If your client wishes to file IP in a country where your firm has limited connections, IP Pilot makes it easy to identify potential partner law firms in the target jurisdiction. Follow the steps below to discover and evaluate the best candidates for collaboration.
To Identify Law Firms to Send Cases to in a New Country
1. Open the Search Feature
- Click Search in the main navigation panel.
2. Set Up the Law Firm Search
- In the search configuration, choose Law Firms from the first drop-down menu.
- In the next drop-down, select From to specify the country you want to send cases to.
- In the next drop-down, enter the Country you’re interested in.
3. Configure the Receiving Cases From Option
- The next field will be set to Filing At by default.
- Change this to Receiving Cases From in the drop-down menu.
- Now, select your own country in the next field. This will focus your search on law firms in the new country who have received cases from law firms in your country.
4. Set the Exchange and Time Period
- In the following field, select year type to Exchanged to focus on actual international case exchanges.
- Choose the relevant year or period for your client’s needs.
- Tip: For patents, avoid using the most recent year due to publication lags.
5. Add Charts for Deeper Insights
- Click Add Chart to include more context about each potential partner:
- Important Clients: See which clients these foreign law firms have represented.
- Important Partners: Identify which law firms your country have trusted these foreign firms with their cases, helping you judge their reputation and international experience.
- Grant Status: Assess how many filings handled by each firm have resulted in granted rights, useful for evaluating success rates.
6. Apply Additional Filters (Optional)
- To tailor the results to your client’s needs, click Add Filter.
- For example, if your client’s case is in the field of Chemistry, add the Technical Field filter and select “Chemistry” from the options.
- You can add other filters, such as the number of cases handled, to ensure you’re considering only the most experienced or relevant firms.
7. Click Search to view the results.
- Click Search to view the results.
- IP Pilot will display a list of law firms that have experience handling inbound cases from the your country, complete with charts and statistics for each.
Example Scenario
Suppose your U.S. based client wants to file a patent in Brazil (in Chemistry):
- Set Law Firms → From: Brazil
- Select Receiving Cases From Law Firms in: United States
- Choose Exchanged and set a relevant time period, skipping the latest year if analyzing patents
- Add charts for Important Clients, Important Partners, and Grant Status
- Add a Technical Field filter for Chemistry
- Click Search to reveal the most suitable Brazilian partner law firms for your client’s needs
Best Practices & Tips
-
Industry Relevance: Use the Technical Field filter to find partners with expertise in your client’s technology or sector.
- Grant Rate Insight: Including the Grant Status chart helps you judge the effectiveness and reliability of potential partner firms.
- Partner Reputation: Reviewing the Important Partners chart shows which international firms trust the Brazilian firm with their referrals.
- Volume Matters: If you want only established partners, use a filter for a minimum number of cases.
If you have questions or need help choosing the right partner firm, please send an email to support@ip-pilot.com.
