Amy G. Pruett
Amy Pruett counsels companies and individuals in global industries on protecting, maintaining and enforcing their rights in brands, names, marks, copyrights, and other intellectual property assets. Amy helps parties navigate through complex and challenging conflicts to identify interest-based solutions, through mediation, collaborative negotiation, and alternative dispute resolution.
Amy is experienced in litigating, negotiating, mediating and collaboratively resolving business disputes, including domain name, copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property matters before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Virginia State Courts and U.S. Federal Courts.
As an accomplished pianist, vocalist and yogi, Amy devotes significant attention to the practice of entertainment & music law as well as health and wellness. She has more than two decades of working experience in the music industry, both on the business side, licensing and collecting royalties through international music rights societies, and on the legal side, representing prominent, Grammy-winning recording artists, songwriters, producers, managers, record labels, publishers and well-known media companies. Amy also teaches a course on Music Law as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia, School of Law, and speaks and writes frequently on wellbeing and work-life balance practices.
Amy is certified by the Virginia Supreme Court to serve as a mediator in cases pending in Virginia civil circuit courts and the U.S. District Court of Virginia.
Amy earned her Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine School of Law, and she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College.
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, "Cover Your Global Assets" co-hosted by Virginia Manufacturers Association in July 2020, and various local organizations in 2019.
- Speaker and Writer, "How to make your campaign sing," Advertising Clubs in Virginia and Washington D.C., 2016
- Speaker/Panelist, IBMA Festival, Raleigh, NC, September 2015
- Speaker and Panelist, Museums & Copyrights: Coming of Age in the Digital Age, Virginia Association of Museums, March 2011
- Speaker, Mythbusters Legal Style: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You! American Advertising Federation of Hampton Roads, December 2010
- Speaker, International Copyright Issues, Inside Business, March 2009
- Pepperdine University School of Law (J.D.)
- Pepperdine Law Review (2004-05) – Lead Articles Editor
- Trial Team Member (2003)
- Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute (LLM)
- LL.M ’21 Candidate
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Oberlin College (B.A.)
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Virginia Bar Association
- Trained Mediator, Fairfield Center, Harrisonburg, VA
- Virginia Supreme Court Certified Mediator – General District and Civil Circuit Court
- INTA, Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Virginia Bar Association – IP Section Board Member (2024-present)
- Virginia State Bar – IP Section Board Member (2020-present)
- Federal Bar Association – ADR Section Board Member (2021-present)
- Virginia Mediation Network - Board Member (2021-2023)
- Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association - Board Member (2021-2023)
- International Trademark Association - ADR Committee Designee (2022-2024)
- Mindfulness in Law Society - Mid-Atlantic Chapter Chair (2020-present)
- American Bar Association Law Practice Division - WellBeing Task Force (2019-2023)
- Virginia Super Lawyers - Rising Star (2009-2016)
- Virginia Bar Association - Member (2005-present)
Community Involvements
- Mindfulness in Law Society, Chair, Virginia Chapter & Co-Chair, Mid-Atlantic Chapter
- Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association – Chapter 27-9 “Vets of the Valley”
- Lyric Opera Virginia – Former Board Member
- Virginia State Bar, IP Section, Board Member
- Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association, Board Member
- Virginia Mediation Network, Board Member
- ABA Law Practice Division, WellBeing Committee
Bar Admissions
- Virginia State Bar
Listed in Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars magazine – Entertainment (2010-2016)
Pro Bono Service Honor Roll – Member (2021)
Virginia Business – “Legal Elite” (2022 - present)
Experience
- Co-mediated complex business disputes and interpersonal emotional conflicts.
- Developing, managing and enforcing the rights of international trademark and service mark portfolios for Grammy-winning artists and well-known festivals, film, management and media companies.
- Negotiating and drafting complex international licensing agreements for festivals, producers, recording artists, media companies, software developers, coffee suppliers, health care organizations, and other businesses.
- Handling trademark prosecution, opposition and cancellation proceedings with the USPTO and TTAB for U.S. and International clients with large trademark portfolios.
- Worldwide trademark and copyright protection, enforcement, prosecution, brand development and strategy for numerous individuals and companies.
- Challenged numerous domain names that contained a famous artist’s name and marks.
- Advises and strategizes with beverage manufacturer on maintenance of existing trademarks and selection of new brands.
- Challenged similar trademarks through opposition proceedings before the TTAB on behalf of a software company with numerous international trademark registrations.
