Zachary Smith

Zachary Smith is an intellectual property attorney and litigator who helps businesses establish, protect, and enforce their intellectual property rights. His clients have included Walmart, McMaster-Carr, and iconic entertainment properties like The Lord of the Rings and The Wizard of Oz, as well as companies in chemicals, biosciences, medical, food and beverage, energy, franchising, distributing, gaming, sports and robotics. He advises on:

• Selection and Clearance of Trademarks, Product Designs, and Packaging
• Filing and Prosecution of Trademark and Copyright Applications
• Patent, Trademark, Copyright, Trade Secret, and Unfair Competition Litigation
• Licensing and Other Intellectual Property Business Transactions
• Brand Monitoring and Enforcement
• Intellectual Property Audits
• Domain Name Disputes

In addition to his intellectual property work, Mr. Smith has successfully handled complex disputes involving media and communications, employment law, real estate, banking, white collar defense, election law, franchising, and commercial contract litigation. He has guided clients through every phase of litigation—from pre-dispute counseling and early settlement negotiations to trial and appellate advocacy. Additionally, he clerked for the Honorable Robert T. Numbers, II of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Mr. Smith’s arbitration experience spans three law firms and covers a broad range of complex disputes. He helped Marriott International recover millions of dollars in franchise disputes before the American Arbitration Association. More recently, he has helped foreign businesses defend against claims brought by U.S. companies against them before AAA and the International Chamber of Commerce. 

Mr. Smith is one of the few attorneys trained in legal corpus linguistics, a data-driven method for interpreting legal texts using large language databases that courts are increasingly turning towards. He also brings a strong foundation in statistics, survey methodology, and quantitative analysis to his practice—tools that enhance his ability to deliver clear, persuasive, and evidence-based arguments. Known for translating technical concepts into compelling and accessible narratives, Mr. Smith is trusted to lead in high-stakes, -complex matters.

A passionate advocate for access to justice, Mr. Smith has contributed pro bono legal services in matters ranging from housing defense—successfully preventing eviction and securing vital home repairs for a single mother—to defending the rights of religious minorities through Becket Law. He has also advised small business owners on protecting their IP assets.
 

Admissions & Associations

State Bar of Virginia

District of Columbia Bar

State Bar of Arizona (pending)

US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

US District Court Eastern District of Virginia

US District Court Western District of Virginia

US District Court Western District of Michigan

US District Court District of Columbia

Supreme Court of Virginia

District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Chair, J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Mid-Atlantic Chapter

Executive Secretary, Judicial Education Institute

Member, International Trademark Association

Co-Chair, Braver Angels, Western & Southern Virginia Alliance