Patent Operations: Superior Quality and Maximum Efficiency

One of our clients’ most significant patent-related financial burdens is the high cost of managing their patent portfolios. To address this, Fenwick applies a two-fold approach to enhance efficiency and reduce cost: an innovative staffing model that enables us to provide routine patent services from our Patent Back Office in Vermont, combined with an entirely paperless system. The Patent Back Office provides access to a highly educated, highly skilled workforce in which operation costs are much lower than typical high-tech centers.

The benefits to our clients of this approach are many and include:

• Control and management of your portfolio stays in the U.S.Clients who formerly outsourced portfolio management are bringing it back onshore because of security concerns and the additional cost associated with quality control and managing providers over long distances and multiple time zones.
• You will receive crown jewel patent strategy at value-based pricing. A perennial complaint among corporate counsel has been the need to choose between high quality but expensive prosecution resources for critical inventions and lower-cost providers for other inventions. No longer. Fenwick’s focus on efficiency means you get top-quality, business-savvy prosecution with predictable, competitive pricing.
• We will be with you through all stages of growth. Our start-up clients find Fenwick to be a high value, yet cost-effective solution to patent filing and portfolio management. As you evolve and your needs grow for higher volume and greater sophistication in patent processing, we have the capabilities to meet any requirement.

What You Can Expect from Fenwick’s Patent Back Office

Substantial patent knowledge to assist with filings and prosecution.

We have knowledgeable administrative and scientific staff who provide cost-effective analytical capabilities that few firms can match. In addition, our Patent Back Office specialists use Fenwick’s latest document sharing technology and online communication tools to handle patent prosecution efficiently, while receiving direct guidance from partners and associates, both on site and from our main offices.

Comprehensive administrative skills that ensure all aspects of the patenting process run smoothly

Our Patent Back Office staff is skilled at proofing and correcting all patent documentation issued, including direct communication with patent counsel in other countries to ensure that all details of foreign filings are completed. Our Patent Back Office staff also facilitates portfolio management communication, so clients are always current on patent application progress and cost.

A critical timing edge

Our Patent Back Office in Vermont adds time-zone proximity to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, so we get PTO communications processed, prepared and routed to our West Coast attorneys and agents earlier in the day, allowing greater efficiency in prosecution filings and inquiries.

What You Can Expect from Fenwick’s Paperless Patent Capability

Worldwide economies of scale and protection

We use proprietary processes for mass scanning and optical character recognition of large IP portfolio intakes, providing instant online access. This provides a searchable catalog that is available 24/7 in secure, encrypted form anywhere in the world. This gives our multinational clients the ability to acquire, transfer, organize and catalog vast IP portfolios, and provides a single source to support global enforcement efforts.

Customized interfaces uniquely designed for what you need

Rather than follow the “one size fits all” philosophy of some law firms, Fenwick developed an IP technology platform that is incredibly easy to customize. Using Fenwick’s extensive in-house IT capabilities, we can easily connect our patent system to whatever platforms are already in use with our clients. Such custom-built platforms enhance speed and efficiency at the client level, and keep costs low at the same time.

Enhanced speed through electronic filing

All our patent filings are done electronically, whether it is required or optional, using online technology that is ahead of the curve. The occasional paper documents we deal with primarily come from correspondent foreign law firms that have not yet completed their transition to paperless operation, and the ability of international partners to go paperless is a major consideration in our decision to utilize them.

Intelligence to provide you with a competitive advantage

Rather than rely just on the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office database, we use comprehensive private patent databases that have enhanced features and are tremendous sources of competitive intelligence. We can manipulate this information to do large “data crunching” projects that can, for example, assess how many and what kind of patents a competitor is likely to receive in the next year.

Take Action

If your existing law firm doesn’t understand your budget constraints, strategic patent management or your in-house technology requirements, contact Stuart Meyer at (650) 335-7286 or smeyer@fenwick.com to learn how Fenwick can help you turn your patent portfolio management from a headache into a quantifiable competitive edge.