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Patent Attorney for Inventors and Startups Anywhere in the United States
If you have invented something new and valuable, a patent gives you the legal right to stop others from making, using, or selling your invention without your permission. I am Tony N. Woolard, a patent attorney registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Registration No. 79,956). Patent law is federal, so I represent inventors, startups, and businesses in every state, not only Connecticut.
What I File
Utility Patents
New and useful processes, machines, manufactured items, or compositions of matter. The term generally ends 20 years from the earliest U.S. nonprovisional filing date, subject to maintenance fees and any patent term adjustment.
Design Patents
The unique ornamental appearance of a manufactured item.
Provisional Applications
An early filing date at lower cost, with Patent Pending status and a 12-month window to decide on the full application.
PCT International Applications
One international application that has the effect of a national patent application in all 159 PCT Contracting States (as of September 2026), including Canada, China, and European countries, pursued instead of or alongside the U.S. filing. Patents are then granted country by country or regionally.
Affordable Flat Fees
Attorney fees are affordable flat fees quoted in writing before any work begins, set for independent inventors and startups rather than large companies. USPTO fees are separate and passed through at cost.
Other third-party costs, such as professional search, records, certified-copy, courier, or postage fees, are also your responsibility and are passed through at cost. Harborage Law does not handle court or litigation matters, so your matter will not involve court costs or litigation expenses.
There is no retainer. Payment plans of 3, 6, 9, or 12 months are available, and the consultation is free.
- Provisional patent application: inexpensive flat attorney fee, scaled to the complexity of the invention. USPTO micro-entity filing fee is separate.
- Non-provisional U.S. application: flat attorney fee quoted after a free review of your invention. USPTO fees at cost.
- PCT international application: flat attorney fee quoted in writing. Government fees at cost.
- Patentability search with written opinion: low flat fee.
- Freedom-to-operate analysis: flat fee quoted in writing.
How the Process Works
- 01
Patentability Assessment
I evaluate whether the invention meets the requirements of novelty, non-obviousness, and utility.
- 02
Prior Art Search
A search of issued patents, published applications, foreign patent literature, and non-patent sources such as product catalogs and public 3D model repositories, with a written opinion analyzing your claims element by element under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103.
- 03
Drafting and Filing
I prepare the claims and specification and file the application with the USPTO.
- 04
Prosecution
I handle all communication with the examiner and respond to office actions. Office action work is my favorite part of this practice; a rejection is a normal part of examination, and many can be answered with argument or amendment.
Why a Life-Sciences Background Matters
Before law, I spent three years (2014 to 2017) as a postgraduate researcher in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Yale School of Medicine, and in 2021 I earned a Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Biology, magna cum laude, from Harvard University. I am also a Certified Patent Valuation Analyst through the International Intellectual Property Law Association. Medical devices, biotech, and laboratory inventions are a natural fit, and I read your technical disclosure with a scientist's eye.
Common Questions About Patents
Can you file my patent application if I am not in Connecticut?
Yes. Patent law is federal, and I am registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Registration No. 79,956), which allows me to represent inventors from any state.
How much does a patent application cost?
My attorney fees are flat and quoted in writing before any work begins, and they are set to be affordable for independent inventors and startups rather than large companies. The fee depends on the type of application (provisional, non-provisional, or PCT) and the complexity of the invention, and you will have the exact number after a free consultation. USPTO government fees are separate and passed through at cost; micro-entity and small-entity discounts are available to individual inventors and startups that qualify. Payment plans of 3, 6, 9, or 12 months are available.
Should I start with a provisional patent application?
A provisional application locks in your filing date, lets you mark the invention Patent Pending, and costs less. It gives you 12 months to decide whether to file the full application while you keep developing the product or seeking funding. I am glad to talk through whether it fits your situation during a free consultation.
Do I need a patentability search before filing?
It is not required, but it is often worth doing before investing in a full application. My patentability search with a written attorney opinion is an inexpensive flat fee. It covers issued U.S. patents, published applications, foreign patent literature, and non-patent sources, and analyzes your claims element by element for novelty and obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103.
What happens if the USPTO examiner rejects my application?
A rejection, called an office action, is a normal part of patent prosecution, and many can be answered with argument or amendment. I manage all communications with the examiner, respond to office actions, and advocate for the broadest protection available for your invention.
What kinds of inventions do you work with?
I handle utility patents, design patents, provisional applications, and PCT filings. My background is in the life sciences: a Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Biology from Harvard University and three years as a postgraduate researcher at Yale School of Medicine, so medical devices, biotech, and laboratory inventions are a natural fit.
New to patents? Read our guides on provisional patent applications and what patent pending means.
Have an invention worth protecting?
There is never any pressure, and you will know the attorney fee for each stage before that stage begins.