Trademark Preparation and Prosecution

The Firm's trademark attorneys work closely with marketing vice presidents and managers to determine which trademarks to protect, whether they are word marks, logos, composite marks, or industrial designs, and in which countries to protect them, so that the marks selected represent the best repositories for the client's substantial goodwill. We develop strategies for the selection and clearance of marks under consideration and provide clients with thorough and practical advice with respect to brand building and protection, as well as product marking, the generation of marketing literature, usage of trademarks on websites, and the use of domain names as trademarks. We apply our international experience to counsel our multinational corporate clients in the selection of foreign-language marks, including translation and transliteration marks. We also provide our clients with cost-effective policing strategies that include the retention of watch services, and the registration of marks with Customs and Border Control to ensure that counterfeit and infringing goods are seized at the border before damage, in the form of lost sales and dilution, can occur.

In addition to preparing and prosecuting trademark and trade dress applications, we counsel clients with famous marks and high-value products and services in dealing with dilution, gray market issues, counterfeiting, and unauthorized use of their trademarks. Moreover, we are often charged with the responsibility for enforcing our clients' valuable trademark rights in the U.S., in the context of opposition and cancellation proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, infringement litigation in state and federal courts, and domain name dispute proceedings, as well as in such proceedings around the world.