Founded in 2009, the law firm has focused on the representation of creators and users of intellectual property (including copyrights and trademarks), primarily in the fields of entertainment, publishing, media, music, advertising, and the like.

“As we increase our emphasis on litigation and trials in various venues,” Gerber explained, “we felt it important to include the names of the firm’s principals in the name of the firm. The way the firm’s name reflects the courtroom experiences of its attorney.”

“My only regret,” added Kahn, “is the memory of one federal judge who, upon hearing the name of our law firm, broke into an a cappella version of the Commodore’s ‘Brickhouse.’ I don’t think we can expect the same reaction to the new name.”

Recently, one of the firm’s founders, Pete Salsich, left the firm to become general counsel of one of the firm’s entertainment clients, the St. Louis-based Coolfire Companies.

Prior to joining The BrickHouse Law Group, Abby worked as a legal intern at Warner Bros. in Los Angeles and as a clearance coordinator at Harpo Productions in Chicago.

“We are delighted that Abby has returned to her hometown and joined our practice,” said Michael Kahn, one the firm’s principals. “She brings a combination of experience and enthusiasm that will make her a valuable member of the team. And fortunately, she remained true to her Cardinals despite three years in Cubs territory.”

Abby is a 2012 graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She earned her B.A. in English Literature at Washington University in St. Louis.

Earlier this year, Kahn was selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America for its 2013 edition in the following practice areas: Copyright Law; Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures & Television; Entertainment Law – Music; Litigation – First Amendment; Litigation – Intellectual Property; and Media Law. This year’s edition marks the tenth year in a row that Mike has been honored by Best Lawyers.

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. As it explains, “Our lists of outstanding attorneys are compiled by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For more than three decades, Best Lawyers lists have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public, as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.”

Kahn concentrates his practice in copyright, trademark, and media law. He is a widely recognized trial lawyer, and regularly advises clients on a range of intellectual property and commercial litigation matters. In addition to various artists and publishers, he has represented the National Basketball Association, Oprah Winfrey, Lions Gate Entertainment, Mark McGwire, and The Topps Company. An award-winning author of several novels and short stories, you can read his blog posts on The AnchorPlate at www.anchorplateip.com.

The BrickHouse Law Group Professional Corporation is a boutique law firm, which focuses on intellectual property litigation and counseling and has an active entertainment law practice. For more information about The BrickHouse Law Group and its services, call 314-932-1070 and visit www.brickhouselaw.com.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast almost 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

The BrickHouse Law Group Professional Corporation is a boutique law firm, which focuses on intellectual property litigation and counseling and has an active entertainment law practice. For more information about The BrickHouse Law Group and its services, call 314-932-1070 and visit www.brickhouselaw.com.

Mike Kahn received his recognition in the field of intellectual property litigation and Pete received his in the field of intellectual property. Mike’s 2012 Super Lawyer designation marks the eighth year he has received that honor. Pete has now been named a Super Lawyer two years in a row.

According to Thomson Reuters, “Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.”

“We are also the smallest firm to make the cut in St. Louis,” noted Geoff Gerber, one of the firm’s three principals, pointing out that BrickHouse is ranked at the same level in I.P. Litigation as the 250-lawyer firm of Armstrong Teasdale and at the same level in Copyright Law as the international law firm of SNR Denton.

“Although the three of us started our careers in Big Law,” Geoff explained, “we believe that our clients are best served by the innovative approach to legal problems made possible in our uniquely collaborative practice.”

U.S. News & World Report explains that its Best Law Firm “rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. An unprecedented amount of data was collected in the project’s second year, and this combined data resulted in the 2011-2012 ‘Best Law Firms’ rankings.”

St. Louis Magazine published the announcement of these honors for the St. Louis region in its February 2012 issue. The Best Lawyers in America®, issued annually by Woodward/White, is, according to St. Louis Magazine, “the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States.”

Woodward/White explains that it compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by “conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys” in which “leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.” As a result, Woodward/White states, “A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers.”

And by the time Alan Craig caught the final out in the 9th inning of Game 7, the first application to register RALLY SQUIRREL was on file with the U.S. Trademark Office, to be followed ten days later with an application to register RALLY SQUIRRELS. Both were filed by businesses unaffiliated with Major League Baseball. And both raise the same question: should a company be able to claim trademark rights in a name that originated in the public domain?

Read more at the AnchorPlate