Elster & McGrady

What Elster & McGrady does

Elster & McGrady is a boutique intellectual property law firm founded in 2023 by Jason Elster and Paul McGrady, both former shareholders at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. The firm is focused on brands, domain names and ICANN matters, social media, and related commercial litigation, and operates from offices in Chicago, Illinois and Nashville, Tennessee with a team of approximately 8 personnel. Practice areas include trademark prosecution and defense, domain name strategy and dispute resolution, federal trademark litigation, brand enforcement, alternative dispute resolution, and — most recently — new gTLD applicant program support and ICANN application/contracting advisory work.

The firm's underlying offering is delivered entirely through human legal expertise rather than a technology platform: services are produced by partners, an associate, an of counsel, a paralegal director, and a DNS industry advisor, supported by office administration. There is no proprietary software, API, or AI tooling disclosed; the technical asset is the team's collective experience (over 34 years between the founders) and specialized credentials, including McGrady's LexisNexis IP publications and Karen L. Day's registry operations background at SAS Institute. Service delivery is direct-attorney engagement with no resellers or intermediaries.

The business model is fee-based professional services: revenue is generated through trademark prosecution, litigation defense, and ICANN/domain advisory engagements, with rates quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct client engagement via the firm website, phone, and email, augmented by referrals and the founders' industry standing. Customers are brand owners and rights holders (primary segment) and ICANN/domain industry participants such as registry applicants and operators (secondary segment), served nationally and internationally. The firm is privately held by its founders with no external institutional investment.

Name

Elster & McGrady

Legal name

Elster & McGrady

Website

https://elstermcgrady.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Elster & McGrady is a boutique intellectual property law firm founded in 2023 by former Greenberg Traurig shareholders, providing trademark, domain name, ICANN, and brand litigation services to brand owners and registry applicants from offices in Chicago and Nashville.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

IP Management, Patents & Trademark Software (BPAEAPAN)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Trademark prosecution
• Domain name services
• Brand protection
• ICANN advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Trademark & Brand Protection: Ongoing legal representation for trademark prosecution, federal litigation defense, and brand enforcement for rights holders. Revenue generated through professional services fees for legal counsel.
2. Domain Name & ICANN Services: Domain name strategy, dispute resolution, and new gTLD applicant program support services for brand management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Elster & McGrady is a Chicago-based boutique intellectual property law firm providing concierge-level legal services focused on brands, domain names/ICANN, social media, and related litigation. The firm offers trademark prosecution and defense, domain name strategy and dispute resolution, ICANN policy and new gTLD applicant program support, brand enforcement, commercial litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. Services are delivered by partners with former Greenberg Traurig shareholder backgrounds to clients nationally and internationally across the full brand ecosystem.

Product overview

Elster & McGrady is a boutique intellectual property law firm offering legal services focused on Brands, Domain Names/ICANN, Social Media, and related Litigation. The firm provides a unified suite of legal services that encompasses the entire brand ecosystem, including trademark prosecution and defense, domain name strategy and disputes, brand enforcement, and commercial litigation. The firm's partners Jason Elster and Paul McGrady leverage their combined BigLaw backgrounds (Greenberg Traurig, LLP) to deliver concierge-level legal attention to clients. Services are delivered through two office locations in Chicago, IL and Nashville, TN, serving clients nationally and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trademark Prosecution and Defense

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC: Full-service law firm with a substantial IP practice covering trademark prosecution, brand enforcement, and domain name work. Comparable as a mid-to-large-firm incumbent offering overlapping IP services to brand owners, particularly technology and life sciences clients.
• Loeb & Loeb LLP: Full-service law firm with a strong IP, trademark, and media practice serving brand owners and content clients. Overlaps with Elster & McGrady on trademark prosecution and brand enforcement work, while offering broader corporate, entertainment, and litigation capabilities.
• Greenberg Traurig LLP: Major global law firm where both Elster & McGrady founders were previously shareholders. Operates a large IP practice with trademark prosecution, litigation, and domain name capabilities. Relevant as the source of the founders' expertise and as a large-firm incumbent against which the boutique competes.
• Hogan Lovells US LLP: Global law firm with one of the largest IP practices worldwide, including trademark prosecution, brand enforcement, and domain name dispute work. Comparable as a global incumbent that competes with Elster & McGrady for enterprise brand protection matters while offering significantly broader geographic and practice coverage.
• Fenwick & West LLP: Technology and life sciences-focused law firm with deep trademark and IP practices serving high-growth brand owners. Comparable as a larger-firm alternative for technology-sector clients seeking integrated IP and corporate counsel beyond what a boutique IP firm can offer.
• Cooley LLP: Technology-focused law firm with a substantial trademark and IP practice serving emerging and established technology brand owners. Comparable to Elster & McGrady on technology-sector IP work, particularly where brand owners need both IP and broader corporate counsel.
• Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP: Large full-service law firm with one of the most substantial IP and trademark prosecution practices in the U.S. Comparable as a major incumbent offering the same core services (trademark prosecution, brand enforcement, domain disputes) Elster & McGrady provides, but at significantly greater scale.

Others

• Corporation Service Company (CSC): Global business and domain name management services provider that supports corporate brand owners with trademark and domain portfolio administration, including new gTLD application support and registry operations. Adjacent to Elster & McGrady - serves the same client base but delivers technology-enabled services rather than legal counsel.

Direct peers

• Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu PC: Premier trademark and copyright boutique law firm serving Fortune 500 brand owners worldwide. Direct peer to Elster & McGrady as a specialist IP boutique with a similar high-touch service model and focus on trademark prosecution, litigation, and brand enforcement.
• Ladas & Parry LLP: Boutique intellectual property law firm with one of the deepest domain name and ICANN practices in the United States. Directly comparable to Elster & McGrady as a specialist IP boutique serving brand owners on trademark and domain name matters, with similar concierge-style senior practitioner involvement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elster-mcgrady

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elster & McGrady