What's in a Name? Linguistic, Strategic, and Legal Considerations in Choosing a Corporate Name
University Club of Palo Alto
3277 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Harvard Club Members: $25
Non-Members: $40
Thursday, May 3
6:00 pm-8:30 pm
Harvard Club Members: $25
Non-Members: $40
Are you starting a new company? Or launching a new product? Choosing a memorable name is a critical, yet frustrating, step. A good name can greatly impact how buyers perceive your company or product. And will your name invite legal trouble? Our experts will discuss linguistic, strategic, creative, and legal considerations in choosing a winning name. Learn how to avoid common mistakes and find the right name.
Lynn Nichols
Lynn Nichols was an Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley until 2011 and is the founder of a new naming consultancy. Nichols was previously an Associate Professor of Linguistics at Harvard. She is an expert on word coining, word formation, the lexicon, syntactic theory, Native American Languages. Ms. Nichols holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Harvard University.
Rick Herrick, Salt Branding
Rick Herrick is the Founding Partner of Salt Branding. Salt provides integrated branding services that bring together strategy, naming, design, communications, interactive, and culture. Prior to founding Salt, Rick had extensive experience in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco working for Chiat/Day, Saatchi & Saatchi and Goldberg, Moser O'Neill, and Interbrand. At Salt, his clients have included Avaya, Coca-Cola, Jawbone, Microsoft, Polycom, Ventev and many others. Showing his left and right brain tendencies, Rick holds a BA in Music and Economics from Dartmouth College.
Laurel Sutton, Catchword Branding
Laurel Sutton is Principal Lead and co-founder of Catchword Branding, a nationally respected naming consultancy. Catchword works with innovative brands like Cisco, Adobe and Roche. Laurel testifies in court as an expert witness on naming and branding. She also has an inexplicable passion for MythBusters on the Discovery Channel. Laurel was the first person ever to earn a B.A. in Linguistics from Rutgers University, where she also majored in English. She is working towards her Ph.D. in Linguistics from University of California at Berkeley.
Soyeun Choi, Attorney at Law
Soyeun Choi advises companies on business and intellectual property law matters. Soyeun advises clients at the inception of their brand identities and guides them through the trademark prosecution process. In addition to her busy practice, Soyeun is President of the Palo Alto Area Bar Association, Co-Chair of the Newsletter Committee of the Asian American Bar Association, Chair of the Intellectual Property Committee of the San Mateo County Bar Association, and past Vice Chair of the Diversity Committee of the San Mateo County Bar Association.