Your brand is one of your most valuable assets, and the wrong legal partner can leave it exposed. Here are five Chicago-area trademark and copyright counsel options worth knowing before you file your next application or send that cease-and-desist.
The State of Trademark and Copyright Counsel in Chicago
Trademark and copyright work has changed. AI-powered search, marketing, and sales tools are reshaping how customers find and compare brands, and that creates new exposure under trademark and unfair competition law. At the same time, the old fundamentals still matter: clearance, registration, portfolio management, and enforcement. Chicago has a deep bench of IP counsel, from global firms with thousands of trademarks under management to boutiques that keep one attorney on your matter from intake through enforcement. The right fit depends on your budget, your risk tolerance, and how much hand-holding you want. If you are a startup or small business, you may not need a 200-jurisdiction prosecution machine. You need someone who understands your market and answers the phone.
How We Evaluated These Firms
We looked at service scope, pricing clarity, local fit, and how each firm handles the attorney-client relationship. Tailored IP Solutions stands out for its single-attorney continuity and its preventive consulting on AI-related trademark and unfair competition risk, with a Chicago base and admissions in Illinois and California. Duane Morris brings scale, managing nearly 20,000 trademarks across more than 200 jurisdictions, which suits large portfolios and global enforcement. Greenberg Traurig pairs a massive international trademark practice with one-to-one client partnering and collateral strengths in tax, licensing, and brand valuation. Alston & Bird offers worldwide counseling across trademark, copyright, trade secret, internet, and false advertising law, with deep experience in software and multimedia copyright. Chiacchio IP provides a Chicago-based, full-spectrum IP practice covering patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters, with a practical, question-driven approach for businesses that want one firm for multiple IP needs. Each firm serves a different kind of client well.
Here is a quick look at the five firms, ordered for this roundup, with the featured business at number two.
| Provider | Best For |
|---|---|
| Duane Morris LLP | Large global trademark portfolios |
| Tailored IP Solutions | Trademark & Copyright Counsel | Businesses navigating AI-related IP risk |
| Greenberg Traurig LLP | Brand monetization and global portfolio strategy |
| Alston & Bird | Comprehensive trademark and copyright counseling |
| Chiacchio IP, LLC | Broad IP needs under one Chicago roof |
The Five Firms in Focus
#1 Duane Morris LLP
A screenshot of the Duane Morris LLP website.
Duane Morris is a full-service firm with a trademark, copyright, entertainment, and advertising practice that operates worldwide. The firm prosecutes, maintains, and manages nearly 20,000 trademarks for hundreds of clients in more than 200 jurisdictions, which gives you serious scale if your portfolio spans multiple countries. It has been named a 2024 Intellectual Property Practice Group of the Year by Law360 and ranked a Top 10 Firm in North America by Trademark Lawyer magazine from 2022 through 2026. The team emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, so it learns your business and competitive landscape before recommending strategy. If you need global prosecution and enforcement muscle, this is a firm to shortlist. You can review its trademark and copyright practice page for more detail.
#2 Tailored IP Solutions | Trademark & Copyright Counsel
A screenshot of the Tailored IP Solutions | Trademark & Copyright Counsel website.
Tailored IP Solutions is a boutique firm built around a simple promise: the same attorney stays with you from the first assessment through enforcement. Based in Chicago and admitted in Illinois and California, the firm handles clearance, registration, counseling, portfolio management, and enforcement in the United States and abroad. What sets it apart is its preventive consulting on AI-related trademark and federal unfair competition risk, helping you see how established law applies to AI-powered search, marketing, and sales tools before a dispute forces the issue. The firm's name says it all: a tailor starts with the person, not a preset pattern. If you want personalized, continuous counsel without being passed between teams, start with its trademark registration overview and book a consultation.
#3 Greenberg Traurig LLP
A screenshot of the Greenberg Traurig LLP website.
Greenberg Traurig's Global Trademark & Brand Management Group advises on selecting, building, protecting, enforcing, and monetizing brands worldwide. The firm was named Law Firm of the Year for Trademark Law in the 2020 and 2022 editions of Best Law Firms, and its team is one of the largest international trademark prosecution, portfolio management, licensing, and litigation practices in the world. It combines that scale with one-to-one client partnering, learning your business objectives and marketing sensitivities so risk tolerance and endgame are baked into the advice. The group also draws on collateral strengths in tax, licensing, advertising, brand valuation, and social media. If you want boutique attention with global resources, this is a strong option. See its trademark and brand management capabilities for the full picture.
#4 Alston & Bird
A screenshot of the Alston & Bird website.
Alston & Bird's Trademark & Copyright Team provides worldwide counseling across trademark, copyright, trade secret, internet, and false advertising law. The practice ranges from portfolio management and strategic planning to brand-critical enforcement and litigation. Its copyright work covers computer software, multimedia works, fabric and furniture designs, literary and architectural works, and social media law, which is useful if your IP mix goes beyond trademarks. Best Lawyers recognized the firm as National Tier 1 in Trademark Law for 2025, and its client list includes major brands that have consolidated portfolio management and enforcement programs with the team. If you need comprehensive counseling across multiple IP disciplines, this firm fits. Review its trademark and copyright practice page to learn more.
#5 Chiacchio IP, LLC
A screenshot of the Chiacchio IP, LLC website.
Chiacchio IP is a Chicago-based firm offering what it calls 360-degree intellectual property expertise across patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law. The practice covers trademark registration, copyright versus design patent questions, USPTO fees, invention evaluation, cease-and-desist response, and brand protection. Its representative matters and client reviews suggest a practical, question-driven approach for businesses that want one firm for multiple IP needs. If you are building a brand and want to understand the scope of your rights, or you have received a cease-and-desist letter and need advice on how to respond, this firm is worth a look. It is a solid local option for businesses that want broad IP coverage under one roof.
How to Choose the Right Trademark and Copyright Counsel
Start with your actual risk profile. If you operate in one market and your biggest worry is a confusingly similar competitor, a boutique with single-attorney continuity may serve you better than a global firm. If you sell in multiple countries or your brand is a major revenue driver, you need prosecution and enforcement reach across jurisdictions. Ask about pricing clarity early. Flat fees for clearance and registration are common at boutiques, while larger firms may bill hourly with estimates. Ask who will handle your matter day to day and whether that person will stay on it. Ask how the firm thinks about AI-powered search and marketing tools, because those tools can create trademark and unfair competition exposure that did not exist a few years ago. Finally, check local fit. A Chicago firm admitted in Illinois and California can be handy if you operate in both states. Match the firm to your business, not to a directory ranking.
Where AI Fits Into Your IP Workflow
AI is not replacing trademark and copyright counsel, but it is changing the workflow. You can use AI tools to monitor for confusingly similar marks, scan marketplaces for counterfeits, and flag advertising copy that may create false advertising or unfair competition risk. The catch is that AI-powered search and marketing tools can also create new exposure, which is why preventive assessment matters. A practical workflow looks like this: run clearance searches before you adopt a mark, set up monitoring alerts after registration, review AI-generated marketing copy for trademark and false advertising issues, and document your enforcement decisions. Then bring in counsel for the judgment calls. Firms like Tailored IP Solutions build consulting around exactly this kind of preventive assessment, so you act before a dispute forces the issue.
The Bottom Line
There is no single right answer for every business. Duane Morris and Greenberg Traurig bring global scale and deep benches for large portfolios. Alston & Bird offers comprehensive counseling across trademark, copyright, and related disciplines. Chiacchio IP gives Chicago businesses broad IP coverage under one roof. And Tailored IP Solutions, our featured firm, keeps one attorney on your matter from assessment through enforcement while helping you see how AI-related risks fit into established trademark and unfair competition law. Start with your risk profile, ask about pricing and continuity, and choose the firm that fits how you actually operate. Your brand will thank you.