John W. Crittenden is a partner in the Cooley Litigation department. He is resident in the San Francisco office, and has been with the Firm since 1983.

A member of the Firm's Trademark, Copyright & Advertising practice group, Mr. Crittenden's practice includes litigation and trial work in the areas of trademark, false advertising, unfair competition, and copyright, domestic and international trademark counseling and prosecution, and advice and advocacy in other intellectual property fields such as rights of publicity and the Internet. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Guide to the World's Leading Trademark Practitioners and Legal 500.

Legal publications report clients' praise for Mr. Crittenden's skills and client service. "He is widely recognized as a go-to litigator and his outstanding advocacy is a huge asset on critical suits."– WTR 1000 Guide to the World's Leading Trademark Professionals (2014) "Among the talented [Cooley trademark] unit is the 'sharp, resourceful, and hugely capable' John Crittenden, whose sterling performance in both prosecution and dispute-related briefs garners much respect." – WTR 1000 Guide to the World's Leading Trademark Professionals (2013) "John Crittenden is seen by clients as ‘never wasting time on an issue.' He is also praised for making clients feel like ‘a co-worker or a friend instead of a client.'" – Legal 500 US (2009)

Mr. Crittenden has also served as counsel for the International Trademark Association as amicus curiae in key appellate cases, including:

Christian Louboutin S.A. v. Yves St. Laurent America Holding, Inc.,696 F.3d 206 (2d Cir. 2012) (recognizing trademark protection in Louboutin's contrasting "Red Sole" mark)
Fleischer Studios v. A.V.E.L.A., 654 F3d 958, 97 USPQ2d 183 (9th Cir. 2011) (withdrawing ruling on "aesthetic functionality" of BETTY BOOP trademark)
Starbucks Corp. v. Wolfe's Borough Coffee, Inc.,588 F.3d 97 (2d Cir. 2009) (establishing that heightened similarity is not required under the Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2006)

Mr. Crittenden is experienced in all forms of alternative dispute resolution, and regularly serves as a mediator and neutral evaluator in copyright and trademark cases for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and by private engagement.

He has been active in the International Trademark Association for nearly two decades, serving on its Board of Directors from 2006 to 2008, and has held a number of other leadership positions in the organization over the years. He chairs INTA's U.S. Amicus Subcommittee, is a member of its Trademark Mediators Network, and previously chaired its Emerging Issues Committee and Courts and Tribunals Subcommittee. He was also Editor-in-Chief of the INTA Bulletin, the association's twice-monthly report on trademark news to members worldwide.

A frequent speaker on intellectual property topics, Mr. Crittenden has lectured and participated in panel discussions for the American Bar Association, the Practising Law Institute, California Continuing Education of the Bar, the International Trademark Association and various industry and trade organizations.

From 1981 to 1983, Mr. Crittenden served as law clerk to the Honorable Joyce Hens Green of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, where he was a member of the UCLA Law Review, and received a JD degree in 1981. He completed his undergraduate work at UCLA, where he received an AB degree in English in 1978.