Merchant & Gould is pleased to announce it has been named one of the top trademark law firms in the United States for the third consecutive year by NameProtect . The ranking appears in the annual Name Protect Trademark Insider ® 2004 report, a publication that tracks trademark filing activity with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

This year's report identifies Merchant & Gould one of the top five filers in the United States, with 737 trademarks in 2004. Merchant & Gould is also identified as the #1 Minneapolis Law Firm under Regional Firm Awards.

"Due to the high volume of trademarks we file each year, we are able to invest in the systems and processes that are required to effectively manage the procedures associated with each filing," said Randy King, CEO and managing director, Merchant & Gould. "Our streamlined methods of managing trademark portfolios contributes directly to the strength of each client's brand, and that means added value for our clients."

Awards are determined by the total number of new trademark applications filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office during the 2004 calendar year.

NameProtect presented the above-mentioned awards to Merchant & Gould at the annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) held this May in San Diego, California. Jack Clifford, Dan McDonald and Brian Batzli of Merchant & Gould's Minneapolis office were present to accept the awards.