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Trademark counsel for founders & brand owners

Names worth using are names worth registering.

Federal trademark registration at the USPTO — led by a former USPTO trademark examiner who knows exactly what gets a filing approved, and what gets it refused.

Book a free 15-min consult See flat-fee pricing
Filed by a former USPTO trademark examiner. Flat fees. No surprises.
Background includes
  • U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
  • Boston University Law
  • Temu
  • Peloton
  • Agero
  • BU/MIT Tech Law Clinic
Why this matters

Most DIY filings don't come back clean.

The USPTO refuses trademarks for reasons that have nothing to do with the strength of your business. A small mistake in your trademark category, proof of use, or wording can cost you months — and the $350 government filing fee, regardless of outcome.

~3×
higher refusal rate for self-filed applications
Self-filed applications get refusal letters from the USPTO examiner at roughly three times the rate of attorney-filed applications. Most refusals come from avoidable mistakes in trademark category, proof of use, or descriptions.
$350
USPTO filing fee — non-refundable, per category
A rejected application doesn't get its fee back. Refile, and you pay it again. Most filers don't realize this until it's too late.
~10 mo.
average time from filing to registration
Current USPTO averages: ~5 months to first response, ~10 months to registration on a smooth path. A bad proof-of-use submission or a "too generic" refusal can stretch that to 18+ months — while competitors file behind you.
How it works

Three steps. From idea to federal registration.

I handle the entire process from the first search to the registration certificate — so you can stop worrying about the filing and get back to building the brand.

Clearance Search

I run an initial screening plus a deep search across the USPTO database, the broader web (Google, social handles, business directories), and state registries to flag conflicts before we file. If your name is high-risk, you'll know in days, not months.

Includes: written opinion letter, risk rating, and recommended next steps.

Prepare & File

I write your description of goods and services, select the right trademark categories, prepare your proof of use, and file the application directly with the USPTO. You sign one form. I do the rest.

Includes proof-of-use review, category selection, and filing on the right legal basis.

Defend & Register

If the USPTO examiner sends back a refusal letter (called an "Office Action"), I respond. If a third party challenges your application, I represent you. I see the application through the process — and stay involved past registration with renewal monitoring.

USPTO refusal responses, sworn statements, and post-registration maintenance.
Flat fees

Know the price before you sign.

Trademark work shouldn't be a billing surprise. Every engagement is a written, flat-fee quote — priced to be highly competitive among attorneys with comparable USPTO experience.

Clearance Search

Find out if your name is actually clear — before you spend money filing.

From$295
Per name, one category
  • Full USPTO database + web + state search
  • Written attorney opinion letter
  • Risk rating & alternative-mark guidance
  • 30-min strategy call to review
Start with a search
Most chosen

Full Filing

Search + application, prepared and filed end-to-end. The most chosen path for founders and brand owners.

From$695
Attorney fee · + $350 USPTO filing fee, per category
  • Everything in Clearance Search
  • Category & goods/services drafting
  • Proof-of-use preparation & review
  • Filed directly with the USPTO
  • Status monitoring through registration
  • One USPTO refusal response included, if needed
File my mark

Office Action Response

Already filed and got a refusal? I respond — even if I didn't draft the original application.

From$595
Substantive responses scoped after review
  • Review of your USPTO refusal letter
  • Strategy call & written response plan
  • Drafted response to the USPTO examiner
  • Filed before your USPTO deadline
Respond to my refusal

How that compares. The Branding Iron's Full Filing starts at $1,045 all-in — with a former USPTO trademark examiner handling the file and one refusal response included if the examiner pushes back. Comparable services charge $500–$1,500 extra for that refusal response. See the full side-by-side comparison below.

Side by side

The Branding Iron vs. everyone else.

The most common alternatives, compared on the things that actually matter when you file a trademark.

The Branding Iron LegalZoom Trademarkia Typical Attorney
Who handles your file Former USPTO trademark examiner Network of staff attorneys Form-fill platform (paralegal review) One trademark attorney
Direct attorney access Yes — talk to John directly Scheduled call Top tier only Usually yes
Clearance search USPTO + web + state, written attorney opinion Federal + common-law, attorney-reviewed Tiered ($199 USPTO-only to $1,599+ global) Usually thorough
Application drafted by A former USPTO examining attorney LegalZoom staff attorney You; paralegal-reviewed Your attorney
Refusal response if needed One included Extra cost Extra cost Extra cost
Pricing model Flat fee, written upfront Flat package + add-ons Tiered packages + add-ons Often hourly
Starting cost (one category) $1,045 all-in $1,249 $449–$1,149 $1,100–$1,850
Pricing snapshot at time of publication, single-class USA application. Competitor tier-pricing reflects published packages on each provider's site. Office-action and post-filing fees vary.

Quoted ranges are starting prices for straightforward, single-category engagements. Multi-category filings, complex proof-of-use issues, design marks, and contested matters are quoted individually after the consult. No engagement begins without a written scope and flat-fee quote.

John E. Dugger, Esq., Founder of The Branding Iron
About the firm

A lawyer who's read the file from the other side of the desk.

John E. Dugger, Esq. · Founder · Admitted in Massachusetts

Before founding The Branding Iron in 2023, John was a Trademark Examining Attorney at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) — the federal examiner who decides whether your trademark gets approved. He went on to handle intellectual property and disputes at Temu, with prior work at Peloton, Agero, and the BU/MIT Technology Law Clinic. The result: when you file with The Branding Iron, you're filing with someone who knows what the examiner is going to say, before they say it.

Experience

  • USPTO
    Trademark Examining Attorney The agency that grants every U.S. trademark.
  • Temu
    Associate Counsel, Intellectual Property & Disputes In-house IP work for one of the world's largest marketplaces.
  • Prior
    Peloton, Agero, BU/MIT Technology Law Clinic Brand, IP, and information-law experience across in-house and clinical settings.

Education

  • BU Law
    JD — Concentration in Intellectual Property & Information Law Boston University School of Law.
What clients say

Trusted by founders and brand owners.

★★★★★ 5.0 average · Google reviews
★★★★★
"We have been very pleased with the services we've received from The Branding Iron. As a small patient advocacy organization, we wanted some basic branding protections in place, and John has provided us the ‘just right’ solutions. He did a lot of background work and research and really thoughtfully listened to us to understand our organization and our needs. He provided several options for next best steps and thoroughly explained them to us so that we were confident in our decisions. We're very thankful to have had the opportunity to work with The Branding Iron."
GS
Glenna Steele Patient advocacy organization
Verified review on Google
★★★★★
Working with [John] was a true pleasure. He was professional, proactive, and got the job done! Would 10/10 recommend.
WH
Whitfield Hamilton Verified client
Verified review on Google
See all reviews on Google →
The Branding Iron · Founder Edition
The First-Time Filer's Trademark Checklist
  • Confirm the name is actually in use in your business
  • Run a screening search of the USPTO database
  • Pick the right trademark category
  • Draft a goods/services description that won't be refused
  • Gather acceptable proof of how you use the name
  • Choose the right filing path (using it now vs. plan to)
  • File before a competitor does
Free download

The 14-step checklist most filers miss before filing.

The same pre-filing checklist I use with paying clients — written in plain language, sized to one printable page. It will not turn you into a trademark lawyer. It will stop you from making the four mistakes that cause most preventable refusals.

After you submit, you'll get the checklist in your inbox within a few minutes. Check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive.

Common questions

The questions every brand owner asks.

Why hire a lawyer instead of using LegalZoom or filing myself?+
Filing services run a database query and submit the same form you could submit yourself. They don't tell you when your name is too generic, when your proof of use won't be accepted, or when your goods/services description guarantees a refusal. Those are the calls a lawyer is paid to make — and getting them wrong costs you the $350 USPTO filing fee, plus months of waiting before you can refile.
What does it actually cost to register a trademark, all-in?+
For a straightforward, single-category application, you're looking at the flat attorney fee plus the USPTO's non-refundable $350 government filing fee per category. The Branding Iron's Full Filing starts at $695 attorney fee + $350 USPTO fee, all-in for $1,045 — meaningfully below comparable attorney-led services. One USPTO refusal response is included if the examiner pushes back, so you're not surprised by an extra $500–$1,500 bill if it does. (If you weren't a Full Filing client and just need a refusal response, that's a separate engagement starting at $595.) Everything is quoted as a flat fee, in writing, before any work begins.
How long until I have a registered trademark?+
USPTO timing has improved meaningfully over the last year. Current averages put the first response from the examiner around 5 months after filing, with total time from filing to registration averaging roughly 10 months on a smooth path. A refusal or third-party challenge can extend that further. Your informal trademark rights begin the day you start using the name in business, and your filing date locks in your priority over later filers — so the practical advice is almost always: file sooner.
I already filed myself and got a refusal. Can you help?+
Yes. My USPTO refusal-response engagement is for exactly this. I'll review the refusal letter (which the USPTO calls an "Office Action"), walk you through your options, and draft and file the response — even when I didn't draft the original application. The sooner you reach out, the more options you have; USPTO response deadlines are strict.
Do you only work with clients in Tennessee?+
No. Trademark registration is federal — not state — so I represent founders and brand owners nationwide and overseas (where U.S. counsel is required to file in the United States). Most engagements are handled remotely; I am located in Franklin, Tennessee.
What happens on the free 15-minute consult?+
We talk through your mark, your business, and what you're trying to protect. By the end of the call, you'll have a clear sense of whether your mark is registrable, what categories apply, and what an engagement would cost. There's no pressure to sign and no hourly clock running. If a search isn't worth doing, I'll tell you.
Book a free 15-minute consult

Your name is worth protecting. Let's make it official.

Tell me about your mark. I'll tell you what's registrable, what's risky, and what a flat-fee engagement would look like. No obligation, no hourly meter.

Or reach the firm: 615.513.8257 · info@brandingironlegal.com · Franklin, TN