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Des Plaines officials tell lawyer to stop using similar logo

Des Plaines officials told former aldermanic candidate Bob Porada on Tuesday to stop using a logo for his law firm that looks similar to a city logo found on street banners, patrol cars and coffee mugs.

An advertisement for Chicago-based Porada Law Offices in the 2016 Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce guide includes a logo with an interlocking lowercase “d” and uppercase “P” that mirrors the logo developed for the city last summer by Nashville-based NorthStar Destination Strategies, a rebranding consultant.

City officials noticed Porada's ad late last week and had their lawyers talk to Porada on Tuesday.

As a result of that conversation, City Manager Mike Bartholomew said Porada agreed to “cease and desist” using his logo, though Porada didn't confirm that, saying he expects to advise the city's attorneys of his decision by Friday morning.

“The logo is the city's,” Bartholomew said. “Whether we use it or not, it's definitely ours. We paid for it and did use it in a commercial application. Whether we use that one or a different one, it's our logo.”

In a registration filing with the Illinois secretary of state, Porada states he began using his logo on Dec. 14, 2015 — days before a Dec. 21 city council meeting in which aldermen voted to halt additional spending on a city rebranding campaign, which includes the city's “dP” logo.

Because of the spending freeze, Bartholomew said his staff didn't apply to get the logo trademarked as they intended to do.

Porada, meanwhile, got state approval Jan. 20, 2016, to have his logo registered for a five-year period.

He said he researched and confirmed that the city's logo wasn't registered before filling out his trademark application with the state.

Bartholomew called the timing of Porada's registration “very curious.”

Porada said it wasn't spite or any expression of personal disdain for the city's rebranding efforts — which have been criticized by some aldermen and residents — that prompted him to use a similar logo.

He says he “doodled” a rudimentary logo for his business in the 1970s, before arriving at the current design in 1999.

He never used it publicly in advertising, on stationery or on business cards until last December.

“For the last few years I've been promoting Porada Law Offices to a much greater extent, especially in the Northwest suburbs, so the time seemed right to start using this late 1990s logo,” Porada said.

In his logo, Porada says the “P” stands for his last name, and the “d” for a former business partner, but he says what he likes about it is the resulting infinity symbol.

Porada was an eight-year member of the city's zoning board of appeals until he wasn't reappointed by Mayor Matt Bogusz last year.

Porada ran for 7th Ward alderman but lost to Don Smith in April 2015.

The city unveiled its new logo in June 2015 along with the “Good Move” slogan, placing the logo on items ranging from city uniform patches to mouse pads.

But in the face of increasing backlash from some of the mayor's council critics who argued they weren't involved in the selection of the logo and tagline, aldermen pulled back the reins in December.

An ad hoc committee is now examining the city's branding and marketing efforts.

This logo, developed as part of a Des Plaines rebranding campaign, appears on city materials, police squad cars and uniform patches.
Bob Porada
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