Patterson + Sheridan is an IP boutique with eight offices nationwide: three in Texas, two in California, and one each in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Alabama. With 80+ attorneys, patent agents, and technical advisors, many with technical and scientific backgrounds, the firm serves the IP needs of clients across a broad range of industries. 

Client Pleasers

Patterson + Sheridan was founded by Todd Patterson in 1996 in Houston, TX. The firm opened with just one client: Applied Materials, a global semiconductor equipment manufacturer. But the firm made a good impression and word quickly spread: Clients like IBM, Weatherford International, and ExxonMobil soon sought out the firm’s services, and they remain clients to this day. It’s no wonder the firm attracts and keeps its clients—it focuses on providing exemplary service across the board. For example, the firm doesn’t even charge clients for travel expenses; it owns a plane to fly lawyers across the country whenever needed.

IP Wins Galore

Patterson + Sheridan offers a full suite of IP services, including patent preparation and prosecution, trademarks + brand protection, litigation and dispute resolution, technology, licensing + IP transactions, mergers + acquisitions, risk assessment, compliance + privacy, and contract + lifecycle management. The firm handles IP matters in industries including biotechnology, chemical, clean technology, communications technology, consumer products, medical devices and procedures, nanotechnology, oil and gas, industrial products, financial technology, and optics. P+S has formed decades-long partnerships with companies such as Applied Materials, IBM, Disney Pixar, ExxonMobil, and Western Digital. 

Since opening its doors, the firm has made waves in the IP world. Representative experiences include securing a number of patents for World Energy Systems, Inc.; helping a Fortune 100 client quickly obtain patents related to a new polymer with a wide array of applications; defending a Fortune 500 company in a five-day trial regarding patent infringement claims worth multimillions and confirming the verdict on appeal in the Federal Circuit; enforcing trademarks on behalf of Taylor Guitars, including by attending trade shows to seek out counterfeits; and representing a large player in the oil industry in a multi-party infringement lawsuit brought by a patent troll and obtaining dismissal in the pleadings stage.

Midsize Firm, Big Diversity Initiatives

Patterson + Sheridan demonstrates a real commitment to diversity. The firm has an annual scholarship for Black and African American patent-bar takers which covers all costs, including the prep course, travel expenses, application fees, and the exam itself. The firm is participating in the new Mansfield Rule for Midsize Firms initiative, which includes taking a pledge that at least 30 percent of candidates for a given rule are from an underrepresented population. And the firm is a five-year sponsor of the Intellectual Property Owners Association’s Women in IP Law committee.