Alignment Legal

08/28/2026

Thanks to Axios Charlotte for this insightful article on the true costs of failing to clear a trademark before using it, with local Charlotte businesses noting their monetary and momentum losses just before launch.

That's why we always recommend having an experienced trademark attorney (not an online service) run a clearance search and apply for trademark protection BEFORE building out your brand. The second best time is NOW.

Several Charlotte businesses have been forced — or have proactively decided — to rebrand after naming conflicts. Here's what a trademark attorney says owners should know.

08/17/2026

Political conversations seem to be finding their way into just about every part of life these days - including the workplace.

One of our founders and partners, Renee Hughes, recently wrote about some of the legal and practical considerations employers should keep in mind when political speech comes to work, including why focusing on workplace conduct rather than political viewpoint is often the better approach.

We’re sharing the link here for anyone who might be interested or find the content helpful.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/politics-work-becoming-harder-employers-ignore-renee-hughes-3l5ee?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via

Political conversations at work aren’t getting any easier to navigate. Employers may have considerable latitude to regulate workplace conduct, but political speech can intersect with discrimination laws, the NLRA, and other legal considerations in ways that aren’t always obvious. I recently wrot...

10/01/2025

Loving this time taking in all the wisdom 🧠 at with and

12/11/2024

Check out Karen Boardman's recent presentation on "How to Read a Legal Contract" in the Creative Convos series for Charlotte Is Creative . More details about this and other classes for entrepreneurs at https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/ceiresources/

12/09/2024

Our attorney Karen Boardman is thrilled to announce that she joined BrainTrust, an incredible community of women business owners who are dedicated to growing and scaling their businesses together. She’ll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded women, share experiences, and learn new strategies to grow our business.

BrainTrust is going to be a game-changer for our firm. If you’re a woman business owner looking for a community, we’d love for you to join us. Let’s achieve our goals together!

Learn more about the next interest meeting here: https://share.hsforms.com/1Erri5K3NSQ6fYJFH4Rps4g40yqr

11/22/2024

The US Patent and Trademark Office is increasing trademark fees effective January 18, 2025. These fees are going up by $50-150 for each class of goods or services, which are the categories that group similar products or services together. If you are considering a new application or have an upcoming deadline to submit a specimen or renewal, please contact us no later than January 4 to ensure we have time to help!

03/08/2024

Happy International Women’s Day! 🙎🏻‍♀️🙎🏼‍♀️🙎🏽‍♀️🙎🏾‍♀️🙎🏿‍♀️Here’s to strong women - may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.

01/09/2024

Alignment Legal is THRILLED to be a sponsor of the Boogie with Purpose launch event for the ! 🪩🕺💃 Join us as we celebrate Mel’s legacy in empowering women business owners! Tickets and sponsorships are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boogie-with-purpose-join-us-for-the-mel-miller-foundation-launch-party-tickets-681166616687