Bart A. Lazar

Bart Lazar is a partner in the firm's Chicago office with more than 35 years of experience advising clients on trademark, copyright, advertising, privacy, and technology-related intellectual property matters. He counsels companies on protecting, commercializing, licensing, and enforcing intellectual property assets, with a practice spanning litigation, transactions, portfolio management, and regulatory matters.

Widely recognized for his work at the intersection of intellectual property and technology, Bart counsels clients on emerging issues involving artificial intelligence, data scraping, fair use, parody, new media, privacy, and the protection of creative works. He also negotiates complex licensing, endorsement, sponsorship, advertising technology, and database agreements for clients across a range of industries.

His transactional experience includes leading significant acquisitions and licensing deals involving trademarks, copyrights, databases, domain names, and related intellectual property assets. Recent matters include endorsement agreements involving major sports leagues, athletes, and entertainers, as well as intellectual property aspects of strategic corporate acquisitions.

Bart is also an accomplished litigator. Recent representations include successfully resolving an unauthorized data use dispute for a healthcare marketing company, defending an international grocery store chain in a high-profile trade dress action, pursuing international trademark opposition proceedings on behalf of one of North America's largest financial institutions, and defeating an injunction related to the sale of alleged counterfeit electrical products.

A pioneer in intellectual property and privacy enforcement, Bart defended the Federal Trade Commission's first privacy enforcement action, and obtained some of the earliest multi-jurisdictional asset freezes against trademark counterfeiters. He has secured numerous anti-counterfeiting, seizure, and asset restraint orders on behalf of professional sports leagues, consumer electronics companies, entertainment organizations, and other brand owners, including matters relating to major sporting events, trade shows, and national concert tours.

He regularly assists clients with cybercrime, cybersquatting, trademark counterfeiting, copyright infringement, and other forms of commercial fraud, often coordinating civil enforcement efforts that result in significant judgments, settlements, asset recoveries, and criminal referrals. He also represents clients before the National Advertising Division and federal and state agencies in matters involving false advertising, privacy, data security, and marketing practices.

Outside his client work, Bart serves as Vice President of Lawyers for the Creative Arts, where he provides pro bono legal services to artists, filmmakers, designers, educators, and other creatives. In recognition of his contributions to the Chicago creative community, he received the organization's Thomas R. Leavens Award in 2024. He also leads an Intellectual Property Externship Program with Chicago-Kent College of Law and has mentored more than 40 law students over the past two decades.