May 6, 2025
GrayRobinson Shareholders Mike Colitz, Tom McThenia, and Todd Pittenger and Associate Attorney Sam Hanna secured a permanent consent injunction on behalf of Aspire Health Partners in a trademark infringement case before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The litigation stemmed from a New Jersey-based healthcare organization’s acquisition and rebranding of approximately 50 Florida skilled nursing facilities under the names “Aspire” and “Aspire Health Group” (AHG). This created significant and increasing confusion with Aspire Health Partners, a well-established, Florida-based nonprofit integrated behavioral healthcare provider with longstanding trademark rights in the mark “Aspire.”
To protect the goodwill and reputation of Aspire Health Partners and fight increasing instances of confusion, the GR team filed suit in July 2024. Following an evidentiary hearing, the District Court entered a preliminary injunction and ordered AHG to cease all use of the Aspire name and branding and to report its compliance within 30 days. AHG responded by filing an appeal with the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, seeking to stay the preliminary injunction before the District Court, and otherwise failing to comply with the requirements of the preliminary injunction. The GR team represented Aspire Health Partners in the appeal and successfully defeated AHG’s efforts to stay the preliminary injunction before the District Court.
The parties ultimately reached a negotiated settlement. As part of that settlement, the District Court entered a consent judgment and permanent injunction, requiring AHG to discontinue use of the Aspire name in Florida and rebrand all affected facilities with new marks. This result fully vindicates Aspire Health Partners’ trademark rights, helps end the ongoing confusion caused by AHG, and protects the integrity of Aspire Health Partners’ vital work across Florida.