Todd A. Pilot, Esquire is the managing member of the Trademark Institute. Trademark law, copyright law, contracts, government contracting issues, entertainment and licensing issues are Mr. Pilot’s primary practice areas. Mr. Pilot is a frequent speaker on trademark, copyright, entertainment and small business matters. Mr. Pilot was recognized in 2011 as one of Virginia’s Leaders in the Law and in 2016 as one of the top IP lawyers in the state by Virginia Business Magazine.
Mr. Pilot holds a Bachelors degree in Physics from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Masters degree in Physics from Hampton University. He began his career in technology and the sciences with a research fellowship through Hampton University at NASA Langley Research Center. Mr. Pilot then worked for IBM as a scientific computing specialist. In 1994, Mr. Pilot received his law degree from the College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law where his focus was technology and intellectual property.
Following law school, Mr. Pilot clerked in the District of Columbia Superior Court for Senior Judges Luke Moore, Margaret Haywood, Bruce Mencher and Ronald Wertheim and, thereafter, for Chief Judge Eugene Hamilton.
Mr. Pilot worked for the US Department of Commerce as a Trademark Attorney after his clerkship. Mr. Pilot has literally worked on thousands of trademark applications and numerous matters before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board.
Mr. Pilot also represents government contractors and served as General Counsel for AIS Engineering, Inc. for several years before focusing on private practice.
Mr. Pilot has been active with the Northern Virginia Black Attorney’s Association, the Old Dominion Bar Association, the Black Entertainment & Sports Law Association the National Bar Association, and the Alexandria Bar Association. Mr. Pilot is the Past President of the Alexandria Bar Association.
Mr. Pilot also served on the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Committee and was the Chair of Section IV. Mr. Pilot was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court to a position on Bar Council for the Virginia State Bar and served on the Executive Committee in 2016 and 2017. Mr. Pilot was elected in 2021 to represent the 18th District on the Virginia State Bar Council. Mr. Pilot was also 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.
Mr. Pilot was been a member the Alexandria Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP) Policy Board for six years and served as chair in 2017.
Mr. Pilot currently serves as the Chair of the newly created Alexandria Independent Community Police Review Board.