CG Lawyers are an Australia law firm, based in the Inner West of Sydney. CG Lawyers specialise in copyright law and trade-mark law. Cara Ghassemian is a trademark lawyer based in Western Sydney. She provides legal services and speaks Italian (Italiano) and French (Français).
CG Lawyers supports The Fred Hollows Foundation.
About Us
Solicitor and Registered Trade Mark Attorney
specialising in trade marks, copyright
and corporate dispute resolution.
Bachelor of Arts (Honours, political science)
Bachelor of Laws. Admitted to practise 1989.
Master of Laws. Master of Business and
Technology.
Français parlé, Italiano parlato.
REGISTERED TRADE MARK ATTORNEY
Registered trade mark attorney Cara Ghassemian is the principal of CG Lawyers, based in Sydney's inner west. The firm specialises in trade mark, copyright and corporate law, working with clients from a variety of industries.
"In the practice of law, listening is more important than talking. I've become a very good listener."
With almost twenty years of legal experience, Cara recognises that when it comes to the protection of intellectual property clients want to deal with an expert. They want that expert to be approachable, knowledgeable and genuinely interested in their business.
Cara has this advice for all SMEs:
- All businesses should trade mark vital elements of their company to protect their profits. Brand names, taglines, slogans and logos are the obvious choices. But colour schemes, packaging, sounds and smells can also be trademarked.
- Get an in-depth trade mark search report before you invest in developing or marketing a new product or brand. You could be limiting your commercial opportunities if you don't register your right to the trade mark.
- Work with a fully-qualified and experienced trade mark attorney. We're trained to recognise potential problems in this highly sensitive area of law.
- Make your business decisions based on facts and be well prepared to defend your rights of ownership. This applies to all aspects of your business that may influence the protection of your intellectual property or involve you in legal disputes.
Photograph by Sara Sweet, Sweet Photography
5-points test for a great lawyer/client relationship
- Your lawyer helps you sort out your problems, but first establishes whether the client is you personally, your company, or even your mother.
- After the consultation you get a letter of engagement setting out your objectives. This ensures both your lawyer and you are on the same page about your goals.
- All your confidential information is securely encrypted on your lawyer's computer so access is password protected.
- Your confidential information is regularly backed-up to another encrypted computer to minimise the risks of data loss.
- Your lawyer maintains a computerized centralised diary so critical dates affecting your interests are not missed.
We score a perfect 5 every time. Call Cara about a consultation.
"I have dealt with Cara and later CG Lawyers in a number of matters. I find her wonderful to deal with. She is always able to explain the law and several commercial points to the clients, and [she] case manages a matter including the solicitors on the other side, effectively. I would be happy to speak with any potential client of CG Lawyers."
Peter Rodgers, chartered accountant (insolvency expert)Case Study #1
The owner of this trade mark said recently that when future clients first contact her, they often say it's because they like the name 'Lemon & Lime Design'. It is an extremely strong brand because it appeals on many levels.
- The colours are visually appealing.
- It appeals to your sense of taste.
- It appeals to your sense of smell.
- The alliteration and assonance sounds good.
- There is even the tactile appeal of lemon and lime peel.
If the owner added up the money she made from clients who made such comments, she'd have a ballpark figure for how much her brand is worth. In other words, how much it is worth protecting.
Case Study #2
Why graphic designers need to recommend a trade mark search report for their clients.
A printer who also provides graphic design services designed a logo for a client who paid $10,000 for printing material with that logo.
The client later received a letter from a large organisation pointing out that the logo breached the registered trade mark rights of that large organisation. They demanded that the printer's client stop using it immediately. Whether justifiable or not, the client blamed the printer/graphic designer.
The problem could have been avoided if the printer/graphic designer had offered the client an opportunity to buy a trade mark search report before investing in that logo design. Even if the client refused the offer, the printer and graphic designer could have protected themselves from the 'blame game'.
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