Atty. Shannon T. Vale

For more than 25 years, Shannon Vale has specialized in trademark and copyright law, intellectual property transactions and due diligence, and right of publicity law. Prior to joining Pirkey Barber, Shannon was a Trademark partner in the Austin office of Fulbright & Jaworski and a shareholder in Arnold, White & Durkee. Shannon also spent five years as the head of personal management firms that directed the careers of major label and major independent label recording artists based in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Shannon's practice includes:

• Advising clients regarding worldwide trademark protection and enforcement strategies, the selection and clearance of trademarks, and the management of global portfolios
• Obtaining domestic and foreign trademark registrations
• Handling trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings
• Counseling clients with respect to acquiring, protecting and enforcing copyright assets
• Managing intellectual property due diligence projects
• Negotiating licenses and other intellectual property transactions

Best Lawyers in America® named Shannon the Austin 2014 and 2019 Lawyer of the Year for Copyright Law, and currently also recognizes him in the fields of trademark law and copyright law. World Trademark Review's WTR 1000 places Shannon in the Silver Tier in its national rankings for the category of "Individuals: Prosecution & Strategy," and in the Gold Tier for Texas (WTR 1000 2018. In addition, Shannon is recognized in the current editions of the following publications: Managing Intellectual Property’s IP STARS; Chambers USA Guide (Intellectual Property: Trade Mark & Copyright – Texas (Band Two)); International Who’s Who of Trademark Lawyers; and World IP Review (WIPR Leaders).

Active with the International Trademark Association (INTA) for many years, Shannon is currently a member of INTA’s Right of Publicity Committee. He has previously served on numerous INTA committees, including the Trademark Office Practice (US and OHIM Subcommittees), Famous & Well-Known Marks Committee (U.S. Subcommittee), the Meetings Board and the Meetings Committee, and he was Co-Chair of the Task Force on the Future of the Annual Meeting.

Shannon is currently Immediate Past President of the 50,000-member Association of Rice Alumni, and he has served on the Executive Committee of the Board of the Directors of that organization since 2012. Shannon also served as the President of Austin Rice Alumni from 2011-2015. He is past president of the Austin Intellectual Property Law Association, the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship (Austin Chapter), and Austin Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts.

Shannon received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law and earned his B.A in History and German Studies from Rice University.