FIG. 1 Patents
FIG. 1 Patents is a private boutique patent law firm founded in 2021 and headquartered in Spokane, WA, providing patent preparation, prosecution, claim charting, and IP optimization services to Fortune 500 clients across semiconductor, software, consumer electronics, and (since 2023) pharmaceutical sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersSpokane, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FIG. 1 Patents does
FIG. 1 Patents is a private boutique patent law firm founded on January 1, 2021, headquartered in Spokane, Washington, with a second office established in Dallas, Texas in January 2023. The firm is built explicitly around patent preparation and prosecution for Fortune 500 enterprise clients in high-technology sectors, including semiconductors, software, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and (since 2023) pharmaceuticals and life sciences. Founding partners Patrick Walsh, Mark Niemann, Jamie Breen, and Dave Morasch all came from the firm SBMC; the firm describes its culture as startup-like rather than traditional law firm. Naming customers include Adobe, AMD, eBay, Intel, Microsoft, Apple, HP, Lenovo/Motorola, LSI Logic, iRhythm, and Novartis.
The firm's service line centers on patent application drafting, patent prosecution (with a distinctive practice of conducting examiner interviews on nearly every Office Action), and directed claim charting that maps claim features to specific competitor products. Supplementary services include trademark prosecution, IP optimization, design patents, cloud-based docketing, and patent lifecycle support. Differentiating against traditional IP firms that delegate drafting to junior associates, FIG. 1 concentrates drafting with experienced attorneys and partners, tracks USPTO art units individually to optimize allowance rates, and leverages cloud-based infrastructure to enable remote work. The firm's Spokane location provides a structural cost advantage versus large law firms in tier-one cities, which the firm uses to fund above-market compensation while remaining price-competitive on enterprise engagements.
Revenue is generated through professional services engagements sold primarily via enterprise field sales and direct relationships with in-house legal departments along the U.S. West Coast and increasingly nationally. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The firm has earned third-party quality validation including a #1 ranking for Quality among firms issuing 200+ patents from Patent Bots (2022) and a #1 Overall Patent Quality ranking from Patent Bots in 2024, as well as a #5 ranking out of 3,500 firms in patent prosecution by Patexia in 2022. The firm has grown over 35% in its second year (2022), expanded into pharmaceuticals in 2023, and added its first office outside Spokane as part of that expansion.
FIG. 1 Patents firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FIG. 1 Patents
- Legal name
- FIG. 1 Patents
- Website
- https://fig1patents.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FIG. 1 Patents is a private boutique patent law firm founded in 2021 and headquartered in Spokane, WA, providing patent preparation, prosecution, claim charting, and IP optimization services to Fortune 500 clients across semiconductor, software, consumer electronics, and (since 2023) pharmaceutical sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FIG. 1 Patents industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Patent Law Services
- NAICS
- Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF), IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI), Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection (BPAHAMAB)
Keywords
Where FIG. 1 Patents is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Spokane
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
FIG. 1 Patents business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services - Patent Preparation and Prosecution: Professional services for patent drafting and prosecution. The firm is a boutique patent law firm competing with much larger firms for high-tech clients. Services include patent application drafting, patent prosecution, claim charting, trademark prosecution, IP optimization, docketing and patent lifecycle support, and design patents.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
FIG. 1 Patents product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FIG. 1 Patents is a boutique patent law firm that provides patent preparation and prosecution services for high-tech clients, with a focus on patent application drafting performed by experienced attorneys and partners. Core services include patent application drafting, patent prosecution with examiner interviews, claim charting against competitors, IP portfolio optimization, trademark prosecution, docketing and patent lifecycle support, and design patents.
Product overview
FIG. 1 Patents is a patent law firm offering a focused suite of patent-related legal services. The core offerings center on patent application drafting and patent prosecution, complemented by claim charting, trademark prosecution, IP optimization, docketing and patent lifecycle support, and design patents. The firm was founded in January 2021 as a boutique firm competing with much larger firms, emphasizing quality and efficiency in patent work for high-tech Fortune 500 clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Patent Application Drafting Drafting of patent applications by experienced attorneys and partners rather than junior attorneys, with technical expertise across computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and biological engineering. Targeted at high-tech companies needing strong foundational patent documents.
- Patent Prosecution Aggressive and proactive prosecution of patent applications before the USPTO, including examiner interviews on nearly every Office Action and art-unit-specific strategy tracking to optimize allowance rates. For Fortune 500 clients needing efficient, high-quality patent allowance outcomes.
- Claim Charting Identification of competitor products that may infringe pending or issued claims, and drafting of high-quality claim charts mapping claim features to competitor product features, including analysis of infringement likelihood, detectability, and prior art strength. Used to support enforcement and licensing.
- Trademark Prosecution Counsel on mark selection, trademark prosecution, adversarial proceedings at the USPTO and in court, post-grant maintenance filings, and trademark audits for advertising and regulatory compliance.
- IP Optimization Analysis of competitive positions and optimization of IP portfolios covering domain names, design patents, copyrights, and trade secrets, including advice on integrating IP assets with broader business strategy.
- Docketing and Patent Lifecycle Support Customized docketing and maintenance of patents and trademarks, handling pre-filing activities through patent maintenance using cloud-based systems.
- Design Patents Prosecution of design patents covering visual aspects of inventions including shape, contour, graphical user interfaces, animations, and icons, offered alongside utility patent protection for comprehensive portfolios.
- Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Patent Services Patent protection, exclusivity strategies, mergers and acquisitions IP due diligence, and licensing support for pharmaceuticals, biologics, drug delivery formulations, cell and gene therapies, and medical devices. Launched with the addition of Dallas-based partner Scott Chapple.
Quantifiable outcome
- Patent Bots #8 Overall Quality ranking (2022)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use FIG. 1 Patents
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
FIG. 1 Patents technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
FIG. 1 Patents partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Gonzaga University School of LawcoreFIG. 1 partners with Gonzaga Law on the Diversity in Technology & IP Law Scholarship and Internship, established in 2019. The award offers one incoming student a 3-year scholarship along with a summer internship and $10,000 stipend from FIG. 1. FIG. 1 founders include Gonzaga Law alumni and the firm aims to develop Gonzaga Law as a pipeline for talented IP attorneys from diverse backgrounds.
- eBay, Inc.coreFIG. 1 collaborated with eBay and Gonzaga Law on the Diversity in Technology & IP Law Scholarship and Internship. Scholarship recipient Kaitlyn Bean completed a multi-week internship with eBay's patent team in San Jose (remote due to COVID-19). eBay's patent team also provides corporate perspective during the internship, and eBay is a Fortune 500 client of FIG. 1 for patent services.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FIG. 1 Patents competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fish & Richardson: National IP-focused law firm with one of the largest patent prosecution practices in the U.S. Competes head-to-head with FIG. 1 for high-tech Fortune 500 patent work, but at significantly greater scale and with broader litigation/licensing capabilities.
- Finnegan: Premier IP boutique serving major technology and life sciences clients with patent prosecution, litigation, and PTAB practices. Direct overlap with FIG. 1 in Fortune 500 high-tech patent drafting and prosecution engagements.
- Knobbe Martens: Large IP-only law firm with deep patent prosecution bench for technology, medical device, and consumer electronics clients. Comparable to FIG. 1 in target customer profile (Fortune 500 high-tech) and core patent prosecution offering.
- SBMC (previously): The Spokane-based IP firm from which FIG. 1's founders spun out. Same geography, overlapping client base, and patent prosecution focus, making it the closest historical and operational peer.
- Wolf Greenfield: Boston-based IP boutique with strong patent prosecution practice in software, electrical, and biotech technologies. Comparable boutique positioning serving sophisticated technology clients with patent preparation and prosecution.
- Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt: Mid-sized IP-focused law firm with significant patent prosecution volume for tech clients. Comparable in core patent preparation/prosecution services for technology clients, though at larger scale.
- Mintz: IP-focused law firm with strong patent prosecution practice serving technology and life sciences clients. Comparable positioning as a mid-sized IP specialist serving sophisticated in-house teams.
- Sterne Kessler (Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox): DC-based IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution and contested proceedings for technology clients. Comparable boutique model focused on high-quality patent work for sophisticated technology clients.
Broad incumbents
- Cooley LLP: Large technology-focused law firm with a substantial patent prosecution practice alongside corporate, litigation, and regulatory work. Competes for the same Fortune 500 high-tech IP clients but as part of a broader full-service platform.
- Perkins Coie: Full-service Am Law 100 firm with a significant patent prosecution group serving West Coast technology clients. Overlaps with FIG. 1's Fortune 500 tech client roster but offers a much wider service portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FIG. 1 Patents social profiles
Digital presenceFIG. 1 Patents financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FIG. 1 Patents leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
FIG. 1 Patents funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FIG. 1 Patents M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FIG. 1 Patents
What does FIG. 1 Patents do?
FIG. 1 Patents is a boutique patent law firm that provides patent preparation and prosecution services for high-tech clients, with a focus on patent application drafting performed by experienced attorneys and partners. Core services include patent application drafting, patent prosecution with examiner interviews, claim charting against competitors, IP portfolio optimization, trademark prosecution, docketing and patent lifecycle support, and design patents.
Is FIG. 1 Patents a public or private company?
FIG. 1 Patents is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was FIG. 1 Patents founded?
FIG. 1 Patents was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FIG. 1 Patents based?
FIG. 1 Patents is headquartered in Spokane, United States, in the North America region.
How does FIG. 1 Patents make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services - Patent Preparation and Prosecution.
Who are FIG. 1 Patents's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fish & Richardson, Finnegan, Knobbe Martens, SBMC (previously), Wolf Greenfield, Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, Mintz and Sterne Kessler (Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox). Broad incumbents are Cooley LLP and Perkins Coie.
Does FIG. 1 Patents have an API?
No public API is recorded for FIG. 1 Patents.
What industry is FIG. 1 Patents in?
FIG. 1 Patents's product category is Patent Law Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAA, Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management, with a secondary code of BPAHAAAF, Intellectual Property (IP) Law. Its NAICS code is 5411 and its SIC code is 8111.