Hovey Williams

What Hovey Williams does

Hovey Williams LLP is a 95-year-old intellectual property law firm headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, focused exclusively on patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and IP litigation matters. Founded in 1929 by C. Earl Hovey and Roy Hamilton, the firm employs between 101 and 250 people and serves three primary customer segments: established companies seeking to protect competitive advantage, startup companies requiring agile IP expertise, and individual inventors protecting new products, processes, devices, designs, or formulas. Its partner bench of roughly 10–15 partners holds advanced technical degrees spanning biotechnology, chemistry, electrical engineering, mechanical arts, materials science, and computer science, enabling specialization across advanced-technology and life-sciences IP.

The firm's core offerings comprise six core practice areas — IP Strategy and Due Diligence, Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets, and IP Litigation and Disputes — supplemented by specialized services including the Amazon IP Accelerator Program, alternative dispute resolution (mediation/arbitration), domain name disputes under UDRP and ACPA, and representation before TTAB and PTAB. The firm leverages standard legal technology tools for patent and trademark prosecution, case management, and IP litigation in federal courts, but discloses no proprietary technology platform. It is a curated Amazon IP Accelerator Law Firm, enabling faster Amazon Brand Registry enrollment for e-commerce sellers.

Hovey Williams generates revenue through professional fees for legal services, billed under standard law-firm pricing models (hourly, fixed-fee, or per-matter). Distribution is entirely direct via attorney-client engagement from its single Overland Park headquarters, with international filings executed through a network of foreign associates. The firm is independently owned as a Limited Liability Partnership with no parent company, no external investment, and no public reporting; nearly 50% of firm owners are women and the firm has been named to the IAM Strategy 300, ranked #9 nationwide on the 2024 U.S. Trademark Registration Tote Board, and recognized with 10 partner placements in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Name

Hovey Williams

Legal name

Hovey Williams LLP

Website

https://hoveywilliams.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hovey Williams LLP is a 95-year-old Overland Park, Kansas-based intellectual property law firm specializing exclusively in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and IP litigation services for established companies, startups, and individual inventors across the U.S. and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI), Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection (BPAHAMAB), Copyright Services & Content Protection (BPAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution services
• Trademark registration
• IP litigation services
• Trade secret protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services — Professional Fees: Hovey Williams LLP generates revenue through legal professional fees for intellectual property services including patent prosecution and litigation, trademark registration and enforcement, copyright protection, trade secret counseling, IP strategy and due diligence, alternative dispute resolution, domain name disputes, and Amazon Accelerator program services. Fees are likely billed hourly, fixed-fee, or per matter, consistent with law firm billing practices.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hovey Williams LLP is a specialized intellectual property law firm offering legal services for the protection, prosecution, and enforcement of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. The firm represents established companies, startup companies, and individual inventors before the USPTO, federal courts, the TTAB, and the PTAB, and provides IP strategy and due diligence counseling, alternative dispute resolution, domain name disputes, and Amazon Brand Registry acceleration through its Amazon IP Accelerator Firm designation.

Product overview

Hovey Williams LLP is a specialized intellectual property law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services for protecting patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. The firm's core service offerings include IP Strategy and Due Diligence, Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets, and IP Litigation and Disputes. These are complemented by specialized services such as the Amazon IP Accelerator Program for brand protection on Amazon's marketplace, Alternatives to Litigation (mediation and arbitration), Domain Name Disputes resolution, and Trademark and Patent Proceedings before TTAB and PTAB administrative boards. The firm operates as a unified legal practice rather than a modular software platform, with services typically offered individually or in combination based on client needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amazon Accelerator: Hovey Williams serves as a curated Amazon IP Accelerator Law Firm, helping sellers enroll in Amazon Brand Registry and protect their intellectual property on Amazon's marketplace.

Products and services

• IP Strategy and Due Diligence

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Amazon IP Accelerator ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHovey Williams is a curated Amazon IP Accelerator Law Firm in the United States. This partnership enables the firm's clients to enroll in Amazon Brand Registry within days after filing a trademark application, bypassing standard verification processes. The program provides faster access to proactive brand protections, powerful search and reporting tools, and brand-building features for Amazon sellers and vendors globally.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fish & Richardson: Fish & Richardson is one of the largest U.S. IP-only law firms, with deep patent prosecution and litigation practices across advanced technologies. It competes head-to-head with Hovey Williams for patent prosecution and complex IP litigation matters, particularly for technology-focused clients.
• Finnegan: Finnegan is a premier IP boutique with global reach, focusing on patent prosecution, litigation, and trademark prosecution. It is a top-tier competitor to Hovey Williams in patent prosecution and trademark matters, with a similar exclusive focus on IP law but broader geographic footprint.
• Sterne Kessler: Sterne Kessler is a leading patent prosecution and litigation boutique based in Washington, DC, focused exclusively on IP. It competes with Hovey Williams in patent prosecution before the USPTO and PTAB, with overlapping technical expertise in software, electronics, and biotech.
• Knobbe Martens: Knobbe Martens is one of the largest U.S. IP-only law firms with deep technical expertise across life sciences, mechanical, and electrical arts. It is a direct competitor to Hovey Williams in patent prosecution and trademark registration, with comparable firm size and pure-play IP focus.
• Oblon: Oblon is a top IP boutique with deep patent prosecution and litigation capabilities, particularly in technical and scientific fields. It competes with Hovey Williams for sophisticated patent prosecution work and shares the exclusive IP-only positioning.
• McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff (MBHB): MBHB is a Chicago-based IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution, litigation, and trademark matters with strong technical expertise. It competes with Hovey Williams in patent prosecution across mechanical, biotech, and chemical technologies and shares a similar mid-sized IP-boutique profile.
• Banner Witcoff: Banner Witcoff is a top trademark and patent prosecution boutique with strong trademark filing volumes nationally. It competes directly with Hovey Williams in trademark prosecution and IP litigation, particularly given its high ranking on the trademark registration tote board.
• Wolf Greenfield: Wolf Greenfield is a Boston-based IP boutique focused on patent prosecution and litigation across electrical, software, biotech, and chemical arts. It is a direct peer in size and IP-only focus, competing for advanced-technology patent work.

Broad incumbents

• Cooley LLP: Cooley is a major national law firm with a sizable IP practice serving technology and life sciences clients. While broader than Hovey Williams in scope, it competes for sophisticated patent prosecution and IP litigation work in the technology sector, particularly with venture-backed startups.
• Mintz: Mintz is a full-service AmLaw firm with a substantial IP practice serving technology, life sciences, and consumer products clients. It competes with Hovey Williams for patent prosecution and trademark matters while offering a broader corporate and litigation platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hoveywilliams

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Hovey Williams