This profile is part of a series introducing Procopio attorneys.

Well-known brands have long sought to associate themselves with sports, so Procopio Intellectual Property attorney Neil Salyards, the leader of the firm’s Sports and Active Lifestyle group, found himself surrounded by prominent brands during childhood.

“I grew up playing most sports and have been an avid athlete my whole life,” Neil said. Nike was a brand that particularly resonated with him. “I loved everything the brand stood for and represented, and the professional athletes I admired were affiliated with the brand.” That ability of corporate brands to represent something beyond the product itself stuck with Neil and helped him on the path to dedicating his career to brand protection.

“I’ve always been a loyal supporter of the brands I like to use,” Neil said. “I like that brands can represent passions, interests, hobbies, or culture. People express themselves through the brands that align with their lifestyle, or a culture that they want to be associated with.”

Passionate about brands from an early age, Neil obtained a business and marketing degree before law school. Once there he took a licensing class from an adjunct professor who was an in-house trademark attorney with a major appliance company. “He quickly became a mentor and friend,” Neil said, “and really helped guide me towards becoming a trademark and copyright attorney.”

Trademark law is “much more complicated than people realize,” Neil said. “Most people think that it is just about filing trademark applications.” It’s actually much more, Neil said. Among the other tasks keeping him busy, Neil works with a network of attorneys around the world to build global portfolios, negotiate licenses, coordinates with Customs officials and law enforcement agencies in combatting counterfeit goods, handles trademark disputes with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and more.

Neil still admires Nike, and notes that “sustaining such longstanding brand loyalty among consumers is so difficult.” Another brand that resonates with him as a fan of action sports is Red Bull. “Whether it’s mountain biking, surfing, motocross, Formula 1, skiing or snowboarding, you’re sure to find Red Bull behind the biggest and most exciting events, and the top tier athletes sporting the Red Bull logo,” Neil said. “I know when I see the Red Bull logo associated with a sport, event, or athlete, something exciting is sure to follow.”

Neil’s clients are grateful for his passion for brand protection, but he almost followed a different path. “Once upon a time I was pursuing being a chef,” Neil said. “I lived in Italy and studied wine, olive oils, and Italian cooking.” The lure of the law proved strong enough to change his career trajectory, and many significant brands have been protected as a result.

Neil has no regrets. “Having the privilege of representing other global brands and collaborating with colleagues all over the world is when being a trademark attorney gets really fun!”