Top 6 Trademark and IP Lawyers in Honolulu

How to choose between these firms

For trademark and copyright filings — Cades Schutte (with USPTO-registered patent attorneys), Goodsill, Carlsmith Ball, and Schlack Ito all handle this well. Dane Anderson works at solo rates for routine single-mark filings.

For IP litigation in Hawaii federal court — Cades Schutte and Starn O'Toole have the deepest Hawaii IP-litigation rosters. Both regularly appear in the District of Hawaii on Lanham Act and copyright matters.

For patent prosecution — Cades Schutte has USPTO-registered patent attorneys. Most Honolulu firms do not. Out-of-state patent counsel paired with Hawaii litigation counsel is the other common pattern.

For technology licensing and SaaS IP agreements — Cades Schutte, Goodsill, and Carlsmith Ball pair IP counseling with corporate transactional support.

What a ip / trademarks matter typically costs in Honolulu

USPTO trademark application (one mark, one class): $750–$2,500 attorney fee + $350 USPTO fee (TEAS Plus). Office-action response: $400–$2,000.

Trademark opposition or cancellation at TTAB: $5,000–$50,000+ depending on discovery, motion practice, and trial.

Cease-and-desist letter: $500–$2,500 flat fee. The most cost-effective first step in most disputes.

Copyright registration: $200–$700 attorney fee + $45–$125 Copyright Office fee. Quick and high-value if enforcement is foreseeable.

Provisional patent application: $1,500–$5,000 attorney fee + $130–$260 USPTO fee.

Non-provisional utility patent application: $8,000–$20,000+ attorney fee + $830 USPTO basic fee. Most cost is in drafting and prosecution.

Federal IP litigation in the District of Hawaii: Through summary judgment: $75,000–$300,000+. Through trial: $200,000–$1,000,000+.

IP licensing agreement drafting: $2,500–$15,000+ depending on royalty structure, IP-ownership complexity, and territorial scope.

Hourly billing rates: Honolulu boutiques: $275–$500/hour. Mid-size firms: $400–$750/hour for senior partners; $275–$450/hour for associates.

Red flags to watch for when picking this kind of firm

The big legal directories list hundreds of attorneys for this kind of work. Most are competent. A few are problematic. Watch for these patterns.

Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can promise a specific result. If a firm guarantees a court win, a tax debt cut to zero, or a perfect contract that "can never be challenged," walk away.

The disappearing partner. You meet a senior name at the intake meeting, then never speak to that person again. Your file gets handed to an unsupervised junior or a paralegal. Ask in writing who will be your day-to-day attorney and what the supervision structure looks like.

Pressure to sign on the spot. Reputable firms send you the engagement letter, give you time to read it, and let you take it home. Same-day "you have to retain us today" tactics are almost always a sign of a volume mill, not a craftsperson's practice.

No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to peer rankings, bar specialization, published case results, or named clients. "We have helped thousands" is marketing copy. Specific case names, transaction sizes, or third-party recognitions are evidence.

Vague fee terms. "Don't worry about cost" is a red flag. Every legitimate attorney will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what is included, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you terminate the relationship.

10 questions to ask in your free consultation

Most firms on this list offer a free or low-cost initial consultation. Use it. Bring a written list of questions and write down the answers. Compare across at least two firms before you sign anything.

1. Who, specifically, will handle my matter day to day? Get a name and an email. Confirm that this person, not the partner you met at intake, will be your primary point of contact.
2. How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years? You want a real number, not a brochure line.
3. What is your fee and what does it cover? Get the answer in writing before you sign. Hourly, flat, contingency, or hybrid — and what triggers a change.
4. What costs am I responsible for outside the legal fee? Filing fees, expert witnesses, third-party services, courier, transcription. Ask now to avoid surprise invoices.
5. What is a realistic range of outcomes for a situation like mine? A good lawyer will give you a range with assumptions. A bad one will only describe the best case.
6. How long will it take? Honest estimate with the assumptions stated.
7. Who else might be involved? Co-counsel? Experts? Local counsel? Larger matters routinely involve outside specialists.
8. How and how often will I hear from you? Email-only? Weekly calls? Status updates on a schedule? Set the expectation up front.
9. What happens if I want to change lawyers later? The rules allow it; the fee is sorted between firms.
10. What is the worst case for me here? A lawyer who refuses to discuss downside risk is selling, not advising.

What is specific about ip / trademarks matters in Honolulu

Hawaii IP bar is small. Hawaii has fewer registered patent attorneys than mainland markets. For patent work, most Honolulu founders pair a Hawaii corporate firm with mainland or Cades Schutte's in-house patent practice.

Federal court for IP litigation. Lanham Act, copyright, and most patent litigation runs in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. The local court has its own scheduling, discovery, and pretrial rules that influence litigation strategy.

Hawaii Uniform Trade Secrets Act. HRS Chapter 482B governs Hawaii trade secret claims and requires reasonable measures to maintain secrecy. The statute also allows attorneys' fees in cases of willful and malicious misappropriation — a meaningful settlement-leverage point.

Non-competes prohibited for tech workers. HRS § 480-4 prohibits employee non-compete and non-solicit covenants for technology workers. Hawaii tech companies should rely on trade-secret protection, IP assignment agreements, and (where appropriate) work-product clauses — not non-competes.

Hawaii right of publicity. Hawaii recognizes a right of publicity protecting individuals from unauthorized commercial use of their name, image, or likeness. This intersects with brand work for influencers, athletes, and Hawaii cultural practitioners.

Cultural-IP issues. Hawaiian cultural elements (language, symbols, traditional knowledge) raise distinct concerns that mainland trademark practice often overlooks. Counsel familiar with Hawaii cultural-IP norms is meaningfully better positioned than out-of-state counsel.

Statute of limitations on IP claims. Federal trademark: 4 years for most state-law unfair-competition claims; Lanham Act laches doctrine applies. Copyright: 3 years from accrual (17 U.S.C. § 507). Patent: 6 years for damages. Hawaii trade secret: 3 years from discovery.

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