We believe an integrated strategy for protecting intellectual assets is critical to establishing strong and valuable intellectual property portfolios. We employ a team approach, in which attorneys with complementary experience and skills work together to provide the most comprehensive and cost-effective legal services possible. We leverage our legal and technical expertise to develop programs designed to address each client’s particular business needs and objectives. In developing a customized program, we work with a company’s management team to identify core concepts, we evaluate the novelty of the intellectual property at issue, and we work with inventors to clearly understand the invention.
Timely, precise, and secure communication is critically important in today’s modern business environment and is absolutely essential in providing patent, trademark, and copyright protection for our clients.
Seed Intellectual Property Law Group includes an experienced and knowledgeable support staff who assists our attorneys and clients with comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective legal services.
Legal assistants with experience in technical fields
Paralegals dedicated to international patent filings
Paralegals supporting trademark research and filings
Paralegals and other staff supporting litigation
Dedicated docketing department to track all forms of legal due dates
Drafting department that prepares all types of formal drawings and illustrations
Full-service accounting department
Word processors proficient in many different software applications
Full-service information technology team, including support for secure web-based access to electronic documents
Our technology infrastructure provides our attorneys with the necessary tools needed to provide the highest level of legal service 24 hours a day.
Our secure extranet gives our clients access to key documents allowing them to collaboratively manage their intellectual property portfolios. We also provide a help desk to assist our clients with using the system.
Our clients are on the leading edge of science and technology. We’ve designed our client service systems to respond to and support their needs.
Our firm, Seed Intellectual Property Law Group LLP, was founded in 1962 by Richard W. Seed and Benjamin F. Berry. As a leading intellectual property law firm based in the Pacific Northwest, our group consists of over fifty attorneys and agents, and a staff of over seventy dedicated professionals. Seed IP’s clients range in size from individuals and start-up companies to established multinational corporations with IP needs ranging from trademark clearance to protecting complex chemical and biotechnology patents.
Partner
Chair of the Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Group
David's practice focuses on electrical, software, and mechanical patent matters, including obtaining, licensing, and litigating patents. He has a great deal of practical experience providing strategic planning to protect a client's technology. He can prepare a strategy to assist your company in obtaining patent coverage on your key inventions. If you need to enforce these patents or defend a lawsuit against your company, he has extensive experience assisting companies protecting themselves and their IP.
Managing Partner
Kevin Costanza's practice focuses on mechanical patent prosecution, trademark clearance, and registration, and intellectual property licensing. He received a B.S. in Engineering from the University of California at Irvine in 1990, concentrating on mechanical engineering and material sciences. Kevin received his J.D. (cum laude) from Seattle University School of Law in 1995.
Partner
Shoko's practice focuses on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in electronics, telecommunications, optics, software, and mechanical engineering. She has extensive experience in counseling in general intellectual property matters, including patents and trademarks, developing strategic patent portfolios, conducting a due-diligence review of patent portfolios, preparing patent infringement and validity opinions, preparing patent assertion material, and intellectual property licensing negotiation and agreements. Shoko received a B.S. in Physics from the University of Washington in 1998 and her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 1997.
Partner
Jeff's practice is focused on strategic intellectual property counseling, patent procurement, and enforcement, licensing, and patent assertion management services to chemical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical companies. He provides these services across a broad range of multi-disciplinary industry sectors, including alternative energy, energy distribution, green technology, semiconductor, wired and wireless communication, transportation, chemical, and medical device industries. He received a B.S. (cum laude) in Chemical Engineering (1982) from the University of Idaho and holds a J.D. (1985), also from the University of Idaho.
Partner
Sam has expertise in U.S. and international patent matters pertaining to life science, chemical, and medical device technologies. Before joining Seed IP, Sam was a partner at Stoel Rives LLP (2006-2014) and served as senior intellectual property counsel at NPS Pharmaceuticals in Salt Lake City, Utah (2004-2006), as a patent attorney at Johnson & Johnson/ALZA Corp. in Mountain View, California (2001-2004), and as a patent agent and associate patent attorney at Task Britt in Salt Lake City (1998-2001).
Director of Human Resources
Amy is a certified human resources professional within the Seattle legal community. She has played an active role in the legal community and local law schools. Amy currently serves as the President of the Puget Sound Association of Legal Administrators.
Executive Director
Tom is delighted to be part of Seed IP. As the firm’s Executive Director, Tom focuses on the firm’s strategic and organization planning while ensuring that the firm’s operations meet the needs of clients and attorneys alike.
At Seed IP, we value the relationships we've built with every one of our clients over the past 59 years. We are proud of the work we have done for them and grateful for the opportunities and successes we've had along the way. We look forward to working with you and your team in the future.
Seed IP is one of the leading intellectual property firms in the Pacific Northwest, with national and international reach. Please see the list below for just some of the various accolades and honors recently bestowed upon the firm and its attorneys.
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Seed IP has been recognized as one of Washington’s Best Workplaces for 2020, ranking at #10 on the list for Washington’s Best Workplaces-Large Companies.
Seed IP is ranked at #28 nationally for top patent law firms, based on the total number of U.S. utility patents (1,509) that issued during 2020.
Russell C. Pangborn honored in 2018; Qing “Becky” Lin, Ph.D., in 2017; and E. Russell Tarleton in 2015.
Russell C. Pangborn recognized in years 2017-2020.
Seed IP has seven AV-rated attorneys, as of 2020.
Brooke W. Quist recognized in the 2020 edition. The guide identifies the individuals who are leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios.
Seed IP has nine “Recommended” or “Highly Recommended” partners on “The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2020” list, and the firm itself is ranked in the “Gold Band” for Firms: Prosecution, as well as “Highly Recommended” for Firms: Transactions, in 2020.
Seed IP received a firm ranking, along with having two of its partners, Karl Hermanns and Kevan Morgan, listed as “Notable Practitioners” in the 2020 edition.
In 2020, Seed IP has six attorneys selected to Super Lawyers and five attorneys selected to Rising Stars.
In 2020, Seed IP ranked as a “Highly Recommended Firm” for intellectual property matters, and has five attorneys listed as ”IP Stars” for patent and trademark matters.
Seed IP listed as “Recommended Firm” in 2020. Kevin Costanza, Marc Levy and Russell Pangborn listed as “Recommend Individuals” in 2020.
Seed IP has seventeen attorneys listed in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Additionally, E. Russell Tarleton was selected as “Lawyer of the Year” for Trademark Law in 2021, and Thomas A.Shewmake was selected to the inaugural “Ones to Watch” list in 2021.
In 2021, Seed IP is ranked nationally in four practice areas and ranked regionally in five practice areas.
In 2020, Seed IP is ranked at #5 on the Law Firms With the Most Diverse Equity Partnerships list, and at #7 on the Law Firms With the Most Minority Attorneys list, both for U.S. law firms with 100 or fewer attorneys.
