Three approaches at a glance.
Scope, fit, and three-year cumulative range for each tier. Jump to the timeline below to compare the cadence event-by-event.
Pre-seed and seed-stage companies with a single defensible system worth protecting. Trademark coverage for one wordmark.
Seed to Series A companies with two or three core products and a real IP strategy. Wordmark plus logo trademark coverage.
Growth-stage companies, platform technologies, and ventures pursuing licensing, exclusion, or future enforcement options. Wordmark plus logo coverage.
Three years, event by event.
Each event is illustrative cadence — describing how prosecution typically unfolds for a portfolio of this scope at our 2026 fixed-fee rates. Not a record of past matters. Scroll to reveal the cadence; on mobile, switch between tiers with the sticky tab selector.
Each scenario above assumes a typical two-office-action prosecution per utility application. Most U.S. patent applications receive at least two office actions before allowance — one on initial examination raising claim-scope or §112 issues, and a second narrowing further. Some applications allow on the first office action; others need a third round or a Request for Continued Examination. See the cost-drivers section for the factors that move a portfolio above or below the indicated range.
Protect the system that matters most.
Pre-seed and seed-stage companies with a single defensible system worth protecting. Trademark coverage for one wordmark.
- Year 1$14K–$18K
- Year 2$7K–$10K
- Year 3$8K–$12K
Conservative fits when a single defensible system is doing most of the strategic work and a trademark wordmark covers the brand. The cadence preserves a continuation in Year 3 — keeping the patent family alive without expanding scope. Companies that outgrow this tier typically do so by adding utility filings in Year 2; the timeline supports that without restarting.
Cover the products. Protect the brand.
Seed to Series A companies with two or three core products and a real IP strategy. Wordmark plus logo trademark coverage.
- Year 1$42K–$50K
- Year 2$20K–$26K
- Year 3$24K–$32K
Targeted fits when two or three core products each warrant their own patent, and the brand needs both wordmark and logo coverage. The cadence shows three patents progressing through prosecution simultaneously, with continuations carrying claim scope into Year 4. Companies that find Targeted under-protective usually do so because the technology platform supports more inventions than three.
Build a portfolio that compounds.
Growth-stage companies, platform technologies, and ventures pursuing licensing, exclusion, or future enforcement options. Wordmark plus logo coverage.
- Year 1$66K–$78K
- Year 2$34K–$42K
- Year 3$30K–$38K
Aggressive fits when the technology platform itself is the asset — licensing, exclusion, or future enforcement options are real strategic levers, not afterthoughts. The cadence files five utilities up front, drives continuations off every allowance, and carries four continuations into Year 4. Aggressive is the tier where prosecution staffing and docket discipline matter most; matter management overhead is included in the range.
What moves a portfolio up or down the range.
These ranges cover scoped, fixed-fee work — patent drafting, prosecution, trademark filings, USPTO official fees, and routine status reporting. Strategic advisory work outside the fixed-fee scope (portfolio reviews, competitive analysis, freedom-to-operate questions, deadline reminders) is billed hourly at $600 per hour for non-litigation attorney time, $650 per hour for litigation attorney time, and $200 per hour for paralegal time. Engagement intensity varies by client; some clients add a few thousand dollars per year of advisory time, others add nothing.
Six factors push a specific portfolio toward the low or high end of its tier range — sometimes outside the range entirely. We scope every matter against these drivers before quoting.
USPTO official fees are tiered by entity size (large, small, micro). Small-entity and micro-entity rates are roughly 60% and 80% off the large-entity rate respectively. Most of our published ranges reflect small-entity USPTO fees, which is the typical case for our clients.
Most patent applications fall into 'low' or 'ordinary' complexity buckets. A 'low complexity' application typically has a single core invention with a clear technical story. 'Ordinary complexity' covers most multi-feature products and systems. Highly complex matters (multi-system platforms, multiple distinct inventions, dense prior art landscapes) are scoped at intake and may sit above the tier ranges above.
Standard utility applications include up to 20 total claims and 3 independent claims. Each additional claim above those thresholds incurs both a USPTO surcharge and additional professional time. We discuss claim strategy with you before filing.
Most U.S. patent applications receive at least one office action from the USPTO. We classify response work as non-substantive, low complexity, or ordinary complexity based on the rejection types and the strategy required. Each tier above assumes a typical one-to-two-OA prosecution cadence; matters with heavier prosecution can sit above the range.
Track One prioritized examination compresses examination from 2–3 years to roughly 12 months. The USPTO charges a $4,665 large-entity surcharge ($1,866 small entity), including the prioritization processing fee; we add $300 in professional time for handling the petition. We layer this option only when speed-to-grant changes the matter's commercial value; it is not assumed in the tier ranges above.
International protection routes through PCT or Paris Convention filings, then into national-stage entries in chosen jurisdictions. Foreign-associate fees and translations are billed at-cost; we add a $300 coordination fee per foreign-associate invoice for processing, payment, and docketing. International is not included in the tier ranges above.
International protection — separate scope.
These three scenarios are US-only. International protection (PCT plus national-phase entries) is scoped and quoted alongside the US portfolio. Costs scale with the number of jurisdictions pursued; ask during your consultation.
Talk to an attorney before you commit.
Free 30-minute consultations for substantive matters and for referrals from friends, family, colleagues, or counsel. Trademark consultations and Connor's courtesy consult are free regardless of budget.
$150 for a 30-minute call. Credited back against your first invoice if we engage. Use this when you want a substantive sit-down on a matter whose budget hasn't crossed the free-consult threshold.