Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner

What Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner does

Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner, LLP is a privately held intellectual property law firm headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, tracing its origins to 1879 and operating under the consumer-facing brand uspatent.com. The firm is one of the oldest dedicated IP boutiques in the United States, with all attorneys qualified or qualifying as registered patent attorneys before the USPTO and holding scientific or technical degrees in fields such as chemistry, biology, engineering, computer science, physics, and mathematics. Its practice is organized into eight core areas: patent prosecution, trademark prosecution, IP litigation, copyright, trade secrets, licensing, alternative dispute resolution, and a dedicated Sports & Entertainment IP group covering NIL and endorsement matters.

The firm delivers services on a sales-led, referral-driven model, billing primarily on an hourly basis with monthly itemized billing and the option for alternative or contingent fee arrangements in IP litigation. It serves a hybrid client base ranging from Fortune 500 enterprises (Eli Lilly, Roche Diagnostics, Zimmer/Biomet, Allison, COOK Group, Knauf Insulation) and major research universities (Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Florida) to individual inventors and SMBs managing consumer brands such as Syndicate Sales, Candy Dynamics, and Flavor Burst. Its distribution combines direct attorney engagement, a content marketing program (Federal Circuit IP Digest, IP Law Digest, case studies), on-campus recruiting for talent pipeline, and a foreign associate network that extends filing reach across the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, and Japan without requiring international office build-out.

The firm is governed by a three-member Management Committee chaired by Managing Partner Bill McKenna, with Jeremy Gustrowsky and Blake Hartz as committee members, alongside practice group leaders for patent prosecution (Mike Morris), trademark (Charlie Meyer), and litigation (Spiro Bereveskos). It has maintained independent partnership ownership for its entire 145+ year history with no external parent company or private equity involvement, and its revenue is generated entirely through professional services billings rather than any external funding, software licensing, or transactional revenue streams.

Name

Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner

Legal name

Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner, LLP

Website

https://uspatent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1879

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner is a privately held Indianapolis-based intellectual property law firm founded in 1879, offering patent prosecution, trademark, copyright, trade secret, licensing, litigation, and sports/entertainment IP services to enterprise clients, universities, and individual inventors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Law Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection (BPAHAMAB), Copyright Services & Content Protection (BPAHAMAC), IP Compliance, Anti-Counterfeiting & Enforcement (BPAHAMAK), Corporate & Commercial Law (BPAHAAAA)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution
• Trademark registration
• IP litigation
• Copyright protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Hourly Billing: The firm bills primarily on an hourly basis for professional legal services in patent prosecution, trademark prosecution, litigation, and other IP matters. The firm states it will consider alternative fee structures depending on circumstances, and has experience with contingent fee arrangements in IP litigation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner is a specialized intellectual property law firm offering legal services across eight practice areas: patent prosecution, trademark registration and enforcement, IP litigation, copyright protection, trade secret services, licensing, mediation/alternative dispute resolution, and sports & entertainment IP. The firm exclusively practices IP law before the USPTO, U.S. Copyright Office, ITC, and state/federal courts, representing corporate entities, universities, and individual inventors.

Product overview

Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner is an intellectual property law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services organized into eight practice areas: Patent Prosecution Services (patent applications, prosecution, and post-grant proceedings), Trademark Services (registration, portfolio management, and enforcement), IP Litigation (pre-litigation through trial and appeal), Copyright Services (registration and enforcement), Trade Secret Services (protection strategies and litigation), Licensing Services (IP licensing and technology transfer), Mediation | Alternative Dispute Resolution (IP-focused neutral services), and Sports & Entertainment Intellectual Property (NIL, endorsements, and brand protection). These services are offered as distinct but complementary practice groups, all focused exclusively on intellectual property law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Prosecution Services Comprehensive patent prosecution including patentability analysis, application drafting, domestic and international filings, office action responses, and post-grant proceedings before the USPTO. Attorneys have technical backgrounds across chemical, biotechnology, electrical, and software industries to communicate effectively with inventors.
• Trademark Services Trademark registration, maintenance, renewal, portfolio management, watch services, oppositions, cancellation proceedings, and enforcement domestically and internationally. Designed to protect brands by distinguishing identity, products, and services from competitors.
• IP Litigation Full-service intellectual property litigation including pre-litigation, trial, appeal, arbitration, and mediation across state and federal courts, the ITC, and the PTAB. The team develops case strategy, budget, litigation plan, and timeline aligned with client goals.
• Copyright Services Copyright registration, enforcement, licensing agreements, and counseling for domestic and international copyright protection. Includes registrations, applications, title searches, and drafting and negotiating contracts and licenses on behalf of clients.
• Trade Secret Services Trade secret identification, protection strategies, audits, licensing, and litigation for confidential business information. Designed to help clients maintain competitive advantage by safeguarding proprietary know-how and confidential data.
• Licensing Services Intellectual property licensing agreements for patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, joint ventures, and technology transfer. Supports IP commercialization across multiple asset classes.
• Mediation | Alternative Dispute Resolution IP-focused mediation, arbitration, mock adversary proceedings, and special master services for intellectual property disputes. Provides alternative paths to litigation for resolving IP conflicts.
• Sports & Entertainment Intellectual Property Specialized IP services for sports, universities, and entertainment including NIL (Name, Image, Likeness), endorsement agreements, brand protection, and licensing. Designed for athletes, entertainers, sports organizations, colleges, and businesses within the sports and entertainment sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Handled over 7,000 trademarks and 9,000+ patents and patent applications over the past 30+ years.

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fish & Richardson: One of the largest U.S. IP boutique law firms, focused exclusively on patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law with deep technical bench and litigation capabilities — the closest direct competitor to Woodard Emhardt in scale and practice mix.
• Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner: Premier global IP law firm with full-service patent prosecution, trademark, and litigation capabilities and a technically trained attorney bench — competes for the same enterprise IP portfolio clients.
• Knobbe Martens: West Coast–anchored IP boutique with strong patent prosecution and litigation practices across biotech, chemistry, software, and mechanical technologies — directly comparable practice mix and client base.
• Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox: Washington, D.C.–based IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution, litigation, and post-grant proceedings before the USPTO — comparable in boutique scale and exclusive IP focus.
• Oblon: IP-focused law firm offering patent prosecution, litigation, and trademark services with a technically trained bench — closely comparable niche boutique competitor.
• Banner & Witcoff: Long-established IP boutique with patent prosecution, trademark, copyright, and litigation practices — comparable in heritage (founded 1920s), exclusive IP focus, and client roster.
• Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik: New Jersey–based IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution and IP litigation with technical attorneys across scientific disciplines — comparable scale and IP-only focus.
• Harness Dickey: Detroit–based IP boutique focused on patent prosecution and litigation, particularly in mechanical and electrical technologies — comparable in being a regionally anchored, IP-exclusive boutique.
• McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff: Chicago-based IP boutique providing patent prosecution, trademark, copyright, and litigation services — direct Midwest peer with similar practice mix and boutique positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Cooley LLP: Large full-service firm with a significant IP practice (patents, trademarks, licensing, litigation) — competes for the same enterprise and life sciences IP clients but operates with much broader corporate and litigation capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/woodard-emhardt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner