Underwood and Associates

What Underwood and Associates does

Underwood and Associates is a boutique patent law firm founded in 2007 in Crystal Lake, Illinois, by Dr. David F. Underwood, Ph.D., a Registered United States Patent Agent with a Ph.D. in physical chemistry (Vanderbilt), postdoctoral training in ultrafast laser systems at the University of Minnesota, 17+ years of patent prosecution experience, and a 20+ publication record. The firm practices patents exclusively — declining trademarks, copyrights, and other areas of law — and offers patent application drafting and prosecution, patentability searches, PCT national-stage and foreign filings, U.S. counsel representation for foreign applicants, patent reexamination services, and overflow drafting and document-review support for law firms, corporate legal departments, and university technology transfer offices. Differentiated technical capacity comes from Ph.D.-level scientists covering chemistry, physics, software, mechanical, and medical-device subject matter.

The firm operates a lean, founder-led cost structure and has published flat-rate pricing across multiple discrete services: $1,200 patentability searches, $750 PCT national-stage and foreign filings, and $3,500–$5,500 software provisional patent applications, with free initial consultations. Distribution is direct, supported by an IP blog, website SEO, Facebook presence, and secure videoconferencing for remote clients. The firm maintains a network of foreign patent attorneys and agents as channel partners for international coverage, and has publicly positioned around the USPTO rule change effective July 20, 2026 requiring U.S. registered practitioner representation for foreign-domiciled applicants.

Customers are a mix of individual inventors and small businesses (the primary segment), foreign patent firms and applicants seeking U.S. associate counsel, and IP professionals needing overflow support. Notable named engagements include Hutchinson Technology (wearable oxygenation sensor patents), Eden Medical (miniature polymer pump patents), Wyoming Machinery (heavy equipment attachment-control patents), and Dynamic Products (consumer goods including the Dynamic Hammock and K-9 Kannon). The firm is privately held, founder-owned, with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or subsidiaries, and 11–50 employees.

Name

Underwood and Associates

Legal name

Underwood & Associates, LLC

Website

https://underwoodpatents.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Underwood and Associates is a boutique U.S. patent law firm founded in 2007 in Crystal Lake, Illinois, practicing patents exclusively. It serves individual inventors, small businesses, foreign applicants, and IP professionals with drafting, prosecution, searches, reexaminations, and U.S. counsel services at flat-rate pricing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis (BPAHAMAG)

Keywords

• Patent prosecution services
• Patent application drafting
• Patentability searches
• Intellectual property law
• USPTO representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Crystal Lake

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

Revenue model

1. Patent Application Drafting and Prosecution: Drafting, filing, and prosecuting U.S. and international patent applications; core professional services revenue stream for utility and design patents across all technical fields.
2. Flat-Rate Search Services: Patentability searches offered at $1,200 flat rate; freedom-to-operate, state-of-the-art, and invalidity searches; fixed-price model providing predictable costs.
3. Flat-Rate National-Stage Filings: PCT national-stage and foreign-origin U.S. filings at $750 flat rate; covers filing through official filing receipt.
4. Professional Support Services: Document review, technical consulting, and overflow drafting support for law firms and corporate legal departments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Underwood & Associates is a boutique patent law firm that drafts, files, and prosecutes utility and design patent applications before the USPTO and internationally via the PCT. The firm also provides patentability and freedom-to-operate searches, patent reexamination services, and overflow drafting and document-review support for other IP professionals. It serves individual inventors, small businesses, foreign applicants, and other law firms across all technical fields.

Product overview

Underwood & Associates is a boutique patent law firm providing patent preparation, filing, and prosecution services exclusively. The firm operates as a unified service offering with a portfolio of discrete services including: patent application drafting and filing (core), patentability searches ($1,200 flat rate), PCT national-stage and foreign filings ($750 flat rate), U.S. counsel representation for foreign applicants, patent reexamination services, and support services for IP professionals (law firms, corporate legal departments, and university technology transfer offices). Additional services include freedom-to-operate searches, license partner searches, state-of-the-art searches, invalidity searches, provisional patent applications, and document review with scientific consulting. The firm serves individual inventors, small businesses, foreign applicants, and IP professionals across all technical fields including mechanical devices, software, chemistry, medical technology, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-star Google ratings reflecting client satisfaction

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Network of Foreign Patent Attorneys and AgentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners with a network of carefully selected foreign patent attorneys and agents to secure patent coverage worldwide for clients seeking protection outside the United States.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Knobbe Martens: Large IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution, litigation, and IP counseling across all technologies. Competes for complex technical patent work where Underwood's Ph.D.-level bench differentiates.
• Banner & Witcoff: IP-only boutique specializing in patent prosecution, counseling, and litigation. Comparable in its exclusive IP focus and technical expertise across subject matters.
• Oblon: Patent prosecution and IP boutique serving technical clients globally. Competes for complex technical patent work with comparable Ph.D.-level practitioner model.
• Harrity & Harrity: Boutique patent law firm focused on patent preparation and prosecution with a flat-fee service model. Most comparable peer given shared patent-only focus, flat-rate pricing, and SMB/inventor target market.
• Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner: Boutique patent law firm focused exclusively on patent preparation, prosecution, and post-grant proceedings. Closely aligned with Underwood's exclusive-patent, technical-expertise positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Fish & Richardson: Top-tier IP and patent litigation firm where founder Dr. Underwood developed his patent practice. Represents the upper end of competition for complex patent prosecution and litigation matters.
• Finnegan: Large IP-focused law firm handling patent prosecution, litigation, and post-grant proceedings across all technologies. Competes for high-end technical patent work with deep technical bench similar to Underwood's model.

Emerging players

• LegalZoom: Online legal services platform offering lower-cost patent filing and registration services. Competes with Underwood on price-sensitive filings for individual inventors and SMBs.
• UpCounsel: Online marketplace connecting businesses with freelance IP attorneys. Competes for SMB and startup patent work with a technology-enabled lower-cost delivery model.

Others

• Anaqua: IP management software and analytics platform serving patent practitioners and corporate IP departments. Not a direct competitor but a technology enabler for the IP services ecosystem in which Underwood operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61592008119859

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Underwood and Associates