Patent Procurement and Opinions

Potter Anderson & Corroon provides patent procurement legal services focused squarely upon the particular business and technology needs of our clients.  Our patent drafting and prosecution team includes several Ph.D. level practitioners with an array of technical specialties including in the areas of biochemistry, physics, nanotechnology, chemistry, polymer science, computer, chemical engineering, cell biology, food science and molecular biology.  Also, in response to the increasing importance of patents in the financial and insurance industries, our IP team has developed expertise in assessing, preparing and prosecuting patents protecting business methods in the banking and insurance industries.  Our clients include major universities, banks, nonprofit agencies, and global chemical and pharmaceutical companies.

In conjunction with patent procurement, Potter Anderson & Corroon’s patent services include providing strategic advice geared toward developing our clients' intellectual property portfolios in the most effective way, in order to build market barriers to protect our clients' business.  We understand the key importance patents play in business strategy, and we work with our clients to develop their patent estates in a comprehensive, yet cost-effective manner. 

A crucial aspect in our overall intellectual property strategy must include knowledge of the IP existing in our client's competitive marketplace.  We are skilled in providing guidance to identify potential freedom to operate obstacles our clients' products may face, and also in assessing the validity of possible third-party patents in the clients' respective market areas.  Our advice may take the form of routine due diligence reports and product clearance opinions, or may involve formal written infringement and/or invalidity opinions that will serve to protect the long term legal needs of our clients' business.  In providing these legal opinion services, we use a variety of outside, professional searching firms who have demonstrated expertise in the variety of technical areas in which our clients operate. 

Potter Anderson & Corroon understands that an increasing number of business transactions involve intellectual property aspects, and an integral component of our clients' business growth will likely involve the acquisition or transfer of intellectual property.  We routinely provide assistance in transactional IP matters, including conducting due diligence of intellectual property estates for our clients.  Our practitioners will assist our clients' businesses in identifying and assessing the strength of the IP in a targeted estate, including patents, copyrights, trade secrets, patents and trademarks.

In addition to IP strategic guidance, patent drafting, prosecution, due diligence and opinion work, our team is also experienced in patent post-issuance matters such as re-examination, reissue and interference.