Home > North Carolina > Orange County > Chapel Hill > Atty. Kevin E. Flynn

Atty. Kevin E. Flynn, Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina, USA

  • 27 years of experience
  • English,
  • Patents
  • Patent Attorney For US Startups Serious About Seeking Patents
  • North Carolina
  • (919) 818-9147

Summary

Still an engineer at heart, I help companies seek strong patent protection to arm against me-too products and stay clear of third-party patent rights. I am the right choice for the right client, but not everyone needs the same sort of patent attorney. Some clients want to just file something so that the client can say "patent pending" without caring about actually getting a useful patent. I am not a good fit for such clients as I want to be in it to win it. Some clients want to file a patent application although they have no idea how to make the novel product. They see the patent process as a lottery ticket where you stake a claim for a type of product and hope for a big payoff. That is not how the system works and not how I work. Some clients want to crank out lots of very narrow patent applications where the patent attorney essentially re-formats a fairly comprehensive invention disclosure form that has been vetted by the internal patent attorneys on a patent committee. They want someone to crank out narrow applications while minimizing expenses. They have reduced new patents to a numbers game as the company has lots of patents already. No budget for creativity. Someone with less skill than me can handle that routine work. Some clients are building a business and know that having a strong set of patents will move the needle on the value of their company as strong patents will help protect margin and market share by keeping others from selling me-too products. They want a patent attorney that is an external team member that helps the company spend money wisely while seeking patents that have commercial significance. They want someone with sufficient engineering skills to understand their technology and communicate the technology to a patent examiner. This is the type of client that I am well-suited to help. if you want an engineer with a broad set of skills to help you seek patents or stay clear of others' patent rights, then we should talk. View More ?

Practice Areas


Fees

  • Free Consultation
    Selecting a patent attorney is a major decision as the process is expensive and you will need to work closely with your patent attorney. You should definitely check to ensure that you have good working chemistry with a patent attorney before deciding on an attorney. I am happy to talk with you about the process and the costs without charging you for this general information. This general discussion will not go into your invention in depth and the chances that your particular innovation will be deemed patentable over the relevant prior art.
  • Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
    I have been doing patent work since 1992 and worked as an engineer for years before going to law school. My hourly rate is not as low as someone just out of law school. On the other hand, I am much more efficient than someone still learning the craft. You total cost is impacted by efficiency. As I own my firm, I can cut a bill when that is the right thing to do. Large firms often have lots of barriers to preclude cutting a bill even when the bill is larger than it should have been. My clients stay with me for years as they see my fees as reasonable in light of the value I provide.
  • Education

    Duke University School of Law
    J.D. (1992)
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    Honors: Graduated cum laude Winner of Melvin G. Shimm Award for work as Articles Editor.
    Activities: Editor on Law Journal - Law & Contemporary Problems.
    Duke University School of Law Logo
    California State University - San Jose State University
    M.S. (1985) | Industrial & Systems Engineering
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    Honors: Graduated summa cum laude and admitted into Tau Beta Pi
    California State University - San Jose State University Logo
    Duke University
    B.S. (1982) | Completed the requirements for a BSE in both Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
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    Honors: Elected Dormitory President 1978.
    Duke University Logo

    Experience

    27 years of experience

    Address

    Mailing
    Post Office Box 4655
    Chapel Hill, NC 27514
    Telephone: (919) 818-9147
    Cell: (919) 818-9147