Patent Law

Our patent attorneys – most of who have worked in their respective industries for years – focus in a wide range of information, nanotechnology/microtechnology, life science, and mechanical technologies. We advise clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to emerging companies and individual inventors, foreign and domestic, on a wide variety of domestic and international patent matters. We assist clients in developing and executing their patent strategies, through all phases of patent prosecution, from the preparation and filing of patent applications to appeal, reexamination, reissue and interference proceedings. We provide freedom-to-operate opinions, non-infringement and invalidity opinions, intellectual property due diligence, and support for funding efforts and mergers and acquisitions. We counsel clients on how to exploit their patent and other intellectual property assets, including negotiating and drafting licenses and other contracts.

• Information Technology
Our intellectual property and patent attorneys have intimate knowledge of the information technology industries and applicable laws and regulations. We have deep experience representing clients in all areas of information technology, including microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits, wireless networking, mobile telephony, network security, e-commerce, digital media, and web services. We assist clients with all types of patent and copyright matters, including obtaining computer/software-related business method patents and establishing and protecting software rights.

• Life Science Technology
Our patent attorneys have broad-based and deep knowledge of biotechnology industries and applicable laws and regulations, both domestic and foreign. With expertise from academia and industry, our patent attorneys represent clients with a wide variety of legal needs within the expansive life science arena. Particular areas of experience include biotechnology, biochemistry, chemistry, medical devices, and more specifically include disciplines such as genetics, pharmaceuticals, pathobiology, molecular parasitology, vector biology, microarrays, immunoassays, bioinformatics, agricultural biology, drug delivery systems, and medical devices, such as analyte sensing devices, organ transplantation devices, wound closure technologies, orthodontic devices, orthopedic devices, cochlear implants, magnetic therapy devices, and imaging devices and associated compositions.

• Mechanical Technology
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has a robust mechanical arts patent practice, and our attorneys handle a vast array of patent and other intellectual property needs as they relate to the mechanical arts. Our attorneys have substantial experience helping clients obtain, maintain, and enforce patents covering mechanical, electro-mechanical and electro-chemical based inventions. Particular areas of focus include wood-processing equipment, lawn and garden equipment, industrial machines and controls, and recreational vehicle accessories. Additionally, we assist clients with patent prosecution and enforcement strategy, portfolio management, and evaluation of a competitor's patent position.

• Nanotechnology/Microtechnology
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has brought together a key group of attorneys from our intellectual property and corporate practice groups to create the first nanotechnology/microtechnology practice in the Pacific Northwest. This multi-disciplinary team possesses skill sets in science and technology, intellectual property law, environmental science, products liability, and corporate law, and is committed to serving the legal needs of clients in this narrow but increasingly significant technology space. Our patent attorneys have experience in handling a wide array of nano/micro technology, from nanoparticles, nanotubes, polymers and ultra-thin dielectrics, to lithography, micro-electromechanical systems, protein-based biomaterials and biosensors. They are trained in the fields of micro and cell biology, organic and biomolecular chemistry, optical and quantum physics, and electrical and electronic engineering.

Click here for Representative Patents and Applications.