A single patent or trademark is a snapshot. A portfolio is everything that happens after that.
At Gearhart Law, we manage the portfolio as a whole. Where many firms stop at filing, our attorneys stay involved throughout the entire process, including tracking deadlines, monitoring for infringement, and shaping the portfolio’s strategy as the company scales, raises capital, or expands into new markets.
With nearly three decades of experience and a founding partner who is also an active angel investor, we bring a business-minded perspective to how intellectual property is managed, not just filed.
Our New Jersey IP Portfolio Management Services
Managing Portfolios at Scale
Some of the portfolios we manage are large and complex, spanning years, multiple types of IP, and territories around the world.
Our attorneys have overseen intellectual property portfolios at real scale. David Postolski, a partner at Gearhart Law, has helped maintain the worldwide intellectual property portfolio of the Hemingway Estate, one of the most recognizable literary and brand properties in the world. That kind of engagement requires coordinating protection across dozens of marks, multiple countries, and decades of ongoing use- the same level of complexity we bring to every portfolio we manage, regardless of size.
For portfolios that span multiple countries, we work through established relationships with patent and trademark counsel across Europe, Latin America, Australia, China, Japan, and beyond, coordinating filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the Madrid Protocol so a single strategy holds together across borders.
Managing a portfolio at this scale means tracking renewal deadlines and maintenance fees jurisdiction by jurisdiction, coordinating related patents and trademarks under one strategy, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks as the portfolio grows.
Proactive Monitoring and Enforcement
Protecting a portfolio doesn’t stop at registration, and it only holds value if it’s actively defended. We monitor the marketplace, including major online platforms, for uses that infringe on our clients’ patents and trademarks.
If we find that an issue surfaces, we move quickly, starting with direct outreach, then escalation to formal legal action when necessary.
Trademark Watch Services
A trademark watch service monitors new applications and marketplace use that could conflict with your registered trademarks. We flag potential conflicts as they arise, giving you the chance to act before a competing mark becomes established, rather than discovering the conflict after a competitor has already built a customer base around it.
For clients with growing portfolios, watch services are typically layered into the broader portfolio strategy rather than run as a separate, disconnected service, so a flagged conflict gets evaluated against the whole portfolio, not just the single mark that it touches.
Beyond reacting to infringement, we run ongoing watch services that flag new trademark filings and marketplace activity that could conflict with a client’s registered marks, catching potential problems before a competing brand gains a foothold in the specific market or industry.
Investor and Acquisition Readiness
When investors, acquirers, or licensing partners evaluate a company, its IP portfolio is often part of the story. Gaps that go unnoticed for years can surface at the worst possible time, and we do not want to see these gaps occur in the middle of a funding round or an acquisition, when there’s no time left to fix them.
We help clients organize their portfolios so they hold up to that scrutiny well before a deal is on the table. We evaluate portfolios knowing what funders are looking for, which means having a clear title, no coverage gaps, and IP that’s mapped to the business strategy it’s meant to protect. These are the details that come under scrutiny during funding rounds, acquisitions, or licensing deals.
IP Due Diligence
When clients are raising capital, acquiring another company, or entering a licensing agreement, we conduct the due diligence that tends to surface weaknesses in a portfolio before they derail a deal that is already in motion.
What Our New Jersey Clients Say
Our New Jersey IP Portfolio Management Process
- Step One: Portfolio Audit We review your existing patents, trademarks, and related filings to identify any gaps, overlaps, and upcoming deadlines across every jurisdiction where you hold rights.
- Step Two: Strategic Roadmap Based on the audit, we build a plan for filings, renewals, and enforcement that lines up with where your business is actually headed.
- Step Three: Ongoing Management We then take over the day-to-day work of actively keeping the portfolio current, which includes any deadlines, monitoring, and adjustments, as your business and your IP continue to grow.
Why Clients Choose Gearhart Law for Portfolio Management
Managing a portfolio well takes more than just legal knowledge.
It takes continuity, perspective, and reach. The kind that comes from decades of hands-on work with clients at every stage, from a first-time inventor to an internationally recognized estate.
Here is what that looks like in practice:
- Direct access to the lead professional on your portfolio
- Experience managing IP for everyone from first-time inventors to globally recognized estates
- An investor’s perspective from a founding partner who is also an active angel investor
- Established relationships with foreign counsel for cross-border portfolios
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does IP portfolio management include beyond filing patents and trademarks?
Ongoing management includes tracking renewal and maintenance deadlines, monitoring for infringement, coordinating filings across jurisdictions, and reassessing the portfolio’s strategy as the business grows.
2. How do I know if my company needs portfolio management versus a single filing?
If you have more than a handful of patents or trademarks, are filing in more than one country, or are preparing for investment or acquisition, portfolio-level management is typically worth the investment over managing each filing individually.
3. What is a trademark watch service, and do I need one?
It’s an ongoing monitoring service that flags new trademark filings or marketplace uses that could conflict with your marks. It’s most valuable for brands that have built real recognition and have something to lose if a similar mark goes unchallenged.
4. Can Gearhart Law manage IP across multiple countries?
Yes. We coordinate international filings through the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the Madrid Protocol, working with established relationships with foreign counsel across Europe, Latin America, Australia, China, and Japan.
5. What happens if a competitor infringes on part of my portfolio?
Enforcement typically starts with direct outreach, such as a cease-and-desist letter, and escalates to formal legal action if the issue isn’t resolved.
6. How often should a trademark or patent portfolio be reviewed?
Most portfolios benefit from at least an annual review, with more frequent check-ins during periods of growth, fundraising, or expansion into new markets.
7. Why does IP due diligence matter before a funding round or acquisition?
Gaps or weaknesses in a portfolio are far cheaper to fix before a deal is on the table than after, when there’s no time left to address them.
Areas Served
Let’s Build Something Together
Whatever stage your portfolio is at, it’s only as valuable as the strategy behind it.
From first patents to global brands, we can help you manage it as the asset it’s meant to be.
Let’s talk about building a plan that protects what you have already created while making sure there is room for what’s next.