Stites & Harbison, PLLC

Mari-Elise Taube is an Associate in the firm's Alexandria office where she is a member of the Intellectual Property & Technology Group. Her practice concentrates on litigation involving intellectual property infringement and trade secret misappropriation, prosecuting trademark and copyright registration applications, litigating trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings as well as negotiating and drafting licenses and other contracts that involve intellectual property or technology rights. She also interacts with U.S. Customs & Border Protection to enforce trademarks through seizure orders.

Recent Speaking Engagements and Publications

• "Copyright and Cloud Computing," Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Face to Face event, February 28, 2012
• "Adult entertainment industry may want your web site," Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Client Alert, October 19, 2011
• "Copyright in the Digital Age," Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Face to Face event, September 6, 2011
• "Biotechnology fuels drive for economic development," co-author with Stephen J. Weyer and Michael K. Kim, Medical News, May 2011
• "Intellectual Property Basics," Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Face to Face event, March 16, 2011
• “Problems in Applying Traditional Cultural Expression Laws to the Unique Medium of Dance,” University of Louisville Law Review, Volume 48
• “The Protection of Traditional Cultural Knowledge on an International Level,” Louisville Bar Association Intellectual Property Section CLE, Louisville, KY, Fall 2009
• “Traditional Cultural Expression Protection: Special Considerations In Dance,” Traditional Knowledge Conference, ZA, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, March 17, 2009

Before Stites & Harbison

Prior to law school, Mari-Elise attended the University of Maryland and studied dance and English, with an emphasis in rhetoric. As a law student, Mari-Elise volunteered at the Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts and performed with Louisville’s modern dance company Moving Collective. Mari-Elise’s artistic background and experiences lobbying for the arts in Congress led her to law school and inspired a career protecting intellectual property rights. 

While in law school, Mari-Elise’s Trademark Moot Court Team swept the 2010 INTA Saul Lefkowitz South Regional Competition winning Best Brief, Best Oral Argument, and Best Team Overall. The team, coached by Jack Wheat, advanced to the National Finals and won Second-Place Brief and Third-Place Team Overall.

More Than Stites & Harbison

Mari-Elise is an avid supporter of the arts and is a member of Americans for the Arts. She also serves on the AIPLA Trademark Treaties and International Law Committee, the INTA Leadership Development Committee, and is on the Board of Directors of the Dance Exchange.

Besides Stites & Harbison

Mari-Elise enjoys dancing, golfing, cooking, and cheering on the Louisville Cardinals.