Patent Prosecution

Each year Pillsbury’s team files an average of 2,500 patent applications and obtains an average of 1,200 patents for our clients. From the largest organizations to the individual inventor, domestic or international, we guide our clients through the complex processes and procedures involved in obtaining the strongest patent protection to which an invention is entitled.

Many of our lawyers are professional engineers and scientists. Many have advanced degrees in electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering, as well as biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science. Several of our lawyers have worked as patent examiners in the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Even after a US patent application is filed with the Patent and Trademark Office, our lawyers continue to provide legal support and assistance throughout the ensuing prosecution process.

Our Northern Virginia and Washington DC offices are strategically located for proximity to the USPTO. We have strong relationships and frequent interviews with the Examiners at the USPTO.

We provide a proactive and aggressive approach to securing the broadest possible patents to help our clients obtain the maximum protection available.

• Protective and defensive IP strategies
• Strategic prosecution of electrical, mechanical, chemical, pharmaceutical, biotech, and computer science patents
• Applications patent interference strategies and practice

Services offered by our patent prosecutors include:

• Arranging for patentability, state-of-the-art, infringement and validity searches
• Preparing and prosecuting patent applications
• Defending against unwarranted claims of patent infringement
• Rendering legal opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of patents
• Prosecuting interference contests to resolve priority in invention
• Filing and opposing reissue and reexamination applications
• Negotiating license agreements
• Merger/acquisition/divestiture counseling on regulatory and environmental matters
• Providing creative, value-enhancing advice for the management of patent portfolios