Raffi specializes in intellectual property and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on trademark and copyright litigation.

Trademark Litigation and Prosecution

Raffi has a 360-degree trademark practice, handling all facets of counseling, clearance, prosecution, enforcement, and litigation. Raffi has pursued hundreds of trademark-enforcement disputes and has been lead counsel in many federal-court trademark-infringement actions. Raffi has also extensively litigated opposition and cancellation proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, as well as domain name disputes through the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy (UDRP).

As part of his practice, Raffi also manages domestic and international trademark portfolios, and has overseen opposition and cancellation proceedings in countries and jurisdictions outside the United States with his network of trusted local attorneys.

Raffi also has experience in stopping the sale of counterfeit goods. This ranges from investigating and stopping the counterfeiting at its source (often internationally) through litigating counterfeiting disputes in federal court.

Raffi is active in the International Trademark Association. He has been a Senior Editor for The Trademark Reporter since 2012, is currently chair of the Editor Training Subcommittee, and has served on the journal’s Editorial Board since 2008.

Raffi is a recommended expert in the World Trademark Review, and is ranked in the gold category for “Individuals: enforcement and litigation” and “Individuals: prosecution and strategy.” “Concise and hands-on”, Zerounian possesses “superior knowledge of trademark law, including the procedures for both trademark prosecution and litigation.” Enforcing and protecting a brand’s value is his specialty: “He is dogged about going after infringers and always gets results.” “He is the type of fierce advocate that a client wants on its side – yet he is always practical and affable, keeping the client’s business and interests at the heart of his efforts.” Raffi has been named to SuperLawyers and previously SuperLawyers Rising Stars for Intellectual Property Litigation.

Copyright Litigation and Prosecution

Raffi has significant experience with copyright litigation, including handling matters ranging from cutting-edge copyright infringement litigation involving technology to stopping the sale of knock-off art. He also has significant expertise in using copyright law to stop infringement on the Internet. Raffi has experience with fair use claims, literal and non-literal copying claims, secondary liability, and contributory infringement. Raffi also has experience with copyright prosecution and counseling.

Commercial Litigation

Raffi has significant experience in a variety of domestic and international commercial litigation disputes, including in state and federal courts as well as in arbitration. His experience includes disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, business torts, partnership disputes, trade secret misappropriation, and adversary proceedings in bankruptcy court.

Raffi began his legal career as a law clerk to The Honorable Ernest M. Robles, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California. Prior to joining Hanson Bridgett, Raffi practiced at Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP (now Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP) and founded a boutique intellectual property law firm in Beverly Hills.

Bar Admissions

• California

Education
J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law (2003)
B.A., high honors, University of California, Santa Barbara (1999)

Professional Associations

• Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow (2020)
• The Trademark Reporter® â?? International Trademark Association, Editorial Board (2008â??present), Senior Editor (2012â??present), Vice Chair (2020â??2021), Chair (2022), Editor-in-Chief (2022)
• USC Law School Intellectual Property Institute, Planning Committee (2020â??2021), Executive Committee Member (2021), Co-Chair of Trademark Subcommittee (2021-2022))
• Continuing Education of the Bar's Internet Law and Practice in California Guide: â??Domain Name and Trademark Issues,â? Update Author
• California Minority Counsel Program
• Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Member
• Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association, Member
• Armenian Bar Association, Member
• Cyberspace Law Committee, Business Law Section of the State Bar of California (2011â??2015), Co-Chair (2014-2015), Co-Vice Chair (2013â??2014)

Professional Activities and Experience
Accolades

• Los Angeles Business Journal, Top 100 Lawyers (2022)
• World Trademark Review, National Silver - "Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation" (2022)
• World Trademark Review, Gold Category - "Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation" (2021-2022)
• World Trademark Review, Gold Category - "Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy" (2021-2022)
• World Trademark Review, Global Leaders: Private Practice (2021)
• Los Angeles Business Journal, Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys, Finalist (2021)
• Southern California Super Lawyers, Intellectual Property Litigation (2014-2022)
  
• World Trademark Review, Silver Category - "Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation" (2017-2020)
• World Trademark Review, Bronze Category - "Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy” (2017-2020)
• Southern California Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Intellectual Property Litigation (2013)

Book Review of Likelihood of Confusion in Trademark Law, by Richard L. Kirkpatrick; The Trademark Reporter (December 2021)
"An Introduction to the Trademark Modernization Act," The Trademark Lawyer Magazine (May 2021)
"Attorney Spotlight On Julio Avalos, Chief Business Officer and General Counsel of GitHub," CMCP Diversity Matters Newsletter (Summer 2016)
"Revised California Rules Intended to Streamline Demurrer Process With New Meet-And-Confer Requirements," co-author, CMCP Diversity Matters Newsletter (Spring 2016)
"Northern District of California Grants Motion to Dismiss TCPA Case against WhisperText with Prejudice," Cyberspace Law Committee E-Bulletin (September 2015)
"The FTC’s Revised .com Disclosures Guidelines and Celebrity Endorsements in Space-Constrained Ads Using Social Media," Cyberspace Law Committee E-Bulletin (2013)
"Ethical Implications of Attorneys’ Use of the Cloud," Cyberspace Law Committee E-Bulletin (2012)
"Practice Tips for Dealing with Brand Misuse in Social Media," co-author, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, Corporate Counsel (2011)
"Foreword of the Annual Review of Law and Technology," 18 Berkeley Tech. L.J. 1 (2003), Berkeley Technology Law Journal (2003)
"Note, Bonneville International v. Peters," 17 Berkeley Tech. L.J. 47, Berkeley Technology Law Journal (2002)