Dobrusin Law Firm

What Dobrusin Law Firm does

Dobrusin IP Law (DBA Dobrusin Law Firm) is a Michigan-based intellectual property boutique founded by Eric M. Dobrusin and headquartered at 29 W. Lawrence St., Suite 210, Pontiac, MI. The firm operates as a single-location practice with approximately 12 attorneys plus support staff, providing prosecution and counseling services across patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and IP strategy. Its attorneys hold advanced technical credentials — including Ph.D. in Materials Science, M.S. in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, MBA, and chemistry degrees — and many bring prior industry experience from ExxonMobil Chemical, automotive OEMs, and Tier 1 automotive suppliers, enabling them to prosecute and counsel on inventions across chemical, mechanical, biomedical, electrical, and software technologies. Core service lines are Patents (prosecution and application drafting), Trademarks & Copyrights (registration, prosecution, and enforcement), and IP Strategy & Counseling (portfolio development, licensing, and enforcement), with add-on capabilities in Patent Opinions, IP Due Diligence, Technology Transfer, and Trade Secrets protection.

The firm serves a horizontally segmented client base ranging from individual inventors and Michigan startups to Fortune 500 corporations and global manufacturers, with industry concentration in automotive, medical devices, materials science, consumer goods, packaging, and cannabis. Revenue is generated through professional-services billing — typically hourly or flat-fee — with multi-year engagement cadence characteristic of patent and trademark prosecution. Distribution is direct: enterprise field sales via attorney-client engagement, supported by content marketing (patentco.com blog), professional events, community involvement (Main Street Pontiac, BIG IDEA Grant Program), and sponsorship activity (Flint City Bucks). The firm has accumulated sustained third-party recognition, including consecutive U.S. News / Best Lawyers Metropolitan Tier 1 rankings in five IP practice areas (2025, 2026), Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, WTR 1000 Gold designation, and IAM Patent 1000. Ownership is private, founder-controlled, with no disclosed external capital, parent entity, or institutional investors; succession signals include the 2025 elevation of Daniela Walters to Principal Shareholder.

Growth signals in 2025 include broadened service lines (IP Due Diligence, Technology Transfer), law-school pipeline partnerships with University of Detroit Mercy and Wayne State, and the shareholder-track promotion of Eric Hydorn — but the firm shows no evidence of geographic expansion beyond its Pontiac headquarters, no AI/technology platform investment, and no public revenue disclosure.

Name

Dobrusin Law Firm

Legal name

Dobrusin IP Law

Website

https://patentco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dobrusin IP Law is a Michigan-headquartered intellectual property boutique with ~12 attorneys providing patent prosecution, trademark, copyright, and IP strategy services to clients ranging from individual inventors to Fortune 500 manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Law Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

IP Filing, Annuities & Renewals Administration (BPAHAMAJ), IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis (BPAHAMAG), IP Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAMAE)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Pontiac

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 - Professional Services: The firm generates revenue through legal professional services including patent prosecution and counseling, trademark registration and enforcement, copyright protection, IP strategy and counseling, trade secrets protection, technology transfer agreements, and licensing services. Fees are typically billed hourly or as flat fees for specific services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dobrusin IP Law is a Michigan-based intellectual property law firm providing legal services for the protection, prosecution, and enforcement of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and related IP rights. The firm delivers strategic IP counseling, patent opinions, IP due diligence, and technology transfer/licensing services to clients ranging from individual inventors to Fortune 500 corporations across industries including automotive, manufacturing, medical devices, materials science, and consumer goods.

Product overview

Dobrusin IP Law is a single-location intellectual property law firm offering a unified suite of legal services rather than a modular software product. The core service offerings consist of three primary practice areas: Patents (patent prosecution, application drafting, and strategic patent counseling), Trademarks & Copyrights (trademark registration, prosecution, and enforcement; copyright protection), and IP Strategy & Counseling (portfolio development, enforcement, and licensing strategy). These core services are supported by specialized add-on offerings including Patent Opinions (freedom-to-operate, patentability, invalidity, and infringement analyses), IP Due Diligence (for transactions and investments), Technology Transfer (licensing and research collaboration agreements), and Trade Secrets protection (confidentiality and non-competition agreements). The firm also provides sub-services in Copyright Attorneys and International Trademark services. The practice serves clients ranging from individual inventors to multinational corporations across industries including automotive, medical devices, materials science, chemical technology, and consumer goods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patents Comprehensive patent services including patent prosecution, patent application drafting, and strategic patent counseling for protecting innovations.
• Trademarks and Copyrights Trademark registration, prosecution, and enforcement; copyright registration and protection services for brands and creative works.
• IP Strategy and Counseling Strategic intellectual property counsel including portfolio development, IP enforcement, licensing strategy, and alignment of IP assets with business goals.
• Patent Opinions Legal opinions on patent matters including freedom-to-operate analyses, patentability assessments, invalidity opinions, and infringement analyses.
• IP Due Diligence Intellectual property due diligence services for transactions, mergers, acquisitions, and investments.
• Technology Transfer Assistance with IP transfer, licensing agreements, research collaborations, and bringing technology to marketplace.
• Trade Secrets Trade secret protection services including confidentiality agreements, non-competition agreements, and misappropriation remedies under the Michigan Uniform Trade Secrets Act.
• Copyright Attorneys Copyright registration, protection, and enforcement services for creative works and artistic content.
• International Trademark International trademark registration and protection services for global brand protection.

Named customers1 record

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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Flint City BucksminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2022Dobrusin IP Law is an official sponsor of the Flint City Bucks, a successful minor league soccer team in the United Soccer League. The sponsorship aligns with the firm's community-oriented values and commitment to the Flint community.
• Main Street PontiaccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDaniela Walters serves as Advisory Council Chair for Pontiac's BIG IDEA Grant Program, a $500,000 grant and loan program for small businesses. The firm provides office space and staff support for the program.
• Flagstar BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Pontiac's BIG IDEA Grant Program coordinated by Main Street Pontiac, providing funding for small business growth in the Pontiac community.
• CEED LendingminorOthersPartner in Pontiac's BIG IDEA Grant Program providing economic development support.
• BUILD InstituteminorOthersPartner in Pontiac's BIG IDEA Grant Program supporting entrepreneurship.
• University of Detroit Mercy Law SchoolminorOthersFirm attorneys coach and mentor law students participating in USPTO's National Patent Application Drafting Competition. Law clerk Michelle Hudson was part of winning team.
• Wayne State University Law SchoolminorOthersFirm attorneys coach Wayne State law students in USPTO National Patent Application Drafting Competition.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Honigman: Large Michigan-based full-service law firm with a substantial IP practice group. Competes for Fortune 500 IP work in the same Michigan market while offering broader legal services.
• Dickinson Wright: Full-service Michigan-based law firm with a significant IP practice. Competes for the same large corporate IP clients in the Midwest region.

Direct peers

• Harness IP: Mid-sized IP-focused law firm with deep patent prosecution and counseling capabilities. Closely comparable specialty boutique competing for similar technical IP engagements.
• Sughrue Mion: IP-focused law firm specializing in patent prosecution and IP counseling. Comparable boutique structure serving corporate clients needing patent strategy support.
• Fishman Stewart: Mid-sized IP boutique focused on patent prosecution and IP transactions. Comparable in firm size and specialization on technical IP work for corporate clients.
• McGarry Bair: Michigan-based IP boutique law firm specializing in patent and trademark prosecution. Competes directly in the same Michigan market for similar mid-market and emerging company clients.
• Brooks Kushman: Michigan-based intellectual property law firm of comparable size specializing in patents, trademarks, and IP litigation. It is the closest geographic and practice-area competitor to Dobrusin in the Michigan IP market.
• Bookoff McAndrews: Mid-sized IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution and counseling. Comparable in size and focus on technical patent work for corporations and inventors.

Broad incumbents

• Fish & Richardson: Large national IP-focused law firm with significantly greater scale and geographic reach. Competes for the same Fortune 500 patent prosecution and litigation work but with substantially more attorneys and offices.
• Finnegan: Premier national IP boutique known for patent litigation and prosecution. Competes for high-stakes patent matters from Fortune 500 clients but with broader geographic coverage and deeper bench.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DobrusinLaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-dobrusin-law-firm
• Instagraminstagram.com/DobrusinIPLaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Dobrusin Law Firm