Our Practice
Patent Protection Practice

For businesses, a solid, comprehensive patent portfolio is vital to protecting their research and development investment and the fruits of that investment in the marketplace. For as long as our firm has been in practice, our overarching goal has always been to obtain patent protection for our clients consistent with their strategic business objectives.

A critical component of our success in obtaining maximum patent protection for our clients has been our recognition of the importance of personal, face-to-face, meetings with the patent examiner. Skillful use of one-on-one communication is indispensable in ensuring the examiner's understanding and appreciation of the invention, and in most effectively responding to the examiner's concerns. Particularly in areas of fast-changing, cutting-edge technology, the written word is often inadequate for an attorney to express most convincingly the arguments for patentability, and for an examiner to explain fully the bases for rejection. The complex issues involved in obtaining patents are often most efficiently resolved through face-to-face discussions. Our approach has achieved an unparalleled record of success in producing effective, sharply focused responses and resolution of patent procurement issues.

Recognizing the importance of personal contact between attorneys and examiners, we recently relocated our office directly adjacent to the new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) campus in Alexandria, Virginia. Before our move, we were situated adjacent to the previous PTO site in Arlington for more than 30 years. Our proximity to the PTO allows our attorneys to meet daily with PTO examiners.

Successful and persuasive communication, of course, is only possible if the responsible attorney possesses superior technical skills. Our practice attracts professionals whose technical and legal skills are of the highest caliber. Our patent team is rich with attorneys holding doctorates and other advanced degrees in virtually any imaginable technical field, including all engineering disciplines, biotechnology, software, chemistry, business methods and an array of other important technologies. This depth of education and experience enables us to analyze technical and legal issues efficiently and consistently present the most persuasive case on behalf of our clients.

To further enhance our efficiency, we make it our business to know in detail the innermost workings and policies of the PTO. We have carefully selected our patent team to include a former commissioner, many former patent judges and numerous former examiners. This combination of PTO experience, a wealth of technical expertise, and our superior communication skill enhanced by our unique location, enables us to provide our clients with unmatched service.