Rachel Smoot

Rachel is an attorney in Taft’s Intellectual Property and Litigation practice groups, representing clients at all stages of trademark, copyright, commercial and general litigation matters. Rachel also has significant experience in advising clients on legal matters relating to intellectual property enforcement, dispute resolution and infringement issues. Her clients include non-profits, private companies and individuals.

Prior to joining Taft, Rachel was an attorney at a Hatch-Waxman law firm in Chicago, Illinois.  She also spent several years as an attorney at an intellectual property law firm in Cleveland, Ohio, gaining experience in patent, trademark, and copyright prosecution and litigation.

Rachel earned her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she served as the Executive Articles Editor for the Case Western Reserve University Journal of International Law and was the sixth circuit regional champion for the university’s national moot court team. She also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable John D. Love in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Simultaneously with her J.D., Rachel received her master’s degree in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University. A Columbus native, she earned her bachelor’s degrees in molecular genetics and psychology from The Ohio State University.

Speaking

• “How to Dodge the IP Minefield: Navigating Startups through Intellectual Property Pitfalls,” Plug and Play Silicon Valley Summit, Sunnyvale, California, June 11, 2024.

Publications

• “How Firm Thy Branding…OHIO,” Landslide, September/October 2023.
• “The Ohio State University Wins Trademark Protection for THE,” World Trademark Review Weekly, July 14, 2022.
• “Russia: the New Wild West for US Trademarks and Enforcement,” World Trademark Review Weekly, April 7, 2022.
• “Nike and Converse Reach Settlement with Former Employee in Custom-shoe Case,” World Trademark Review Weekly, Jan 13, 2022.