People

Todd Pilot is a seasoned litigator with a long track record of achieving positive results for his clients.  For nearly 30 years, new and established businesses, non-profits, artists, athletes, entertainers, producers, writers, filmmakers and event managers have depended on Todd’s sound judgment, problem-solving prowess and creative strategies to help them mitigate their exposure and achieve their goals.

Todd has deep experience helping clients protect and defend their intellectual property rights. With a strong focus on domestic and international trademark and copyright law, trade secrets, contracts, entertainment law and licensing issues, Todd zealously represents his clients’ rights inside and outside of the courtroom.

His early career litigating criminal cases in the state and federal courts resulted in several citable opinions as matters of first impression. Over the past 15 years, Todd has developed a reputation for his masterful courtroom presence – and expanded his focus to include civil litigation matters like trademark and copyright infringement, wrongful death cases and business litigation in state and federal courts.

As an owner of non-law businesses, Todd brings a unique first-person perspective to his business clients. His representations include business formations, sales, purchases, transactions and business litigation. For his entertainment clients, he has reviewed, drafted and negotiated countless recording, distribution, publishing, management agreements and joint venture agreements. Since many of Todd’s business clients are government contractors, he has vast experience with compliance issues, negotiating and drafting business contracts, licensing agreements, master service agreements, joint venture agreements, teaming agreements, sub-contractor agreements, employment agreements and termination agreements.

Todd holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master’s degree in Physics from Hampton University.  He began his career in technology and the sciences with a research fellowship through Hampton at NASA Langley Research Center, later working for IBM as a scientific computing specialist. After receiving his law degree from the College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, his focus was technology and intellectual property.

Following law school and a clerkship in the District of Columbia Superior Court, Todd worked for the US Department of Commerce as a Trademark Attorney. During his tenure, he handled more than a thousand trademark applications and argued numerous matters before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board. Todd also served as General Counsel for AIS Engineering, Inc. for several years before focusing on private practice.

Todd has been active with the Northern Virginia Black Attorney’s Association, the Old Dominion Bar Association, the Black Entertainment & Sports Law Association and the National Bar Association. He is the Past President of the Alexandria Bar Association and continues to be active in that organization.

Todd is a frequent speaker on trademark, copyright, entertainment and small business matters.  He has been recognized as one of Virginia’s Leaders in the Law and as one of the top IP lawyers in the state by Virginia Business Magazine. The Virginia Lawyer magazine featured Todd on the cover of its April 2019 issue.

Todd served on the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Committee and was the Chair of Section IV-2.  Appointed by the Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court to a position on Bar Council for the Virginia State Bar, he served on the Executive Committee in 2016 and 2017 and was elected to Bar Council in 2021.  Todd also served as a faculty member of the Harry L. Carrico Professionalism course – training Virginia practitioners must attend during the first year following their admission to the Virginia State Bar.

A member the Alexandria Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP) Policy Board for eight years to include serving as Chair in 2017, Todd currently serves as the Chair of the Alexandria Community Policing Review Board.