One of our clients has received another trademark warning email.
This one is slightly different because there appears to be a genuine regulated firm called MA & Co Law Ltd.
That does not mean the email is genuine.
In fact, that is exactly why this type of correspondence can be so dangerous. A business owner may search the name, find a real solicitor firm, and assume the email must be legitimate.
That assumption should not be made without checking.
The email came from: alice@legalnotice.maandcolaw.co.uk
The subject line was: Legal Notice on Business Name and Domain Rights Conflict
It claimed that another party was preparing to file a UK trademark application for our client’s business name, and that our client had 48 hours to respond.
It used legal language. It referred to the UKIPO. It mentioned the Trade Marks Act 1994, Section 5(4)(a), earlier rights, prior use and Nominet domain disputes.
In simple terms, it was written to make the recipient think: “I had better take this seriously.”
And that is the point.
The Email
The email stated:
Hi [REDACTED],
We write on behalf of the Trademark Division of Ma and Co Law regarding a pending application for the mark [REDACTED], which is scheduled for imminent submission to the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO).
This correspondence constitutes a formal legal notice issued as part of our mandatory pre-filing due diligence under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and UKIPO regulatory practice.
Following an internal rights assessment, your organisation has been identified as a party that may hold prior commercial or legal interests in the name [REDACTED] within the United Kingdom. As such, your position must be clarified before the application proceeds further.
Our review specifically concerns:
- Potential prior use in the course of trade, capable of giving rise to enforceable rights under Section 5(4)(a) of the Trade Marks Act 1994; and
- Any grounds for opposition under Section 5, including unregistered rights, trade names, goodwill, or other earlier interests.
You are hereby required to confirm, within 48 hours of receipt of this notice, whether:
- You or your organisation have used, or are currently using, the name [REDACTED] within the United Kingdom; and/or
- You assert any form of legal, commercial, or equitable rights in respect of the same.
If you intend to oppose or challenge the application, you must provide a clear written objection, together with supporting evidence, within the stated timeframe. Any such evidence must meet the evidentiary standards prescribed under the Trade Marks Rules 2008.
Please be advised:
- In the absence of a response within 48 hours, we will proceed on the recorded basis that no objection or competing rights are being asserted;
- Such non-response may significantly limit your ability to challenge, oppose, or enforce rights against the mark at a later stage; and
- The application will proceed without further notice to you.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, should you be actively trading under the name and wish to secure exclusive statutory protection, we are able, subject to your immediate written instructions, to prioritise the preparation and filing of a UK trademark application on your behalf ahead of the current submission.
This opportunity is extended in recognition of your potential status as a prior user of the mark, thereby enabling you to regularise and secure your rights through formal registration under the Trade Marks Act 1994 prior to any competing application proceeding further.
You should also note the following legal implications:
- The UK trademark system operates on a strict first-to-file basis;
- Registration confers exclusive enforceable rights under the Trade Marks Act 1994; and
- Registered rights may be relied upon in domain name disputes, including proceedings under Nominet DRS.
For compliance, audit, and evidentiary purposes, all communications in relation to this matter must remain strictly in writing.
This matter is time-sensitive and requires your immediate attention. We strongly advise that you respond within the stipulated timeframe to avoid any adverse legal or commercial consequences.
Yours faithfully,
[REDACTED NAME]
Registered IP Solicitor
66-68 Radclyffe House, Hagley Road, Birmingham, United Kingdom, B16 8PF
SRA: [REDACTED]
Phone: [REDACTED]
Website: [REDACTED]
The Familiar Pattern
The wording follows a pattern we are now seeing far too often.
The recipient is told:
- another party is about to file for their brand
- they have been identified as a prior user
- they have 48 hours to respond
- they may lose rights if they do nothing
- the sender can help them file urgently
That is the same basic structure we have seen in other trademark warning emails.
Create urgency. Create fear. Offer the solution.
The email is not just warning the recipient about a supposed third party application. It also offers to prioritise the preparation and filing of a UK trademark application for them.
That is the part business owners need to be careful with.
If someone contacts you out of the blue, gives you a short deadline, warns you of serious consequences, and then offers to file something for you urgently, you should slow down and check who you are dealing with.
The Genuine MA & Co Law
This is where the issue becomes more complicated.
There does appear to be a genuine firm called MA & Co Law Ltd.
We found the legitimate owner of MA & Co Law Ltd through official solicitor directory information and have written to her for comment.
The information we reviewed identifies Samaira Arshad as the solicitor, director, owner, Compliance Officer for Legal Practice and Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration at MA & Co Law Ltd.
The listed areas of practice include:
- crime
- family
- immigration, nationality and citizenship
- personal injury
We have not seen trademarks or intellectual property listed as areas of practice.
That does not mean the firm could not offer trademark services. However, it is an important distinction when reviewing an email that presents itself as coming from a “Trademark Division” and appears to focus entirely on UK trademark filing pressure.
At the time of writing, we have not identified a verified website for the genuine MA & Co Law Ltd.
The website used in the email presents itself as a trademark-focused website, but we have not been able to verify that it is genuinely operated by the SRA-regulated firm.
That is the concern.
A business owner may search the name, find a genuine regulated law firm, and assume the email must be safe.
That assumption should not be made without verification.
The Name In The Email Footer
The email footer used the name Alice Mary Rance and described her as a Registered IP Solicitor.
It also gave the SRA number 7826369.
We checked the SRA register and found an entry for Alice Mary Rance, SRA number 7826369. The register states that she was admitted as a solicitor on 4 June 2026 and has an annual practising certificate from the same date.
However, the SRA entry also states:
“There are currently no practices displayed for this person.”
That means we have not been able to verify that Alice Mary Rance is connected to MA & Co Law Ltd, the website used in the email, or the correspondence sent to our client.
That distinction matters.
We are not saying that Alice Mary Rance sent the email.
We are saying that the email uses the name and SRA number of a real solicitor, but we have not found any visible evidence linking that solicitor to MA & Co Law Ltd.
That is exactly the kind of detail that can make a business owner think an email is legitimate.
Before paying money or providing instructions, you should always verify that the person named in the email is actually connected to the firm contacting you.
Why We Doubt The Website Is Genuine
Based on what we have reviewed so far, we consider it unlikely that the website is genuinely operated by the regulated MA & Co Law Ltd.
There are several reasons for this.
The website does not clearly cite the SRA number of the regulated firm. It does not appear to reference the genuine company details from Companies House in a clear and transparent way. One of the forms appears to include a US-style phone number as a default field, despite the website presenting itself as a UK legal service.
The terms and conditions also do not read like the sort of client care, complaints and regulatory wording we would expect from an SRA-regulated solicitor firm.
The email also uses the name and SRA number of a real solicitor, but the SRA entry we reviewed does not currently show any practice connected to that person, and we have not found any visible link between that solicitor and MA & Co Law Ltd.
None of those points, on their own, prove that the website is fake.
But when you put them together with the trademark-focused email, the lack of obvious IP or trademark practice areas for the genuine firm, and the pressure-based wording used in the correspondence, there are serious questions to answer.
We have written to the legitimate owner of MA & Co Law Ltd for comment and will update this article as soon as possible if we receive clarification.
The Tactics Are The Real Issue
Regardless of who is behind the website, the tactics used in the email are not what we would expect to see from a regulated organisation.
A 48-hour deadline, formal legal language, warnings about losing the ability to challenge rights later, and an offer to file urgently ahead of a supposed competing applicant should always be checked carefully.
That does not mean every email about a trademark conflict is fake.
It does not mean every warning about a competing trademark application is wrong.
But if a genuine legal issue exists, it should be capable of withstanding basic due diligence.
A pressure tactic relies on you not doing any.
What Should You Check?
If you receive an email from MA & Co Law, or any similar organisation, claiming that another party is about to register your brand, do not rush into replying, signing or paying.
Before taking action, check:
- Is there actually a pending UK trademark application?
- Who is the competing applicant?
- Who is the sender acting for?
- Is the sender genuinely connected to the regulated firm?
- Does the SRA listing match the website and email?
- Does the website clearly identify the legal entity behind the service?
- Does the firm list trademarks or intellectual property as an area of practice?
- Do you already have rights in the name? A trademark audit will tell you exactly where you stand.
If you already have a trademark representative, send the email to them.
If you do not, get a second opinion before making any payment or giving instructions. You can check known scams in our free Trademark Scam Directory, or send the letter to us and we will review it for free.
Why This Matters
Trademark scams are becoming more sophisticated.
Some arrive by email. Some arrive by WhatsApp. Some arrive by post.
Some look like invoices. Some look like renewal notices. Others look like formal legal warnings.
The most worrying ones use the name of genuine people, firms or organisations to borrow credibility.
That is why business owners need to be careful.
A genuine regulated firm should have no issue confirming who they are, how they are regulated, what website they operate from, and whether the person named in the email is actually connected to them.
If those details are unclear, stop and check.
Have You Received A Similar Email?
If you have received a Legal Notice on Business Name and Domain Rights Conflict from MA & Co Law, or a similar email from another organisation, we would be interested in seeing it.
We are continuing to build a picture of these approaches so we can help SMEs understand what is real, what is questionable and what should be ignored.
We will update this article if we receive clarification from the genuine MA & Co Law Ltd.
As always, if in doubt, ask questions first and reach for your wallet second. Call The Trademark Helpline on 0161 833 5400 and we will tell you, in plain English, whether the letter in front of you is anything to worry about.
