How Law Firms Create Climate for Cleantech IP Business

U.S. law firms are taking advantage of growth opportunities in the cleantech sector while navigating complex intellectual property challenges tied to sustainable innovation. With investment in clean energy investment on the rise, Managing IP spoke to Director Peter Jackman, who shared insights on winning business and addressing key industry trends.

Jackman notes that clients hire attorneys who know their industry well. “It’s very important for us to understand the advances, challenges and IP issues in the industry,” he notes. “If you speak their language, they’re more comfortable.”

He also strives to attend cleantech-related conferences to better appreciate the sector. “That helps me understand the IP issues and figure out what these people need to know to make better IP business decisions,” he says.

Related to setbacks that some clients are navigating with a new administration, Jackman says he works with one start-up that has put things on hold while figuring out if grants would still be available.

But he notes that his clients are generally proceeding as usual with their projects despite the uncertainty.

“Their products are selling, their clients are still buying, and nothing has really changed yet.”

Jackman also says there are many cleantech sectors where the number of patents is increasing very rapidly. But that means there is more prior art. “So, it will be more difficult to get broader claims,” he says, adding: “There are a number of patents out there that cleantech companies need to assess before commercialization. We do a lot of freedom-to-operate analyses and come up with design-around strategies.”