Minneapolis Trademark & Intellectual Property Attorneys
Your brand name, logo, slogan, and creative work are often the most valuable assets your business owns — and the first things competitors or counterfeiters try to copy. Trademark and copyright law give you the tools to protect what you’ve built, but those tools only work if you use them correctly and at the right time.
Christensen Law PLLC is a Minneapolis-based law firm that represents businesses, creative professionals, and entrepreneurs in trademark prosecution, enforcement, and intellectual property litigation. We serve clients across Minnesota and, through federal practice, the entire United States. Our attorneys don’t treat trademarks as abstract legal rights — we look at how you’re actually using your brand, then help you secure, maintain, and defend it.
Whether you’re filing your first trademark application, responding to a USPTO Office Action, or fighting infringement in federal court, you’ll work directly with attorneys who stay accessible from start to finish.
If you’re ready to protect your work, contact Christensen Law PLLC to talk with a Minneapolis intellectual property attorney about your next steps.
Trademark Prosecution Services
Trademark prosecution is the legal process of obtaining and maintaining a federal trademark registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Done well, it gives you nationwide rights, the presumption of ownership, and a foundation for enforcement. Done poorly — or skipped entirely — it leaves your brand exposed.
Christensen Law PLLC handles the full trademark prosecution lifecycle for clients in Minneapolis, throughout Minnesota, and nationwide.
Trademark Clearance Searches and Availability Opinions
Before you invest in branding, packaging, or a marketing launch, we run knockout and comprehensive searches of the USPTO register, state databases, common-law uses, and domain registrations. You receive a written availability opinion explaining likelihood-of-confusion risk, descriptiveness concerns, and our recommendation on whether to file, modify, or choose a different mark.
Federal Trademark Application Drafting and Filing
As part of the trademark prosecution process, we prepare and file applications under Sections 1(a), 1(b), 44(d), 44(e), and 66(a), selecting the right basis for your business situation. That includes:
- Identifying the correct international classes and writing precise goods and services descriptions
- Choosing between standard character and special form (design) marks
- Preparing specimens that meet current USPTO standards
- Filing intent-to-use applications and tracking Statement of Use deadlines
USPTO Office Action Responses
Most applications receive at least one Office Action. We respond to both procedural and substantive refusals, including:
- Section 2(d) likelihood of confusion refusals
- Section 2(e) descriptiveness, genericness, and surname refusals
- Specimen and use refusals
- Identification and classification requirements
- Disclaimer requirements and amendment to the Supplemental Register where appropriate
If a refusal becomes final, we handle Requests for Reconsideration and appeals to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).
TTAB Proceedings: Oppositions, Cancellations, Expungement, and Reexamination
When a third party challenges your application — or when you need to challenge someone else’s — we represent clients in inter partes proceedings before the TTAB, including:
- Notices of Opposition and Petitions for Cancellation
- Concurrent use proceedings
- Expungement and reexamination proceedings under the Trademark Modernization Act
- Discovery, motion practice, testimony depositions, and trial briefs
Trademark Maintenance and Renewals
A registration is only as strong as its upkeep. We docket and file:
- Section 8 declarations of continued use (between years 5–6)
- Section 15 declarations of incontestability
- Section 9 renewals (every 10 years)
- Assignments, changes of ownership, and address updates
International Trademark Prosecution
For clients selling across borders, we coordinate filings under the Madrid Protocol, file directly in priority jurisdictions, and work with a vetted network of foreign associates to manage your global portfolio from a single point of contact in Minneapolis.
Trademark Enforcement and Litigation
Registration is the foundation. Enforcement is what makes it worth having. Christensen Law PLLC helps clients monitor their marks, respond to infringement early, and — when informal resolution isn’t enough — litigate Lanham Act claims in federal court. We tailor each response to the business outcome you actually need: a quick takedown, a coexistence agreement, or full damages and an injunction.
Trademark Monitoring and Policing
We help clients set up watch services and respond to infringing uses early — before they grow into expensive disputes.
Cease and Desist and Pre-Litigation Resolution
Most trademark conflicts resolve without a courtroom. We draft cease and desist letters calibrated to your goals — whether that’s a quick takedown, a coexistence agreement, or a licensing arrangement.
Trademark Litigation in Federal Court
When informal resolution isn’t enough, we litigate Lanham Act claims in federal district court, including:
- Trademark infringement (15 U.S.C. § 1114)
- False designation of origin and unfair competition (15 U.S.C. § 1125(a))
- Trademark dilution
- Counterfeiting claims
- Injunctive relief, monetary damages, lost profits, and attorneys’ fees
Domain Name Disputes (UDRP)
We prosecute and defend cybersquatting claims under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy before the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Carl Christensen developed his UDRP expertise as a student law clerk at NAF, an ICANN-designated dispute resolution provider.
Customs and Border Protection IP Enforcement
We record trademarks and copyrights with U.S. Customs and Border Protection so authorities can intercept counterfeit goods at the border, and we represent clients in CBP investigations and seizures.
Trademark Licensing and Transactions
Trademarks are business assets — they can be licensed, assigned, franchised, and used as collateral. We draft and negotiate:
- Trademark license agreements (exclusive and non-exclusive)
- Coexistence and consent agreements
- Assignment agreements and security interests
- Franchise-related trademark provisions
- Brand collaboration and co-branding agreements
Copyright Services
Our intellectual property practice extends to copyright registration, enforcement, and contracting for creative professionals, software developers, and content businesses.
- Copyright registration with the U.S. Copyright Office
- DMCA takedown notices and counter-notices
- Copyright infringement litigation in federal court, including statutory damages and attorneys’ fees claims
- Licensing, permissions, and royalty agreements
- Artist management and work-for-hire contracting
Why Clients Choose Christensen Law for Trademark Work
- Direct attorney access. You work with the lawyer handling your file — not a paralegal pipeline.
- Full-lifecycle representation. Clearance, prosecution, maintenance, and litigation under one roof, so your enforcement strategy is built in from day one.
- Practical counsel. We tell you when filing makes sense, when it doesn’t, and what a realistic outcome looks like before you spend money.
- Founder-led IP experience. Carl Christensen has taught Intellectual Property Foundations as an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law and contributed to textbooks on intellectual property and domain name law.
- Minneapolis roots, federal reach. Based in the North Loop, two blocks from Target Field, and admitted to federal practice to handle disputes wherever they arise.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trademarks
Common questions we hear from business owners about trademarks.
Trademark prosecution is the process of obtaining and maintaining a federal trademark registration with the USPTO. It includes the clearance search, application filing, responding to Office Actions, navigating publication and any opposition, and post-registration maintenance filings. It is distinct from trademark litigation, which takes place in federal court.
A straightforward application typically takes 12–18 months from filing to registration. Applications that receive Office Actions, oppositions, or that are filed on an intent-to-use basis can take significantly longer.
USPTO filing fees start at $350 per class of goods or services (as of 2026). Attorney fees vary based on the complexity of the search and application. We provide flat-fee quotes for most prosecution work so you know the cost up front.
The USPTO requires foreign-domiciled applicants to be represented by a U.S.-licensed attorney. U.S. applicants are not required to use an attorney, but the refusal rate for pro se applications is significantly higher, and mistakes in the identification of goods or basis selection often can’t be fixed later.
A trademark protects brand identifiers (names, logos, slogans). A copyright protects original creative works (writing, music, art, software). A patent protects inventions and processes. Most businesses need trademarks; creative professionals also need copyrights; patents are a separate practice area. Read more in our guide: Trademark vs. Copyright vs. Patent.
An Office Action is a letter from the USPTO examining attorney raising legal or procedural issues with your application. Common refusals include likelihood of confusion with an existing mark, descriptiveness, and specimen problems. You typically have three months to respond, with a three-month extension available for a fee.
The TTAB is an administrative tribunal within the USPTO that hears trademark oppositions, cancellations, and appeals from final Office Action refusals. It does not award damages or injunctions — those require federal court litigation.
Sometimes. Trademark rights are based on likelihood of confusion, which considers the goods and services, channels of trade, and consumer overlap. A clearance search and availability opinion is the right first step before assuming a name is available.
Document the use, gather evidence of your prior rights (registration certificate, dates of first use, sales evidence), and contact a trademark attorney before sending any communication yourself. A poorly worded cease and desist can hurt your position in later litigation.
Trademark rights are territorial. Federal U.S. registration protects you in the United States only. If you sell internationally, the Madrid Protocol provides a streamlined path to register in multiple countries through a single application.
Talk to a Minneapolis Trademark Attorney
If you’re ready to file a trademark, respond to an Office Action, enforce your rights, or get clarity on whether you have a real claim, we’re here to help. Christensen Law PLLC will walk you through your options and give you straight answers about cost, timeline, and likely outcome before you commit to anything. Contact or call Christensen Law PLLC today to get started.
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