertising, and unfair competition matters in federal court. He has extensive litigation experience at both the trial court and appellate court levels, as well as before the Patent and Trial Appeal Board (PTAB) and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Rob manages extensive patent and trademark portfolios for his clients. He assists his clients in obtaining trademark, copyright, and patent protection, including developing IP protection and enforcement strategies. He is involved in the process from clearance, through registration of rights, through enforcement and licensing, and through renewal and maintenance.

Rob’s clients, which span from start-ups to global corporations, rely on him for his strategic counseling. He regularly drafts opinion letters regarding patent validity and infringement, as well as trademark clearance, validity, and infringement. For patent work, his experience is primarily in the mechanical, material and process arts, as well as obtaining design protection. Rob also has assisted non-profits with protecting their intellectual property.

Prior to joining Wolf Greenfield, Rob was a partner at an intellectual property law firm in New York City for 27 years, where he practiced all aspects of intellectual property law.

Activities

Member, Hispanic National Bar Association (1999-present)
- National President, Hispanic National Bar Association (2015-2016)
- National President-Elect, Hispanic National Bar Association (2014-2015)
- Regional President, Hispanic National Bar Association (2012-2014)
- Chair of LGBT Section, Hispanic National Bar Association (2010-2013)
Member, The Hispanic Lawyers Society of New York (Top 100 Hispanic Lawyers in New York Metro Area)
Member, American Bar Association
- Presidential Appointments Committee, American Bar Association (2024)
- Latin America and Caribbean Law Initiative Council, Member, American Bar Association (2024)
- Council for Diversity in the Educational Pipeline, Commissioner, American Bar Association (2020-present)
- Center for Human Rights, Commissioner, American Bar Association (2018-2020)
- Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities, Commissioner, American Bar Association (2014-2018)
Member, Puerto Rican Bar Association (“PRBA”)
Member, New York Intellectual Property Lawyers Association
Member, National LGBT Bar Association
Board Member, LGBT Law Association Foundation of Greater New York, Inc. (2013-2022)
Fellow, American Bar Foundation (2013-present)
MIT Alumni Association, MIT Club of New York
CUP Catalyst, Council of Urban Professionals (2017)
Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, Fellow, The Litigation Counsel of America (2016)
Member, Programming & Planning Committee, Judicial Conference of the Second Circuit (2014)
Member, Association of the Bar of the City of New York
- Copyright & Literary Property Committee, Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1999-2002)
- Committee on Land Use Planning and Zoning, Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1995-1997)

Recognition

National Latino Attorney of the Year Award (2023)
Repeatedly named to the New York Super Lawyers list for intellectual property litigation
Repeatedly named to World Trademark Review 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals
Ranked among the top 4% of most active trademark attorneys by Patexia, Inc. (2023-2024)
Named a Top Latino Lawyer by Latino Leaders Magazine (2019)
Named among the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in the US by Latino Lawyers Magazine (2018, 2016)
Recipient of El Award by El Diario La Prensa (2013)
Named Regional President of the Year by the Hispanic National Bar Association (2013)