Stokes Lawrence Recognized as Leading Trademark Firm by World Trademark Review 1000; Four Shareholders Named Top Practitioners
Related Practice: Intellectual Property
Stokes Lawrence has once again been recognized as a top Washington State trademark firm in the 2025 edition of World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000. Four Stokes Lawrence shareholders—Bradford Axel, Shannon Jost, Leslie Vander Griend & Theresa Wang—are also named as top trademark practitioners.
"We are honored to be recognized in the 2025 WTR 1000 rankings, a testament to our firm’s deep expertise and unwavering commitment to excellence in trademark law,” says Theresa Wang, firmwide managing shareholder and 2025 ranked practitioner. “This recognition reflects not only the outstanding work of our team of attorneys and professional staff but also the trust our clients place in us to protect and strengthen their valuable brands.”
The firm’s intellectual property practice is widely recognized as one of the top legal teams in Washington State for intellectual property law. Our attorneys have extensive experience in protecting and enforcing our clients' trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets locally, nationally, and internationally through registration, licensing, IP litigation, and dispute resolution.
Now in its 15th year, WTR 1000?identifies the leading professionals and firms that are deemed outstanding at obtaining, protecting, managing, enforcing and monetizing trademarks. It focuses exclusively on trademark practice and is “the definitive ‘go-to’ resource for those seeking world-class legal trademark expertise.”
About Bradford Axel
Brad Axel protects the interests of small and large companies in antitrust, intellectual property and consumer protection. He also counsels the owners and managers of these companies on how to reduce their risk of litigation through sound business practices. Whether litigating or counseling, he seeks to thoroughly understand each client’s business to help achieve the client's objectives as efficiently and effectively as possible. Brad has represented a wide variety of businesses and individuals, including telecommunications companies, musical groups, artists, software companies, farmers, contractors, partnerships, non-profits, and small and large investors.
About Shannon Jost
Shannon Jost is a seasoned intellectual property attorney whose practice blends trial and appellate litigation with intellectual property and corporate transactions. For over 20 years, Shannon has represented clients from a broad range of industries in high-stakes trademark, copyright, trade secret, and patent litigation in federal district and appellate courts nationwide. In addition to her litigation practice, Shannon advises clients on marketing and promotional activities, and on the acquisition, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights; and drafts and negotiates a wide range of license, development, manufacturing, acquisition and operational agreements.
About Leslie Vander Griend
With over 25 years of experience in intellectual property, Leslie Vander Griend helps businesses resolve trademark and copyright disputes and build strength and value in trademark portfolios and copyright assets. Specifically, Leslie represents clients in game-changing trademark and copyright litigation in federal courts nationwide, and contested matters before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board. Leslie has been recognized as a leader in her field by The Best Lawyers in America in both Trademark and Copyright Law, Washington Super Lawyers, the World Trademark Review 1000, and Chambers USA.
About Theresa Wang
Theresa Wang has spent her career helping companies protect their intellectual property across the country and around the world. She excels at building strong, transparent relationships with in-house legal teams, and developing streamlined processes for IP management and enforcement that provide clear oversight of IP portfolios and greater predictability for legal expenses. Her priority for each client is to design and implement long-term strategies for securing and maintaining the maximum protection and value of intellectual property assets. In addition to her active IP practice, Theresa serves as the firm's managing shareholder.
