Chanda Komatsu Law, LLCBoutique Estate Planning & Trademarks Law Firm

Your Trademark, Carefully Charted

Whether you build your brand in Minnesota, another U.S. state, or halfway across the world, we protect it at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. We represent U.S. and foreign clients alike — clearing, filing, and maintaining U.S. registrations, with the same calm, plain-English guidance we bring to every estate plan.

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Like the Horizon, Your Mark Travels On - Carefully Cleared, Firmly Registered, and Protected Over Time...

U.S. & abroad

Domestic and foreign clients we represent before the USPTO

10 yrs

Initial term of a U.S. registration

130+

Countries reachable when a U.S. mark extends abroad via Madrid Protocol

Licensed in Minnesota

30+ Years in Law

USPTO Practice

U.S. & Foreign Clients

About the Attorney

Chanda Komatsu, Attorney At Law

Founder, Chanda Komatsu Law, LLC

When you work with me on your brand, you get straightforward answers, plain English, and a filing strategy tailored to your business. We'll move at your pace, answer every question, and make sure you leave understanding what you own — not buried in trademark jargon. My job is to make the hard parts feel manageable, and to help you protect the name you have worked to build.

I've been practicing law for 30 years, serving clients across the Midwest and, increasingly, well beyond it. I hold a Bachelor of Sciences in International Business from Illinois State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana — an international business foundation that fits naturally with representing both U.S. and foreign clients before the USPTO.

Most business owners know they should register their name, but the classes, the specimens, and the what-ifs can feel like too much — so it gets pushed aside for "someday," often until someone else files first. I understand that hesitation, and I've seen the relief that comes from finally getting it done. A trademark is property, and like everything else you've built, it deserves a plan.

Who We Serve

U.S. founders and foreign applicants, equally welcome

A U.S. trademark is worth having no matter where you call home. We handle both sides of the register with the same calm, plain-English care.

U.S. Clients

Founders, small businesses, and growing brands across Minnesota and every U.S. state. From first use in commerce to incontestable registration, we clear, file, prosecute, and maintain your mark — and because we also plan estates, we can fold your brand into your succession and exit strategy from the start.

Clearance searches before you commit to a name
USPTO application, specimen, and Office Action handling
Trademark Infringement - Cease & Desist Actions
Section 8, 9 & 15 maintenance and renewals

Foreign Applicants

Based outside the United States? You don't need a U.S. address to own a U.S. trademark. We act as your appointed U.S. representative for service of process, file and prosecute before the USPTO, and — when it helps — extend a U.S. registration abroad through the Madrid Protocol.

No U.S. address or U.S. entity required to own the mark
U.S. representative appointment and process handling
Trademark Infringement - Cease & Desist Actions
Madrid Protocol extensions into other markets

What We Offer

Brand protection, tailored to your reach

Whether you sell down the street or across an ocean, protection should match your ambition — not exceed your budget.

Clearance & Knockout Searches

Before you invest in a name, we check whether it's actually yours to use — U.S. federal, state, common law, and key foreign registers.

USPTO Registration — Domestic & Foreign Clients

We represent U.S. and international clients alike before the USPTO — preparing and prosecuting applications, specimens, and Office Action responses in plain English.

Foreign Applicants Welcome

Based abroad? You don't need a U.S. address to own a U.S. trademark. We handle U.S. filings, appointments of U.S. representative, and Madrid Protocol extensions into other markets.

Enforcement & Watch Services

Monitoring for confusingly similar marks, cease-and-desist correspondence, and opposition or cancellation strategy.

Renewals & Portfolio Care

Docketing, Section 8 & 15 declarations, and renewals — so a deadline never quietly costs you your brand.

Brands as Estate Assets

Trademarks are property. We assign, license, and place them into your trust so your brand passes the way you intend.

The Process

Four stages, expert guidance, your choice

01
Discovery Call
We talk through your brand, your markets, and your timeline — no jargon, no pressure.
02
Search & Strategy
You receive a clear read on risk, and a filing plan covering classes, countries, and cost.
03
Filing & Prosecution
We file, track, and respond on your behalf, keeping you updated in language that makes sense.
04
Protect & Maintain
Watch services, renewals, and succession planning keep the mark yours for the long run.

Pricing

Flat-fee trademark stages

We charge by flat fee per stage, so you may decide at each point whether to continue.

Initial Consult

$150

Paid prior to consult.

Schedule Brand Protection Consult

Search and written opinion

$1,000

Preparing and filing the application (uspto fees addt'l, per class)

$2,500

Office Action – Procedural (if any)

$500 per OA

Office Action – Substantive (if any)

$2,500 per OA

Cease and Desist Actions

$2,500 per Event

We seek avenues to find a solution and avoid litigation. This fee does not include litigation costs.

How it works: Each stage is agreed before it starts. You are never committed to the next one. However, if you know you want to commit to multiple stages, you may submit payment for those multiple stages at once.

Rush fee: A “Rush” fee in each requested instance will be $100 or 10% of the base fee, whichever is greater.

Office Actions: Office Actions are likely procedural for extensions, ID/classification amendments, etc.; and substantive for likelihood-of-confusion or descriptiveness refusals, etc.

Why this investment

White-glove, personal service — your attorney handles your matter herself, start to finish.
30+ years as a licensed attorney — seasoned judgment at every stage.
Domestic & international clients — nationwide U.S. businesses and foreign applicants, backed by a Bachelor's degree in International Business.
Clearance before filing — a written opinion helps you avoid costly refusals and conflicts.
Your brand in your bigger plan — trademarks coordinated with succession and estate planning.

How much does it cost to trademark a name? Read the full answer

Resources & Events

Learn about brand protection

On-demand presentations, trademark-focused workshops, and live sessions for founders and brand owners at home and abroad.

Free recorded presentation · 16 minutes

Protect What You've Built: A Business Owner's Guide to Trademarks and Brand Protection

A 16-minute video presentation by Attorney Chanda Komatsu. Share your details and we'll send the viewing link straight to your inbox.

New sessions are being scheduled

Trademark events and on-demand webinars will be listed here. In the meantime, book a consult and we'll cover your questions directly.

Schedule a Brand Protection Consult

FROM OUR TRADEMARK & ESTATE PLANNING BLOG

Insights for brand owners

Practical guidance on trademarks, filings, and protecting what you built.

Questions

Straight answers first

I'm based outside the United States — can you still help me?: Yes. You do not need a U.S. address to own or register a U.S. trademark. We represent foreign applicants before the USPTO, act as your appointed U.S. representative for service of process, and — when it makes sense — extend a U.S. registration abroad through the Madrid Protocol. Everything is handled in plain English, by email and video.
I'm a U.S. business — is this different from working with a big IP firm?: Only in that it's calmer and more personal. You get a single attorney who knows you, your business, and your long-term plan — not a rotating cast. We clear, file, and prosecute U.S. applications for trademarks in our boutique firm with personalized service, and because we also do estate planning, we can dovetail your brand protection into your succession and exit planning from day one.
How long does registration take?: In the U.S., roughly 12 to 18 months from filing to registration when there are no refusals. Foreign timelines vary widely, and we set expectations country by country before you commit.
How much does it cost to trademark a name — and why choose an attorney over a low-cost filing service?: Our attorney fees are flat and charged per stage (see Pricing above): a $150 Initial Consult, $1,000 for a clearance search and written opinion, and $2,500 to prepare and file the application. Office Actions, if any, are $500 (procedural) or $2,500 (substantive). USPTO government filing fees are separate, and you'll know every number before any work begins. You are never committed to the next stage until you agree to it. You'll find online services advertising far lower prices. The difference is what you receive for your investment: • White-glove, personal service — Chanda handles your matter herself, from first call to registration. No call centers, no hand-offs to a rotating team. • 30+ years as a licensed attorney — seasoned judgment about which marks are worth pursuing, how to describe your goods and services, and how to respond if the USPTO pushes back. • A written clearance opinion before you file — many low-cost filings skip a real search, and a refusal or a conflict with an existing brand can cost far more than doing it right the first time. • Domestic and international reach — we represent U.S. businesses nationwide and foreign applicants before the USPTO, backed by Chanda's Bachelor's degree in International Business and a genuine understanding of cross-border commerce. • Your brand as part of your bigger plan — because we also practice estate planning, we can fold your trademark into your Minnesota succession, business, and legacy planning. • Plain-English guidance and predictable flat fees — no hourly surprises, and a clear explanation of every step. In short: a filing service submits a form; we protect an asset you've worked hard to build.
Why would an estate planning firm handle trademarks?: Because a brand is one of the most valuable — and most often overlooked — assets a business owner leaves behind. The same planning mindset that protects your home and retirement accounts protects the name you built.

Ready to protect the name you built?

Start with a conversation. We'll tell you plainly whether registration makes sense for your brand — and what it takes to keep it.

Schedule a Brand Protection Consult

Contact

Let's start a conversation

Reach out with a brief question about your mark. We'll respond within one business day.

Phone

(507) 979-0330

info@cktrademarklaw.com

Office

221 First Avenue SW, Suite 610, Rochester, MN 55902

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