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Capabilities / Patent Preparation & Prosecution

Patent Preparation & Prosecution

Turning innovation into industry.

Husch Blackwell counsels companies of all sizes, universities, research facilities and individuals on patent preparation and the obtaining of life sciences patents. Early on, our Patent team conducts patentability searches and analyses to ensure that clients make sound decisions on whether they have freedom to operate (FTO) in the selected patent area. In drafting FTO opinions, we address problem results, roadblocks, privilege and confidentiality, and alternative resolutions.

Our Patent team has extensive experience navigating the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on behalf of clients, including handling appeals before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Our patent attorneys are skilled in patent prosecution and enforcement across industries and our goal is always the same: to ensure that clients manage risk and monetize their discoveries while advancing the life sciences.

Representative Experience

  • Represented several packaging manufacturers in obtaining patents and trademarks to expand their scope of protection and limit competition. Patent portfolios created to cover not only the clients’ products but also the machinery and methods used to produce such products.
  • Represented a large specialty chemicals company in respect to patent prosecution work in the polymer and fiber area, including nylon, coatings, solar absorbing innerlayers for automotive glazings, water treatment compositions, functional fluid compositions, production of polysuccinimide in an organic medium, high performance phosphorphate ester hydraulic fluids, and other related methods and compositions;
  • Prepared and prosecuted numerous patent applications covering a wide variety of technologies for a large laboratory institution, including chemical binding; chemical screening using micro X-ray fluorescence; fabrication of fibers, textiles, and composite materials; systems for analyzing particle characterization; methods of fabricating metal and ceramic matrix compositions and functionalized textiles; laser applications; nanotechnology applications; nanoparticulate metal fuels as burning rate modifiers for explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics; highly luminescent, water-soluble polymers; and methods of producing synthetic fuels and organic chemicals from atmospheric carbon dioxide.
  • Actively manage patent prosecution estates for leading consumer products companies in industries such as kitchen appliances and accessories, sporting goods, home goods and plumbing fixtures.
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Articles | July 26, 2018
IPWatchdog: For Design Patent Owners (and Alleged Infringers), The Third Time is Not a Charm

Michael Annis and Myers Dill discuss how well-crafted design patents can offer broad protections against even slight infringements by competitors.

Articles | June 01, 2018
IP Watchdog: TC Heartland Update: Federal Circuit decides ZTE and Bigcommerce

Erin Knese, Philip Segrest & Steve Holtshouser explore some recent Federal Circuit decisions that clarify venue issues in patent cases.

News Releases | July 11, 2022
Tom Miller Joins Husch Blackwell's Intellectual Property Group

Veteran intellectual property lawyer Tom Miller has joined Husch Blackwell as a partner in its Milwaukee office and Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation industry group.

News Releases | April 01, 2022
Husch Blackwell Adds Two Healthcare Partners to Virtual Office

Husch Blackwell is pleased to announce that Lisa T. Thomas and Bryan Stewart have joined the firm’s Healthcare, Life Sciences & Education industry group as partners.

Media Mentions | October 18, 2021
Missouri Lawyers Media: WJA 2021: Kristine L. Kappel
News Releases | October 02, 2019
Nicole Bashor Joins Husch Blackwell's Chicago-Based Intellectual Property Team

Bashor provides strategic legal counsel at all stages of technology development and routinely manages and maintains large patent portfolios on an international basis with aggregate values of over $20 billion.

News Releases | August 15, 2019
Husch Blackwell Places 143 Lawyers in 2020 BL Rankings' Best Lawyers in America®

The firm has eight "Lawyers of the Year" and 11 attorneys appearing on the list for the first time.

Media Mentions | June 10, 2019
St. Louis Business Journal: St. Louis lawyer advises marijuana brand protection — if you can get it

Mike Annis discusses the importance of trademark protection for those in the medical marijuana industry with the St. Louis Business Journal's Greg Edwards.

Media Mentions | August 21, 2018
Patently O: USPTO China IP Roadshow at the University of Iowa College of Law

David Gerasimow will speak on the panel "Enforcing Intellectual Property Rights in the U.S." during the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's China Intellectual Property Roadshow on August 28, 2018.

News Releases | August 15, 2018
Husch Blackwell Places 143 Lawyers in 2019 BL Rankings' Best Lawyers in America®

The Best Lawyers in America® has listed 143 Husch Blackwell attorneys in its 2019 directory. The firm has eight "Lawyers of the Year" and five attorneys appearing on the list for the first time.