Harrington & Smith
Harrington & Smith was a Connecticut-based boutique intellectual property law firm that specialized exclusively in patent prosecution and strategic patent portfolio preparation for technology companies in the robotics and telecommunications sectors, prior to its October 2024 acquisition by McCarter & English.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersShelton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Harrington & Smith does
Harrington & Smith was a boutique intellectual property law firm founded in 2001 and headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut. The firm specialized exclusively in patent law, with a core service line in writing and prosecuting patent applications and preparing strategic patent portfolios for technology clients. Its served verticals were narrowly focused on robotics and telecommunications technology companies, reflecting a deliberate domain specialization strategy rather than broad-spectrum IP practice. The firm operated with a lean team of approximately 11 attorneys and staff, of whom 6 were specialized patent lawyers handling strategic portfolio preparation. The revenue model was standard professional services billing — hourly rates or matter-based fees on direct attorney-client engagements — typical of US boutique law firms. Marketing and client acquisition relied primarily on professional networks, referrals, and industry reputation rather than formal demand-generation channels.
On October 16, 2024, Harrington & Smith was acquired in its entirety by McCarter & English, a larger full-service law firm executing a seven-year growth plan as it approached its 100th anniversary. The acquisition transferred the firm's full roster of attorneys and staff and added high-tech IP capabilities — particularly in robotics and telecommunications patent prosecution — to McCarter & English's broader Northeast US platform. Following the acquisition, Harrington & Smith ceased to exist as an independent entity; the hspatent.com web domain subsequently appears to serve unrelated content. No information is available regarding pre-acquisition ownership structure, investor backing, or founder involvement.
Harrington & Smith firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Harrington & Smith
- Legal name
- Harrington & Smith
- Website
- https://hspatent.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Harrington & Smith was a Connecticut-based boutique intellectual property law firm that specialized exclusively in patent prosecution and strategic patent portfolio preparation for technology companies in the robotics and telecommunications sectors, prior to its October 2024 acquisition by McCarter & English.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Harrington & Smith industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intellectual Property Law Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI)
Keywords
Where Harrington & Smith is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shelton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Harrington & Smith business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Legal Services Revenue: Revenue generated from providing intellectual property legal services, including patent portfolio preparation, to technology companies. As a boutique law firm, services were likely billed through standard legal fee arrangements (hourly rates or matter-based pricing).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Harrington & Smith product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Harrington & Smith is a boutique intellectual property law firm that writes and prosecutes patent applications for technology companies. The firm specializes in strategic patent portfolio preparation, with deep expertise in the robotics and telecommunications sectors. Services are delivered through attorney-client engagements typical of professional legal services firms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Strategic Patent Portfolio Preparation
- Patent Application Writing and Prosecution
- Intellectual Property Strategy Consulting Strategic IP counsel advising technology companies on building and protecting intellectual property assets to maintain competitive advantage.
Quantifiable outcome
- 11 attorneys and staff integrated into McCarter & English's high-tech IP practice
Companies that use Harrington & Smith
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Harrington & Smith technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Harrington & Smith partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- McCarter & EnglishcoreMcCarter & English acquired the entire Connecticut IP boutique Harrington & Smith, integrating 11 attorneys and staff including 6 specialized patent lawyers. The acquisition expands McCarter & English's high-tech IP capabilities, adding expertise in robotics and telecommunications patent portfolio preparation. This aligns with McCarter & English's seven-year growth plan as they approach their 100th anniversary.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Harrington & Smith competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Harrington & Smith financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Harrington & Smith leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Harrington & Smith funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Harrington & Smith 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 Harrington & Smith
What does Harrington & Smith do?
Harrington & Smith is a boutique intellectual property law firm that writes and prosecutes patent applications for technology companies. The firm specializes in strategic patent portfolio preparation, with deep expertise in the robotics and telecommunications sectors. Services are delivered through attorney-client engagements typical of professional legal services firms.
Is Harrington & Smith a public or private company?
Harrington & Smith is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Harrington & Smith founded?
Harrington & Smith was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Harrington & Smith based?
Harrington & Smith is headquartered in Shelton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Harrington & Smith make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services Revenue.
Does Harrington & Smith have an API?
No public API is recorded for Harrington & Smith.
What industry is Harrington & Smith in?
Harrington & Smith's product category is Intellectual Property Law Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAA, Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management, with a secondary code of BPAHAMAI, IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.