Kilpatrick partner named US intellectual property enforcement coordinator

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Kilpatrick partner named US intellectual property enforcement coordinator

Danny Marti, partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to become the next US intellectual property enforcement coordinator

danny20marti200.jpg

The position –dubbed the White House’s “piracy czar” for its emphasis on tackling copyright infringement—is housed at the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. According to the coordinator’s office website, the role is dedicated more broadly to the protection of intellectual property in America.

Marti, who has previously served as the chair of Kilpatrick’s diversity council and co-chair of its intellectual asset acquisitions and transactions team, takes the role that Victoria Espinel left in August 2013. He will require Senate confirmation before assuming the role.

Marti’s nomination was greeted across the entertainment spectrum. Positive statements were issued from such institutions as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the Recording Industry Association of America, the Entertainment Software Association, and NBCUniversal, among others.

“Danny’s impressive record of commitment to enforcing IP rights in the Internet age makes him a particularly strong choice,” said MPAA CEO and former Senator Chris Dodd. “We urge the Senate to confirm him without delay for this important job.”

David Hirschman, president and CEO, Global Intellectual Property Center, also commented: "We are pleased to see the administration moving forward with filling this critical role and the Chamber is anxious to build on the successes and momentum already established by the White House Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator. As Congress recognized when it created this position in 2008 with strong bipartisan support, American consumers, workers and job creators, benefit from this critical effort to protect our creative and innovative industries.‎"




more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Tatiana Campello reflects on 30 years of practising at the firm, and urges women IP attorneys to think beyond the day-to-day
A David v Goliath battle involving TikTok, and Via Licensing Alliance adding new members to its Voice Codec patent pool, were also among the top talking points
Latham & Watkins bolstered its IP litigation bench in California with the addition of Kieran Kieckhefer, as partner demand for trial-ready expertise shows no sign of slowing
With the launch of a new patent eligibility AI tool, Sterne Kessler is leading a growing movement of law firms taking AI development into their own hands
UPC cases are (very) gradually becoming more distributed across other local divisions outside Germany, which can only be good news for the pan-European forum
Clarification concerning jurisdictional reach and latest stats released by the court were also among the top talking points in recent weeks
Although unanimous decision by the top court clarifies several aspects of the honest concurrent use defence, practitioners say ambiguities remain
Tristan Sherliker says he hopes to solve an access to justice issue by making the automated court bundle tool free to use
The team, comprising two partners and one senior consultant, plans to offer “highly differentiated” services to clients
HGF’s new ownership model frees it from the hiring constraints of traditional partnerships, its CEO told Managing IP
Gift this article