What was filed
Washington & Company, LLC v. Washington and Co., Inc., No. 8:26-cv-04014-LKG (D. Md., Southern Division), was filed September 30, 2026. The plaintiff says it is a North Carolina limited liability company based in Cary, organized in 2008. It alleges that Maryland corporate records identify the defendant as Washington & Co Inc., formerly Washington Accounting Services Inc., and, on information and belief, that the defendant is a Maryland corporation based in Bowie, Maryland. The complaint demands a jury trial.
The marks
USPTO records show U.S. Reg. No. 8,229,506 for WASHINGTON & CO. in standard characters, registered April 28, 2026, for business organization and management consulting in Class 35, and U.S. Reg. No. 8,399,326 for WASHINGTON & COMPANY in standard characters, registered August 18, 2026, for business consultancy in Class 35, both owned by the plaintiff. The complaint also alleges common law rights in Maryland and the District of Columbia from use since at least 2011.
What the complaint alleges
The complaint alleges that the defendant changed its corporate name to Washington & Co Inc. in July 2024, after the plaintiff's rights arose, and uses WASHINGTON & CO and WASHINGTON & CO. INC. for accounting, tax, chief financial officer, and advisory services that reach overlapping customers. It alleges actual confusion in the form of misdirected emails, phone calls, and employment inquiries, and it says the plaintiff sent cease-and-desist demands on September 15, 2025 and August 20, 2026.
The counts and relief
Count I alleges false designation of origin and unfair competition under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a)(1)(A). Count II alleges Maryland common law trademark infringement and unfair competition. Count III alleges infringement of the two registrations under 15 U.S.C. § 1114. The prayer asks for a permanent injunction limited to the services and markets where the plaintiff has rights, removal or destruction of infringing materials, a compliance report, and monetary relief, costs, and fees as the law allows.