Greer, Burns & Crain
Firm overview:
Greer, Burns & Crain is a boutique intellectual property firm headquartered in Chicago, with a national reputation for its deep technical skill and practical experience across trademarks, patents and copyrights. While the firm is often associated with its formidable IP litigation practice, it also maintains a highly regarded non-contentious trademark offering that supports both emerging companies and major global brands.
The firm’s non-contentious trademark practice focuses on brand clearance, prosecution, global portfolio strategy, licensing, enforcement planning, and online brand protection. Clients benefit from the boutique’s tightly coordinated structure, cost-efficiency, and partner-driven service model. The firm’s technical fluency, rooted in decades of IP-only practice, allows clients to make informed, commercially sound decisions on both domestic and international brand activity.
The firm’s placement as a Recommended firm for US non-contentious trademark work reflects its steady presence in IP rankings and its ability to deliver sophisticated, value-conscious counsel across complex brand portfolios.
Team overview:
Greer, Burns & Crain’s trademark team is compact, specialised, and experienced. The group integrates prosecution expertise with practical knowledge gained from decades of enforcement and litigation work, an advantage for clients who require realistic, commercially grounded advice.
Justin Gaudio is a central figure in the firm’s trademark and anti-counterfeiting practice, widely recognised for his expertise in protecting consumer brands across online platforms, global e-commerce marketplaces and high-risk digital channels. While best known for high-profile enforcement actions, Gaudio maintains a strong non-contentious practice and advises brands on clearance, registration, and strategic protection aligned with their enforcement needs. His ability to integrate prosecution strategy with practical anti-counterfeiting insight makes him a standout asset for clients operating in digital-first markets.
Amy Ziegler is a key member of the firm's trademark team, advising clients on trademark clearance, prosecution, risk assessment, and portfolio development. Her practice covers both domestic and international brand protection, with significant experience in coordinating multi-jurisdictional filings, responding to US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) actions, and managing contentious registry matters such as oppositions. Ziegler is valued for her meticulous attention to detail, strategic filing advice and ability to guide clients through complex brand-growth trajectories with clarity and efficiency.
