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Trademark Counsel for Global Brands

Clearance, U.S. and worldwide prosecution, TTAB practice, licensing, and enforcement, delivered by a Silicon Valley team that has filed more than 5,000 applications since 1998.

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A trademark is the legal expression of a brand. Whether you are launching a software product, naming a clean-energy venture, or extending a global consumer label into the United States, the right strategy at the right moment is what keeps the asset defensible decades later.

IPLG provides full-lifecycle trademark services: knockout and full availability searches, U.S. and Madrid Protocol filings, office-action responses and final-refusal appeals, oppositions and cancellations before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, post-registration maintenance, licensing and assignment, and enforcement when infringement appears in the wild. We coordinate with foreign associates in 130+ countries for international portfolios and recordations.

Our trademark group sits next to one of Silicon Valley's longest-running patent and IP litigation practices. Clients get registration counsel that already understands how the mark will live alongside the rest of the IP estate, and a litigation bench ready when a registered mark needs to be defended.

Representative work

  • Trademark clearance searches in the United States and worldwide
  • U.S. and Madrid Protocol application preparation and prosecution
  • Office-action responses, final-refusal appeals, and Examiner interviews
  • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board oppositions, cancellations, and concurrent-use proceedings
  • Post-registration maintenance, renewals, and Section 8 / 15 filings
  • Trademark licensing, assignment, and brand-extension agreements
  • International portfolio strategy via foreign associates in 130+ countries
  • Enforcement, cease-and-desist, and infringement litigation
  • Customs recordation and CBP enforcement against counterfeit imports
  • Brand-protection programs for online marketplaces and domain disputes (UDRP)
5,000+
Trademark applications filed
1,400+
Patents prosecuted
28+
Years in Silicon Valley
4
U.S. offices, nationwide reach

Attorneys for this practice area

Kevin Viau

Kevin Viau

Partner, Trademarks

Leads the firm's trademark practice with deep experience in clearance, prosecution, TTAB practice, and worldwide brand strategy.
Otto Lee

Otto Lee

Managing Partner

Founded IPLG in 1998. Counsels global brands on integrated IP strategy spanning trademarks, patents, customs, and litigation.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to register a trademark in the United States?
Most U.S. applications take 8 to 14 months from filing to registration when there are no office actions or oppositions. Office actions add 3 to 6 months each; an opposition can extend the timeline by a year or more. We set expectations on the schedule at the kickoff call and update you at every Examiner touchpoint.
Do I need a U.S. trademark before I file abroad, or vice versa?
Neither is strictly required, but the order matters. The Madrid Protocol lets a U.S. applicant extend a single home-country application to dozens of countries; foreign applicants frequently use a home registration to claim priority into the U.S. We map the right filing path based on where you sell now, where you plan to sell, and budget.
What is a trademark clearance search and why does it cost more than a quick TESS lookup?
A free TESS search catches identical marks. A full clearance search covers identical and similar marks across the federal register, state registers, common-law uses, domain names, and industry-specific databases, and it includes attorney analysis of the likelihood-of-confusion risk. The cost difference shows up later as fewer office actions, fewer oppositions, and fewer rebrands.
What is a TTAB proceeding and when do I need one?
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board is the USPTO body that hears oppositions (filed before a mark registers), cancellations (filed after), and ex parte appeals from final refusals. You need TTAB counsel when a published application is blocking yours, when your registration is being challenged, or when you want to challenge someone else's registration without filing a federal-court lawsuit.
How do I stop counterfeit imports of products bearing my trademark?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection will enforce against counterfeit imports if your mark is recorded with CBP. Recordation is straightforward once you have a federal registration, and it gives CBP officers the authority to detain and seize infringing goods at the port of entry. We handle the recordation, the agency education, and the downstream enforcement actions when a seizure is contested.
What does it cost to register a trademark with IPLG?
Government filing fees are set by the USPTO and currently start at $350 per class for a TEAS Standard application. Attorney fees depend on the complexity of the search, the number of classes, and whether the application encounters office actions. We provide flat-fee quotes for clearance, filing, and standard prosecution before we start work; litigation and contested matters are quoted separately.

These answers are general information, not legal advice. Trademark outcomes depend on facts specific to your mark, your goods and services, and the jurisdictions you care about.

Whether you are clearing a new brand, prosecuting a portfolio, or enforcing against infringers, our trademark team is ready to help.

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