McGuireWoods Partner Lucy Jewett Wheatley Recognized Again as Law360 Intellectual Property MVP

Law360 has honored McGuireWoods partner Lucy Jewett Wheatley as an Intellectual Property MVP for 2025, marking the second occasion the legal newswire has recognized her excellence in intellectual property law. The November 21, 2025, feature story spotlighted Wheatley’s significant accomplishments, including a landmark trademark infringement victory for Pennsylvania State University and other notable litigation successes. Wheatley serves as co-leader of McGuireWoods’ nationally recognized Intellectual Property Practice Group. She previously earned Law360’s MVP distinction in 2022, underscoring her sustained impact in the field. Among her recent achievements, Wheatley co-led a McGuireWoods trial team that secured a federal jury verdict affirming that an online retailer and manufacturer infringed Penn State’s trademarks by selling unlicensed merchandise bearing historic images of the university’s protected logos and names. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, resulting in compensatory damages awarded to the university. This case carries significant implications for colleges and universities that license their trademarks to third parties, reinforcing the importance of vigilant enforcement. Wheatley described the trial as involving “so many interesting legal issues that are rarely litigated,” emphasizing its importance to both her client and brand owners generally. In addition to her work for Penn State, Wheatley represented Vans Inc. in a high-profile trademark dispute against Brooklyn-based artist collective MSCHF. Vans alleged that MSCHF’s “Wavy Baby” sneaker copied its iconic Old Skool design and infringed on its trademarks and trade dress. After two years of litigation, the dispute concluded in 2024 with a confidential settlement, consent judgment, and permanent injunction preventing MSCHF from using Vans’ trademarks or selling the Wavy Baby shoes. Wheatley also represented Reebok in a trademark infringement suit against Italian shoemaker Autry USA LLC. Reebok claimed that Autry’s sneakers and packaging closely resembled Reebok’s Window Box, Crosscheck, and Stripecheck trademarks. This dispute likewise ended with a confidential settlement, reinforcing Reebok’s commitment to protecting its brand identity and intellectual property rights. Reflecting on her practice, Wheatley stated, “It is very appealing to me to protect what people have built, particularly when you’re working with very old brands. ” McGuireWoods’ intellectual property team assists clients in developing, protecting, and leveraging commercially valuable inventions, branding, and creative assets, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and more. ” Additionally, McGuireWoods earned a nationwide ranking for intellectual property and trade secrets legislation from the Legal 500 United States guide, further cementing its reputation in the IP arena. Disclaimer: Unsolicited emails and attachments sent to McGuireWoods or its attorneys via the firm’s website do not create an attorney-client relationship. Non-clients are advised not to send confidential information, as such communications may not be treated as confidential and could be disclosed to third parties.