Patent Costs
Escape From New York™: The High Cost of Patent Protection
The Problem
You’re a growing company—revenue between $10 million and $100 million, developing innovative products that deserve patent protection.
You call a prestigious New York IP firm, and the quote lands: $20,000–$35,000 per patent application, plus prosecution, maintenance, and “extras.”
Protecting your three core products? $75,000–$100,000 before you even start.
Your CFO looks at the total and says what every CFO says: “Can we just not do patents this year?”
Welcome to being priced out of innovation.
The New York Premium
Manhattan BigLaw rates aren’t designed for you—they’re built for billion-dollar portfolios and litigation budgets.
| Role | Typical Rate | Typical Hours | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate | $400–$600/hr | 40–80 | $25k–$50k per filing |
| Partner | $700–$1,200/hr | Review only | Additional oversight fees |
Why so expensive? Because you’re subsidizing high overhead and litigation economics:
- $150–$200/sq ft Manhattan real estate
- $225k+ associate salaries
- $500k–$5M partner draws
- 3–4 support staff per attorney
- Conflicts systems, admin layers, prestige marketing
None of these make your patent stronger—but all appear in your billable rate.
Who That Pricing Works For
BigLaw pricing fits Fortune 500s, pharma giants, and tech titans—companies filing hundreds of patents or defending billion-dollar drugs.
If your annual revenue is $10–100M and you need 2–10 patents, you’re paying litigation-scale prices for routine prosecution.
Why BigLaw Is Overkill
You’re not paying for better technical insight—you’re paying for:
- Manhattan real estate
- Institutional overhead
- Junior associate learning curves
- Brand prestige
What you don’t get more of:
- Deep technical understanding
- Hands-on attention
- Business-aligned strategy
The Market Gap
Most mid-market innovators face an impossible choice:
- Pay NYC rates
- Risk low-quality bargain filings
- Or skip patents entirely
That’s why so many good ideas go unprotected.
The Alternative
Quality patent work without the Manhattan premium.
Patent quality depends on your attorney’s technical background, prosecution experience, and understanding of your business—not their ZIP code.
We provide:
- 25+ years of engineering and patent experience
- Facility visits for invention disclosures (no extra cost)
- Direct partner attention, not associate delegation
- Transparent, fixed pricing
Typical savings: 40–60% vs. NYC BigLaw.
| Service | NYC BigLaw | Our Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Utility Patent | $25k–$35k | $12k–$18k |
| Office Action Response | $4k–$6k | $2.5k–$4k |
| On-site Visit | Billable | Included |
Five patents = $75k–$125k saved—funds that can go to R&D or additional filings.
The Bottom Line
Patent prosecution is federal—location doesn’t matter. What matters is technical expertise, attention, and business understanding.
You don’t need a Park Avenue address. You need an attorney who understands your products and your market—enough to walk your factory floor.
Patent Protection Without the Manhattan Premium
We combine 25+ years of electrical and mechanical engineering experience, and hands-on attention to deliver sophisticated, cost-effective patent prosecution. We’ll visit your facility—anywhere in the U.S.—at no extra cost.
Schedule a Free Consultation