PRACTICE EXPERIENCE

Elana G. Faniel is an experienced litigation and transactional attorney. She has litigated commercial, intellectual property, and personal injury cases. She has also served as outside general counsel to small businesses and represented clients in commercial transactions. Prior to joining Taylor Nelson, Elana’s practice focused on protecting, enforcing, and exploiting her clients’ intellectual property assets.

Elana graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology, and a minor in Apparel Construction and Design. Elana graduated from the Howard University School of Law, and served as a Senior Editor of the Howard Law Journal. While in law school, Elana gained valuable civil litigation experience while working as a law clerk at the D.C. Office of Administrative Hearings, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Elana lives in the Tampa Bay area, and loves spending time with her family, traveling, and cheering on the Florida State Seminoles.

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Florida
• New York

COURT ADMISSIONS

• Florida and New York State Courts
• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

EDUCATION

• Howard University School of Law, J.D.
• Florida State University, B.S.

AFFILIATIONS

• The Florida Bar, Business Law Section and Journal and News Editorial Board Member
• Hillsborough County Bar Association
• George Edgecomb Bar Association

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

• Speaker, Black Business Summit, “Leveraging Intellectual Property for Success” (April 2022)
• Author, Lawyer Magazine (Hillsborough County Bar Association), “Effects of the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (March-April 2021)
• Author, Landslide Magazine (American Bar Association), “The Limited Copyright Protection for Playing Cards” (February 2021)
• Speaker, Hillsborough County Bar Association IP Section, “Overview of U.S. Supreme Court’s Trademark Cases” (October 2019)
• Author, Lawyer Magazine (Hillsborough County Bar Association), “Reaction Videos and Fair Use; A Youtuber’s Win” (January-February 2018)
• Author, Institute for the Intellectual Property & Social Justice Quarterly, “Lack of IP Knowledge Creates Disadvantage for Fashion Designers” (February 2011)