Meet Our Team

Josh Gerben, Esq

JOSH GERBEN

Firm Founder & Principal

Josh Gerben, Esq. is a nationally recognized trademark attorney and the founder of Gerben IP. Since launching the firm in 2008, he has overseen the registration of over 10,000 trademarks and handled over 1,500 trademark disputes. Josh’s practice focuses on building and defending global trademark portfolios for clients. Frequently quoted by major media outlets like CNBC, CNN, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, Josh is widely regarded as a leading authority in trademark law.

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Eric Perrott, Esq

ERIC PERROTT

Partner

Eric J. Perrott, Esq. is a trademark and copyright attorney, as well as a partner at Gerben IP. Eric utilizes his advanced knowledge of technology to better provide industry-specific trademark and copyright advice. Having worked at a large global intellectual property firm before joining Gerben IP, Eric provides big firm know-how at a fraction of what big firms charge.

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Kathryn Kent, Esq

KATHRYN KENT

Partner

Kathryn Kent, Esq. is a trademark and copyright attorney, as well as a partner at Gerben IP. She’s devoted a significant part of her practice to federal & state litigation in the areas of trademark & copyright infringement, as well as, unfair competition, false advertising, and related business law litigation.

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Michael Kanach, Esq.

MICHAEL KANACH

Senior Counsel

Michael Kanach, Esq. is senior counsel at Gerben IP, with over 16 years of experience in IP law, focusing on trademarks, branding, and complex litigation. Known for his people-first approach and deep industry knowledge, Mike has represented a variety clients across sectors including entertainment, consumer goods, and beverage.

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Sophie Edbrooke, Esq

SOPHIE EDBROOKE

Managing Associate

Sophie Edbrooke, Esq. is an associate attorney with Gerben IP, where she provides individualized trademark and copyright advice to clients in diverse industries. Whether she’s counseling a first-time business owner or an experienced executive, she enjoys helping clients grow and protect their brands.

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Tessa Brandsema, Esq

TESSA BRANDSEMA

ASSOCIATE

Tessa Brandsema, Esq. is an associate trademark attorney with Gerben IP. She recently passed the Pennsylvania bar after graduating from Penn State Dickinson Law with a JD and Radboud University with an LLM. Prior to law school, Tessa spent two years as a trademark paralegal with Gerben IP and has experience preparing USPTO filings and performing legal research.

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Nicholas Holmes, Esq

NICHOLAS HOLMES

ASSOCIATE

Nicholas Holmes, Esq. is an associate trademark attorney with Gerben IP. He provides clients with comprehensive advice to support their individual trademark needs. Nicholas has experience enforcing trademark rights before both the TTAB and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

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Madison Smith

MADISON SMITH

Trademark Paralegal

Madison Smith is a certified paralegal who assists the firm’s trademark attorneys.  She is also the friendly voice you will hear on the phone if you are running too close to a deadline. Madison supports the attorneys to provide cost-effective and efficient solutions to clients’ legal issues.

Tobyn Dickinson

TOBYN DICKINSON

Trademark Paralegal

Tobyn Dickinson is a certified paralegal who assists the firm with preparing and filing trademark applications with the USPTO. Prior to her employment with Gerben IP, she assisted a law firm who specialized in civil rights cases, family law, medical malpractice and personal injury.

Charlotte Fairchild

CHARLOTTE FAIRCLOTH

Trademark Paralegal

Charlotte Faircloth is a certified paralegal who assists the firm with preparing and filing trademark applications. She also assists Kathryn Kent Esq. with additional IP matters, including litigation preparation. Prior to her employment with Gerben IP, she assisted with Real Estate Closings, Corporate Formations, and filings with the Secretary of State’s office, as well as managing office operations for her previous firm.

Will Clements headshot

WILL CLEMENTS

Trademark Paralegal

Will Clements is a paralegal who assists the firm’s attorneys. Prior to joining the Gerben IP team, he worked on the in-house IP team responsible for managing the global trademark portfolios for some of the world’s largest apparel brands.

Rachael Protos

RACHAEL PROTOS

Lead Office Administrator

Rachael Protos is the lead office administrator and legal project manager for Gerben IP. Rachael uses her project management experience to ensure that both clients and attorneys are able to focus on the legal matter and analysis while not worrying about the complex systems holding it all together.

Lacey Hertzog

LACEY HERTZOG

Director of Marketing

Lacey Hertzog brings 16 years of comprehensive marketing experience to Gerben IP. Prior to her employment with the firm, she has worked for both small businesses and large corporations in a variety of industries.

About Gerben IP

Gerben IP is a Washington, D.C.-based law firm focused on trademarks. The firm opened its doors as Gerben Law Firm in 2008 without a single client. Today, the firm has over 11,000 trademarks under its management worldwide. Within those trademarks are clients including entrepreneurs, private equity-backed start-ups, mature private companies, public companies, celebrities, and professional athletes.  

As the firm grew, so did its identity. In 2020, with the addition of attorney Eric Perrott as a partner, the firm’s legal name became Gerben Perrott, PLLC. At the same time, we introduced Gerben Intellectual Property as our public-facing name, reflecting our broader commitment to helping businesses protect their brands. Today, we proudly operate as Gerben IP.

Over the past 18 years, we’ve grown our client base, but our approach to deliver legal services remains the same. We combine the latest technology with a low overhead structure (you won’t find us in Class A office space) to deliver world-class trademark representation in a cost-efficient manner. 

We work with clients across all 50 states and in more than 70 foreign jurisdictions, from startups to global brands. Whether you are just starting to build your brand, need your trademark portfolio managed or need assistance with trademark litigation, we’re here to help. If you have questions, reach out. We offer complimentary consultations for trademark and copyright matters.

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