Credit Suisse has filed a petition for the cancellation of a trademark for the First Boston name before the US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board as it looks to assert its claim to the historic brand as part of a new strategy for its investment bank.
The holder of the First Boston trademark in the US is a company called First Boston Inc, which is based in New York. The application for the mark was originally made in 2018 by a company called Dominant Brands. Christopher Daniels is listed in US Patent and Trademark Office filings as managing director of Dominant Brands.
In its petition dated October 26, Credit Suisse lists several grounds for cancellation, including that there was no use of the brand in commerce before the application, amendment to allege use, or statement of use was due; and false suggestion of a connection with people or institutions.
Credit Suisse said on October 27 it was planning to resurrect the First Boston brand as part of a major restructuring. The Swiss bank is being represented in the trademark case by John Welch of Wolf, Greenfield and Sacks and David Herrington of Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton.
First Boston Inc registered a change of representation on October 24, having appointed upstate New York firm Harter Secrest and Emery as its legal adviser. Although the trademark has been transferred to First Boston Inc, Daniels and Dominant Brands continue to be listed on the most recent filings.
It is not the first time that Dominant Brands has registered a legacy investment banking brand. The company was also behind the registration of a trademark for Salomon Brothers that is now being used by a start-up that also goes by Salomon Encore. The legal successor to the original Salomon Brothers entity is Citigroup, but it has allowed its trademark rights to lapse and is not connected to Salomon Encore.
First Boston Inc did not immediately respond to a request for comment.