Patents

The experienced patent attorneys at Offit Kurman can help you turn your innovations into valuable business assets.

Patents are an important type of intellectual property (IP) that grant you exclusive rights to your inventions. A patent allows the inventor to prevent others from making, using, selling, importing, or distributing the patented invention without permission. This exclusivity offers a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace and enables your business to capitalize on your research and development investments.

Offit Kurman Patent Services:

  • Patent Search and Analysis: Evaluating the novelty and patentability of your innovation.
  • Patent Application: Drafting and filing applications with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) and coordinating with international counsel to file in international patent offices.
  • Patent Prosecution: Handling examination proceedings and office actions to secure patent approval.
  • Portfolio Management: Managing your patents, including strategic planning and renewals.
  • Enforcement and Litigation: Protecting your rights through litigation, USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and inter partes proceeding, and dispute resolution.
  • Licensing and Transactions: Advising on licensing agreements and other transactions to maximize your IP's value.

At Offit Kurman, we help innovators safeguard their inventions and maintain a strong market position with thoughtful patenting strategies. Our experienced patent attorneys possess specialized knowledge in patent law and technical fields to ensure that patent applications are thoroughly prepared and strategically crafted to maximize protection. Our patent attorneys also regularly advise on patentability, infringement risks, enforcement strategies, and licensing.

In the U.S., there are three types of patents: utility patents, plant patents, and design patents. Utility patents protect any new and useful process, machine, product, or material, as well as improvements to these. Plant patents protect novel plant varietals. Utility patents and plant patents typically last for 20 years, while design patent rights only last for 15 years. Design patents protect novel, non-functional product designs. While patents offer protections under patent law in the U.S., other countries have separate systems for protecting patents and industrial design. Offit Kurman’s experienced IP attorneys can advise on cross-border similarities and differences to help you develop the best strategy to protect your originality.

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Firm Highlights

  • Publications & News
    Offit Kurman Strengthens National Healthcare Platform with Addition of Michael H. Cohen
    Offit Kurman Strengthens National Healthcare Platform with Addition of Michael H. Cohen
  • Publications & News
    Offit Kurman Managing Principal William “Billy” Cannon Named One of The Daily Record’s 2026 Influential Marylanders
    Offit Kurman Managing Principal William “Billy” Cannon Named One of The Daily Record’s 2026 Influential Marylanders
  • Blog Posts
    Defending Property Managers Against Expanding Debt Collection Claims in Maryland
    Defending Property Managers Against Expanding Debt Collection Claims in Maryland
  • Publications & News
    Offit Kurman’s Candace Dellacona Named Advisor to Care Out Loud
    Offit Kurman’s Candace Dellacona Named Advisor to Care Out Loud
  • Blog Posts
    Three Workers' Compensation Mistakes Small Businesses with Independent Contractors Can Avoid
    Three Workers' Compensation Mistakes Small Businesses with Independent Contractors Can Avoid
  • Publications & News
    Offit Kurman Continues Strategic Growth, Welcoming Three Attorneys Across Key Markets  
    Offit Kurman Continues Strategic Growth, Welcoming Three Attorneys Across Key Markets  
  • Podcasts
    Artful Donations: Exploring Museum Exchange
    In this episode of The Legal Canvas, host Caryn Keppler welcomes Robert Wainstein and Michael Darling, co-founders of Museum Exchange, the first digital platform dedicated to facilitating art donations to museums and nonprofit institutions across North America. Together, they explore how technology is transforming the way collectors, artists, estates, and cultural organizations connect through charitable giving. Robert and Michael explain the inspiration behind Museum Exchange, the challenges they set out to solve, and how the platform has grown into a network of more than 400 museums. They walk listeners through the donation process—from evaluating artwork and matching donors with institutions to handling logistics, documentation, and tax considerations. Along the way, they discuss the realities of museum collecting, why many donations are declined, and how thoughtful placements can help preserve artists' legacies while expanding access to important works of art. The conversation also explores Museum Exchange's work with living artists, artist estates, hospitals, universities, and smaller regional museums, as well as the launch of the Charis Foundation for the Arts, a nonprofit designed to steward significant collections before placing them with institutions that can best benefit from them. Robert and Michael conclude by sharing their vision for the future of charitable art transactions and how Museum Exchange is helping reshape philanthropy in the arts for generations to come.
  • Podcasts
    Setting Up Your First Business Entity
    Attorneys Sarah Sawyer and Russell Berger of Offit Kurman discuss key considerations when starting a business, focusing on entity structures and formation. They stress beginning with tax implications by consulting an accountant about what entity to form. The next step is working with a lawyer on questions such as which state to organize in, the business’s size and type, plans for growth, and whether additional owners will join. They emphasize the importance of having foundational documents that serve as a roadmap for ownership terms, operating expectations, and what happens if owners exit or the business is sold. They also highlight assessing business risks and insurance needs, aligning co-owners’ risk tolerances, and considering multi-entity structures to better allocate and reduce risk.
  • Blog Posts
    Pennsylvania Supreme Court Narrows Scope of Workers’ Compensation Anti-Referral Provision: Implications in Light of Federal Physician Self-Referral Law
    Pennsylvania Supreme Court Narrows Scope of Workers’ Compensation Anti-Referral Provision: Implications in Light of Federal Physician Self-Referral Law
  • Publications & News
    Offit Kurman Family Law Team Recognized by Super Lawyers
    Offit Kurman Family Law Team Recognized by Super Lawyers