Gavin Law Offices

January Focus: Self-care and Wellness

Posted on by Gavin Law Offices

Self-care can mean a lot of different things and everyone practices it a little differently. We wanted to highlight some of the ways that our team has been taking care of our well-being. To celebrate the new year, we decided to treat ourselves to facemasks.

Finding time to rest and relax is an important part of sustainable working habits. Some members of our team use candles and soft music to relax. Elizabeth sticks to a meditation routine and Jenn likes quiet days.

Taking care of ourselves involves more than just the ways in which we relax, itis also sticking with healthy routines. Here are some of the best ways to start your day, according to the GLO team:

Courtney: Coffee

Pam: A solid night’s rest

Jenn: Coffee, socks, and pups!

Elizabeth:  A (COVID-19 compliant) walk with close friends.

Lily: Upbeat music

There is a whole list of ways to practice self-care that works for your life, whether it be for your physical, mental, or any other part of your well-being! This could look like daily routines that help support your goals or treating yourself to something special. Finding what helps you recharge is important, whether it’s daily increments of exercise, walks in sunny weather, or guilty pleasures like reality TV shows. Let us know how you relax and recharge!

 

Christmas Festivities  

Posted on by Gavin Law Offices

A glass ornament has "Bye 2020" written on it with silver sharpie

As the year comes to a close, our team has Christmas on the mind. 

The holidays feel like an extra important time to show appreciation for one another and have some fun, especially considering the unforeseen circumstances of this year. Although we can’t be together like usual, we’ve still found ways to connect over our favorite aspects of the most wonderful time of the year. 

For our first Christmas themed virtual meeting, we decorated glass ornaments with metallic sharpies. One of the common phrases that we chose to adorn them was “Goodbye 2020.” We recently competed in a game of Christmas trivia where Kat Gavin took the honor and bragging rights of most correct answers. Questions included fun facts from popular movies as well as the origins of our modern-day traditions. To wrap up – pun intended – we will celebrate with a virtual white elephant gift exchange, thanks to the help of one of Santa’s elves. New Year’s happy hour will help us close out 2020 and welcome in a new chapter. What about you? We’d love to hear about any of your creative holiday festivities!  

In addition to spending time remotely to help celebrate, we also found out our team’s favorite aspects of Christmas! There are some similarities and some surprising some outliers.  

Kat Gavin  
  • Movie: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or It’s a Wonderful Life  
  • Song: The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole  
  • Dish: Southern Grits Casserole and Monkey Bread  
  • Treat/Dessert: Peppermint Bark and Hot Cocoa  
  • Tradition/Activity: Decorating the Tree 
Elizabeth Sewell
  • Movie: Christmas Vacation  
  • Song: Santa’s Coming in a Whrily Bird by Gene Autry  
  • Dish: My Mom’s Shrimp and Grits  
  • Treat/Dessert: Homemade Christmas Cookies  
  • Tradition/Activity: Putting up the tree with my kids  
Pam Gavin  
  • Movie: Titanic  
  • Song: Somewhere Over the Rainbow  
  • Dish: Pasta  
  • Treat/Dessert: Fruit Cake  
  • Tradition/Activity: Everything Christmas!  
Rina Van Orden:  
Courtney Reigel:  
  • Movie: Elf and Home Alone  
  • Song: The Christmas Song  
  • Dish: Ham  
  • Treat/Dessert: Christmas cookies  
  • Tradition/activity: Christmas movies/decorating  

Lastly, the most contentious of Christmas opinion: Does the GLO team consider Die Hard a Christmas Movie? The majority voted: No, Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. What do you think?

 – Lily Taggart

Birthday Celebrations  

Posted on by Gavin Law Offices

Our GLO team celebrated two birthdays in December! First, our administrative assistant extraordinaire Jennifer Lovings relaxed on a day off to enjoy her favorite treat: Gelati Celesti. On the 15th, we came together for the birthday of our founder and managing partner, Pam Gavin. This year we celebrated our fearless leader’s birthday a little differently. Mark of Hidden Howth Experiences lead our team on a virtual tour featuring the culture, landscapes, and history of Ireland. The hour-long adventure detailed tales of the past, intriguing trivia, and local stories. We had such a good time and thoroughly enjoyed Mark and his furry companion Missy. If you have a special event or celebration coming up, we highly recommend the virtual tour Hidden Howth Experiences through Airbnb. 

Ideas for Thanksgiving in 2020

Posted on by Gavin Law Offices

As the leaves change and the temperatures drop, we realize that the holidays may look a little different this year. We pulled together some suggestions to avoid forgoing time with loved ones or your favorite seasonal dishes. Here are some ways to have some holiday fun while staying safe and making new traditions!

  1. It may be difficult for families to safely gather around the dinner table for the main meal this year. Instead, take advantage of outdoor space and set up tables on your deck or in the yard! Grilling presents a great alternative to overcrowded kitchen space and an opportunity for new flavors. If it starts to get chilly, bring outdoor blankets, sip hot cocoa, or get together around a firepit.
  2. If you’re unable to travel to see family this year, watch the parade or the big game (people watch football on Thanksgiving, right?) while video chatting to debate the best float or cheer on your favorite teams together.
  3. Virtual Friendsgiving! Gather with friends online on any of the many video chatting platforms. Although it may not be the traditional potluck, find new ways to make a Turkey Day virtual get together plenty of fun. For instance, plan a recipe to cook together ahead of time and see whose turns out the best. Everyone can share their family’s favorite (or least favorite) Thanksgiving dishes: Is mac and cheese part of your celebration? Do marshmallows belong on sweet potato casserole? Who makes the best green beans? Play online games or watch the same movie together after a meal to help bring everyone together too.
  4. If you’re not into Thanksgiving food, you can always order takeout to support your favorite restaurants! Local family and friends can do the same and everyone can get together for a picnic. Gather midday and each bring an item to create a fall-themed brunch spread! If you’re missing traveling to far off places, plan on having everyone bring a dish from a different cuisine.
  5. If you’re hosting a planned virtual party, send props or gifts to help everyone get in the spirit. There’s no need for a big expense; a small handwritten note, stickers, or sweets can go a long way.

When in doubt, follow the guidelines set up by the CDC:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

— Lily Taggart

U.S. Trademark Office to Increase Filing Fees for 2021

Posted on by Gavin Law Offices

The United States Trademark Office recently announced that it will increase a number of its filing fees on January 2, 2021.  The increases apply to a wide variety of filings, including the fees for initial trademark applications.  We have included the most noteworthy increases below:

  • TEAS Standard Trademark Application: $350 per class
    Up from $275 per class
  • TEAS Plus Trademark Application (pre-approved goods and services): $250 per class
    Up from $225 per class
  • Section 8 (filed with both 8 & 15 and Renewal filings): $225 per class
    Up from $125 per class 
  • Petition to cancel/Notice of opposition filed through ESTTA: $600 per class
    Up from $400 per class
  • Initial 90-day extension requests for filing a notice of opposition, or second 60-day extension requests for filing a notice of opposition, filed through ESTTA: $200 per application
    Up from $100 per application
  • Petition to the Director filed through TEAS: $250
    Up from $100 

For the full list of fee increases, please visit: https://www.uspto.gov/trademark/laws-regulations/updated-trademark-ttab-fees-processes.

The U.S. Trademark Office will also implement a new fee for deleting goods, services, and/or classes from a registration after submitting a Section 8 declaration, but before the declaration is accepted, at a rate of $250 per class.

In light of the increased filing costs, Gavin Law Offices will work with clients who wish to take advantage of the lower filing fees to complete filings before the end of the year.  If you are considering a new trademark application or have maintenance filings due in the next year, we can help you complete such filings before January 2, 2021.  Please reach out as early as possible to ensure that we have enough time to get preclearance and/or the necessary documentation completed before the increase date.

  • – Rina Van Orden, Esq.