Intellectual property is often treated as a technical legal exercise: clear a name, file an application, secure a registration. But for companies building valuable brands, that is only the beginning.
Andrea Cristiani, an attorney at Minx Law and a multi-year Super Lawyers Rising Star, approaches trademark and brand protection through a broader commercial lens. Having advised companies ranging from emerging startups to Fortune 100 enterprises, Andrea understands that an effective IP strategy must reflect the company behind it, including its business model, growth plans, markets, vulnerabilities, and long-term ambitions.
“IP is not one size fits all,” Andrea says. “Each company is unique, and we have to take that uniqueness into consideration when advising our clients.”
Building Protection Around the Business
Andrea was first drawn to intellectual property law while taking an IP course in law school. She continued with advanced trademark coursework and later joined a San Francisco law firm as an IP intern. That early experience solidified her interest in trademark law and brand protection.
What continues to make the work compelling is the opportunity to help shape a brand from its earliest stages and then protect it as it grows.
“I love being a part of conceptualizing a brand’s identity and protection, and seeing how much a brand grows and develops,” she says.
That growth rarely follows a predictable legal roadmap. Some companies need to prioritize portfolio development. Others face urgent enforcement concerns, international expansion, counterfeiting, grey market goods, trademark trolls, or discount fraud. The right strategy depends on the company’s commercial priorities and the specific risks standing in its way.
For Andrea, sophisticated IP counsel begins with understanding those priorities. Only then can legal protection be structured to serve the broader business.
IP as a Business Asset
Trademark protection is sometimes treated as an administrative task to complete after a brand or product has already launched. That approach can leave significant gaps in a company’s portfolio and create problems at precisely the moment the business is ready to grow.
Andrea has seen inadequate IP protection affect business transactions directly.
“IP is at the forefront of most business deals,” she explains. “I have seen deals fall through because a company did not have adequate IP protection.”
These issues frequently surface during fundraising, when prospective investors examine a company’s intellectual property with particular care. A business may have a compelling product and strong market traction, but questions surrounding ownership, registrations, geographic coverage, or future protection can introduce risk into a potential investment.
Companies do not necessarily need every possible registration before approaching investors. They should, however, be able to demonstrate that they have thoughtfully protected their core assets and developed a credible strategy for addressing any remaining gaps.
This is why trademark planning should begin early. A well-constructed portfolio can support enforcement, strengthen transaction readiness, and protect the brand recognition a company is working to build.
Planning for Expansion Before Launch
One of the most common mistakes Andrea sees is waiting until after expansion to address the corresponding trademark strategy.
A company may launch a new product category, enter another country, or begin using a new name before confirming that the mark is available or protectable in the relevant market. By that point, a clearance issue or conflicting right can become far more expensive and disruptive.
Andrea encourages leadership teams to focus on two priorities before expanding: clearance and protection.
Companies should clear proposed names in the relevant product categories and countries as early as possible. If the path is clear, they should move quickly to seek protection in the markets that matter to the business.
This principle applies across industries. Andrea has worked with companies in beauty, apparel, food, technology, and other highly competitive sectors. Although each industry presents different pressures, smart trademark strategies share a common trait: they anticipate where the company is going next.
“Clients often do not come to us until they have already launched a new product or category, or expanded into a new country, and sometimes that is too late,” Andrea says. “I always recommend clearing expanded categories and countries as early as possible, ideally before launch, so that if there are any issues, we can address those before launch.”
Protecting the Value a Company Has Already Built
Established businesses face a different challenge. Their brands may already have significant customer recognition and commercial value, but their IP portfolios do not always reflect how the business has evolved.
A company may now sell products beyond the categories covered by its original registrations. It may operate in countries that were never included in its initial filing strategy. It may also face forms of infringement or diversion that were not significant during its earlier stages.
Andrea recommends periodically reviewing both protection and enforcement.
From a protection standpoint, companies should confirm that their trademark portfolios cover the products, services, and markets in which they currently operate, as well as areas included in realistic expansion plans.
From an enforcement standpoint, trademark owners must actively protect their rights. That means identifying the problems causing the greatest commercial harm, whether counterfeiting, unauthorized sellers, marketplace infringement, or another threat, and developing a proportionate strategy to address them.
The goal is not enforcement for its own sake. It is protecting the identity, reputation, and value the company has worked to create.
Counsel for the Company Behind the Brand
Andrea’s approach reflects a central principle at Minx Law: intellectual property strategy should never exist in isolation from business strategy.
Effective counsel requires more than an understanding of trademark rules. It requires judgment about timing, investment, risk, market expansion, enforcement priorities, and the commercial realities facing the company.
Whether advising a startup preparing to raise capital or an established brand confronting international counterfeiting, Andrea begins in the same place: understanding what makes the company distinctive and where it intends to go.
That is what transforms intellectual property from a legal formality into a strategic business asset.
