Danner Kline is an associate in the Intellectual Property Practice Group, focusing his practice on trademark prosecution and litigation. He counsels clients on branding strategies, performs trademark clearance searches, prosecutes trademark applications, and represents clients in opposition proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Danner also has experience in complex commercial litigation. He has been an integral member of litigation teams handling high-stakes disputes, including a recent matter involving hundreds of millions of dollars that achieved a favorable settlement for the client. His litigation experience includes drafting dispositive motions, managing document discovery and review processes, and developing legal arguments on behalf of clients across various industries.
Beyond his commercial practice, Danner maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients in a variety of matters. His pro bono work includes representing death row inmates in § 1983 claims involving First Amendment, Second Amendment, and Eighth Amendment challenges.
Danner received his J.D. (magna cum laude) from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, where he was associate editor for the Cumberland Law Review, a member of the Henry Upson Sims Moot Court Board, a Judge Abraham Caruthers Teaching Fellow, and a six-time Scholar of Merit. While in school at Cumberland, Danner completed judicial internships with the Hon. Annemarie Axon of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and with the Hon. Kelly Pate of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.
Before entering law school, Danner held positions in different professional fields. These roles — ranging from an information technology specialist at a nonprofit organization to a craft beer manager at a beverage wholesaler to a telecom manager for a municipal government — gave him a well-rounded perspective beneficial to the practice of law.
On top of his professional and legal achievements, Danner has demonstrated a passion for community improvement. As the founder of Free The Hops, he successfully led a grassroots movement to reform outdated alcohol laws in Alabama, which helped paved the way for the state’s thriving local brewing industry.