Your brand is one of your most valuable assets.
It's time to protect it like it is.
Senior-level trademark strategy for scaling companies and global brands. Experienced. Creative. Proactive. Consistent, senior-led counsel who stays with your business.
Senior-level IP strategy. Full scope. Partnership at every stage.
With over a decade of experience procuring thousands of trademarks across dozens of industries worldwide, I offer a complete range of brand management services for companies at every stage of growth. From the first trademark clearance search through long-term portfolio management, enforcement, licensing, and other IP transactions, I bring senior-level strategy and direct personal attention to every matter I handle.
Trademark and
Copyright Protection
Clearance searches with use and registration risk assessment
U.S. and international trademark applications
Trademark prosecution and strategic responses to office actions
Portfolio management, renewals, and maintenance
Copyright registration, domestic and international
Enforcement and
Brand Protection
Cease and desist letters
Trademark watch notices and monitoring
Opposition and cancellation proceedings
Marketplace and social media takedowns
Domain disputes (UDRP)
Crisis response for infringement instances
IP Strategy and
Transactions
Licensing and coexistence agreement negotiation and drafting
Trademark and copyright assignments
IP due diligence for mergers and acquisitions
Brand health audits and risk assessments
Product launch guidance and internal brand protection training
What you can expect when we work together.
A Small, Focused Team. Consistently Yours.
When you work with Thornton IP Law, you work with a dedicated team who knows your brand deeply and stays with you for the long term. I am your attorney and your strategic partner on every matter. The people working alongside me are carefully chosen, deeply knowledgeable, and consistently present. No rotating faces. No starting over with someone new. The same team, the same institutional knowledge, the same commitment every time you need us.
Proactive, Not Reactive
IP protection only works when someone is consistently paying attention. I follow my clients closely. Their product launches, their market expansions, their business updates. When something needs your attention, you hear from me before it becomes a problem.
Predictable Investment
Every client relationship is different and pricing should reflect that. I offer different types of fee structures including flat rate, subscription, and hourly arrangements with upfront estimates. Whatever the structure, you always know what to expect. No surprises. No costs that catch your finance team off guard.
Creative Solutions. Every Time.
Great trademark work requires more than legal knowledge. It requires the ability to see around corners, find solutions others overlook, and approach each challenge with fresh eyes. From overcoming USPTO refusals that most attorneys would concede, to crafting enforcement strategies that protect both your rights and your reputation, I bring a creative approach to every matter I handle.
From your first trademark to your global portfolio, I work with companies who are building something that matters.
I work with new startups, growing companies, and established global brands who understand IP is not a legal formality. It is a business asset.
My clients range from venture-backed founders to in-house legal teams at multinational companies managing complex global portfolios. What they share is a serious commitment to their brand and a preference for working with one trusted attorney who genuinely knows their business.
INDUSTRIES:
Consumer Products
Apparel
Beauty
Food & Beverage
Software
Pharmaceuticals
Renewable Energy
Hospitality
Sports and Recreation
Education
Blockchain
COURTNEY THORNTON
I came to law differently than most attorneys.
Before law school, I spent over a decade in advertising, marketing, and technology, working with Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups across Silicon Valley and beyond. A Stanford journalism and advertising graduate, I understood what a brand was worth long before I understood how to protect one legally.
I brought that commercial perspective to Emory Law, then spent more than a decade at prominent U.S. firms known for their sophisticated IP, developing a deep specialty in trademark prosecution, global portfolio management, and enforcement strategy for sophisticated, high-growth clients. I founded Thornton IP Law to do this work the right way. With the expertise my clients deserve, the attention that is only possible when your practice is truly focused, and the genuine partnership that comes from knowing the businesses you are protecting and helping to grow.
Questions I hear most often.
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Before you invest heavily in your brand. Before the website launches, before the packaging is printed, before the marketing campaign goes live. Filing early protects everything you are building and prevents the costly and disruptive scenario of having to rebrand after you have already built recognition in the market. For companies that are not yet using a mark commercially, filing on an intent-to-use basis allows you to secure rights before you launch.
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Yes, if you are serious about protecting your brand. Federal registration provides important benefits, including a presumption of nationwide priority, stronger leverage in disputes and licensing negotiations, a basis to block confusingly similar marks from being registered, and more straightforward enforcement. Common law rights exist without registration, but they are limited in scope and much harder to enforce.
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Typically eight to twelve months from filing to registration, though timing varies depending on whether the USPTO raises any issues along the way or an application is challenged by a third party. Responding to office actions efficiently and strategically makes a meaningful difference in both timeline and outcome. In many cases, a direct conversation with an examiner resolves issues faster than a lengthy written response ever would.
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Registration is the beginning of your protection strategy, not the end of it. Ongoing protection involves using your mark consistently as registered, monitoring the marketplace for potentially infringing applications and uses, responding to threats promptly and strategically, and filing the required maintenance documents to keep your registration active. A trademark that is not actively managed is a trademark that is losing strength.
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Carefully and strategically. The right response to infringement depends entirely on the specific situation, and the wrong move can create more problems than it solves. In the age of social media, a heavy-handed cease and desist letter can damage your brand reputation faster than an infringer could. I assess each situation on its own merits and take the approach most likely to protect both your legal rights and your brand. Sometimes that is a firm demand letter. Sometimes it is a negotiated resolution.
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Effective trademark strategy is designed to avoid litigation, not invite it. I focus on building and managing IP programs that minimize risk through proactive monitoring, smart clearance, and strategic enforcement. I handle most enforcement matters directly, including cease and desist letters, settlement negotiations, and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings. Where federal litigation is necessary, I manage the early stages and collaborate with a seasoned litigator as co-counsel, ensuring a seamless and well-coordinated approach.
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With the same depth of experience and focused attention that sophisticated portfolios require. I have managed complex, multi-national trademark portfolios worldwide across dozens of industries for over a decade. What sets Thornton IP Law apart is not just capability. It is continuity. You work directly with me on every matter. I know your brand, your history, and your goals. And I have the right support around me to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. No rotating attorneys, no loss of institutional knowledge, and no starting over with someone new.
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Every client relationship is different and pricing should reflect that. I offer flexible fee structures tailored to the needs of each engagement, including flat rate fees for specific matters, subscription arrangements for ongoing portfolio management, and hourly billing with upfront estimates. Whatever the structure, you always know what to expect. No surprises and no costs that catch your finance team off guard.
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A significant one. Investors, lenders, and potential acquirers review a company's trademark portfolio as a standard part of due diligence. A strong, well-maintained portfolio demonstrates that you control your brand, reduces perceived risk, and adds measurable value to your business. Gaps in coverage, lapsed registrations, or unresolved disputes can slow a transaction or affect valuation. Getting your IP right before you need it protects everything you have worked to build at the moments that matter most.
A look into who I am. I look forward to getting to know you as a person too.
Before I went to law school, I trained for the U.S. Olympic Trials in track and field. The discipline and focus it takes to compete at that level shaped how I approach everything I do, including how I show up for my clients.
I once appeared in a Nike commercial as a “wild horse.” A group of us ran through the woods and emerged into a wide open field, with a helicopter overhead and the sound of our feet hitting the ground like hooves. It was one of my first experiences watching a brand like Nike bring a feeling to life, and it has stayed with me ever since.
Two days before I was set to start my role as a summer associate with an Atlanta law firm, I broke both of my arms in a hang-gliding accident. It was not the entrance I had planned, but it is one way to make yourself known.
I grew up in Indianapolis, still think of San Francisco as home, and now live in Atlanta with my husband, where most of my running is chasing after my three kids.