Today we’d like to introduce you to Curt Lockhart.
Hi Curt, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My path to becoming an IP attorney and business owner has not been a straight line; rather a branching path with many unexpected turns. I actually started my college career at BYU thinking I’d become an engineer. Partway through pursuing my chemical engineering degree (with a minor in computer science), I realized that chemistry wasn’t what I wanted to do long-term. As I considered my options, I remembered a family friend who is a patent lawyer. It’s a pretty niche field because, unlike most areas of law, you’re required to have a science degree. While finishing my bachelor’s, I also prepped for and passed the LSAT.
I chose to attend the University of New Hampshire School of Law because of its specialization in Intellectual Property Law. When we could fit it in between reading cases and learning the ins and outs of law, my wife and I loved our time exploring the East Coast. After graduating, I spent several years working in two different small law firms, based in Texas and then Utah.
My time with those firms opened my eyes to the world of small business. I had already started considering the possibility of starting my own practice, and seeing their daily operations made me realize that it was something I really could take on and do on my own! I greatly appreciate the opportunities for learning and growth I had at my previous firms. Eventually, the time was right to take the leap and start my own practice, Lockhart IP.
My wife and I loved our experience in Texas so much that we decided to establish our business here. Since then, we have been working hard to grow a law practice built on high-quality representation and transparent and honest client communication.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As with any startup, I have faced numerous challenges along the way. It takes time and creativity to find what works best for our company and clients, and we are always evolving.
One challenge we strive to overcome is the fear and negative perceptions associated with the field of law. Understandably, people worry any time they call a lawyer about how much they are going to have to pay and if the work they do will actually help them in the long run. I mostly work with startups and small business owners who are working hard to make every dollar spent count. With that in mind, we offer flat-rate prices for all the work we do, rather than the traditional legal model of hourly billing. I work hard to get to know my clients and their situations so they know that I see them as a person; that I truly care and am rooting for their success.
Another challenge I have run into is finding clients that are the right fit at the right time. The people who find us all come with different levels of understanding of patents or trademarks before inventing something or starting a business. My team and I dedicate a lot of time to educating our clients and strategizing with them to help them decide what they truly need and the best timing to protect their ideas. If you have an idea, but no plan for manufacturing, no proof of value in the market, etc., the time may not be right to immediately jump into the expense and commitment of filing a patent. While we always respect our clients’ decisions and desires, we also give honest advice and never try to sell them something that will not truly benefit them and their business. Our main goal is to find creative ways to better inform our clients in a scalable way that allows them to get the help they need without worrying about legal bills before they actually need work done.
As you know, we’re big fans of Lockhart IP. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
As an Intellectual Property Attorney, the majority of my work is focused on patents, trademarks and copyrights. Our specialty is the prosecution side of IP law rather than the litigation side. This means that we do the work of writing, submitting, and negotiating applications for our clients with the government, rather than pursuing court cases. As I mentioned, most of our clients are new inventors or startups. It requires a lot of courage and a lot of hard work to take the leap and pursue a new idea, and we love being part of the journey for our clients taking on that challenge.
I think what sets our firm apart in the law field is that we never settle for doing things a certain way just because it is the norm. We are continually looking for ways to innovate and improve our clients’ experience. We recently launched a toolkit designed to allow clients to file their own provisional patent applications. We anticipate this will be very helpful for our clients who call in wanting to get protection in place but who are unable to take on big legal expenses as they are just starting out.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Nike’s catch phrase “There is no finish line” comes to mind. There is always something new to learn and figure out. Every time you solve one set of problems, a new set appears so the journey is constant in terms of learning and growing. And that is how you want it to be, because that means progress!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://usip.law/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lockhart_ip/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lockhartip/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lockhart-ip/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lockhartip
