Hawthorn Law® helps established entrepreneurs, online businesses, creators, e-commerce brands, and referral partners protect the brands they are building.
We are a boutique trademark law firm led by James W. Hart, a trademark attorney licensed in North Carolina and Florida. Our work is focused on federal U.S. trademark matters, including trademark strategy, clearance, applications, registration, portfolio counseling, and protection of valuable brands as businesses grow.
Is Hawthorn Law the Right Fit for You?
Hawthorn Law is built for business owners and online entrepreneurs who see their brand as a serious business asset—not simply a name to file as cheaply as possible.
Our best-fit clients are generally:
- Established small businesses, entrepreneurs, e-commerce sellers, online creators, coaches, and influencers
- Businesses working with a branding, marketing, or naming agency
- Founders with a clear path to revenue, active sales, meaningful growth, or a startup funding plan
- Businesses commonly generating approximately $500,000 to $1 million or more in revenue, or founders building toward that level
- Clients who value practical legal strategy, personal attention, premium service, and predictable flat fees
- U.S. businesses seeking federal trademark protection and international businesses seeking to register and protect trademarks in the United States
- Foreign law firms and professional advisors seeking a U.S.-based trademark attorney for their clients
We work with clients across the United States on federal trademark matters. We also assist international clients and foreign law firms with U.S. trademark representation, subject to conflicts review and the terms of an engagement agreement.
What We Help With
Trademark Clearance Searches and Risk Assessments
Before you invest further in a brand, product name, service name, logo, slogan, podcast title, signature program, or course name, we can assess trademark risk and help you make a more informed decision.
Our work may include a comprehensive trademark search, analysis of potential conflicts, and a practical discussion of registration risk, business risk, and next steps.
USPTO Trademark Applications and Registration
We help clients develop and file federal trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
This may include:
- Selecting the strongest trademark assets to protect first
- Choosing appropriate classes and descriptions of goods or services
- Preparing and filing U.S. trademark applications
- Advising on use-based and intent-to-use filing strategies
- Guiding the application through the registration process
Trademark Office Actions and Application Problems
If you filed a trademark application on your own and received an Office Action, refusal, or other USPTO issue, Hawthorn Law may be able to help.
We review the issue, explain the available options, and—when appropriate—provide a flat-fee proposal for responding or correcting the application. In some cases, the most practical recommendation may be to revise the strategy, select a different mark, or begin again with a stronger foundation.
Trademark Monitoring and Enforcement
Trademark registration is only one part of protecting a brand. We help clients monitor and enforce their trademark rights, including:
- Monitoring USPTO filings for potentially conflicting marks
- Evaluating potential infringement issues
- Cease-and-desist strategy and correspondence
- Brand-protection counseling
- Maintenance and renewal planning
TTAB Oppositions and Cancellations
When a trademark dispute reaches the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, Hawthorn Law can evaluate whether an opposition, cancellation, defense, settlement discussion, or another business-focused strategy makes sense.
TTAB work is highly fact-specific. We begin by evaluating the issue, the business objectives, the available evidence, timing, and expected costs before determining whether we are the right firm for the matter.
Trademark Maintenance, Renewals, and Portfolio Counseling
Trademark rights require ongoing attention after registration. We advise clients on post-registration maintenance filings, including Sections 8, 9, and 15 where applicable, and on building a trademark portfolio that aligns with business growth, product expansion, licensing opportunities, and new brand assets.
How to Work with Us…
Step 1: Book a Free 15-Minute Discovery Call
The first step is a short, no-pressure discovery call.
We use this call to learn the essentials: the trademark or brand you want to protect, whether you are currently selling, your anticipated launch timing, your business goals, and whether Hawthorn Law is likely to be a good fit.
The discovery call is not legal advice, does not include a conflicts clearance, and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Step 2: Determine Whether a Strategy Consultation Makes Sense
If your matter appears to be a potential fit, we may invite you to a paid Trademark Strategy Consultation. This is typically a 30-minute Zoom meeting where we can discuss your specific situation, objectives, options, and likely next steps in greater depth.
The current consultation fee is $150 and may change in the future. We generally waive this fee for clients referred by a law firm, naming agency, branding agency, or another professional referral source.
A Strategy Consultation does not guarantee that Hawthorn Law will accept representation. We must first determine whether we can accept the matter, including conflicts and other professional-responsibility considerations.
Step 3: Receive a Clear Proposal and Written Engagement
If we are a fit and can accept the matter, we will present a clear proposal describing the recommended scope of work, legal fees, anticipated third-party costs, and next steps.
You are not a client until Hawthorn Law has completed its intake process, confirmed that it can represent you, and you have signed the applicable engagement agreement and paid the required fees.
Step 4: Begin the Work With a Clear Plan
Once engaged, we work with you to execute the agreed strategy. Our goal is to provide practical counsel, reliable communication, and a clear understanding of what happens next throughout the trademark process.
Fees and Engagement Options
Hawthorn Law uses flat-fee, deliverable-based pricing for most trademark matters. We believe clients should understand the expected legal fee, the scope of work, and the decisions that may affect cost before work begins.
Done-for-You Trademark Packages
Many full-service trademark engagements fall in the approximate range of $4,000 to $5,000 in legal fees, depending on the scope, trademark asset, filing basis, number of classes, application complexity, and work required.
A written proposal will identify exactly what is included. Some matters require additional work or a separate scope—for example, substantive Office Actions, TTAB disputes, enforcement matters, additional applications, or complex portfolio work.
A La Carte Trademark Services
We also offer individual trademark services when that is the appropriate solution, including trademark searches, Office Action responses, application repair, maintenance filings, monitoring, enforcement strategy, and selected trademark counseling.
The fee depends on the facts, complexity, urgency, and scope of the particular matter.
Monthly Legal Membership
For solopreneurs and small businesses that want ongoing access to education, practical support, and a lower monthly entry point, Hawthorn Law offers a legal membership beginning at $95 per month.
Memberships are designed for clients who want help getting started and want an ongoing relationship with the firm. Membership details, included benefits, scope, availability, and terms are provided separately and may change.
USPTO and Other Third-Party Fees
Legal fees do not include USPTO filing fees or other third-party costs unless your written proposal expressly says otherwise.
Government filing fees are generally charged separately before a filing is submitted. USPTO fees, deadlines, and procedures can change, so we will discuss the applicable costs for your matter before filing.
Who We Are Not a Fit For
We want to be direct so that you can make an efficient decision.
Hawthorn Law may not be the right fit if you are:
- Looking for the lowest-cost trademark filing service or comparing law firms solely on price
- Calling multiple firms only to obtain free legal advice or a quote without a serious intention to engage counsel
- Seeking a lawyer to assist you in a do-it-yourself trademark filing without a strategic need for legal help
- Looking for a lawyer to form an LLC as a standalone service
- Seeking criminal defense, family law, estate planning, personal injury, immigration, real estate, or other legal services outside our trademark-focused practice
If you need an LLC formed and do not need trademark counsel, you may use our independent third-party referral resource (affiliate link). Hawthorn Law does not provide standalone LLC formation services outside of this referral resource.
In limited circumstances, we may address selected business-law issues for existing trademark clients located in North Carolina or Florida. Those services are not a primary practice area, are not generally offered as stand-alone services, and are available only if separately approved and included in a written engagement agreement.
For DIY Trademark Applicants
If you are at the beginning of your trademark journey and want to learn more about the process before hiring a lawyer, Hawthorn Law offers free educational resources through our popular Youtube Channel and a DIY trademark course or membership-based resources for eligible clients.
If you have already filed an application yourself and then receive an Office Action, refusal, or another issue, we may be able to help you assess and address the problem.
Important Information Before You Contact Us
Please do not send confidential, sensitive, or time-sensitive information through this website, a scheduling form, email, or social media before Hawthorn Law confirms that it can receive the information.
Contacting Hawthorn Law, booking a discovery call, submitting a form, purchasing an educational product, or receiving general information does not create an attorney-client relationship. We can represent you only after we have completed an appropriate conflicts review, agreed to accept the matter, and you have signed a written engagement agreement with the firm.
Website content is provided for general educational and informational purposes. It is not legal advice, does not guarantee any particular result, and should not be used as a substitute for advice about your specific facts.
Ready to Protect Your Brand with a Trademark?
If you have built—or are seriously building—a brand that matters to your business, begin with a free 15-minute discovery call. We will learn more about your goals, explain how Hawthorn Law works, and determine whether a paid strategy consultation is the right next step.
The Hart Law Firm, P.A. d/b/a Hawthorn Law®
5540 Centerview Dr., Suite 204, PMB 61031
Raleigh, North Carolina 27606-8012
Phone: (919) 460-5422