Louis Pirkey
Meet Lou Pirkey, founder of Pirkey Barber, a renowned trademark law firm. With over 50 years of expertise, Lou is a leader in trademark law, focusing on infringement litigation and counseling. Heralded as a “legend of the field” and a “groundbreaking trademark lawyer” by the World Trademark Review, he’s recognized as “the guru” in trademark litigation by Chambers USA’. Lou’s reputation as a trademark luminary remains unparalleled.
Lou Pirkey is a founding member of Pirkey Barber and one of the most highly regarded trademark litigators in the United States. For more than 50 years, he has focused his practice on trademark infringement litigation and counseling, earning a reputation as a pioneering force in the field. In the WTR 1000 2026 Guide, peers describe him as a founding figure whose “reputation precedes him,” citing an illustrious career defined by landmark wins and sustained excellence. He is ranked Gold for Texas and Silver nationally and is named among the WTR Global Leaders. Chambers USA refers to him as “the guru,” widely recognized as one of the country’s leading trademark litigators, while World Trademark Review has hailed him as a “legend of the field.” His honors also include designation as a Managing IP Trade Mark Star (2025) at both the Texas and national levels, recognition as a Lexology Index Thought Leader (2025), multiple Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” awards, the AIPLA Excellence Award, and repeated inclusion among the Super Lawyers Top 50 attorneys in Central and West Texas.
Lou’s career as a leader in the field and in the profession has included such highlights as the following:
- President of the 15,000-member American Intellectual Property Law Association
- Member of the United States delegation to several conferences on trademark reform at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva
- Member of the Trademark Review Commission whose work led to sweeping reform of the federal trademark statute, the Trademark Law Revision Act passed by Congress in 1988
- Member of the first Trademark Public Advisory Committee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Member of the Board of Directors, International Trademark Association (INTA)
In addition to his trademark litigation practice, Lou is also active in alternative dispute resolution and has served as a neutral in more than 30 trademark disputes. He is a charter member of the Panel of Neutrals of the International Trademark Association/Center for Public Resources.
In his home state of Texas, Lou taught trademark law for 15 years as an adjunct professor at The University of Texas School of Law. Lou was Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and was the charter President of the Austin Intellectual Property Law Association.
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
- President, 1999 – 2000
- Board Of Directors, Past Member
- Fellow
- State Bar Of Texas
- Intellectual Property Law Section, Past Chair
- Austin Intellectual Property Law Association
- Charter President
- The Honorable Lee Yeakel IP Inn Of Court
- Charter Member, Executive Committee
- Membership Chair
- International Trademark Association (INTA)
- Board Of Directors, Past Member
- Center For Public Resources Panel Of Neutrals, Charter Member
- Panel Of Trademark Mediators (2007-2022)
- The University Of Texas School Of Law, Adjunct Professor (1991-2010)
- George Washington University Law School, Intellectual Property Advisory Board
- Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Austin Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- AIPLA “Titans of the IP Bar” (2021)
- Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2009-present)
- Managing Intellectual Property – IP Star (2014-present)
- Texas Super Lawyers® list, a Thomson Reuters service (2003 – present)
- The Best Lawyers in America® by Woodward/White, Inc. (1991-present)
- WTR 1000 The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, World Trademark Review (2011-present)
- 500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon (2022)
- American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Excellence Award (2019-2020)
- IAM (Intellectual Asset Magazine) Intellectual Property Hall of Fame Inductee (2020)
- WIPR Leader, World IP Review, Newton Media Ltd. (2015-2020)
- Top 50 Attorneys in Central & West Texas, Super Lawyers®, a Thomson Reuters service (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014-2017, 2019)
- Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Trademark Lawyers, Law Business Research Ltd. (2009-2021)
- Trade Mark Expert Guide, Legal Media Group (2004-2018)
- The Best of the Best USA for Trademarks, Legal Media Group (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)
- Most Distinguished Lawyer, Austin Bar Foundation (2015)
- Tom Arnold Lifetime Achievement Award, State Bar of Texas IP Law Section (2015)
- “Lawyer of the Year” for Trademark Law in Austin, The Best Lawyers in America® by Woodward/White, Inc. (2014)
- Managing Intellectual Property – Top Five Outstanding IP Litigators in Texas (2013, 2014)
- “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation – Intellectual Property in Austin, The Best Lawyers in America® by Woodward/White, Inc. (2012)
- International Trademark Association (INTA) President’s Award (2012)
- “Lawyer of the Year” for Intellectual Property in Austin, Best Lawyers® by Woodward/White, Inc. (2010)
- Legal Legend, Texas Lawyer Magazine, ALM Media Properties, LLC (2010)
- The 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter-Century, Texas Lawyer Magazine, ALM Media Properties, LLC (2010)
- America’s Top 25 Preeminent Trade Mark Practitioners, The Best of the Best USA, Legal Media Group (2009)
- Who’s Who Legal: Texas, named one of eight “stand-out trademark practitioners”, Law Business Research Ltd. (2008)
- 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America, National Law Journal (2000)
- Distinguished Alumnus Award, George Washington University Law School, Alumni (2000)
- Trademark Review Commission, Member
- United States Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Public Advisory Committee, Past Member
- World Intellectual Property Organization, United States Delegate
- AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated*
*AV®, BV®, AV Preeminent® and BV Distinguished® are registered certification marks of MH SUB I, LLC, used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.
Editor, Franchise Trademark Handbook, Forum On Franchising, American Bar Association
- J.D., with Honors, George Washington University Law School
- Order of the Coif
- George Washington Law Review
- B.S., Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas
- State Bar of Texas
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