Sisson & Banyas, Attorneys at Law, LLC

10/14/2025

The SEMA Show attendees - meet the Sisson & Banyas brand protection team!

This group will be on-site at the SEMA Show all week to answer your patent, trademark, and brand protection questions. You can find the team in the Firm’s booth – North Hall No. 11312.

Jeffrey Banyas - a licensed patent attorney and industry veteran attending his 9th SEMA Show, Jeffrey bleeds automotive aftermarket. Growing up in his family’s high performance engine shop and driving sprint cars throughout the Midwest before becoming an attorney provides Jeffrey with unique market insights. In addition to helping dozens of industry companies protect their brands and innovations, Jeffrey volunteers his time to many industry causes including as a member of the SEMA PAC, a select committee member for the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technologies Network (ETTN), a former select committee member and 2024 Young Executive of the Year with SEMA Future Leaders Network - FLN, and by providing educational seminars and writing articles for industry publications such as SEMA News and Engine Builder Magazine. Of course, for those of you on the show floor, you can always find Jeffrey by looking for his signature fedora.

Edwin Sisson - the Firm’s founder with a degree in chemical engineer, Ed will also be attending his 9th SEMA Show. An inventor and business person in his own right with over 30 granted U.S. patents to his name, Ed leverages his unique experience as the consumer of legal services to provide business-focused advice to the Firm’s many customers. Before becoming an attorney and founding the Firm, Ed spent 20 years in business working in various roles including global business manager, division research manager, and new product development manager for companies like The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Shell Chemical Company.

Matthew Kraskey - a newly minted attorney educated in materials science, Matt will be attending his 2nd SEMA Show after joining the Firm in 2024 while working as an intern. Before returning to law school, Matt spent 20 years as the owner and operator of his own manufacturing company. Matt’s experience as a small business owner involved in manufacturing, product development, marketing, and sales allows him to understand and appreciate the unique intellectual property challenges facing the Firm’s customers.

Claire Shand - a mechanical engineer and intern with the Firm in her final year at the University of Akron School of Law, Claire will be attending her first SEMA Show. Prior to returning to law school, Claire spent several years as a design engineer for Kenda Tire where she was listed as lead inventor on multiple United States patents and patent applications.

06/03/2025

Our very own Jeffrey Banyas appeared on WSIC News' Local Biz Now program yesterday to discuss all things intellectual property as part of our ongoing relationship with The McIntosh Law Firm. Joe Vagnone's interview with Jeffrey takes up the second half of the show. Take a listen and hope you enjoy.

#1 Live Business Talk Radio Show in NC !Over 11 years strong…Over 935 interviews….· 745 videos on the tubes… subscribe now!Are you curious about the i...

05/09/2025

Today finds Jeffrey Banyas in Chicago with our colleagues from the I.P. litigation team at Irwin IP LLP for their Spring Entrepreneur's workshop. Jeffrey presented to attendees on the topic of patent filing and prosecution. Thank you to presenters Reid Huefner, Joseph F. Marinelli, and Nick Wheeler and the Irwin team for hosting this event!

04/25/2025

Sisson & Banyas, Attorneys at Law, LLC congratulates Matthew Kraskey for passing the Ohio Bar!

A graduate of the University of Akron School of Law, Matt originally joined the Firm as an Intern assisting the Firm’s attorneys with trademark filing and prosecution in January 2024. Since then, Matt’s role has expanded to include assisting with matters at the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, as well as assisting with patent drafting and prosecution.

Matt earned his B.S.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan. Prior to law school, Matt spent time as a quality assurance engineer for multiple manufacturing and steel processing companies. Matt also spent several years owning and operating his own manufacturing company where he gained valuable experience in product design, logistics, customer service, and contract negotiations.

Please join us in welcoming Matt to the ranks of licensed attorneys in the State of Ohio.

03/19/2025

Congratulations to the Firm's customer - Complete Performance - on their recent victory at the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) in Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution (UDRP) arbitration procedures.

The Firm's Manager of Legal Production - Jeffrey Banyas - lead the charge developing arguments and presenting evidence showing that the domain name was identical or confusingly similar to Complete Performance's trademarks, and that the owner of the domain name was using it to pass itself off as Complete Performance for the purpose of selling unauthorized counterfeit products. The WIPO Arbitration Panel sided with Complete Performance, finding that the domain name owner "registered and used the Domain Name in bad faith".

Sisson & Banyas, Attorneys at Law, LLC prides itself in finding unique and cost effective solutions to brand misappropriation issues such as this. We look forward to many more victories in the future!

03/18/2025

Congratulations to the Firm's customer - EZ Smart Co. - on their recent victory in Amazon's Patent Evaluation Express (APEX) program finding multiple Amazon ASINs infringing upon EZ Smart's United States Patent No. 11,123,857.

The Firm's founder - Edwin Sisson - lead the charge developing claim construction arguments, demonstrating that the listed products infringe upon EZ Smart's Patent, and combating the seller's prior commercial use and invalidity defenses. APEX rejected those defenses based on Mr. Sisson's factual and legal arguments, ultimately finding in EZ Smart's favor on the allegations of infringement.

Sisson & Banyas, Attorneys at Law, LLC has coordinated APEX victories on behalf of multiple customers in recent years. Using Amazon's neutral patent evaluation program has proven an effective tool for combating e-commerce patent infringements allowing patent owners to recapture lost market share and providing leverage for meaningful licensing negotiations.

11/06/2024

Congratulations to Jeffrey Banyas for winning the SEMA Future Leaders Network - FLN Young Professional of the Year Award. In our humble opinion, a recognition well deserved.

11/05/2024

Day 1 of The SEMA Show opened with one of the Firm's long time customers, ORACLE Lighting winning a New Product of the Year award for their innovative point-of-purchase display. Congratulations to Hartenstein, Hartenstein and the whole ORACLE team!

Really cool to see so many products that we've helped with patenting get this type of recognition.

10/31/2024

SEMA Exhibitors and Attendees, Is Your Brand Protected?

If not, you may want to build some time into your The SEMA Show week to visit the Sisson IP Law booth (North Hall No. 11312). The Firm is committed to protecting brands in the automotive aftermarket and has exhibited at SEMA every year since 2016. The Firm’s attorneys also dedicate their time to volunteering on the SEMA FLN Select Committee, writing articles for various trade publications, speaking at SEMA’s Export Fair, and serving on various “Ask an Expert” panels.

This year the Firm will be offering the chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card in our "BRAND PROTECTION TRIVIA CHALLENGE". Stop by the booth any time during the week and enter to win!

If you wish to schedule a no-cost private meeting with one of the Firm’s attorneys, please sign up using the following portal: https://calendly.com/sissonandbanyas/sema-show-private-attorney-meetings-.

10/29/2024

SEMA Exhibitors and Attendees, Is Your Brand Protected?

Companies often overlook trade dress when considering intellectual property protections. But trade dress can be one of the best tools at your disposal when protecting and enforcing against knock off products. Stop by the Sisson & Banyas booth (North Hall No. 11312) at the 2024 The SEMA Show to see sample products and learn about the domestic and international trade dress protections our team obtained on behalf of BOLT LOcks for their unique trade dress.

If you wish to schedule a no-cost private meeting with one of the Firm’s attorneys, please sign up using the following portal: https://calendly.com/sissonandbanyas/sema-show-private-attorney-meetings-.

10/24/2024

SEMA Exhibitors and Attendees, get to know our attorneys!

Jeffrey Banyas – Equity Member and Manager of Legal Production – exudes passion for the automotive aftermarket. Jeffrey was born into the automotive industry as the son of a high-performance engine builder. He attended his first racing event at the tender age of 5 weeks old and went on to drive race cars himself competing for many years throughout the Midwest in quarter midgets, dirt sprint cars, pavement sprint cars, and big block super modifieds.

Currently, Jeffrey spends his time assisting customers at all levels of intellectual property protection, enforcement, and monetization. As a licensed patent attorney, he drafts and prosecutes patents, prepares and prosecutes trademark applications, enforces and defends intellectual property rights in the U.S. and internationally, and negotiates licensing and other commercialization agreements on behalf of many aftermarket brands. He also has the unique distinction of being one of only a handful of U.S. attorneys to have spearheaded a successful litigation effort in China against a Chinese manufacturer of knock-off products on behalf of a U.S. aftermarket manufacturer (ORACLE Lighting).

Away from the office, Jeffrey volunteers his time as a member of SEMA’s Future Leaders Network (FLN) Select Committee, writes articles on intellectual property protection and enforcement for various industry publications including SEMA News and Engine Builder Magazine, and participates in seminars and ask an expert session at the SEMA Show and SEMA Export Fair.

If you wish to schedule a no-cost private meeting with Jeffrey or another of the Firm’s attorneys, please sign up using the following portal: https://calendly.com/sissonandbanyas/sema-show-private-attorney-meetings-.

10/22/2024

SEMA Exhibitors and Attendees, Is Your Brand Protected?SM

Design patents are a powerful tool for protecting and enforcing against knock offs. Oracle Lighting's Sidetrack LED Lighting System will illuminate the way to the Sisson IP Law booth (North Hall No. 11312) at the 2024 The SEMA Show. Make sure to stop by to learn about how our team used design patents to protect this unique product and how we successfully took down numerous knock off listings on Amazon and Alibaba copying ORACLE’s unique design.

If you wish to schedule a no-cost private meeting with one of the Firm’s attorneys, please sign up using the following portal: https://calendly.com/sissonandbanyas/sema-show-private-attorney-meetings-.