OUR SERVICES

At Hylton-Rodic Law, we work with in-house IP teams, university tech transfer offices, and innovation-driven companies to protect, manage, and leverage their intellectual property. Our patent services support strategic decisions across the product lifecycle, from early concept and due diligence through development, commercialization, licensing, and exit, for clients in the life sciences, chemical, pharmaceutical, and related technology sectors.

PATENT PROTECTION

We secure patent protection for innovations in life sciences, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and related technologies. Our team understands the science and the markets our clients operate in, allowing us to draft and prosecute patents that not only meet legal standards but also support competitive differentiation, investment, and partnerships.

  • Utility patents in":

    • Biotech/Life Sciences

    • Chemical 

    • Medical Devices

    • Pharmaceuticals

  • Patent Application Drafting

  • Prosecution—Domestic and Global

  • Patentability Search and Assessment

  • Filing and prosecution strategies 

  • Strategic Management of Patent Portfolio

  • P Support for Product Development

  • Development, implementation, and management of internal intellectual property programs and policies

GLOBAL PATENT PROCUREMENT

We guide clients through every stage of patent procurement in the U.S. and abroad. From initial drafting to prosecution and post-grant strategy, we focus on obtaining patents that align with product timelines, regulatory pathways, and business goals, while coordinating efficiently with foreign associates.

FREEDOM-TO-OPERATE ASSESSMENTS

Freedom-to-operate (FTO) assessments help clients understand whether proposed products, processes, or collaborations can proceed without unreasonable risk of patent infringement. We tailor each assessment to the specific transaction, product, and jurisdictional mix involved.

  • Validity

  • Invalidity

  • Infringement

  • Non-infringement

  • Design-around options

  • Product development considerations

  • Enforceability

OPINIONS

We prepare clear, well-reasoned legal opinions that support business decisions, negotiations, and dispute avoidance. Our opinions are grounded in both the law and the underlying science, and are crafted with future litigation and transaction strategy in mind.

  • Validity opinions

  • Invalidity opinions

  • Non-infringement opinions

  • Infringement opinions

PATENT PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT

We help clients build and manage coherent patent portfolios that support long-term value creation. Whether you are growing your first family of patents or coordinating a mature global portfolio, we design strategies that balance protection, cost, and flexibility.

  • Worldwide patent procurement

  • Application preparation and prosecution across jurisdictions

  • PCT filings and national stage entries

  • Coordination of prosecution in foreign jurisdictions

  • Counseling on where and when to file to support market and funding goals

  • Patent landscape and whitespace analysis

  • Strategic design-around counseling

  • Offensive and defensive prosecution strategies, including competitor monitoring and third-party submissions

  • Developing or launching products

  • Selecting suppliers for ingredients or components

  • Developing or modifying formulations

  • Designing synthetic pathways or schemes for pharmaceutical or chemical ingredients

  • Licensing technology

  • Acquiring technology

  • Acquiring or selling assets or companies

PATENT-RELATED RISK ASSESSMENT

We provide strategic advice on patent-related risk and freedom-to-operate in connection with critical business decisions. Our assessments help clients understand where risk exists, how serious it is, and what options they have to move forward confidently.

USPTO PROCEEDINGS

We represent clients before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in examination, appeals, and post-grant proceedings. Our experience spans routine prosecution as well as complex and contested matters that require both technical and strategic depth.

  • Patent prosecution/procurement, including 

    • Expedited Patent Examination Strategies

    • Examiner Interviews

    • Appeals

  • Ex parte examinations

  • Examinations

  • Reissues

  • Inter partes review (IPR)

    Post-grant review (PGR)

  • supplemental examinations

  • Third-party submissions

  • Derivation proceedings