Elizabeth Harwood Pierce is an attorney who helps clients protect, commercialize, and enforce their intellectual property. From consumer products to technology and entertainment, Elizabeth works with clients in a diverse array of industries on issues arising in intellectual property disputes and strategic relationships. Her practice spans intellectual property litigation, commercial and technology agreements, and strategic counseling.
Perspective from Every Stage of the IP Lifecycle
Elizabeth works on all phases of lawsuits with a particular focus on dispositive motions, trials, and appeals. Elizabeth knows that case-critical issues are often won on the page. With a fascination for language and rhetoric, she approaches every brief as a craft, weighing each word for precision and nuance, framing the facts so her conclusion feels inevitable, and building arguments that persuade subtly and decisively. She brings the same exacting standards to her advocacy in the courtroom. With experience clerking in the federal and state judicial systems, in trial and appellate courts, Elizabeth argues with the confidence of someone who knows what judges are looking for.
In addition to litigation, a significant part of Elizabeth’s practice involves structuring and negotiating agreements involving intellectual property (IP) and technology. She advises clients on a variety of commercial agreements, including licensing, marketing, endorsement, asset purchase, SaaS, distribution, and reseller agreements. Because she litigates the same kinds of disputes that arise from the agreements she drafts, she brings a practical, informed perspective to both sides of her practice. She drafts agreements with potential disputes in mind, and she litigates contract and IP disputes with a deep understanding of how those deals are structured and negotiated.
Elizabeth also serves as a trusted advisor on the IP and technology questions that shape her clients’ businesses. She counsels clients on trademark strategy, advertising issues, and copyright matters. She also counsels clients on the rapidly evolving legal and business issues surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, including issues involving IP ownership and licensing, contractual risk allocation, and governance.
Practical, Solutions-Oriented Counsel
Inspired by her clients’ creativity, Elizabeth enjoys mastering their unique innovations, brand identities, and business models so that she can provide advice tailored to both their legal risks and commercial objectives. Whether negotiating an agreement, advising on a new technology, or litigating a high-stakes dispute, she focuses on identifying practical solutions that advance the client’s broader business goals.
A Volunteer
Elizabeth attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, graduating summa cum laude. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, where her studies included anthropology, philosophy, history, literature, and French, and she served as a four-year member and senior captain of the university’s national champion dance team.
A “Volunteer” through and through, Elizabeth uses her talents for the benefit of her community and causes she believes in. She actively participates in the firm’s pro bono initiatives, including work on behalf of civil rights, historical, and arts organizations. And she is a frequent speaker for professional organizations and higher education institutions on intellectual property issues, leadership, and women in the law.
In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, practicing yoga, and tending to her garden.