Trademark Lawyers Serving Clients in Ohio, the U.S., and Internationally
Unlike IP boutique firms, Calfee’s Trademark practice is an important part of a leading general corporate and litigation firm. Our trademark attorneys provide full-service representation in all aspects of trademark law, including domestic and foreign trademark registration, strategic portfolio management and enforcement, oppositions and cancellations, licensing and litigation of trademark, trade dress, domain name and unfair competition claims such as false advertising.
We have provided trademark portfolio and enforcement support services for more than 40 years and have over 13,000 pending, published and registered U.S. and international trademark matters for clients under our care.
We counsel both private and public companies in a variety of industries on trademark and unfair competition matters such as false advertising.
For clients with trademark rights outside the United States, our trademark attorneys work with and through an extensive network of foreign associates that covers virtually every jurisdiction around the world in which trademark rights are recognized.
On the portfolio management side, each of our trademark clients is assigned its own trademark administration team. Our full-time docket staff and sophisticated IP docketing system help us ensure responsiveness to our clients and maintain quality and accuracy of our work.
Our vast experience in counseling on and prosecuting thousands of trademark matters for clients around the world allows us to devise cost-effective strategies to maximize prosecution success. It has been our experience that many routine “informalities” raised in office actions can be avoided by careful preparation in the early stages of the selection and prosecution process.
While litigation is rarely desirable to our clients, the business and dispute resolution experience of our intellectual property team is invaluable as it enables our attorneys to anticipate and help avoid potential portfolio development and management disputes. It also can optimize a client’s position if litigation becomes unavoidable, because we understand the importance of monitoring how marks are used, the importance of careful searching techniques and protocols, and the need for systematic and continuous documentation efforts with respect to the use of marks.
Services our Trademark Lawyers Provide:
Calfee’s trademark lawyers offer a full suite of services designed to protect, manage, and enforce your brand identity. From initial clearance searches to complex litigation, we provide strategic counsel to safeguard your most valuable assets.
Trademark Prosecution and Portfolio Management
Effectively managing your trademark portfolio is crucial. Our trademark attorneys provide end-to-end support for your domestic and international trademark needs.
- Trademark Clearance and Registration: We conduct thorough trademark clearance searches and manage the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and international trademark applications to secure your rights.
- Global Portfolio Strategy: Our team counsels on and supervises international trademark prosecution, providing protection across key markets.
- Portfolio Maintenance: We handle the maintenance and renewal of registered trademarks and conduct comprehensive intellectual property inventories and audits to keep your portfolio strong and up-to-date.
- Enforcement and Brand Integrity: We design and implement robust maintenance and enforcement programs and advise on the interplay between trademarks and domain names to prevent infringement.
- Advertising and Compliance: Our lawyers provide advertising clearance advice and counseling on the substantiation of advertising claims to ensure compliance.
- Trademark Education: Providing educational programs for clients and their employees
Transactional Services
Our trademark lawyers provide guidance on all transactional matters involving your brand assets, ensuring their value is protected during business dealings, including:
- Trademark Licensing Agreements: We draft and negotiate licensing agreements that maximize value while protecting your brand’s integrity.
- Mergers and Acquisitions Due Diligence: Our team provides counsel on trademark, false advertising, and licensing issues during M&A, performing thorough due diligence for acquisitions and financing.
- Ownership and Title: We manage the preparation and recordation of assignments and other events affecting ownership.
Trademark Litigation and Opinions
Calfee represents clients in a variety of trademark disputes both in the U.S. and globally. While litigation is rarely our clients' preferred option, when it becomes necessary, our team's expertise in mark usage, search protocols, and documentation helps strengthen their position.
- Infringement and Unfair Competition Litigation: We prosecute and defend clients in trademark infringement, false advertising, and unfair competition actions.
- USPTO and Global Proceedings: Our team handles trademark oppositions and cancellations before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and supervises similar proceedings worldwide.
- Dispute Negotiation and Settlement: We are skilled in negotiating and drafting co-existence agreements to resolve trademark disputes amicably and efficiently.
- Strategic Analysis and Opinions: We provide in-depth analysis and legal opinions on issues of trademark and trade dress infringement, false advertising, and trademark dilution.