Heather Heft is Managing Counsel, Trademarks & Copyrights, at Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. Her responsibilities include global trademark clearance, protection, and enforcement.

Prior to practicing in-house, Ms. Heft was a partner at two women-owned boutique law firms. While Ms. Heft loves brands, she is also passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, and innovation in intellectual property law, and is a former board member of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (“NAMWOLF”). She is currently vice chair of the International Trademark Association’s (“INTA”) Healthcare & Pharma Industry Group.

Ms. Heft received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Columbia Law School. She is a member of the State Bars of New York and New Jersey.