Intellectual Property Lawyers for Growing Businesses and Visionary Founders
Ideas drive business. But without protection, your best concepts, brand assets, and creative works can become someone else’s advantage. At Next Era Legal, our intellectual property lawyers help emerging companies turn innovation into long-term leverage by securing, enforcing, and monetizing their IP.
We work with startups, creatives, and growth-stage businesses across Chicago, San Diego, Detroit, and Los Angeles to build strategic IP portfolios that align with brand goals, investor expectations, and operational growth.
Treat Your IP Like the Business Asset It Is
Intellectual property is more than a legal category, it’s the currency of innovation. Your name, technology, packaging, and digital assets all carry value. That value grows when it’s protected and positioned correctly.
At Next Era Legal, we don’t treat trademarks, copyrights, and proprietary processes as isolated tasks. We integrate IP strategy into your broader legal operations, so that as your business scales, your intellectual property protects you, not limits you.
Founders and Teams Come to Us When:
- “We need to trademark our name before we go national.”
- “Investors are asking if our tech is protected.”
- “We want to license our IP, but don’t know where to start.”
- “Our brand is growing, and we need a real IP strategy.”
We don’t just handle registrations, we help you build IP systems that scale with your business.
Our Intellectual Property Legal Services
From clearance to registration to enforcement, we provide end-to-end IP counsel tailored to your business model and growth plans.
Trademark Strategy and Registration
Your brand name, logo, and slogan are all protectable assets. We help e-commerce companies, tech startups, and individuals protect them through smart trademark filings.
- Comprehensive trademark search
- USPTO trademark filings
- Trademark portfolio development
- International trademark protection via Madrid Protocol
- Office action responses and appeals
- Monitoring and enforcement strategies
We don’t just file, we help ensure your brand can be defended and expanded.
Copyright Protection
Creative assets, content, software, media, and training materials are all subject to copyright. We guide businesses on when, where, and how to protect those works.
- Copyright registrations for original works
- Licensing and royalty agreements
- Protection of web, video, written, and design content
- Cease-and-desist support for content misuse
- DMCA takedown notices and online IP protection
Our copyright strategy isn’t academic; it’s built for real-world enforcement and monetization.
Trade Secret Advising
Not all IP needs to be filed. Some of your most valuable assets are confidential, internal processes, formulas, customer lists, or product roadmaps. We help businesses maintain their competitive edge through strategic secrecy.
- Trade secret identification and policy creation
- Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
- Employee and contractor confidentiality policies
- Misappropriation prevention and litigation support
We ensure you’re not just claiming something is a secret, we make sure it legally qualifies as one.
IP Licensing and Monetization
Your IP is an asset, and assets should create value. We help founders and IP owners monetize their property with clear, enforceable agreements.
- Brand licensing and co-branding deals
- Software as a service (SaaS) licensing
- Manufacturing and distribution agreements
- Royalty agreements and usage terms
- Franchise IP packages
We ensure your contracts protect ownership, control usage, and unlock financial opportunity.
IP Due Diligence and Investor Readiness
Clean IP can be a dealmaker, or a dealbreaker. We help companies prepare for fundraising, partnerships, or exits with legal clarity around their intellectual property.
- IP audits and chain-of-title reviews
- Assignment and ownership documentation
- Patent license review and flagging
- Trademark opposition management
- Data room organization for legal diligence
If you’re raising capital or planning a transaction, we make sure your IP is investor-ready.
Why Work With Next Era Legal?
We’re not a traditional IP law firm. We’re legal strategists for modern companies, focusing on how IP integrates into your growth model, funding plans, and operational realities.
Our Clients Choose Us Because:
- We Think Beyond Registrations – IP is about positioning. We help you build IP portfolios with business and legal foresight.
- We Work With Scaling Companies – We’ve helped brands go from launch to acquisition, and we know what matters at each stage.
- We Serve as Fractional Counsel – You get consistent, integrated IP advice without hiring a full-time legal team.
- We Work in Key Markets – Our presence in startup and media hubs means we understand regional market pressures and opportunities.
- We Move Fast, Thoughtfully – IP decisions are high-stakes, but they also can’t stall the business. We strike that balance.
Your intellectual property deserves counsel that understands the full picture. That’s what we deliver.
Who We Serve
We represent a wide range of clients across industries, each with their own distinct intellectual property challenges and opportunities.
Our Clients Include:
- Tech startups with proprietary software or platforms
- Consumer brands protecting packaging and brand names
- Agencies and creatives securing rights for digital content
- Health and wellness companies safeguard proprietary processes
- Franchises bundling trademarks and systems for replication
- Media companies managing copyrights and digital licensing
- Product developers with innovations not suited to patents
Whether you’re early-stage or scaling, we adapt our approach to fit your IP footprint and future goals.
Building an IP Strategy That Supports Your Business
Our approach is never one-size-fits-all. We work with you to build a legal infrastructure around your intellectual property that evolves as your business grows.
Step 1: Discovery and Asset Mapping
We start with a comprehensive look at what you’ve created and what you plan to create:
- Brand names and logos
- Written or visual content
- Proprietary processes or methods
- Technology, platforms, or data
- Existing applications or filings
This helps us categorize your IP, identify gaps, and prioritize protection.
Step 2: Risk Assessment and Enforcement Readiness
Once we’ve mapped your IP, we assess:
- Risks of infringement (both directions)
- Potential claims or conflicts
- Enforcement readiness if challenged
- Whether trademark or copyright conflicts already exist
We help you identify where you’re vulnerable and where you’re already strong.
Step 3: Legal Protection and Registration
Based on your business model and growth goals, we execute on appropriate filings, agreements, and policies, including:
- USPTO filings
- Copyright applications
- Licensing agreements
- NDAs and internal policies
- Contractor and vendor IP clauses
We provide full-service management of your IP portfolio.
Step 4: Ongoing Support and Strategy
Your IP portfolio is a living system. As you launch new products, hire teams, or enter new markets, we’re there to keep your protections updated.
- Periodic IP audits
- Cease-and-desist letters
- Response to infringement claims
- Licensing expansion
- Legal support for transactions or exits
We don’t disappear after the filing, we grow with you.
Regional Support With a National Perspective
With offices in four strategic business and creative hubs, we offer on-the-ground IP insight backed by national legal knowledge.
Chicago
We support Midwest startups, B2B platforms, and consumer product companies, protecting their growing brand and innovation portfolios.
San Diego
From biotech to lifestyle brands, we advise founders navigating health tech, digital wellness, and DTC space in Southern California.
Detroit
For manufacturers, tech innovators, and creatives, we help Detroit-based businesses protect hard-earned IP in competitive industries.
Los Angeles
As one of the country’s creative capitals, our LA attorneys advise media companies, entertainment ventures, and digital-first brands on content and licensing strategy.
When to Call an Intellectual Property Lawyer
Most IP issues can be avoided with early action. Don’t wait until someone copies your product or your investor asks about trademarks. Reach out if:
- You’re launching a brand or product and want to own the name
- Someone is copying your work, brand, or ideas
- You want to license your IP for revenue or distribution
- You’re unsure who owns content created by your team or vendors
- You’re preparing for a fundraising round or exit
- You need to clean up past filings or ownership issues
Even a short consultation can prevent years of risk or litigation.
Let’s Protect What You’ve Built
At Next Era Legal, we help you treat your intellectual property like the asset it is, valued, protected, and monetizable. Our intellectual property lawyers bring legal precision and business practicality to every engagemen
Book a IP Strategy Session
Let’s identify the most valuable parts of your IP, and protect them the right way.
Need a Trademark or Copyright Filed?
We’ll handle it from search to final registration, with proactive counsel throughout.
Offices in Chicago, San Diego, Detroit, and Los Angeles
Get legal support from a team that understands your city, your industry, and your business vision.