SOL Lawyer Magazine_Fall 2021

ALUMNI PROFILE

RENEE KRAFT ’01 B.A., ‘05 J.D. Target Corporation, Director Counsel, Trademark & Copyright Why IP law? High school debate got me interested in the U.S. response to IP theft by Chinese companies, particularly trade secrets and patents. As an associate at Fredrikson & Byron, I was lucky to be placed on the trademark team. I have worked with trademarks ever since. What’s the best part of your practice? I love the creative side. Target has talented product design, brand development and marketing teams. In-house counsel is privileged to see the full lifecycle of a brand. It is great to walk into a Target store and see it filled with so many of the brands I’ve worked on. I also like the international aspect of my practice. On any given day, I may work on matters in a dozen or more countries. I enjoy keeping on top of trademark nuances of each country. It’s interesting to see how the same brands are perceived differently across the world. What is a misconception about IP law and your response to it? People are inundated with trademarks every day through advertisements. Still, most people think of patents when they think of IP. They often conflate patents with copyrights and trademarks. A quick explanation typically clears it up.

Kevin Green

Fall 2021 Page 25

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