Harrity & Harrity is pleased to announce that our Head of Analytics, Rocky Berndsen, has been honored by IAM as a 2023 World Leading IP Strategist. This prestigious award serves to recognize individuals who are at the forefront of developing and executing strategies that maximize the value of intellectual property portfolios.
As stated by IAM-Media.com, the selection process for this accolade is rigorous and involves confidential online nominations. The comprehensive research methodology includes face-to-face and telephone interviews, as well as email exchanges with senior figures in the global IP community.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that Rocky has earned a spot on the IAM Strategy 300 List, underscoring his consistent excellence and leadership in the field.
“Proud and humbled to be named among the top IP strategists in the world by IAM Strategy 300. It’s a testament to my team’s relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence in the IP world. Grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a dynamic field!” he shared.
Rocky Berndsen leads the analytics group at Harrity & Harrity, specializing in delivering data analytics services to corporate clients. These services are designed to provide valuable insights and intelligence regarding not only the clients’ own patent portfolios but also those of their competitors, their external legal teams, and the patent industry at large.
In a recent feature by the Washington Lawyer Magazine, Paul Harrity, Managing Partner at Harrity & Harrity, LLP, shared his experiences and insights on the revolutionary ChatGPT technology.
In the article, Paul and other law firm leaders discuss the power of ChatGPT in boosting efficiency, experimentation with the tool’s capabilities when it comes to legal tasks, the ethical considerations, including the importance of confidentiality, to take into account when using ChatGPT, and the overall industry perspective of incorporating the use of AI into what once was a very traditional practice.
In particular, Paul’s exploration of ChatGPT underscores the potential of AI in revolutionizing the legal field, while also highlighting the need for careful consideration of ethical implications.
Harrity & Harrity is pleased to announce that Paul Harrity & Elaine Spector were recently selected by Managing IP, the leading specialist guide to IP law firms and practitioners worldwide, as 2023 Patent Stars.
The annual “IP Stars” list recognizes leading lawyers and law firms for intellectual property work in more than 125 jurisdictions.
Paul is Harrity’s Managing Partner. He focuses on preparing and prosecuting patent applications. He began his career in 1991 as a patent agent at the United States Patent and Trade Office. Since leaving the USPTO, Paul has prepared hundreds of patent applications and thousands of Patent Office responses.
Elaine is a Partner at Harrity and has over 20 years of experience in intellectual property law. Her current practice consists primarily of prosecuting patent applications with a focus on electromechanical technologies. Prior to joining Harrity & Harrity, Elaine worked in private practice for over 15 years handling various intellectual property matters, including patent application drafting and prosecution, trademark prosecution and enforcement, as well as litigating complex patent cases in federal courts. Elaine’s extensive litigation experience provides her with a unique perspective in prosecuting patent applications.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, and what is to come for women in our field, Harrity is highlighting Shawna Lemon, a graduate of our Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 Program and Co-managing Shareholder of Stanek Lemon, a majority female-owned IP law firm!
During this interview, Shawna candidly discusses what she is most proud of in her position as a firm leader, her advice to others, and how the MFI 2.0 program took her business to the next level.
Watch the full video:
The Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 program is a new & improved 42-week program that provides the training and tools needed to propel female and minority-owned patent law firms, existing or yet to be launched, to the next level of success. This program includes free training & strategy classes, concluding with a pitch session with a panel of in-house IP attorneys. The MFI 2.0 is an integral part of Harrity’s ongoing diversity initiative to recruit, retain, and advance attorneys who will contribute to the diversity of the patent field.
We are currently accepting applicants for the 2024 program. You can learn more and apply now HERE.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, and what is to come for women in our field, Harrity is highlighting Bree Vculek, a participant from the 2022 Harrity for Parity Women’s Patent Workshop!
Harrity for Parity™ brings women from across the country together to participate virtually in this free, four-day long annual program geared towards an introduction to the practice of patent law, patent skills, and career training. The program, founded in 2017, is open to female science and engineering students, law school students, recent graduates, and current practitioners.
The Harrity for Parity™ Women’s Workshop includes prominent guest speakers who are women in the patent field; Patent Law Introductory Training; Patent Preparation Skills Training; Patent Prosecution Skills Training; Writing Skills Training by Writing Expert, Julie Seitz; Resume and Interview Preparation Workshops; Law School Career Mentoring; Patent Attorney Q&As; Patent Bar Preparation; and Networking Opportunities.
This week, Bree, a Patent Scientist and 4L Law Student, shared her experience with the Harrity for Parity Women’s Workshop.
“My name is Bree Vculek and I currently work as a patent scientist at Davis Wright Tremaine. I am a fourth year, evening part-time law student at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. My technical background is biology, chemistry and biotechnology. I’ve worked in that area in a variety of different sectors, most recently within the patent space, and I’m now working in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well.
I am excited to weigh in today. I’m going to start with how I found Harrity for Parity, and specifically how I found the Women’s Patent Workshop. So I attended the workshop last May of 2022. I came across it on my favorite social media platform, LinkedIn. Harrity & Harrity Partner Elaine Spector had made a LinkedIn post announcing the event. They were taking applications and I got super excited. I think I applied the same day, because I was just starting to work in patent law at a boutique firm. I had completed many of the patent law and all of the intellectual property law courses at the George Washington University Law School. I was really excited and applied the same day, and was lucky enough to get accepted into the workshop.
I had an amazing experience. To be honest, I was reflecting a little bit, and even though I had started working in patent prosecution, and even though I attend a law school with a highly ranked intellectual property law program, I still felt that there were important pieces of the patent preparation and prosecution puzzle, if you will, that were missing in my comprehensive and holistic understanding of the practice. And so when I was thinking about my favorite part of the workshop, or really what my takeaways were, I had several.
I would say, first of all, I loved meeting so many of the other women who are at various stages of their careers, both in private practice and in-house, as well as at the USPTO, and getting their perspectives on what it’s like to be a woman in patent law. Also, to learn from them what works, what didn’t work, and what advice they have. I found that to be really a connective force. I think having this community, albeit virtual a lot of the time, is so incredibly important for minorities within a certain practice, such as patent law. So that was one thing that I really loved and enjoyed.
And second to that, I really liked that the workshop provided us with practical experience. We had the opportunity to draft claims and receive feedback, and to practice reading through and familiarizing ourselves with Office Actions from the USPTO and responding to 101, 102, 103, and 112 rejections, and just kind of understanding how it all works and different strategies. And so I really enjoyed that. I still, to this day, take a lot of those foundational skill sets that I learned in the Women’s Patent Workshop and apply them to my practice today, so that was really an incredible experience.
I also wanted to mention one additional thing – so I talked a little bit about community and conductivity and collaboration. I met a another student through Harrity for Parity, and we’ve developed a friendship. We saw each other a couple of months after the workshop actually, in-person at interviewing events, and have kept in touch thereafter. And ultimately, we are going to be working close by following graduation. So I think that was again just a really cool opportunity to make friends within the practice, make connections, and that was something that I didn’t necessarily expect but I really was was longing for. It was kind of like a cherry on top.”
Watch the video here:
We’re currently accepting applicants for our 2023 Harrity for Parity Women’s Workshop, scheduled for May 22-25th. Learn more and apply HERE.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, and what is to come for women in our field, Harrity is highlighting Bree Vculek, a participant from the 2022 Harrity for Parity Women’s Patent Workshop!
Harrity for Parity™ brings women from across the country together to participate virtually in this free, four-day long annual program geared towards an introduction to the practice of patent law, patent skills, and career training. The program, founded in 2017, is open to female science and engineering students, law school students, recent graduates, and current practitioners.
The Harrity for Parity™ Women’s Workshop includes prominent guest speakers who are women in the patent field; Patent Law Introductory Training; Patent Preparation Skills Training; Patent Prosecution Skills Training; Writing Skills Training by Writing Expert, Julie Seitz; Resume and Interview Preparation Workshops; Law School Career Mentoring; Patent Attorney Q&As; Patent Bar Preparation; and Networking Opportunities.
This week, Bree, a Patent Scientist and 4L Law Student, shared her advice for others entering the field.
“The advice I would give other women, or really any anyone interested in patent law, is to be mindful that we are all training to be advocates. Typically, it’s advocates for our clients, the inventors, the innovators, etc. I want to remind you that it’s equally, or arguably more important, that we’re advocates for ourselves.
Now, that can look a variety of different ways. But the way in which I see it playing out is by seeking out different opportunities, like attending the Harrity for Parity Women’s Patent Workshop. There are other opportunities, like taking classes, that might be a bit more intimidating or challenging. You can do it, you know, I believe in that. And the way in which we believe in that is by taking more opportunities and showing to ourselves, gathering more data that can be directed, that you can do it. And whether it be volunteering on a committee that you’re a part of, in an association or something like that, I think that’s really important, and something that I’m kind of learning as I go, and I wish I learned prior.
I think it’s a really valuable mindset to be mindful. Of course, we support others, we support our colleagues, we support our classmates, we support our clients, absolutely. But we ought not to forget to support ourselves as well. I’m a big fan of holistic support, and that includes wellness as well: mental, physical, spiritual, financial, the whole wellness wheel. I think that is really incredibly important to be mindful of. It’s a really rewarding and fulfilling career and not only do you deserve, but your colleagues or clients or classmates etc. deserve to see you or to interact with you as your very best self. So that’s kind of a long winded advice that I would give. Seek out opportunities, and be relentless in your pursuit. And again, I highly, highly, highly recommend without reservation, the Harrity for Parity Women’s Patent Workshop.”
Watch the video here:
We’re currently accepting applicants for our 2023 Harrity for Parity Women’s Workshop, scheduled for May 22-25th. Learn more and apply here.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, and what is to come for women in our field, Harrity is highlighting Bree Vculek, a participant from the 2022 Harrity for Parity Women’s Patent Workshop!
Harrity for Parity™ brings women from across the country together to participate virtually in this free, four-day long annual program geared towards an introduction to the practice of patent law, patent skills, and career training. The program, founded in 2017, is open to female science and engineering students, law school students, recent graduates, and current practitioners.
The Harrity for Parity™ Women’s Workshop includes prominent guest speakers who are women in the patent field; Patent Law Introductory Training; Patent Preparation Skills Training; Patent Prosecution Skills Training; Writing Skills Training by Writing Expert, Julie Seitz; Resume and Interview Preparation Workshops; Law School Career Mentoring; Patent Attorney Q&As; Patent Bar Preparation; and Networking Opportunities.
This week, we sat down with Bree, a Patent Scientist and 4L Law Student, to hear about her experiences as a young woman entering the patent field.
“My name is Bree Vculek and I currently work as a patent scientist at Davis Wright Tremaine. I am a fourth year, evening part-time law student at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. My technical background is biology, chemistry and biotechnology. I’ve worked in that area in a variety of different sectors, most recently within the patent space, and I’m now working in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well.
So thus far, my experience in patent law has been quite positive. I have worked now in both an intellectual property boutique firm, as well as in big law. I have found, at times, it’s lonely, for sure. But I think that there are events like the Harrity for Parity Women’s Patent Workshop, as well as tools like LinkedIn, or various other groups like AIPLA, ChIPs, Women in IP in DC, that I have specifically involved myself in to help continue to foster that community and that sense of belonging. It’s also, I think, important to share, have shared experiences, but also learn from one another and maybe ask questions like, how did you navigate this situation? And so I found that to be really an incredible piece to my early practice, if you will.
Actually, this week, we’re going to file my first provisional patent application. This is through the George Washington University Intellectual Property Technology Clinic. We’re going to file our first provisional patent application, that is an entire women team. So the inventor is a woman. And then I’m one of the student attorneys, my co-counsel is also a woman, and the director and the patent attorney that we’re going to file under is also a woman – so a comprehensive, holistic, all women team! It’s a first across the board, and I’m just really, really excited to have that opportunity.
I think that kind of explained my experiences thus far, but also what’s possible and what’s out there and what we’re, you know, fingers crossed, going to see as we continue to navigate and progress in the field of patent law. So whatever that may mean, I remain hopeful and excited from what I’m seeing in law school, and acknowledging that we still have a lot of work to do. I’m grateful for programs like Harrity for Parity’s Women Patent Workshop – that’s really what I consider a launching pad in my career in patent prosecution, to be honest, it really opened my eyes to what is possible, and helps give me that next level of confidence in my skill set and in myself, that you know, I belong and I add value, and I’m worth taking a chance on. So that was really another beautiful experience and a little bit about what my early career has been like as a young woman in the practice of patent protection.”
Watch the video here:
We’re currently accepting applicants for our 2023 Harrity for Parity Women’s Workshop, scheduled for May 22-25th. Learn more and apply HERE.
To celebrate Black History Month, Harrity is highlighting the black-owned law firms that participated in the 2022 Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 program!
This week, we sat down with Ted Wood, Managing Partner of Wood IP, a black-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned patent law firm.
Ted candidly discusses his time in the military, how he faces others’ expectations as a black patent attorney, and his advice to those looking to enter into the patent field.
Watch his entire interview here:
ABOUT MFI 2.0:
The Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 Program is Harrity’s 42-week program that provides the training and tools needed to propel female and minority-owned patent law firms, existing or yet to be launched, to the next level of success. The program includes free training & strategy classes, concluding with a pitch session with a panel of in-house IP attorneys. The MFI 2.0 is an integral part of Harrity’s ongoing diversity initiative to recruit, retain, and advance attorneys who will contribute to the diversity of the patent field.
In November 2022, 7 minority-owned law firms graduated from the first iteration of this program after intensive law firm operations trainings from Harrity partners and pitches to a panel of in-house attorneys. You can learn more and apply to the 2024 program here.
To celebrate Black History Month, Harrity is highlighting the black-owned law firms that participated in the inaugural Minority Firm Incubator program and the 2022 Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 program!
This week, we sat down with James Bennin, Founder & Owner of Onyx IP Group, a black-owned patent law firm.
James got candid about his accomplishments as a new firm owner, the driving force behind Onyx IP Group, and his advice to those wanting to join the #patent field.
Watch his entire interview here:
ABOUT MFI 2.0:
The Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 Program is Harrity’s 42-week program that provides the training and tools needed to propel female and minority-owned patent law firms, existing or yet to be launched, to the next level of success. The program includes free training & strategy classes, concluding with a pitch session with a panel of in-house IP attorneys. The MFI 2.0 is an integral part of Harrity’s ongoing diversity initiative to recruit, retain, and advance attorneys who will contribute to the diversity of the patent field.
In November 2022, 7 minority-owned law firms graduated from the first iteration of this program after intensive law firm operations trainings from Harrity partners and pitches to a panel of in-house attorneys. You can learn more and apply to the 2024 program here.
To celebrate Black History Month, Harrity is highlighting the black-owned law firms that participated in the 2022 Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 program!
This week, we sat down with Arlene Neal, Founder & Managing Attorney at Neal Blibo, a black-owned, woman-owned law firm.
When asked about being a black-owned, woman-owned law firm, Arlene said, “I see a lot of black-owned firms and I see a lot of women-owned firms, but I don’t see a lot of the combination- black and woman-owned. And I’m thinking to myself, “Well, I gotta be proud!”
Watch her entire interview here:
ABOUT MFI 2.0:
The Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 Program is Harrity’s 42-week program that provides the training and tools needed to propel female and minority-owned patent law firms, existing or yet to be launched, to the next level of success. The program includes free training & strategy classes, concluding with a pitch session with a panel of in-house IP attorneys. The MFI 2.0 is an integral part of Harrity’s ongoing diversity initiative to recruit, retain, and advance attorneys who will contribute to the diversity of the patent field.
When speaking on this program, Arlene says, “As a Managing Attorney, I am always seeking out the best practices in running my firm. The MFI program exposed me to new processes for managing my firm and also helped me to refine current processes.”
In November 2022, 7 minority-owned law firms graduated from the first iteration of this program after intensive law firm operations trainings from Harrity partners and pitches to a panel of in-house attorneys. You can learn more and apply to the 2024 program here.
Harrity & Harrity is pleased to announce that Head of Patent Analytics, Rocky Berndsen, was selected by IAM as a 2022 World Leading IP Strategist. This award identifies the individuals who are leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios.
According to IAM-Media.com, “These world-class IP strategists are primarily identified through confidential nominations made online. However, the extensive research process also involves face-to-face and telephone interviews, as well as email exchanges, with senior members of the global IP community.”
This is the third consecutive year that Rocky has been named on the IAM Strategy 300 List.
Rocky Berndsen is the head of the patent analytics group at Harrity & Harrity. The group’s practice specializes in providing corporate clients with data analytics that focus on gaining insight and intelligence relating to their patent portfolio, their competitors, their outside counsel, and the patent field in general.
Harrity & Harrity has been named the #1 Midsize Law Firm to Work For by the Vault. Harrity also received this award in 2021!
According to the Vault’s announcement, Harrity received a 9.55/10, taking the number one spot overall. Harrity was also recognized in the following categories:
Harrity & Harrity has recently been recognized by Bloomberg Law for our diversity initiatives, specifically with respect to increasing the representation of African-American/Black women within patent law.
The article, Black Women Lawyers Still Sparsely Seen at Federal Circuit, refers to Harrity as a law firm focused on moving the needle by creating programs that target the pipeline problem of a lack of women and minorities sitting for the patent bar, including quotes from Diversity Co-Chair, Elaine Spector, on our Patent Pathways program.
“Harrity & Harrity LP—after conducting a diversity and inclusion study that found that there are more patent attorneys and agents named “Michael” than there are racially diverse women in those roles in the US—launched a program to register more Black women as patent practitioners.
The initiative, called Patent Pathways, starts this summer. Harrity & Harrity will help women who complete the program find law firm jobs afterward. The inaugural program’s 20 participants could ‘move the needle quickly,’ said Elaine Spector, a Harrity partner leading Patent Pathways.
‘We want to make sure that innovation is expanded across all of our populations,” Spector said. ‘Women and racially diverse inventors are inventing or showing up on patents at a lower rate, and there is that correlation, to make sure that they can go to attorneys that represent them.'”
Patent Pathways is a Diversity & Inclusion Program dedicated to increasing numbers of registered African-American/Black women patent attorneys and agents through free patent skills training, mentoring, career counseling, and expenses paid to prepare for and take the patent bar exam. This program was created to help address the significant lack of diversity found in IP Law.
To learn more about the Patent Pathways program, click HERE.
Click HERE to read the full article by Samantha Handler.
Harrity is thrilled to announce that Onyx IP Group, PLLC, the first minority-owned patent law firm to launch from our Minority Firm Incubator Program, has awarded two scholarships to diverse students studying STEM.
“I am excited to announce that Onyx IP Group has awarded its inaugural scholarships to high school seniors who will be pursuing an education in STEM!! Onyx IP Group has been operating for almost a year now and we are so excited to be able to award scholarships to a couple of high school students at Evans High School – a high school we have been working with this academic year.
One scholarship was awarded to a female student who will be attending Texas A&M next year planning to major in Engineering. The other scholarship was awarded to a male student who will be attending Valencia College with a UCF Direct Connect with a plan to major in Neurological Sciences. This week, a part of the team at Onyx IP Group was able to meet these great high school students and learn about their amazing stories. Last week, we were able to attend an awards ceremony at Evans High School for its seniors and were amazed at the amount of talent at this school.
Onyx IP Group, PLLC has decided to commit at least 5% of its profit to our scholarship fund every year. We are so grateful for our clients who have entrusted us with their work and have made this scholarship fund a reality. As Onyx IP Group grows and the profit of the firm increases, we will be able to increase the size of our scholarship fund and provide scholarships to a larger group of high school students every academic year. It feels great to give back to our community and to continue to take steps towards our goal.”
Harrity’s diversity programs are focused on giving back to the community by providing underrepresented groups in the patent field free resources to help them succeed. We are honored that James has continued this sentiment within Onyx IP and cannot wait to see what the future holds for his firm and his scholarship recipients.
Harrity & Harrity has been named a Recommended Firm in Virginia on the 2022 Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars Rankings.
The Managing IP Awards program recognizes remarkable achievements and developments in the last year. Now in its 17th year, the program covers several IP practice areas and more than 50 jurisdictions.
Harrity’s Elaine Spector was recently featured in a blog by ChIPs in celebration of World IP Day.
The organization shared what World IP Day means to their ChIPsters, and what needs to happen to make the theme of this year, IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future, a reality.
Elaine’s feature can be found below.
What are the opportunities to continue to increase access for young women inventors, creators, and entrepreneurs in intellectual property?
“In recent years, we have learned through numerous studies that women are not showing up on patents in proportion to their representation in the workforce. And that’s a loss for all of us.
In fact, the Hamilton Project found that bringing more women, Black Americans and other underrepresented groups into the innovation process could increase GDP by more than 4%. We all win when these groups are informed about our amazing patent system and given the amazing tools to become a part of the innovation ecosystem.
As such, it is important for us in the innovation ecosystem to reach back to young women to provide them with the information, tools, and resources to innovate, create, and protect their intellectual property. Consider hosting an outreach event to expose these young women to intellectual property, whether it be presenting through organizations like the Girls Scouts or Girls Who Code. To truly make a difference, we need “all hands on deck!”
Patent Pathways is a Diversity & Inclusion Program dedicated to increasing numbers of registered African-American/Black women patent attorneys and agents. This program was created to help address the significant lack of diversity found in IP Law.
To learn more about the Patent Pathways program, click HERE.
Harrity & Harrity has been named #1 on Patent Bots Quality Score rankings for 2022, topping all other firms with over 500 patents issued in 2021. This is the 3rd consecutive year Harrity has made the Top 10, placing second in 2021 and 2020.
#1 of Firms with 500+ Patents Issued (97.8) #1 Tech Center 2400 (99.7) #1 Tech Center 3600 (99.6) #3 Tech Center 2600 (99.8) #5 Overall (97.8)
Harrity & Harrity is pleased to announce that Head of Patent Analytics, Rocky Berndsen, was selected by IAM as a World Leading IP Strategist. This award identifies the individuals who are leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios.
Rocky Berndsen is the head of the patent analytics group at Harrity & Harrity. The group’s practice specializes in providing corporate clients with data analytics that focus on gaining insight and intelligence relating to their patent portfolio, their competitors, their outside counsel, and the patent field in general.
Congratulations are in order for the IPO Diversity & Inclusion Committee for being awarded the 2021 Outstanding Committee of the Year Award!
Harrity Partner and Committee Vice Chair, Elaine Spector, says: “It is such a pleasure to work with such a committed group in furthering diversity of the legal profession, which is in dire need of improvement. I am excited to see how this committee can make a direct impact on diversity of the IP profession, as well as the legal profession.”
“In recognition of exceptional service, IPO will present its 2021 Outstanding Committee of the Year Award to the Diversity & Inclusion Committee during the 2021 IPO LIVE + Virtual Annual Meeting. The Diversity & Inclusion Committee is chaired by SHRUTI COSTALES (Dell Technologies). Its co-vice chairs are CARYLN BURTON (Osha Bergman Watanabe & Burton LLP), SERENA I. FARQUHARSON-TORRES (Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.), and ELAINE SPECTOR (Harrity & Harrity, LLP). The secretary is CLAUDIA W. STANGLE (Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd.) and Board Liaison is DARRYL FRICKEY (Dow Chemical Co.).
The committee has gone above and beyond this year by preparing the Practical Guide on Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession and several webinars supporting it, as well as creating a new D&I resource group for IP Professionals with Disabilities and Advocates. The committee continues to be forward-thinking in creating content and materials for those inside and outside the IPO membership. Congratulations to the committee and all its members!”
Harrity & Harrity is pleased to announce that Paul Harrity & Elaine Spector were recently selected by Managing Intellectual Property, the leading specialist guide to IP law firms and practitioners worldwide, as a 2021 Patent Star.
This is Paul’s 4th consecutive year on the list and Elaine’s inaugural year. The annual “IP Stars” list recognizes leading lawyers and law firms for intellectual property work in more than 125 jurisdictions.
Paul is Harrity’s Managing Partner. He focuses on preparing and prosecuting patent applications. He began his career in 1991 as a patent agent at the United States Patent and Trade Office. Since leaving the USPTO, Paul has prepared hundreds of patent applications and thousands of Patent Office responses.
Elaine is a Partner at Harrity and has over 20 years of experience in intellectual property law. Her current practice consists primarily of prosecuting patent applications with a focus on electromechanical technologies. Prior to joining Harrity & Harrity, Elaine worked in private practice for over 15 years handling various intellectual property matters, including patent application drafting and prosecution, trademark prosecution and enforcement, as well as litigating complex patent cases in federal courts. Elaine’s extensive litigation experience provides her with a unique perspective in prosecuting patent applications.
Harrity & Harrity has been recognized in the IAM Patent 1000 as a Highly Recommended Firm for the third year in a row in the DC metro area. Since 2015, Harrity has made the coveted IAM Patent 1000 list as a Recommended Firm or higher. The rankings are based off extensive research in the region of 1,800 interviews with numerous attorneys at law, patent attorneys and in-house counsel to gather market intelligence on the leading players in the field, according to IAM.
The publication said the following of Harrity’s ranking:
“Efficient, timely and cost effective”, Harrity & Harrity is the preferred choice of many when it comes to patent prosecution. A “role model”, it has “implemented some clever procedures and modes of operation, enabling it to consistently deliver work of the very highest standard of quality”. Central to this are the thorough second-attorney review system and uniform writing style championed by founding partners John Harrity and Paul Harrity, who are also responsible for the boutique’s innovation drive, by which large numbers of statistics are tracked so that performance can be precisely measured and improvements implemented. These improvements are often underpinned by technology such as the massive proprietary database that the firm uses to drive intelligent prosecution and its interactive Patent 300 dashboard, which gives clients access to rare insights harvested by the patent analytics group. The software experts here had a busy 2020, developing several new products, such as a patent drafting tool designed to help their attorney colleagues – including the Harrity brothers and Paul Gurzo – focus on patent quality as opposed to more administrative tasks.
Click HERE to see the full Patent 1000 list and to learn more.
Harrity & Harrity has been named the #2 Best Place to Work by Washington Business Journal and Quantum Workplace for organizations with 50-249 employees. The rankings are based off of results of surveys given to employees at hundreds of companies headquartered in the Greater Washington Region.
Congratulations to all of those at the firm who make this a wonderful place to be!
Harrity & Harrity has been named in the Top 10 for Patent Bots Quality Scores for the second consecutive year. Harrity received top scores in the following categories:
#2 of Firms with 500+ Patents Issued (96.2) #1 Tech Center 2100 (100.0) #1 Tech Center 2400 (99.5) #1 Tech Center 3600 (99.5) #3 Tech Center 2600 (99.6) #6 Overall (96.2)
John Harrity has been named ‘Patents Lawyer of the Year in Virginia’ in the 2021 Corporate INTL Magazine Global Awards.
Corporate INTL’s annual awards mark excellence in expertise and service for the world’s leading advisers and financiers in an array of countries and continents around the globe. According to the magazine, 2021 is the largest awards since its inception in 2008, with more nominations received than ever before.
The awards commemorate those who have been successful over the past 12 months and who have shown excellence not only in expertise but in service.
Harrity & Harrity has been named a Top Firm of 2020 by Juristat in their annual patent firm rankings by technology area. Harrity ranked #3 in Tech Center 2400 and #19 in Tech Center 2800.
According to Juristat, rankings consider both volume and performance in specific technology centers and are based on how well a firm performed in three key metrics over a 12-month period. These metrics are:
Number of applications filed
Allowance rate
Average number of office actions before allowance
This analysis was conducted between November 2020 and January 2021, and analyzed public applications disposed (or in the case of the first metric, applications filed) between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018. To qualify for inclusion, a firm must have filed a minimum of 100 applications in the tech center during that time period. This ensures the firm has extensive experience in that technology center and provides an appropriate-sized dataset the evaluate performance metrics. For our analysis, we attributed applications to the firm listed on the application at the time of disposition. We also excluded foreign priority applications and design applications from this analysis.
WASHINGTON (January 15, 2021) – Harrity Patent Analytics is pleased to announce the release of the 2020 Top Patent Firms list. The list, published annually, ranks industry-leading patent law firms based on the total number of U.S. utility patents issued in the past year and contains exclusive prosecution metrics.
The 2020 Top Patent Firms list incorporates notable differences from last year’s rankings, including the year-over-year change in the quantity of patents firms obtained from 2019 to 2020. Rocky Berndsen, Head of Patent Analytics, says of these changes, “You can see which patent firms are making big moves up and down in our field. The impact of a firm merger or one or more partners leaving a firm can be seen in the data. Law firms and companies are using the prosecution data from last year’s patents to make strategic decisions in their practice”.
The Top Patent Firms list is accompanied by an interactive dashboard and includes patent firms that have obtained at least 50 U.S. utility patents where the patent firms are listed on the front of the utility patents. Company legal departments have not been eliminated from the list. The full list is available here.
About Harrity Patent Analytics
Harrity Patent Analytics, an analytical team within the boutique IP law firm of Harrity & Harrity, LLP, uses cutting-edge capabilities to analyze patent data and extract insights for clients to use when making strategic decisions regarding patent portfolios. Patent 300® companies rely on Harrity Patent Analytics services to understand their patent portfolios, the patent portfolios of their competitors, and patent office trends around the world. For more information, visit harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics/.
When a company or organization launches a new product, a patent is usually the first published evidence of the invention in the public domain. Patents are essential protections for any innovation-driven company that has a substantial Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) culture.
A patent protects the right of the inventor company to use their product, thereby preventing others from using the invention. Today, patents have become critical factors for businesses to get an edge over their competitors. Patent analytic tools are being used by organizations for various purposes, including development of sound business strategy.
How Does Patent Analytics Help Businesses?
Patent analysis helps businesses in many areas, both internally and externally. For instance, internal patent analytics helps organizations assess their own patent portfolio.
Further, it can assist in SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. With patent analytics, companies can make informed decisions regarding licensing and acquisition of advanced technologies.
External analytics, on the other hand, provides information about competitors and the technologies they use.
Let’s discuss the benefits of patent analytics for business strategies in detail.
1. Portfolio Analytics
To stand out amongst the competition, you must understand your organization’s patent portfolio. Analyzing your company’s portfolio reveals valuable insights; you get a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses. Doing so allows you to make well-informed business decisions.
2. Competitor Analytics
Another advantage of patent analysis is that it allows you to compare your own patent portfolio to those of competitors. Competitor analytics offers valuable insight into competitor business strategies and partnerships. Patent analytics helps you understand what is working for your competitors and what mistakes you should avoid.
3. Technology Analytics
Analytics tools keep you up to date on where your business and competitors stand in the dynamic landscape of technology. This information allows you to make better decisions regarding portfolio management and fosters stronger client relationships.
Field-relevant technology know-how helps identify market needs. Patent analysis provides researchers and inventors with valuable technological information needed to find innovative solutions to technical problems.
Additionally, patent analytics helps with licensing, mergers, and acquisitions. Patent data can provide a comprehensive, technical portfolio view for technologies and companies in consideration for licensing or acquisition and helps shorten the list of choices.
4. Cost and Budget Analytics
Budgeting and wise resource-management is crucial to strong business strategy. Analytics provide detailed information on costs occurred during patent prosecution and maintenance periods. This information helps identify problems, cut costs, and spend your budget efficiently.
5. Automated Portfolio Categorization
Patent portfolio categorization dashboards, such as those created by Harrity Analytics, are automated systems that categorize patent portfolios according to your business’s self-determined technology areas. These tools can additionally perform a competitive analysis of the key players in your niche industry areas.
Final Words
Whether you are starting a new business, developing a new product, pitching a new client, planning a merger, or just trying to stay ahead of the competition, patent analytics is crucial to ensuring you are on the right track and building a sound business strategy.
Harrity Patent Analytics services can help you manage your patent profile, gain insight into your competitors’ portfolios, and understand patent trends around the world. Harrity Patent Analytics can help you make patent prosecution decisions and refine your business strategy. To view a list of Harrity Patent Analytics services or request your own customized reports, visit https://harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics/.
About Harrity Patent Analytics
Harrity Patent Analytics, a team of professionals within the boutique IP law firm of Harrity & Harrity, LLP, uses cutting-edge capabilities to analyze patent data and extract insights for strategic decisions regarding patent portfolios. Patent 300® companies rely on Harrity Patent Analytics services to better understand their own patent portfolios, those of their competitors, their key technology areas, and to keep track of patent office trends around the world. For more information, visit harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics.
WASHINGTON (February 13, 2020) Harrity Patent Analytics has released the much-anticipated publication of the annual Patent 300®. The Patent 300® is a distinctive compilation of the top 300 companies, organizations, and universities in the patent field, based on quantities of issued U.S. utility patents. It is considered the intellectual property industry’s premier resource for patent insight and competitive intelligence on the world’s leaders in technology.
Ranging from tech giants, such as IBM (#1) and Samsung (#2), to leading universities, like University of California (#67) and MIT (#121), and newcomers, including Nielsen (#207) and Pure Storage (#341), the Patent 300® represents 54 percent of the more than 350,000 U.S. utility patents issued in 2019.
Key findings and trends from the Patent 300® include:
A few notable mergers and divestitures occurred among Patent 300® companies in 2019:
IBM acquired Red Hat, further securing their place at the top of the list
Broadcom (#83) acquired CA, Inc., jumping from #118 last year to #83
Commscope (#89) acquired Arris, boosting them from #133 last year to #89
DowDuPont, #38 on the previous Patent 300® list, split into Dow (#96), DuPont (not ranked), and Corteva (#92)
Capital One (#79) jumped 127 spots on the list, more than tripling their issued patents from the previous year
27 previously unranked organizations joined the Patent 300®, including Bristol Myers Squibb (#150), Tata Sons (#264), and Splunk (#269)
20 previously ranked organizations dropped off the list, including Uber, Nintendo, and Symantec
This year’s Patent 300® includes an interactive dashboard in which users can filter data by technology area, art unit, and more. The addition of this feature will allow in-house counsel, law firm partners, marketing professionals, and c-suite executives to quickly generate insight into patent portfolios, competitors, and technology areas.
“The interactive Patent 300® dashboard is an exciting new addition to the Patent 300® this year”, says Rocky Berndsen, Head of Patent Analytics at Harrity. “This tool gives you the ability to easily find detailed patent prosecution metrics on thousands of companies and law firms with a few clicks of the mouse.”
The ranking of the top 300 companies, organizations and universities and interactive dashboard can be found HERE.
Access to the Patent 300® Premium Interactive Dashboard is available upon request.
About Harrity Patent Analytics
Harrity Patent Analytics, a team of professionals within the boutique IP law firm of Harrity & Harrity, LLP, uses cutting-edge capabilities to analyze patent data and extract insights for strategic decisions regarding patent portfolios. Patent 300® companies rely on Harrity Patent Analytics services to better understand their own patent portfolios, those of their competitors, their key technology areas, and to keep track of patent office trends around the world. For more information, visit harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics.
WASHINGTON (January 14, 2020) – Harrity Patent Analytics is pleased to announce the publication of its annual list of top patent law firms. The“2019 Top Patent Firms” list ranks industry leading patent law firms based on the total number of U.S. utility patents issued in 2019.
The 2019 Top Patent Firms list comes with some significant changes from years prior, including an interactive dashboard and exclusive metrics. “We have collected and analyzed data on more than 300,000 patents obtained by over 3000 different law firms, which we have turned into an interactive online dashboard that allows users to filter data by firm, technology area, and USPTO technology center. This gives both patent law firms and Patent 300™ companies abetter understanding of who is obtaining the most patents in the U.S.,” explains Rocky Berndsen, Head of Patent Analytics at Harrity. “We are also offering premium analytics that delve deeper into detailed patent prosecution metrics, giving law firms and Patent 300™ companies more insights into the robust analytics of specific law firms.”
The Top Patent Firms dashboard includes patent firms that have obtained at least 50 U.S. utility patents where the patent firms are listed on the front of the utility patents. Company legal departments have not been eliminated from the list. The full list is available here.
About Harrity Patent Analytics
Harrity Patent Analytics, an analytical team within the boutique IP law firm of Harrity & Harrity, LLP, uses cutting-edge capabilities to analyze patent data and extract insights for clients to use when making strategic decisions regarding patent portfolios. Patent 300™ companies rely on Harrity Patent Analytics services to understand their patent portfolios, the patent portfolios of their competitors, and patent office trends around the world. For more information, visit harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics/.
