Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP - Intellectual Property Law

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP represents companies in connection with the strategic procurement, enforcement and licensing of patent rights in all areas of technology. The firm also frequently works with investors and acquiring companies to assess the patent assets and liabilities of target companies. A significant portion of the firm's patent practice is devoted to new and evolving Internet, biotech, medical device and wireless communications technologies.

The firm's patent procurement services include drafting and prosecuting patent applications, conducting patentability studies and developing strategies for maximizing the benefit of a patent portfolio. The firm also assists clients in identifying and prioritizing patentable inventions and in establishing company procedures for managing a patent portfolio. To increase cost efficiency, the firm's patent agents, engineers and scientists are often utilized to draft patent applications and to conduct patentability searches under the supervision of a patent attorney.

The prosecution of a patent application requires extensive interaction with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). Besides submitting written correspondence, members of the firm frequently visit Washington, D.C. to meet personally with Patent Examiners in "interviews."

If necessary, the firm also conducts interferences before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, as well as appeals before the same Board or the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Many of the firm's patent attorneys have previously worked as Examiners at the PTO, providing valuable insight into PTO procedures. In addition to having technical degrees, many of the firm's lawyers have previously worked as engineers, developers or scientists within their respective fields. They thus understand the technical considerations involved in patent matters.

Representative Clients