Law Office of J. Steven Svoboda | California based Patent Lawyer

J.Steven Svoboda

Practice AreaPatent LawEducationPhysics and English Degrees University of California at Los Angeles
Summa Cum LaudeMaster’s Degree in Physics
University of California at BerkeleyPHD in Physics and English
Harvard Law
Cum LaudeBar AdmissionCaliforniaLanguages
English
Spanish

Bay Area Patent Attorney: Safeguard Your Inventions and Business Reputation

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We serve a diverse clientele in the Bay Area and beyond, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to individual inventors. For instance, we've secured three patents for a 150-person British online advertising firm. We have also secured 45 patents for a robotics company of the same size that sold for $305 million predominantly due to our patents. Our appeal lies in being both approachably friendly and exceptionally professional, making us an ideal choice for solo inventors and startups of all sizes.Steven builds into every patent application safeguards against the likely causes of rejection from the Examiner. You will end up at least two rounds ahead of what other patent attorneys can offer. One hidden benefit of our work is Steven personally writes and files ALL patent applications. With virtually all law firms, the vast majority of the patent applications are written by associates with zero to five years of experience and then ostensibly they are reviewed and improved by a more experienced attorney. They then typically are lost in endless back and forth with the Patent Office and usually get abandoned. The best patents have to be written from the ground up by a top-notch attorney. Steven offers this on every patent; almost no other law firm can match his.

J. Steven Svoboda, an accomplished patent attorney, stands out as a natural academic overachiever. Steven has a Master’s Degree in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley and a cum laude degree from Harvard Law School. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA, with dual studies in Physics and English, where he was selected as one of the top two students in each of his disciplines. Notably, Steven's non-profit earned him a Human Rights Award.With an impeccable track record in patent law, Steven has successfully obtained over 200 patents and counting. His close collaboration with client inventors, combined expertise, and engagement with patent examiners consistently yield exceptional outcomes that teamwork alone could achieve.Steven’s very first two patents, written in 2005, became two of the core patents in what became Yelp. In 2012-2013, Steven secured six patents for Newfield Wireless, which was headed by one of his former physics classmates at UC Berkeley, Marc Bensadoun, and which had a lead inventor who was also a friend and classmate of Steven’s and Marc’s. In December 2013, Tektronix Communications purchased Newfield for an estimated $60-100 million, a large part of which was the patent portfolio that Steven helped build.Even a top Silicon Valley law firm acknowledged his remarkable work after reviewing it. When the firm struggled to draft one of the acquired patents for their own use, Steven stepped in, rapidly securing the patent. Steven speaks and writes fluent Spanish. Despite the high quality of his work, Steven's services remain economically competitive. His dedication to delivering the best for each client ensures that he doesn't rest until excellence is achieved.Need a foreign patent? Steven has connections with a stable of top-notch, closely vetted foreign patent attorneys around the world who work as hard as Steven does as we both collaborate to make sure you also get first-class foreign patents absolutely as quickly, and as inexpensively as possible

We've Obtained 200+ Patents!!

Steven collaborates closely with inventors, combining his expertise with theirs, while working intensively with patent examiners to ensure successful patent outcomes

Hi Dev Mobile - websites, apps, custom software, hardware and all types of engineers

Fetch Robotics, a pioneering robotics venture founded by four friends and colleagues, was spearheaded by the esteemed Chief Executive Officer, Melonee Wise. The company was extensively engaged in a diverse spectrum of robotics-related endeavors, encompassing order fulfillment, image processing, robotic docking devices, and a multitude of cutting-edge technologies.In November 2014, Steven had the privilege of meeting the founders and an investor during Fetch's nascent stage and swiftly assumed the role of their patent attorney. Over time, he cultivated strong relationships with more than fifty inventors within the organization, which eventually expanded to over 150 employees, tailoring his collaboration with each based on their individual preferences and personalities. His dedicated presence at the Fetch office every Thursday yielded the submission of Fetch's inaugural two patent applications in February 2015, with the first patent, twelfth in the sequence, granted on January 31, 2017.Steven wrote and prosecuted 45 patents that issued for Fetch. Fetch sold on August 10, 2021 for $305 million, and Steven’s patents created the great majority of that value. (Steven wrote 36 of them before the sale date and the other 9 issued shortly thereafter.) His extraordinary work was duly acknowledged by a prestigious Silicon Valley law firm that sought to take over his portfolio but found it impractical due to the exceptional quality of his contributions. When the firm faced difficulties in drafting one of the acquired patents, Steven swiftly intervened, ensuring its successful acquisition. Melonee Wise provided a compelling testimonial attesting to the exceptional caliber of Steven's work.

In his capacity as Yelp's patent attorney during his early career, Steven secured two pivotal patents that significantly contributed to the company's path to becoming a publicly-traded enterprise valued at $3 billion. These early patents served as a testament to the quality of Steven's work, showcasing his adeptness in handling algorithmic and software innovations, which have always come naturally to him. With the benefit of hindsight, these accomplishments marked important milestones in Steven's career, as he has since further refined his expertise in intellectual property law.

Newfield Wireless, a modest Berkeley-based wireless technology company founded by Steven's fellow physics classmate from UC Berkeley, Marc Bensadoun, emerged as a notable enterprise. Responding to Marc's call, Steven assumed responsibility for Newfield's patent portfolio, which was in dire straits, even teetering on the brink of abandonment due to prior law firm neglect. With meticulous dedication, Steven rectified the issues and diligently secured six patents for Newfield, an accomplishment that underscores his commitment to excellence. Notably, one of the principal inventors was another former physics classmate of Marc and Steven from UC Berkeley.In December 2013, the acquisition of Newfield by Tektronix Communications took place, an estimated transaction valued between $60-100 million, with a substantial portion attributed to the patent portfolio meticulously crafted under Steven's stewardship. This successful acquisition underscores the pivotal role that Steven played in Newfield's strategic growth and the considerable value of the intellectual property assets he safeguarded.

Dr. Simon Ramo

Record holder for the oldest individual to ever receive a United States patent100 years and 6 months old

Dr. Simon Ramo, a distinguished inventor, acquired twenty-eight patents during his lifetime and is widely recognized as the visionary behind the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Dr. Ramo played a pivotal role in pioneering microwave technology and significantly contributed to its development. His enduring legacy is commemorated with a Los Angeles street bearing his name, where he maintained an office at Northrop Grumman, previously known as TRW, an organization he once led.Steven, who had the privilege of knowing Dr. Ramo, forged a meaningful friendship with him, frequently visiting his Santa Monica apartment. Together, they co-authored Dr. Ramo's final patent, the United States patent number 8606170, which introduced a groundbreaking educational system for K-12 utilizing interactive computer-based learning. Notably, this remarkable achievement occurred when Dr. Ramo was 100 years and 6 months old, setting a record as the oldest individual to ever receive a United States patent and, to the best of our knowledge, any patent of any kind. (The previous record holder received his final patent just a few days after he reached the age of 100.)

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Through the years