My team worked with a CU here in Massachusetts who was slapped with a lawsuit from a farm credit organization. We live in the Pioneer Valley, and the CU decided to change it’s name from “Monsanto Employees CU” to “Pioneer First CU”. They did this knowing that “First Pioneer Farm Credit” existed about 20 miles away, but over the state line in Connecticut. Well, the CU was slapped with a big cease and desist lawsuit after going through their whole name change including signage on a brand new, expensive headquarters, and called us to change the name again, QUICKLY. In developing a new name for them we checked candidates not only against google results, but also the USPTO site to make sure that we weren’t conflicting with ANY other company nation-wide that had anything whatsoever to do with finance, whether it be a mortgage company, auto dealer, or real estate office. Even then, the CU’s lawyer made sure that the new name was as free and clear as it could possibly be.

So all this is to say, if our experience is any indication, that bank is going to LOSE this battle and lose big. Props to the CU for having registered their name. Yes it will cost some money to sue the bank, but since this seems cut and dried as to who was there first, and a clear confusion with customers exists, I bet the lawyers will LOVE this case since it’s a slamdunk outcome for the CU. The bank doesn’t have a peg-leg to stand on.