In an emerging dispute over the descriptor “Emergent,” a startup-focused law firm based in San Francisco is suing another firm across the country claiming it hasn’t infringed on the trademark for “Emergent Law.”

In a complaint filed Monday, San Francisco Bay Area law firm Emergent Law has asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to declare it has not infringed upon marks held by the Perkins Law Firm in Greenville, South Carolina.