Fred Perkins has more than 30 years of experience counseling clients in intellectual property rights and portfolio protection matters, as well as mediating and litigating complex commercial IP-related disputes and claims related to breach of contract, fraud, mergers and acquistions and securities.
Fred’s clients span a broad spectrum of industries, including entertainment, fashion, sports, high-tech, software, academic, media, publishing, marketing, financial, industrial and consumer products. Fred is a trusted advisor to his clients regarding virtually all IP-related matters and is highly knowledgeable regarding trademark, trade dress, copyright, unfair competition, trade secrets, false advertising, defamation, patent, antitrust, licensing, entertainment/artist/literary rights, publicity/privacy rights, software and internet/website issues.
In Fred’s diverse IP practice, he advises companies involved in e-commerce and related internet activities, ranging from multiple clothing brands to auto resale websites. In the area of literary and artist rights, Fred counsels numerous publishers, educational institutions and authors regarding copyright and related issues. In the entertainment space, he represents individuals and companies on various agreements regarding development and licensing of creative works.
Employers and employees in various industries, including financial services, rely on Fred to draft and negotiate employment agreements, severance agreements and confidentiality/IP agreements. Fred has also represented several high-tech biopharma companies based in Europe in their development and licensing agreements with manufacturers and hospitals in the U.S.
Fred has had decades-long relationships with several clients, including a New York City college of art and design, for which he advises on trademark/copyright protection and fair use, and has conducted seminars for faculty to educate them on IP issues.
Fred’s vast experience has made him comfortable both in and out of the courtroom. As a skilled litigator, he has tried numerous cases before courts and arbitration and administrative tribunals throughout the country and has won several multi-million-dollar judgments for his domestic and international clients.
As a professional mediator for over 30 years, some of Fred’s greatest litigation accomplishments have been achieved resolving complex disputes. He has mediated nearly 100 cases for the Southern District of New York Panel of Certified Mediators and for private clients, using his negotiation skills to resolve many difficult and intractable cases. He has successfully resolved disputes involving IP and technology claims, commercial/fraud claims, ADA claims and employment matters.
Fred joined Morrison Cohen in 1988, after working for several years at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP. He began his career as a law clerk to the Hon. Jacob Mishler, former Chief Judge of the Eastern District of New York.