University of Pennsylvania (B.A.)
Hofstra University (J.D.)

New York, New Jersey
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey

Metropolitan Black Bar Association
Practicing Attorneys for Law Students (P.A.L.S.) (Executive Board of Directors)
New York State Bar Association
International Trademark Association
Hofstra University School of Law Alumni Society, Executive Board Member and Co-Chair Enrollment Committee
University of Pennsylvania Alumni

Professor of Law – Trademarks: Hofstra University School of Law

Ralph H. Cathcart is partner in the New York office of Ladas & Parry LLP. Mr. Cathcart represents clients in the maintenance, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. He has substantial Federal and State court litigation experience and has litigated numerous trademark and copyright infringement cases. Mr. Cathcart also has extensive experience before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. He oversees national counterfeit and enforcement programs for clients and previously represented a luxury goods client in one of the largest seizures of counterfeit watches in U.S. history. Mr. Cathcart has also been asked by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to train its agents in counterfeit detection.

In addition to counseling clients on the adoption and selection of trademarks and copyrights, Mr. Cathcart advises clients on unfair competition, right to publicity/privacy, libel, advertising and First Amendment issues. He has represented a wide variety of clients from the fashion, jewelry and luxury goods industries, as well as wine companies, retail clothing stores, publishers, toy manufacturers, universities, restaurants, national restaurant chains and chemical and “high tech” manufacturers. Mr. Cathcart has also successfully represented Scientific American against a libel suit by “computer hackers”, resolved disputes with the Recording Industry Association of America, as well as various performing rights societies and has successfully resolved a declaratory judgment action concerning the hugely popular UGLY DOLL® plush dolls.

Mr. Cathcart is also experienced in Entertainment Law, and has litigated entertainment law related contract disputes against high profile celebrities and negotiated a favorable settlement against a cable television company based on copyright and trademark infringement. He has also drafted and negotiated numerous music recording agreements, production agreements, cable and TV agreements, website agreements, including terms of use and privacy agreements, publishing agreements, distribution agreements, management agreements, employment agreements and various trademark and copyright related licenses. Mr. Cathcart has represented several gold and platinum selling recording artists, musical directors, managers, producers, actors and comedians.

Mr. Cathcart has also been appointed as an adjunct professor of law by Hofstra Law School, where he teaches a Trademarks course.

When not practicing law, Mr. Cathcart is a regular contributing author to World Media Law Report and has frequently lectured on the topics of trademark, copyright and entertainment law. Mr. Cathcart is a former Vice-President of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association and member of the Executive Board of Directors of Practicing Attorneys for Law Students (“P.A.L.S.”). He is also a published author, a boxing historian and editor of www.boxrec.com.

Mr. Cathcart received his B.A. in Philosophy and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. from Hofstra University, where he served on the Moot Court Board and was an articles editor for the Copyright and Entertainment Law Digest. Mr. Cathcart is admitted to practice before the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the District of New Jersey, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.