Austin Patent Attorney – Patent Law Built on Real Engineering Experience.
USPTO-registered Austin patent attorney who spent over seven years as a semiconductor manufacturing process engineer specializing in laser lithography before practicing law — which means I understand your technology at the engineering level that produces genuinely stronger patents.
I hold a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin and bring 17 years of active USPTO prosecution experience across software and AI, semiconductor and electronics, medical device and biotech, and mechanical patent matters.
My practice serves inventors, startups, corporate IP teams, and law firms throughout Austin and across the United States.
⚖
USPTO REGISTERED
Patent Attorney
🎓
University of Texas at Austin
B.S. PHYSICS
7+ YEARS ENGINEERING
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Semiconductor Manufacturing
📋
17 YEARS
USPTO Prosecution
STATE BAR OF TEXAS
★
Licensed Attorney
My boutique patent practice covers the full range of patent and IP services including provisional patent applications, utility patents, design patents, patent prosecution, USPTO Office Action responses, continuation and continuation-in-part applications, patent portfolio management, freedom to operate opinions, patent validity and invalidity opinions, IP due diligence, patent valuation, non-infringement opinions, IP assignment agreements, joint development agreements, non-disclosure agreements, patent licensing agreements, trade secret protection, trademark registration, copyright registration, IP-focused business formation, startup IP strategy, university and research IP, of counsel services for law firms, USPTO filing for foreign applicants, fractional IP counsel, international patent strategy, and inter partes review support.
[ Serving Austin's Technology Community ]
Austin's technology economy — anchored by Samsung Austin Semiconductor's advanced fabrication facility in north Austin, the University of Texas at Austin's world-class engineering and computer science research programs, Capital Factory's startup ecosystem on Congress Avenue, Apple's campus at the Domain, and the growing concentration of AI, semiconductor, and health technology companies throughout the city — produces the kind of technically sophisticated patent work that demands engineering-depth prosecution rather than surface-level legal processing. I built my practice specifically for this community.
Whether you are a fabless semiconductor design company protecting circuit architecture innovations along the 183 corridor, a UT Austin research spinout commercializing university-developed technology through the Office of Technology Commercialization, a health technology startup emerging from the UT Dell Medical School innovation ecosystem, a software or AI company building in downtown Austin or the Domain, or a manufacturing company in the greater Central Texas region protecting process innovations — your technology deserves a patent attorney who understands it at the level you built it.
I offer free 30-minute consultations Monday through Friday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm Central Time. Call or text (512) 293-0710 or fill out the contact form to schedule yours.
[ Why Choose Sean Christian Connolly ]
Patent protection backed by real engineering experience — not just legal training.
ENGINEERING BACKGROUND | Over seven years as a laser lithography process engineer at semiconductor fabrication facilities — working with deep ultraviolet excimer lasers, photoresist chemistry, and process control systems before ever practicing law. I engage with your invention as an engineering peer.
TECHNICAL DEPTH | A Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin — where I studied quantum mechanics, tensor calculus, classical dynamics, and electromagnetic theory — means I understand the physical principles underlying your invention at the fundamental level that produces the most comprehensive and defensible patent claims.
17 YEARS USPTO EXPERIENCE | 17 years of active patent prosecution before the USPTO across semiconductor and electronics, software and AI, medical device and biotech, mechanical engineering, and PCT international patent matters — with direct examiner relationships and art unit knowledge that advances prosecution efficiently.
[ Who I Work With ]
STARTUPS
Seed through Series B Austin startups preparing their IP portfolio for investor due diligence and competitive protection.
SEMICONDUCTOR COMPANIES
Fabless design companies, IDMs, and semiconductor equipment companies along Austin's 183 technology corridor.
INDIVIDUAL INVENTORS
Independent inventors and professional engineers who need sophisticated patent counsel without large-firm overhead.
UT Austin, Texas A&M, and other Texas research institution spinout companies commercializing university-developed technology.
UNIVERSITY SPINOUTS
LAW FIRMS
General practice and business law firms seeking of counsel patent prosecution expertise for their technology company clients.
INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS
Foreign inventors and international law firms needing US correspondent counsel for USPTO prosecution and PCT national phase entry.
B.S. Physics
Technical Foundation
My physics degree from UT Austin — covering quantum mechanics, tensor calculus, classical mechanics, and electromagnetic theory — provides the scientific foundation for engaging with semiconductor device physics, optical systems, electromagnetic phenomena, computational algorithms, and mechanical engineering principles at the level that produces technically accurate, broadly scoped patent claims. Physics is the language that underlies every technology area I serve.
Over 7 Years Engineering
Semiconductor Industry
Seven-plus years as a manufacturing process engineer specializing in laser lithography — the deep ultraviolet photolithographic process that patterns nanoscale circuit features on semiconductor wafers — gives me hands-on knowledge of the semiconductor fabrication environment that is directly relevant to semiconductor patent prosecution, process patent drafting, and the technical literature prior art that most patent attorneys without fab experience miss entirely. I have worked in the clean room. I speak the language because I lived it.
Over 17 Years Legal Experience
Patent Prosecution
17 years of USPTO patent prosecution across semiconductor and electronics, software and AI, medical device and biotech, and mechanical and general engineering technology areas — with specific experience responding to examiners in the semiconductor art units, the software and AI art units, and the medical device art units. Austin, Texas clients benefit from an attorney whose prosecution experience spans every major technology area their growing innovation economy produces.
[ What Clients Say ]
“His expertise and care shows in his work with his clients through the process and in attaining the end result.”
J.C.,
Professional Engineer and Inventor, Austin, Texas
“Sean was skillful efficient and decisive not to mention incredibly helpful and I’ve worked with him for almost 4 years now, highly recommend.”
C.W.,
Startup Founder and Inventor
Austin, Texas
“I have utilized Mr. Connolly's services and find him to be honest, responsive, and highly professional.”
C.C,
Entrepreneur and Inventor,
Houston, Texas
[ Frequently Asked Patent Questions ]
Question: How much does a patent application cost in Austin?
Answer: Patent costs vary based on technology complexity and application type. I provide a detailed, transparent cost estimate during your free 30-minute consultation so you know exactly what to expect before committing to anything. Individual inventors and small businesses often qualify for significantly reduced USPTO filing fees.
Question: How long does the patent process take?
Question: Can you patent software or AI inventions in 2026?
Answer: A provisional patent application gives you patent pending status immediately upon filing. A full utility patent currently averages 2-3 years from filing to grant at the USPTO. Accelerated examination options are available if speed is critical to your situation.
Answer: Yes — with the right claim strategy. Specific technical implementations that solve a concrete problem in a novel way remain patentable. My semiconductor engineering background and physics degree give me a significant advantage in drafting software and AI claims that survive USPTO scrutiny.
Question: Do I need a patent attorney or can I file myself?
Answer: The patent claims determine the scope of your protection — and drafting strong claims is the most technically and legally demanding part of the process. Most inventors who file pro se end up with much narrower protection than they could have obtained with professional representation.
Answer: During our free 30-minute phone consultation we discuss your invention, assess its patentability, talk through the process and timeline, discuss costs, and answer your questions. No obligation. All discussions are confidential under attorney-client privilege. Call or text (512) 293-0710 or email sconnolly@austin-patent-attorney.com.
Question: What happens during the free consultation?
Question: Why should I choose a boutique solo patent practice over a large IP firm for my Austin technology company?
Answer: Large IP firms offer volume and brand recognition — but for technically sophisticated inventions in semiconductor, software, AI, and medical device fields, those advantages are frequently outweighed by a critical disadvantage: the attorney you meet at the pitch is rarely the attorney who drafts your application. At the Law Office of Sean Christian Connolly, every client works directly with me from the first consultation through prosecution, portfolio strategy, and every subsequent matter. No associates. No paralegals handling substantive work. No delegation to someone who has never worked in your technology area. My physics degree from UT Austin, seven years of semiconductor manufacturing process engineering experience specializing in laser lithography, and 17 years of active USPTO prosecution provide the technical depth that boutique practice delivers — applied personally to every matter I handle.
Question: What types of technology companies in Austin does the Law Office of Sean Christian Connolly serve?
Answer: My practice serves the full range of Austin's technology community — from individual inventors and garage-stage startups preparing their first provisional patent application before a seed round pitch, to growth-stage companies building systematic patent portfolios in preparation for Series A and Series B fundraising, to established technology companies managing complex continuation strategies and international prosecution programs, to law firms seeking of counsel patent expertise in semiconductor, software, and medical device technology areas. Geographically I serve clients throughout Austin including the Domain, the Arboretum, the 183 technology corridor, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Georgetown, and Leander — as well as clients throughout Texas and nationwide for USPTO prosecution matters.
Answer: The free 30-minute consultation I offer is specifically designed to answer this question before you commit any financial resources. During that conversation I assess your invention against the three core patentability requirements — novelty, non-obviousness, and utility — based on my knowledge of the relevant prior art landscape in your technology area, and I give you an honest assessment of whether pursuing patent protection makes commercial sense given your specific invention, timeline, and business goals. Many inventors have contacted me expecting a clear path to a strong patent and learned that the prior art landscape was denser than they realized — and I would rather tell you that in a free consultation than after billing you for a full application.
Question: How do I know if my invention is worth patenting before spending money on an attorney?
Question: What is the first step I should take if I think I have a patentable invention?
Answer: The single most important first step is to avoid any public disclosure of your invention before filing a patent application — including investor pitches, social media posts, product demonstrations, academic presentations, and conversations with potential partners or customers not covered by a signed NDA. A single public disclosure before filing permanently destroys international patent rights in absolute novelty jurisdictions regardless of any subsequent filing. Once you have confirmed that no disclosure has occurred, contact me to schedule a free consultation. We will assess your invention's patentability, identify any disclosure deadlines that create urgency, and determine the right first filing — provisional or non-provisional — for your specific situation.
Question: How does the Law Office of Sean Christian Connolly approach patent strategy differently from attorneys without engineering backgrounds?
Answer: The difference is most visible at the claim drafting stage. An attorney without genuine engineering expertise in your technology area drafts claims that describe your invention — what it does and what it looks like. I draft claims that capture your invention's underlying technical principle — the specific physical mechanism, the novel algorithmic architecture, the distinctive process chemistry — at the broadest scope the prior art allows. That distinction produces patents that competitors cannot easily design around versus patents that competitors replicate with minor modifications. My physics degree from UT Austin, my hands-on experience with semiconductor fabrication systems, and my 17 years of prosecution experience across technically demanding art units combine to produce claims that reflect genuine technical understanding rather than legal description of the inventor's prototype.
