Counsel
[email protected]
(973) 845 – 9071

Dennis specializes in matters related to the protection and licensing of intellectual property, specifically trademark and copyright matters, author and publisher agreements, and employment agreements. He also handles the formation and operation of closely held businesses, including nonprofits.An active member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) since 1990, he is the former chair of INTA’s Trade Dress Image Library Subcommittee of the Information Resources Committee. An experienced practitioner, his diverse background includes three years at a Wall Street law firm, three years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, five years in state government as special assistant to two New Jersey governors, and two attorney generals in New Jersey. In this latter capacity, he served on the Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health for Recombinant DNA Molecules, working closely with regulators and scientists to determine the appropriate role for government in regulating recombinant DNA research.

Mr. Helms has published articles and presented lectures on “Valuing and Protecting Intellectual Property” along with pieces on fair use in copyright and the filing of architectural designs in copyright. He has also been active in the John J. Lifland Inn of Court for more than ten years.

Representative matters

• Negotiated a non-monetary settlement and dismissal of a lawsuit in a case involving patent design infringement
• Avoided a court trial by negotiating a non-monetary settlement for a defendant in a copyright infringement case
• Obtained payment of full-year student tuition for a private school early in the school year in an appellate court ruling involving parental default, regardless of the possibility for student replacement
• Reviewed extensive list of possible drug names for a pharmaceutical company, ranking labels on likelihood of available trademark registration in the United States and abroad
• Assisted clients in narrowing selections of product names that would work best in new businesses, including those with highest likelihood of being successfully registered
• Worked with advertising agencies in choosing brand names for clients that can be successfully registered and defended in the marketplace

Professional affiliations

• Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Commissioner, 1974 – 1976

• John C. Lifland American Inn of Court

Founding Member

• Mercer County Bar Association

• Office of the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey

Advisory Committee Membership, 1976 – 1978
New Jersey Housing Finance Authority
New Jersey Advisory Council on Alcoholism

• Princeton Bar Association

Past President

• Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce