A Brand Like No Other

This article previously appeared in Incontestable Trademark Newsletter - May 2011

These days, it's hard to watch a news or talk show without hearing mention of someone's personal brand. Politicians like Obama and Palin have them, celebrities from J Lo to Snooki have them, sports figures from LeBron to Kobe have them, and even CEOs of companies that sell brands from Bill Gates to Steve Jobs are their own brands. And then, of course, there's The Donald, who trumps them all. Rarely do we encounter an ordinary civilian whose personality is so outsized and sparkling that she defines a brand of her own. My late wife of nearly 27 years, Karen Dubin, was a brand unto herself, a brand like no other. Karen died April 19th from injuries sustained when a truck struck her as she waited patiently by the roadside while out jogging on a soft spring day in D.C. Her absence from this year's INTA was profoundly felt, not just by her Finnegan family, but by so many friends of the firm, who looked forward to their encounter with Karen each year. The phrase I heard most often over my last 23 INTAs was not "how are you" or "how's business," but "where's your wife?" Our world has been sadly diminished by Karen's passing.

In pondering what to write for this month's column, my thoughts were drawn repeatedly to Karen, and to the role she played for so many years but chafed at nearly every day. That role was that of a litigator's wife. You see, Karen was not only vivacious and fiercely independent, she also took great pride and satisfaction in her own career. When we met, she was a civilian employee of the Navy, where she was responsible for purchasing sophisticated avionics equipment for jet planes that protected our skies and shores. Those who knew Karen, with her flair for fashion and passion for jewelry, had a hard time picturing her striking deals for aircraft electronics. Yet she thrived as an unconventional presence in the spit-and-polish military world. Later, after taking a break to raise our three kids, and hating every minute of being out of the limelight, she resumed her government career as an international trade specialist, where she organized and led international trade missions for the Department of Commerce. Executives from companies at home and abroad knew and respected Karen as a vibrant force who could open new doors for U.S. businesses in markets ranging from Old Europe and Russia to Asia and the Middle East.

As a litigator's wife, however, she...

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