Patent & IP Services

Utility Patents

Utility patents protect the functional aspects of your invention — the way it works, how it's made, or how it's used. They are the most common and often the most valuable form of patent protection.

Our utility patent process includes:

• Invention Disclosure Review — We meet with you to thoroughly understand your invention, its novel features, and its commercial context
• Prior Art Search — Comprehensive search of U.S. and international patent databases, plus non-patent literature, to assess patentability and inform claim strategy
• Patentability Opinion — Candid assessment of your invention's patentability, including identification of the strongest claim angles
• Application Drafting — Detailed specification with thorough written description support, multiple embodiments, and strategically layered claims (independent and dependent)
• Patent Prosecution — Responding to USPTO office actions with persuasive arguments, targeted amendments, and examiner interviews when strategically advantageous

Design Patents

Design patents protect the ornamental appearance of a functional article — the way your product looks, not how it works. They're a powerful complement to utility patents and often faster and less expensive to obtain.

Design patents are particularly valuable for:

• Consumer products with distinctive visual designs
• User interface (UI) and graphical user interface (GUI) elements
• Furniture, lighting, and architectural elements
• Packaging and container designs
• Any product where visual identity drives purchasing decisions

We prepare design patent applications with professional-quality drawings that capture the full scope of your design's novelty.

Provisional Patent Applications

A provisional application establishes a priority date for your invention without the formality (or cost) of a full utility application. It gives you 12 months to refine your invention, test the market, seek funding, or develop the technology further — all while maintaining your filing date.

We draft provisional applications with the same technical rigor as non-provisionals, ensuring that the written description fully supports the claims you'll eventually file. A poorly drafted provisional can fail to preserve your priority date when you need it most.

Patent Prosecution

Patent prosecution is the process of negotiating with the USPTO to secure your patent. Most applications receive at least one office action (rejection), and how you respond often determines the scope and strength of the patent you ultimately receive.

Our prosecution approach:

• Strategic Claim Amendments — Narrowing claims only as much as necessary, preserving the broadest defensible scope
• Persuasive Arguments — Clearly distinguishing your invention over cited prior art with technically precise, legally sound reasoning
• Examiner Interviews — Direct conversations with patent examiners to resolve issues efficiently and build prosecution records that support claim scope
• Continuation Strategy — Using continuation and continuation-in-part applications to expand your patent portfolio as your technology evolves
• Appeal & PTAB — When examiner rejections are improper, we pursue appeals to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Freedom-to-Operate Analysis

Before launching a new product or entering a new market, a freedom-to-operate (FTO) analysis helps you understand whether your activities might infringe existing patents. This reduces risk and informs business decisions.

Our FTO process includes:

• Comprehensive search of relevant patents and published applications
• Claim-by-claim analysis of identified patents against your product or process
• Assessment of patent validity and enforceability
• Design-around recommendations when infringement risk is identified
• Clear, actionable written opinion for your business team

IP Strategy & Portfolio Management

A patent is a business tool. We help you build and manage a patent portfolio that's aligned with your competitive strategy, not just a collection of filings.

• Portfolio Audits — Reviewing existing patents and applications to identify gaps, redundancies, and optimization opportunities
• Filing Strategy — Deciding what to patent, when to file, and how to allocate your IP budget for maximum impact
• Competitive Landscape Analysis — Understanding what your competitors are patenting and identifying white space opportunities
• International Filing Decisions — PCT, Paris Convention, and national phase strategies tailored to your markets