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© St. Petersburg Times, published November 19, 2001
It hardly compares with weightier matters of war and peace. But Fowler White and Fowler White have agreed to a truce.
In a bid to adopt a catchier name, the Fowler White Gillen Boggs Villareal & Banker law firm of Tampa tried two years ago to trademark the moniker Fowler White.
Who could blame it? Receptionists tripped over the longer name. Promotional golf balls and banners couldn't contain it.
But a Miami firm whose name also begins with Fowler White filed suit after one of its lawyers stumbled onto the trademark application. Recently, bitter exchanges gave way to settlement talks and a compromise.
As part of the confidential deal, Fowler of Tampa dropped its trademark bid. Each firm agreed to cite at least three named partners on its letterhead and Web site. Tampa chose Fowler White Boggs Banker. Miami is using Fowler White Burnett.
In addition, each firm kept its own "FW" logo and linked its Web site to the other's. It's not clear whether the deal included monetary payments. Miami partner John Stickroot did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Though separate organizations since 1969, the two Fowlers share a single legacy: Both were founded about 60 years ago by the late Cody Fowler and Morris White. The sound-alike firms coexisted peacefully until the late 1990s, when competitive pressures in the industry led to the name flap.
"Obviously, everybody's trying to use shorter names these days for branding purposes," Tampa partner W. Donald Cox says. "On the other hand, our firm and the Miami firm want to distinguish between our two firms."
Not everything is equal in this post-settlement era, however. Tampa's receptionists today answer the phone "Fowler White Boggs Banker." Their Miami counterparts continue to say "Fowler White."
"Obviously," Cox says, "there's still going to be some confusion."