Tesoro has gone to great length to fly under the radar with its company name change over the past several months by creating a shell company in Delaware for the registration of the names Andeavor and Andeavor Logistics with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office.
Susan Goldsmith, a partner at McCarter & English Attorneys at Law, said that it is uncommon for companies in the U.S. to create a new shell company to register a trademark or trademarks. However, it could be done for corporate or competitive reasons.