Question 1

What actually happens in a first consultation?

Accepted Answer

What actually happens in a first consultation?

We start with your business: what you've built, and what you're trying to protect, license, or resolve. Bring whatever's relevant — product descriptions, prior agreements, registrations, demand letters, correspondence. The first conversation is about scope and strategy, not billable hours: we spot the real issues, lay out realistic options and rough costs, and tell you honestly whether you even need us yet. There's no obligation to engage afterward.

New Clients

Question 2

When does an attorney–client relationship actually begin?

Accepted Answer

Only when both sides sign a written engagement agreement that sets the scope, fees, and responsibilities. Emailing us, submitting a form, or having an intro call does not by itself create that relationship or make what you share privileged. So until an engagement letter is signed, hold back anything genuinely confidential — share enough for us to assess the matter, not your crown jewels.

Question 3

How do you charge — hourly, flat, or contingency?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the work. Flat fees fit predictable matters like trademark filings and standard agreements, so you know the price up front. Hourly fits litigation and open-ended counseling, where the path isn't fixed. Either way, you get the structure and an estimate in writing before we start, and a heads-up the moment a matter's scope changes — no surprise invoices.

Question 4

What should I gather before reaching out?

Accepted Answer

A few sentences on your business and the issue, any deadlines you know about, and copies of the documents that matter — registrations, contracts, demand letters, or the work you want to protect. Concrete facts get you concrete answers; vague ones get us both a slower start. When in doubt, send it (once an engagement is in place) and let us sort out what's relevant.

Question 5

What are the steps to register a trademark?

Accepted Answer

What are the steps to register a trademark?

Five, roughly. First, a clearance search to gauge availability and risk. Second, preparing and filing the USPTO application with the right goods and services and filing basis. Third, examination by a USPTO examining attorney, who may push back with an Office Action. Fourth, publication, during which others can oppose. Fifth, registration — or, for intent-to-use marks, a Statement of Use once you're actually selling under the mark. Plan on many months, most of it USPTO queue time you can't speed up.

Trademarks

Question 6

Why run a trademark clearance search first?

Accepted Answer

Because a search surfaces the conflicting marks that can sink your application — or invite an infringement claim — before you've spent a dollar on filing or a year building goodwill. Skipping it is how a brand ends up forced into a rebrand after launch. Think of clearance as cheap insurance against an expensive, very public do-over.

Question 7

How long does it take to register a trademark?

Accepted Answer

With no refusals or oppositions, figure roughly a year — though USPTO backlogs move that number around. Office Actions, extensions, or an intent-to-use basis (where you have to show real use later) all add time. We track every deadline and tell you where your application stands at each stage, so the wait is at least a predictable one.

Question 8

What's the difference between ™ and ®?

Accepted Answer

Anyone can use ™ to stake a claim to a mark, registered or not. The ® symbol is different: you may only use it once the mark is federally registered with the USPTO, and using it before then is improper and can even hurt you in litigation. Registration is what unlocks ® — along with a legal presumption that your mark is valid and yours nationwide.

Question 9

What are the typical steps in litigation?

Accepted Answer

What are the typical steps in litigation?

Most disputes follow the same arc: a pre-suit assessment and demand; the complaint and the other side's response; discovery, where each side exchanges documents, answers written questions, and takes depositions; motion practice, sometimes including a motion to end the case early; settlement talks or mediation, which resolve the large majority of cases; and, only if needed, trial and a possible appeal. Each phase has its own deadlines and its own cost — and most matters never reach a courtroom.

Litigation

Question 10

What actually drives the cost of a lawsuit?

Accepted Answer

Discovery, almost always — the volume of documents, the number of depositions, and the fights over how far it all has to go. Motion practice, expert witnesses, and how aggressively the other side litigates pile on from there. Our job is to find the cheapest route to your real goal, which is frequently a well-timed, well-positioned settlement rather than a multi-year march to trial.

Question 11

Will my case actually go to trial?

Accepted Answer

Probably not. The large majority of civil disputes settle or resolve through mediation or arbitration before a trial ever starts. We prepare every matter as if it could be tried — that readiness is exactly what creates leverage to settle on good terms — but we'll always be straight with you about when settling beats the cost and uncertainty of rolling the dice in front of a judge or jury.

Question 12

I just got a cease-and-desist letter. What do I do?

Accepted Answer

Don't ignore it, and don't fire back on your own. Preserve everything related (deleting things can become its own problem), make no admissions, and get the letter to counsel fast — there's often a deadline buried in it. We'll assess how strong the claim really is, what your actual exposure looks like, and craft a response, which is usually a far cry from whatever the letter is demanding.

Frequently asked questions

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