Your patent portfolio can be a lucrative, sometimes vital, part of your business. With a core concentration on patent rights, we will help you transform your ideas into valuable property rights and, in turn, add value to your intellectual property portfolio.
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie’s clients range from Fortune 100 companies to individual inventor, across various scientific disciplines: clean technology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotech, software, chemicals, business methods, electronics, e-commerce, aerospace, aeronautics, and defense. Because our clients are diverse, so are the strategies we employ to protect their ideas. We take a collaborative approach in our patent practice – we will work with you to find the most effective strategies to help you meet your goals.
Our team has decades of experience in working with patent examiners at the United States Patent & Trademark Office. We use our experience, expertise, and technical knowledge to navigate the complex process of patent prosecution, obtain the broadest possible protection, and, ultimately, receive granted patents for our clients. We can also handle your patent applications in foreign countries.
To be patentable, an invention must meet several requirements: novelty, nonobviousness, clarity, and other USPTO requirements. For more than 50 years, we’ve counseled our clients on various approaches to meet these requirements. We will lay out a practical time line so we can evaluate, prioritize, and sequence the actions necessary to obtain a granted patent for you.
We will also consult with you about challenges that can affect your business plans in the future – licensing negotiations, litigation, infringement, and design-around strategies.
In addition, we have an expert investigative team that searches the USPTO database, and other databases, for pending applications and issued patents that can affect your invention's patentability. Our proprietary docketing software ensures effective management of your patent portfolio by tracking all USPTO deadlines. We also have a state-of-the-art graphics department – CAD-equipped – to ensure that each patent drawing is an accurate portrayal of your invention.
We earn our reputation every day in the patent world. Whether you need us to prosecute an application, analyze a potential infringement, or evaluate your invention's patentability, we will be there for you.
Who We Help
In today’s hyper-competitive technological market, companies need to be as prepared as possible when introducing a new product or service to the marketplace. Whether you’re a lone innovator with a revolutionary idea, a fledgling startup on the verge of becoming the next big thing, or a company that’s already a household name, you want to make sure that your intellectual property rights are both fully developed and properly protected.
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie represents clientele at every stage of development, from the engineer working in his garage to publically traded companies that have already achieved prominence in their field. In some cases, we start by advising a company in its startup stage and continuing to counsel them through their growth and development stages, as well as after their public offering.
How We Help
We offer our clients a full range of intellectual property representation. Our experienced patent attorneys can help you obtain—and keep—a competitive advantage by successfully and cost-effectively guiding you through the complex maze of issues encountered in this continually changing area of the law.
Our attorneys’ backgrounds and breadth of experience enables them to develop comprehensive strategies for clients. Our patent attorneys―who have experience in both prosecution and litigation―have technical backgrounds in nearly all fields of technology, as well as practical experience gained from regular communication with patent examiners and other officials at the USPTO.
Foundation
Our attorneys will counsel you on best practices for identifying, documenting, and protecting your innovations. The state of patent law is continually changing and developing on multiple fronts, including federal statutes, regulations, administrative practices, courts, and trade agencies. We will help you anticipate issues affecting your company and position yourself to achieve your goals.
Strategic Development
Because so many of our patent attorneys have technical expertise, we are uniquely equipped to understand your invention and help you determine the kinds of patents that will provide the most strategic value. Whether your goal is to attract investors/buyers or protect your ability to do business against aggressive competitors and other actors, we can guide you in developing customized patent portfolios that will increase the valuation of your intellectual property and position yourself as best possible to achieve your goal.
Patent Application Preparation and Filing
Once you have determined what patent(s) to file, we can help prepare and file a patent application, which may include a formal specification, drawings, abstracts, and claims.
Patent Prosecution
The rules governing patent examination are lengthy, complex, and daunting. We can help you navigate through the United States Patent Office procedures and strategically develop a strong, comprehensive patent portfolio.
Appeals
If necessary, we can help you appeal the decision of the USPTO.
Reissue and Supplemental Examination
After a patent has been issued, you may determine that you need to broaden the scope of the original patent, that corrections may be needed, or that the patent needs to be otherwise perfected. We can help you strengthen and bolster your existing patents so that they are in the best condition possible when you need to enforce them.
Reexamination and Review
In addition to advising you with respect to your own patents, we can also help you evaluate the validity (or invalidity) of patents belonging to your competitors and other parties, including non-practicing entities, patent assertion entities, or “patent trolls.” We can help you challenge the validity of such patents by requesting that the United States Patent Office re-examine such patents in light of new or previously undisclosed information.
Policy-making
We also review proposed rules affecting patent processes on your behalf and submit detailed comments to protect your interests.
Due Diligence
Whether you are financing or acquiring intellectual property or your intellectual property is being financed or acquired, we can help you evaluate and maximize the value of that intellectual property.
Opinion Letters
We can provide you with guidance by thoroughly researching and analyzing issues related to intellectual property, including freedom to operate, validity, invalidity, infringement, or noninfringement.