What we do

Full Spectrum IP Services

Expert guidance along the intellectual property journey

What We Do

Patterson + Sheridan is a full-service intellectual property (IP) firm, offering every possible strategy to protect and enforce IP within the U.S. and abroad. Since 1996, we've successfully secured patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other critical assets for exceptional technology innovators, ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. We are among the world's top ten writers of original U.S. patent applications and have received accolades and high rankings over the years from U.S. News, The Business Journals, Super Lawyers, and other independent IP sources. With over 33,000+ patents granted, more than 1000 trademark applications filed and extensive trial experience. This is Patterson + Sheridan.

Patent Preparation + Prosecution

We are one of the nation’s leading intellectual property and technology law firms, securing hundreds of patents every year for some of the world’s largest, most innovative companies. In the most recent rankings of the nation’s top IP law firms, we were ranked 30th for the number of patents prosecuted per year.

Trademark + Brand Protection

Your trademark is the heart of your brand. It’s an invaluable business tool and a hallmark of your marketing and branding strategies — that’s why it deserves unique attention and unyielding defense. Trust your trademarks to the team that high-profile brands around the world depend on.

Litigation + Dispute Resolution

Protection of technology is a critical business tool. Your valuable patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other IP rights would be meaningless without the ability to successfully enforce them. If not effectively managed, however, intellectual property litigation can be needlessly time-consuming and expensive. As an intellectual property and technology law firm with former big-firm litigators, we are uniquely positioned to win cases—and to do so in a cost-efficient way.

Technology, Licensing + IP Transactions

In addition to our deep technical knowledge and effectiveness in patent and trademark preparation and prosecution, Patterson + Sheridan has the knowledge and resources to effectively manage all aspects of a company’s IP portfolio.

Mergers + Acquisitions

Protection of technology is a critical business tool. Your valuable patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other IP rights would be meaningless without the ability to successfully enforce them. If not effectively managed, however, intellectual property litigation can be needlessly time-consuming and expensive. As an intellectual property and technology law firm with former big-firm litigators, we are uniquely positioned to win cases—and to do so in a cost-efficient way.

Risk Assessment + Compliance

In addition to its deep technical knowledge and effectiveness in patent and trademark preparation and prosecution, Patterson + Sheridan has the knowledge and resources to effectively manage all aspects of a company’s IP portfolio.

Our Technical Services

Strategic thinking and counsel for all things IP.

Our Technical Services

Strategic thinking and counsel for all things IP

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Featured Case Studies

Combating cybercrime: Responding to an online spear phishing attack with a company at stake

Website spoofing: When imitation isn’t flattery
One of our clients, a major player in the oil and gas industry, recently discovered a copycat…

New Trial Denied Following $13 Million Verdict

A client that had developed a revolutionary new, web-based point of sale system came to us for help when a much larger company, a cash register…

An IP-driven approach to M&A: How we helped a Fortune 500 company seek out a strategic business partner

An IP-driven approach to M&A: How we helped a Fortune 500 company seek out a strategic business partner
A Fortune 500 global trading and…

Successfully Defending a patent against two IPRs

Successfully defending a patent against two IPRs

An inter partes review (IPR) can often be a death sentence for a patent. In fact, the majority of…

Examiner Interviews: How Our Collaborative Approach Benefits Clients

At Patterson + Sheridan, building strong professional relationships is just as important as developing solid patent applications — the two go hand…

How to Develop a Good Defense Against Challenges to a Patent for Nonobviousness

Any company that has developed a valuable patent should prepare in advance for the possibility that the patent could be challenged. The best offense…

How we helped a tech company protect a new revenue stream with a design patent

A Fortune 100 technology company was preparing to release a new wireless access point (WAP), and wanted to ensure they had filed patent applications…

Defending a Fortune 500 chemical company against multimillion-dollar patent infringement allegations

When an international manufacturer and supplier of chemicals was facing claims of patent infringement, they turned to John Barr, Jay Yates and their…

Protecting AI-Based Inventions Despite Recent Legal Hurdles

The next wave in technological advancement
Artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining the next technological age. It’s estimated that 38 percent…

Strategic Patent Reviews Help an Oilfield Products Company Cut Costs and Streamline Portfolio

It’s not uncommon for a company to have a sizeable patent portfolio but not have an in-house intellectual property attorney. This was the case for…

3 Ways Patterson + Sheridan Helps a Fortune 50 Tech Company Develop the Highest Quality Patents

When clients turn to Patterson + Sheridan, our attorneys go “all in” to deliver the highest quality strategic counseling and most thorough…

Resolving a Reissue Standoff: Proving Patent Eligibility in the Face of the ‘Abstract Idea’ Argument

The owner of a 3D printing company found himself in a bind when applying for a reissue of the patent central to his business. Originally filed a…

How We Draft and Enforce Non-Traditional Trademarks for America’s No. 1 Acoustic Guitar-Maker

At Patterson + Sheridan, our trademark services go above and beyond words. We have deep experience drafting and enforcing non-traditional trademarks…

How Persistence and Storytelling Helped Secure a Federal Preliminary Injunction to Protect Trade Secrets

Facts are paramount in any case, but how they are leveraged is what wins cases. While technology is second nature to us, in litigation, we also…

3 Reasons In-person Client Meetings Produce Stronger Patent Applications

The key to developing a strong patent application? Understanding an invention from the inside out. Our secret weapon to truly understanding a new…

Using Subject-Matter Eligibility as a Sword and Shield When Protecting Clients’ IP

Patent law is constantly evolving, due in large part to subject-matter eligibility. The latest Supreme Court decision on this subject, known as the…

Patterson + Sheridan Speeds Time to Market for Fortune 100 Client’s New Polymer

During product research, one of our Fortune 100 technology clients created a new polymer with durable qualities. This meant the new polymer would be…

Hammer judge in digital background / Concept of technology lawsuit

Patterson + Sheridan Team’s Deep ‘Means-Plus-Function’ Knowledge Instrumental in Infringement Suit Dismissal for Large Tech Client

Patent law is complex and ever changing, especially in the rapidly growing technology sector. When one of our global clients was sued in federal…

Strategic Analysis Leads to Quick Settlement of Patent Infringement Claim

A small oil field services company was sued by a behemoth in its industry for patent infringement. Facing a costly and time-intensive uphill battle,…

Business success with growing, rising charts

Sale of Industry-Leading Patent Portfolio Funds Client’s Next Product

For nearly a decade, we have represented a prominent company in the video analytics space, building a high quality portfolio of patents protecting…

Risk chart with keywords and icons

Technical Knowledge, Team Approach Key in Managing Complex Patent Portfolio Transactions

In today’s deal-driven technology sector, a transaction’s value rests heavily in a target’s active patent portfolio. Often, the portfolio…

three dna strands

Final Rejection of Claims to cDNA Withdrawn After Filing Appeal Briefs

First Examiner finally rejected all pending claims because a few claims covered cDNA derived from a naturally occurring source (mRNA from a dog)….

Maximizing Patent Value Through Scaling Up Process

A large state university approached us about an important
process for carbon dioxide capture it had developed. The inventors were
scheduled to…

street signs with different languages

Bilingual Attorneys Help Overseas Clients Overcome Language Barrier, Increase Quality of Patent Applications

In today’s global economy, patent applications often are filed in the United States after they have been filed abroad. With 14 bilingual attorneys…

red dart hitting bullseye

​Strategic Approach Enables Client to Dramatically Increase Annual Patent Filings

Our clients’ patent filing expectations change each year. Sometimes, they can change dramatically in response to product releases, mergers,…

Patterson + Sheridan Conducts an IP Mining Workshop for an Emerging Company, Which Led to the Company Identifying Key New Patentable Ideas

One of our multi-national diversified clients had invested in an emerging alternative energy company (the “Company”). This client was concerned…

Patterson + Sheridan Conducts an IP Mining Workshop for an Emerging Company, Which Led to The Company Identifying Key New Patentable Ideas

International Experience and Technical/Legal Expertise Allows us to Quickly Protect a Client from Infringement Accusations

One of our large multi-national clients approached us when a competitor accused it of selling a device that infringed on the competitor’s Chinese…

sharing ideas

Closely Partnering with our Client Leads to Multiple Patent Applications and Earlier Filing Dates

One of our clients, a Fortune 500 equipment manufacturing company, regularly conducts engineering design review sessions that include Patterson +…

puzzle pieces - smaller image

A Global Approach to Serving Clients

One of our US-based clients is a consumer products company with affiliates in China; the Chinese affiliates produce goods for sale in the US and…

Filing Amicus Briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court

Lawyers from Patterson + Sheridan have filed amicus briefs on behalf of clients at the Federal Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. In…

​Successful Trial Work for Satisfied Clients

Patterson + Sheridan has established a strong track record of performing repeat trial work for satisfied clients. Working in close consultation with…

Evaluating Portfolios, Assessing Risks

Patterson + Sheridan has extensive experience in helping clients identify and evaluate intellectual property portfolios for possible acquisition….

Helping Pioneering Start-Ups Develop IP Portfolios Worth Millions

Patterson + Sheridan is well-versed in helping start-up companies develop – and maximize the value of – their patent portfolios. During the…

Improving Efficiency, Reducing Costs for Asia-based Client

Patterson + Sheridan manages the patent prosecution process for one of the world’s top 10 U.S. patent issuers. While other law firms might be…

running man

Drafting and Filing Five Patent Applications in Five Days

One of our large Fortune 500 clients came to us with a unique problem — a new product was shipping in a week and not a single patent had been…

Pushing Back to Patent Critical MEMS Technology

Even the most well-executed patent applications can be rejected based on the perspective of the examiner who processes them. In this case, our…

Virtual Patent Counsel for Small Motor Leader

Long before fluid dynamic bearings became the popular motor for hard drives, Patterson + Sheridan began working with a client with aims to enter the…

Virtual Patent Counsel for Disk-Drive Technology Company

At its peak, the disk drive industry had more than 50 companies, including major players such as IBM, Samsung, Hitachi, Toshiba and others. Today,…

M&A Due Diligence Saves Company Millions

By identifying potentially problematic third-party patents in the early due diligence stages of an M&A transaction, Patterson + Sheridan helped…

photo of flags

U.S. Patent Applications for Foreign Clients and Law Firms

Non-U.S. IP firms and clients want their patent applications filed in the U.S. for a competitive fee and without the monthly billing that so often…

flip video camera

Cisco Systems, Inc. – Flip Video Camera Design Patents

In 2009, Cisco Systems acquired the technology company that pioneered the original “Flip Video” cameras. Cisco turned to Patterson + Sheridan to…

oil rig picture

World Energy Systems, Inc. – Patent Portfolio Development

Patterson + Sheridan has secured numerous patents for World Energy Systems, Inc., a developer of enhanced oil & gas recovery technologies….

Autodesk / Avid Technologies Technology Acquisition Due Diligence

When Autodesk, a global leader in 2D and 3D design software, purchased the 3D animation graphics assets of Avid Technologies, a worldwide leader in…

Avanex Patent Portfolio Mining and Analysis

When optical networking supplier Avanex (now Oclaro) bought the optical component businesses of Alcatel and Corning in a share deal valued at about…

About Patterson + Sheridan

As a nationally recognized full-service intellectual property and technology law firm, Patterson + Sheridan provides comprehensive legal services for some of the world’s largest, most innovative brands.

GENERALinfo@pattersonsheridan.comHEADQUARTERS24 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1600 Houston, TX 77046Phone(877) 623-4844

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