Strong patent rights are powerful business tools for emerging and established businesses—providing access to capital, attracting merger partners and protecting investments and market share.

Our patent attorneys work closely with clients to understand and pursue their business objectives. We have earned a reputation for sophisticated and client-focused patent portfolio strategy, acquisition, management and deployment. We strive to find innovative ways to establish, protect and maximize the value of our clients’ technology with solid patent portfolios.

Many of our patent attorneys both litigate and prosecute patents, and all have a science or engineering background, often with deep experience in the technologies our clients want to protect. Insight from litigation and technical or scientific experience informs our counsel during the invention and patenting processes, facilitating our ability to obtain appropriately broad, defensible patents. We do not work merely to “obtain many patents,” but to develop portfolios that are valuable offensive and defensive business assets.

Our patent prosecution and counseling attorneys have degrees in a variety of scientific areas and many have experience working as engineers, inventors, researchers and educators.

Mechanical Engineering and Systems

We have deep experience prosecuting mechanical engineering and systems patents. We represent the makers and sellers of medical devices, textiles, hand and power tools, packaging, paper products, automobiles and parts, food and food processing, manufacturing, sporting goods, appliances, building construction and many other mechanical devices.

Software and Electrical Engineering

We practice patent law on the cutting edge of technologies and legal issues relevant to our client's business pursuits. We represent some of the best known names in software, electrical systems and computer technologies, as well as early stage and emerging technology firms. Our patent prosecution attorneys with degrees in computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering work collaboratively with our top tier copyright and trademark attorneys to protect our clients' most valuable assets and guide them as they operate in an ever evolving marketplace. We have experience with power systems, electronics, control systems, signal processing, integrated circuits, telecommunications, open source software, microelectromechanical systems and biomedical engineering. We have extensive experience prosecuting and litigating business method patents, and have experience drafting application development agreements, technology transfer agreements and licensing agreements.

Biotechnology and Chemical

Our legal and scientific professionals have diverse professional backgrounds and real world experience as researchers, scientists and inventors. Many have advanced degrees in biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry, chemical engineering, genetics and many related sciences. Our Health & Life Sciences practice takes an interdisciplinary approach to protecting and maximizing the value of our clients' scientific assets. By teaming with our corporate and litigation attorneys, we are able to serve all of the needs of our biotechnology and chemical clients.

Post-Grant Proceedings

Patent Reissue

A patent reissue proceeding allows a patent owner to address an error in a patent made without deceptive intent that renders the patent wholly or partly inoperative or invalid. A patent owner may attempt to broaden the scope of the patent claims only when the reissue application is filed within two years of the original patent issuance.

Supplemental Examination

Effective September 16, 2012, a supplemental examination proceeding allows a patent owner to have the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office consider, reconsider or correct information believed to be relevant to the patent. The “information” that forms the basis of the request is not limited to patents and printed publications and may include other issues, e.g., issues under 35 U.S.C. 112 pertaining to the body of the patent. In general, supplemental examination allows a patent owner to address and potentially correct issues that might otherwise form the basis of an inequitable conduct allegation. A supplemental examination request is granted if the information presented raises a substantial new question of patentability (SNQ). If an SNQ is found to have been raised, reexamination will be ordered and will generally be conducted according to ex parte reexamination procedures.

Derivation Proceedings

Beginning, March 16, 2013, new “derivation proceedings” will be tried before the new Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to determine whether an inventor named in an earlier patent application “derived” the invention from an inventor named in a later application and filed the application without authorization. Under the first-inventor-to-file provisions of the new patent statute, an applicant may file a petition to institute a derivation proceeding only within one year of the first publication of a claim to an invention that is the same or substantially the same as the earlier application’s claim to the invention. The petition must be supported by substantial evidence that the claimed invention was derived from an inventor named in the petitioner’s application.