If your General Counsel has told you "you should look into trademarks at some point," you're on the right page.
I'm Steven Thrasher — trademark attorney, JD/MBA from Baylor, B.S. Electrical Engineering and B.S. Finance from Auburn, former Jackson Walker LLP attorney (selected for the partnership track), author of Trademarks Made Simple, and a named inventor on two issued US patents in search-engine technology. I represent companies generating $50K to $15M in monthly revenue where the brand is meaningful enough that getting it right actually matters.
Most trademark mistakes I see weren't made by the people who hire me. They were made by good lawyers who didn't specialize in trademark law.
A weak filing. A missed renewal. A cease-and-desist answered the wrong way. An assignment that should never have been signed. An identification of goods and services drafted by someone who'd never read the TMEP. These aren't dumb mistakes. They're the predictable cost of asking a generalist to do a specialist's job — like asking your family doctor to read an EKG.
That's the gap this firm exists to close.
Trademark prosecution and brand protection is my specialty. Federal applications, USPTO office actions, specimens, oppositions, cancellations, renewals, monitoring, and infringement defense. It's where I've spent the deepest portion of two decades, where I've been opposite Monster Energy, Line 6, Cinch Jeans, Offerpad, Dan-Dee International, Britannia Investment, and other national brands at the TTAB — and won my share. The reason it matters: when the stakes are high and the work is technical, you want someone who does this every day.
Engineer. Inventor. Attorney. Operator.
Most trademark attorneys took one path to the practice. I took four.
I came up in engineering — a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.S. in Finance from Auburn (1993; Dean's Lists; Engineering Honor Society; Air Force ROTC). After Auburn I was employed at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation (1990–1992), and then on to Baylor for both graduate degrees — JD in Intellectual Property Law (1996) and an MBA in Marketing from the Hankamer School of Business (1997).
My legal career started at Griggs, Robinson, Post, Henderson and Smith (1997–1998) — a boutique IP shop — and then at Jackson Walker LLP (1998–2002), where I was selected for the partnership track. After Jackson Walker, I went out on my own and built the firm I'd always wished existed for the people I serve.
Through all of it, I've also built operating companies. I'm the founder of Proxomo Software, Inc. (acquired by Lucent Mobile in 2013); founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Advanced Search Laboratories; CEO of White Nile Software, Inc. (2005–2009); and a co-founder of The Stirling Group, where the list of those served includes Baylor Health Research and the SEC. I'm a named inventor on two issued US patents in search-engine technology — US 7,797,298 (2010) and US 7,457,802 (2008) — and a co-author of Aspen Publishing's E-Copyright Practice Manual.
Engineer, inventor, attorney, and operator is a rare combination among trademark counsel. It's also exactly the lens most of those we serve need: someone who reads a technical specification the way an engineer does, looks at the brand the way an operator does, and prosecutes the application the way a specialist does.
I built Thrasher Associates and Trademark Law USA as the firm I always wished I could send the people I serve to: specialist trademark counsel, plain language, a fixed-fee Brand Assessment & Action Plan to start, and a clear answer to the only question that matters in the first meeting — what do I actually need to do, and in what order.
The Receipts.
Education
- Baylor University School of Law — JD, Intellectual Property Law (1996)
- Baylor University Hankamer School of Business — MBA, Marketing (1997)
- Auburn University — B.S. Electrical Engineering (1993)
- Auburn University — B.S. Finance (1993)
Honors: Dean's Lists; Engineering Honor Society; Air Force ROTC.
Prior Practice
- Jackson Walker LLP — Attorney, selected for partnership track (1998–2002)
- Griggs, Robinson, Post, Henderson and Smith — Associate, IP boutique (1997–1998)
Pre-Law Career
- McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation — Employee (1990–1992)
Operating Companies
- Proxomo Software, Inc. — Founder (acquired by Lucent Mobile, 2013)
- Advanced Search Laboratories — Founder, Chief Strategy Officer (2010–2015)
- White Nile Software, Inc. — CEO (2005–2009)
- The Stirling Group — Co-founder; served organizations include Baylor Health Research and the SEC
Issued US Patents (Inventor)
- US 7,797,298 — Searching Data Storage Systems and Devices (2010)
- US 7,457,802 — Internet Search Enhancement Method for Determining Topical Relevance Scores (2008)
Most trademark attorneys haven't been on the inventor side of a patent. Fewer have on two.
Publications
- Trademarks Made Simple (2026) — Author. Available on Amazon.
- E-Copyright Practice Manual (Aspen Publishing) — Co-author
Recognition & Languages
- Featured: Forbes, CNN, WFAA·ABC, MIT Enterprise Forum, LinkedIn Top 10
- Elite Lawyer 2024
- Member, MIT Enterprise Forum
- English (native); Spanish (professional working proficiency)
Trademarks Made Simple (2026).
What trademark law actually does (and doesn't) for a growing business. Written for business owners, CEOs, and operators — not for other lawyers. The structure is the E5 Trademark System: five phases, in order, every time. Available on Amazon.
It's the book I wish someone had handed me at 25, when I was filing patent applications I shouldn't have filed and ignoring brand work I should have done.
The book is the spine of every Brand Assessment & Action Plan we deliver. We send a copy to everyone who completes the Assessment.
The E5 Trademark System.
Five phases of brand protection, in order. Every brand goes through the same five — whether you're filing your first mark or stewarding a portfolio of fifty.
The Brand Assessment & Action Plan tells us where you are in the sequence. Everything we do for you starts from that answer.
Educate
Understand what trademarks do, what your brand assets actually are, and what's at risk.
Evaluate
Investigate the marketplace before filing: searches, clearance, conflict assessment.
Equip
File correctly, with the right specimens, the right specifications, the right basis.
Examine
Respond to USPTO office actions, refusals, and procedural challenges.
Enforce
Renewals, monitoring, oppositions, cancellations, and infringement defense.
From Public USPTO Records.
A small selection of trademark applications I've prosecuted as attorney of record — drawn from public USPTO and TTAB records. Many went up against substantially larger national brands. The list of registered marks runs to several hundred; this is a representative sample.
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Proceedings
- Monster Energy — TTAB opposition
- Line 6 — TTAB opposition
- Cinch Jeans — TTAB opposition
- Offerpad — TTAB opposition
- Dan-Dee International — TTAB opposition
- Britannia Investment — TTAB opposition
Mark images and full file histories are available on the public USPTO TSDR system at tsdr.uspto.gov by entering the serial number.
A Few Names From the Long List.
I've represented business owners, operators, and authors building real businesses. A small selection — many more names that aren't here for confidentiality reasons.
- Lisa Lloyd — Former President, United Inventors Association · Scunci
- Will Niskanen — Director of New Products, Party City
- Payne Harrison — New York Times bestselling author
- Gabriella Draney — TechWildcatters (Dallas startup accelerator)
- Cheri Garcia & Mark Locker — Product scouts for Mark Cuban & Kevin Harrington
- Ray Edwards — Author, Writing Copy That Sells
What They Said.
"I had an idea for a product and no knowledge about how to make it a reality. Steven walked me, step by step, through the trademark process from beginning to end. Not only did I receive a registered trademark, I also learned so much along the way. Steven is a great attorney who wants his clients to succeed long after his legal work with them is done. I recommend Steven for thorough work, attentive follow-up, and a job well done."
Laura DeVega · Licensee & Roaster, El Compass RC Dallas
"Steve coordinated a successful defense when a major competitor tried to kill us in the cradle with their Trademark."
Charles Gillis · CEO
"When I met Steve, I didn't even know where to begin. Steve is able to make impossibly complex business issues understandable."
Logan Smith Riise · Operator
"Really, really good at patents! Beyond patents, Steve understands the business world."
Lisa Lloyd · Former President, United Inventors Association · Scunci
"Steve has impeccable skills and a love of innovation and entrepreneurship."
Brad Taylor · Owner
"I could not ask for a better Patent Attorney. He is simply THE BEST."
Gene Brown · Inventor
Based in Texas. Federal Practice. All 50 States.
Federal trademark practice is a federal practice — the work happens by phone, video, and email. Most of those we serve we never meet in person, and it doesn't change the quality of the work. If you're local and prefer to meet, we welcome you to our office in Allen by appointment.
- Office (by appointment): 1333 W. McDermott Drive, Suite 200, Allen, TX 75013
- Phone: (214) 502-5923
- Email: info@trademarklawusa.com
Where We Start.
$2,000. Fixed price. Three deliverables:
- A complete read on your current brand position — what you own, what's protected, and what's exposed.
- A prioritized action plan — what to file, in what order, with the rationale for each.
- A defined budget for the work that follows — so you know exactly what the work will cost before you commit a dollar more.
If your situation is bigger than an Assessment can solve, you'll know that too — before you spend any more money.
If you're planning ahead, the Assessment is operational infrastructure — the difference between owning a brand and merely using one. If you're already in a conflict, it's triage — a clear plan for the right next move. Either way, it's the first decisive step.
Read the Book First.
Trademarks Made Simple — what trademark law actually does for a growing business. Written for business owners, CEOs, and operators — not for other lawyers.
Get the Book →