Hunton’s patent team provides a full range of patent procurement and management services, including preparation and prosecution of patent applications, patent portfolio management, monetization of patent assets, assertion assessment, analysis of patent-related properties, licensing, and counseling. Our lawyers and patent professionals work across our geographically diverse offices to provide custom, comprehensive solutions to a variety of clients, including financial services providers, automobile and parts manufacturers, consumer products companies, global electronics providers and suppliers, oil and gas companies, software developers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, venture capitalists, colleges and universities, and telecommunications providers, among others. We understand business and technical challenges, and consistently work with client management and research/technical teams—taking into account the company type, market intricacies, and industry standards—to develop patent portfolios that help increase the value of a business. 

Our approach to serving client needs in this area has garnered notice by ranking organizations, including IAM Patent, Managing Intellectual Property, Legal 500, and others.

Technical Experience

Our patent procurement and management team includes a number of former US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) examiners, former in-house counsel, and former engineers for leading companies, as well as lawyers with PhDs and/or master’s degrees in technical subject matter. This real-world and scientific experience fosters skillful representation in a wide range of technical disciplines.

Prosecution – US and Worldwide

We have prepared, prosecuted, and secured issuances of many thousands of utility and design patent applications in the US and worldwide across a spectrum of technologies. We prepare and prosecute patent applications seeking to secure the strongest claims possible and to obtain high-value, defensible patents and portfolios. Prosecution is handled by those registered to practice before the USPTO, who also coordinate international patent filings through foreign filing specialists, our collaborative network of foreign associates, and international offices in Europe and Asia. We are careful to distinguish between discrete scientific discoveries to ensure an appropriate team member is handling each application, developing an understanding of the technology and managing concerns and challenges facing client management, in-house legal counsel, and research/technical personnel.

To further augment our international patent practice, we have staff professionals who handle international (PCT) and foreign filing, prosecution, and docketing. And a number of our lawyers have experience in foreign opposition and cancellation practice, and have (in association with foreign counsel) defended oppositions and cancellations initiated by third parties.

Portfolio Management and Counseling

Significant company decisions often depend on the strength of patents and portfolios. Armed with that knowledge, we continuously engage with client R&D teams, legal professionals, and management to develop and maintain quality patent portfolios. Our team excels in establishing an in-depth understanding of existing portfolios, identifying new opportunities, developing plans to strengthen intellectual property assets, and obtaining protection for those assets. We have been responsible for the management of tens of thousands of patent matters ranging from providing advice on single patents to managing multinational corporate portfolios.

Patent Investigations

Many “bet the company” decisions turn on the strength of patents, and our clients have stressed that an effective analysis of their patents or the patents of their competitors is paramount to their business. To that end, we provide patentability, validity, and infringement opinions, risk analysis, landscape and freedom to operate studies, and prior art analyses, and have handled numerous patent investigations.