Philadelphia Wine School Files Trademark, Fraud Suit Against Competitor

Lawsuit alleges rival school illegally used PhillyWine's trademarks and social media to undermine its business.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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PhillyWine LLC, a Philadelphia-based wine school, has filed a lawsuit against a competitor, the Wine School of Philadelphia, alleging the rival school fraudulently obtained a trademark registration that allowed it to use PhillyWine's name and trademarks, as well as take over its social media and online platforms, in an effort to destroy PhillyWine's business.

Why it matters

The lawsuit highlights the legal risks and competitive challenges faced by established businesses when new competitors emerge and allegedly use underhanded tactics to gain an advantage, including trademark infringement and social media hijacking.

The details

According to the complaint, PhillyWine founders Keith Wallace and Alana Zerbe, along with related entities, 'fraudulently procured' a trademark registration that allowed them to 'masquerade under Plaintiff's valuable PhillyWine name and trademark, and to shut down and/or take over Plaintiff's social media and Internet platforms.' The lawsuit alleges these actions were part of an effort to 'destroy the very existence' of the original PhillyWine wine school.

  • The lawsuit was filed on February 27, 2026.

The players

PhillyWine LLC

A Philadelphia-based wine school that has filed the lawsuit.

Wine School of Philadelphia

The competitor wine school that PhillyWine LLC has accused of trademark infringement and fraud.

Keith Wallace

Co-founder of PhillyWine LLC who is named in the lawsuit.

Alana Zerbe

Co-founder of PhillyWine LLC who is named in the lawsuit.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the legal risks and competitive challenges faced by established businesses when new competitors emerge and allegedly use underhanded tactics to gain an advantage, including trademark infringement and social media hijacking.