PRODUCTS · PATENTS · GROWTH
Startups &
Emerging
Companies
Patent strategy for your next stage.
Divergent Patent Law helps startups and emerging technology companies connect U.S. patent strategy with product differentiation, development priorities, and business goals. We work with founders, engineers, and product teams to understand the technical contribution, prioritize patent work, and define an engagement that fits the company’s goals and resources.
Start with the decisions that matter
01 / Prioritize your core technology
Begin with the innovations that distinguish your product. We consider the technology, alternative implementations, product roadmap, and business priorities when discussing what to pursue and how to define the proposed patent work.
02 / Capture inventions as you build
Development moves quickly, and important technical contributions can emerge across teams and projects. We help organize invention disclosures, identify information needed for drafting, and connect implementation details with a focused application strategy.
03 / Plan around key milestones
Coordinate patent work with product launches, planned publications, investor or partner discussions, and available resources. We help identify the information and decisions needed to plan the next stage of work, with priorities tailored to the project.
04 / Adapt as priorities change
Products, markets, and budgets evolve. During prosecution, we help evaluate claim scope, responses to the patent office, and options for related applications against your current priorities and longer-term portfolio goals.
Patent support for growing companies
Depending on your needs and the agreed scope, our work may include:
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Reviewing invention disclosures and planning applications.
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Preparing and filing U.S. patent applications.
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Developing patent-eligibility and claim strategies.
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Responding to Office Actions and conducting examiner interviews.
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Handling appeals and continuation applications.
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Coordinating portfolio decisions with technical teams and existing counsel.
Define the work and budget in advance
Work directly with the practitioner responsible for your matter. Before work begins, we explain the agreed services and professional fees. Government charges and anticipated third-party expenses are identified separately. Additional work is discussed and approved before it begins.
Tell us what you are building
Share a general description of your technology, your company’s priorities, any existing patent work, and the support you are seeking.
Discuss Your Patent Priorities →
Please do not include confidential information in your initial inquiry. An attorney-client relationship is formed only through a written engagement agreement.
Startup & Growth Insights
Relevant Team
The professionals below bring complementary experience in application drafting, USPTO examination, examiner interviews, appeals, and portfolio development across electrical, software, mechanical, materials, chemical, and life-sciences technologies.
Brandon R. Theiss
Partner · Registered Patent Attorney · Licensed Professional Engineer
A licensed professional engineer and former industrial-control and medical-device engineer, Brandon advises on patent prosecution, § 101 strategy, portfolio development, and post-grant proceedings involving AI, software, cloud systems, medical devices, and automation.
Tom J. Filarski
Senior Counsel · Registered Patent Attorney · Chemist & Chemical Engineer
A chemist and chemical engineer with four decades of experience, Tom develops and coordinates patent strategies for medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, polymers, semiconductors, energy technologies, and manufacturing systems.
Scott D. Paul
Partner · Registered Patent Attorney · Materials & Mechanical Engineering
A materials and mechanical engineer, Scott has prosecuted more than 2,000 U.S. applications, drafted more than 600 applications, and filed more than 1,000 PTAB appeal briefs involving AI, semiconductors, cloud systems, medical devices, and advanced manufacturing.
Janet Pioli
Senior Counsel · Registered Patent Attorney · Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Background
A registered patent attorney with more than 30 years of experience and a molecular-biology and biotechnology background, Janet advises on portfolio development, clearance, due diligence, prosecution, and appeals involving medical devices, diagnostics, biotechnology, industrial equipment, and consumer products.
Robert Hyun Chang
Of Counsel · Registered Patent Attorney · Materials Engineer
A registered patent attorney with more than 25 years of intellectual-property experience and degrees in metallurgical and materials science engineering and physics, Robert helps technology companies draft and prosecute U.S. patent applications, build and monetize portfolios, and develop claim and licensing strategies grounded in complex technology and commercial objectives.
Danielle Gross, Ph.D.
Registered Patent Agent · Ph.D. in Biochemistry · Life Sciences & Medical Devices
A registered patent agent with more than a decade of prosecution experience and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Danielle helps life-sciences and technology companies draft and prosecute U.S. patent applications, build portfolios, and develop claim strategies grounded in complex science.
Ganesh J. Prabu
Technical Advisor · Wireless Engineer · Patent Analysis and Licensing Support
Ganesh J. Prabu is a wireless engineer and technical advisor with more than two decades of experience, including roles at Motorola and BlackBerry. He supports patent prosecution, licensing, and litigation through technical analysis of 5G, LTE, and IoT technologies, claim-chart development, reverse engineering, and evidence-of-use analysis.
