★★★★★Google review
It was a pleasure working with Malellari law firm. Responsible, respectful and encouraging business professionals. Highly recommended and trustworthy. Perfect for all your trademark needs and concerns!
R.C.
Nationwide trademark services · Brand protection
A trademark attorney for what comes next.
Clear, strategic trademark counsel for entrepreneurs, founders, small businesses, and professional service providers nationwide. From trademark search and clearance to a USPTO trademark application and trademark registration, we help protect the name you are building.
A considered approach to the details that make your next chapter possible.
01
Reduce risk
Find conflicts early and make decisions with a clearer view of the road ahead.
02
Build leverage
Turn a name, idea, or opportunity into an asset you can grow with.
03
Move clearly
Translate complex processes into a plan you can understand and act on.
04
Stay protected
Keep your brand protected as your business grows and circumstances evolve.
Client perspective
What our clients say.
These reviews are from Google.
★★★★★Google review
Thorough and prompt in helping to apply for trademarks and copyrights. Will contact again in the future.
M.F.
★★★★★Google review
L.N.C.
Why it matters
When you own your brand, you’re on offense.
Once your name is protected, you can pursue your plans at full speed. Here is what a registered trademark gives you in return:
Higher revenue
Trademark owners tend to have higher revenue overall, thanks to the reputation-building power of a registered mark.
A sellable business asset
Just as you can own and sell physical property, you can own and sell the intellectual property in your trademark.
Legal recourse
A trademark unlocks real tools for protection: cease and desist letters, infringement claims, and the ability to pursue monetary damages.
Official brand ownership
Starting a business does not, on its own, mean you own the name. Unless you have a trademark, someone else may already have a claim to it.
Telling copycats to back off
Copycats and competitors who try to trade on your work can be told, once and for all, to stop.
How trademark protection works
A clear path from business idea to protected brand
Trademark protection is not a single filing. It is a process that begins with choosing a name carefully and continues as your brand grows.
01
Choose a strong name
A protectable brand begins with a name that is distinctive and aligned with your long-term business goals.
02
Search before you invest
A comprehensive trademark search helps identify potential conflicts before you invest in a name, logo, product, or service brand.
03
File with a strategy
The application should reflect your actual offerings, filing goals, and plans for how the brand will grow.
04
Respond and move forward
USPTO communications require careful attention. Strategic guidance helps you understand the next step and respond appropriately.
05
Protect what you build
As your business grows, ongoing trademark strategy can support expansion, licensing, enforcement, and stronger brand protection.
Explore trademark services
The right strategy depends on your specific facts and goals. This overview is educational information, not legal advice.
One practice, one standard
Good counsel makes room.
Trademark services for your business
A brand worth defending.
Whether you are choosing a name or strengthening an established brand, we help you make a smart trademark decision and build protection around where your business is going.
Trademark services →01
Trademark search & clearance
02
Trademark application & registration
03
Ongoing trademark strategy & brand protection
Questions, answered
A clearer place to start.
Trademark decisions carry more weight than they first appear to. Here are a few of the questions I hear most often.
Can you trademark a business name?
Yes, a business name can be trademarked when it functions as a source identifier for particular goods or services and is available for registration.
A business-entity or state name registration is different from federal trademark protection. The name should be evaluated for distinctiveness and potential conflicts before you invest further in building around it.
Why does a trademark search before filing matter, and what does a clearance search find?
A search before filing helps identify earlier marks and conflicts that could affect whether you should use or register the name.
A clearance search can review federal records, relevant applications, and marketplace uses involving similar marks and related goods or services. The findings help frame the risk and whether to refine, investigate further, or move toward filing.
Should I work with a trademark attorney or file myself with the USPTO?
A trademark attorney can evaluate clearance, filing strategy, and USPTO communications in ways a self-filed form cannot.
You can submit an application yourself, but choices about the filing basis, goods and services, specimens, and responses can affect the application. Counsel helps you understand those decisions and the issues that may arise, without promising a particular result.
Should I register a word mark or a logo first?
A word mark usually comes first when the goal is to protect the name itself, while a logo registration protects the particular design.
A word mark can cover the wording in different visual presentations, while a logo application is tied to the design shown in the application. Some brands later consider protecting both, and the order depends on how the brand is used and what needs protection now.
Can you trademark a last name or surname?
A surname can be trademarked when it functions as a trademark and meets the applicable distinctiveness requirements.
A last name used as a brand may require a closer review of how consumers encounter it, how long it has been used, the goods or services involved, and the evidence available. A search and use-based assessment should come before relying on the name.
How long does trademark registration take, and how long does protection last?
A straightforward USPTO application often takes about 10 to 14 months from filing to registration, and a federal registration can continue indefinitely while the mark remains in use and required filings are timely.
The timing can change if the USPTO issues an office action or a third party challenges the application. Registration is not permanent simply because it was granted; maintenance filings are required and a registration is generally renewed on a ten-year cycle.
MALELLARI LAW
A steady hand in complex moments
Counsel with a wider view.
Klodiana Malellari is a trademark attorney who brings rigorous legal training, public-service perspective, and a genuine respect for the stakes behind every matter. The result is counsel that is both exacting and human.
Licensed to practice law in Minnesota, admitted 2024.
Licensed to practice law in Missouri, admitted 2025.
The next move can be simple
Let’s make a plan.
Bring the question, the idea, or the uncertainty. We’ll start with what matters and map the next right step.
Schedule a consultation The Trademark Readiness Checklist: 10 Steps to Protect Your Brand Before You Launch