ABOUT
CLOTH & CODE LEGAL
Cloth and Code Legal is a boutique intellectual property practice for founders and creatives who build with intention. The work is designed to protect what you build and support how you bring it to market: trademark and copyright strategy (including registration support), brand agreements and licensing, and practical guidance on advertising and label compliance.
This approach is modern counsel. Grounded, clear, and values-led. Craft-led. Culture-aware. Impact-minded. Built for founders who want thoughtful strategy and steady support, not shortcuts.
C. NICOLE GAITHER
Strategy first. Standards always. No shortcuts.
Before I practiced law, I was a CPA. I spent years in accounting, learning to read businesses from the inside out: how they’re structured, where the risk sits, what the numbers actually say about where a company is headed.
That background shapes everything I do now. When a founder comes to me with a naming question, I’m not just thinking about the trademark register. I’m thinking about their product pipeline, their licensing potential, and whether the name they love will still serve them three years from now.
I went into law because I watched local artists and creators pour everything into their work with no legal safety net. Copyright law pulled me in immediately. Trademarks followed. I’ve spent nearly eight years advising consumer-facing brands on clearance, prosecution, enforcement, licensing, and brand strategy.
At Howard University School of Law, I supervise students in the IP Trademark Clinic, a USPTO-certified program. In practice, I’ve registered 100+ marks, prevailed in UDRP proceedings, and resolved disputes though negotiation and settlement with companies far larger than my clients.
I founded Cloth and Code Legal for brands that care about how they build, not just how fast. If that’s the kind of counsel you’re looking for, start wtih the intake form and I’ll take it from there.
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, JD, Certificate in Taxation
The University of Texas at Austin (McCombs School of Business), Master of Professional Accounting, Managerial Accounting
Tulane University, Bachelor of Science in Management, Accounting
Certified Public Accountant (Georgia)
Licensed in the District of Columbia and Louisiana
HOW I PRACTICE
Selective engagements. I take on work where the fit is right, and the strategy is clear. Not every matter belongs here, and I’d rather say so early than deliver something rushed.
Flat-fee structure. Most services are scoped and priced before work begins. You know what you’re paying for, what you’re getting, and when to expect it.
Long view. I build protection strategies designed to hold up as your brand grows, not just to clear a filing deadline. The goal is a portfolio that compounds in value over time.
Pro bono and community. I volunteer with The Ella Project and Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, supporting creators and founders who need legal guidance but lack access to it.
Moral support. Break reminders. Calm presence.
LENNOX GAITHER
Lennox specializes in morale, movement breaks, and keeping the studio from taking itself too seriously. He’s often found supervising from a nearby spot, ready to cue a reset.
Not involved in legal work, but strictly quality control for vibes.