IP Services

Patent strategy that starts with the problem, not the form.

Before considering what can be patented, Southern Consulting works to understand what problem was actually solved, why that matters commercially, and what makes the solution difficult to replicate. That foundation leads to sharper strategy, stronger briefs, and better protection.

The process in five steps

Identify. Assess. Prepare. Protect. Manage.

Find the real innovation. Test what is genuinely new. Build the strongest possible brief. Support the filing. Manage the portfolio over time.

Core IP services

Six areas where the practice focuses.

Patent Landscape Research

Systematic searches of published patents to map the protection already in place across a technology area, identify where competitors have filed, and find the white space worth working toward.

Freedom to Operate

Assessment of whether a proposed product, process, or design risks infringing third-party patent rights. Outputs are written in plain language for technical and commercial teams, not just legal audiences.

Circumvention Strategy

Where a freedom-to-operate risk is identified, structured analysis of alternative technical routes that allow a client to move forward without infringing. Developed in close collaboration with engineering teams.

Innovation Discovery

Structured sessions with technical teams to surface innovations that may not yet have been identified for protection. Focused on novelty, commercial value, and what could be disclosed or published before protection is secured.

Pre-filing Strategy

Support ahead of drafting to ensure the patent brief captures the full scope of the invention, the claims worth protecting, and the commercial context that should shape both the filing and prosecution strategy.

Portfolio Review and Advisory

Assessment of existing patent assets to identify gaps, renewal priorities, and opportunities to strengthen or extend protection in line with what the business is actually trying to achieve.

Additional IP support

Broader strategy and execution support.

Strategy and roadmap work

  • IP strategy and multi-year roadmaps aligned with business goals.
  • Territory planning based on markets, manufacturing locations, competitor presence, and budget.
  • Competitor challenge readiness and broader filing logic.

Briefing and attorney support

  • Technical disclosures and invention briefs prepared for the attorney engagement.
  • Support with claim concepts, embodiments, and technical descriptions on a non-legal drafting basis.
  • Review of draft specifications against the commercial objective.

Portfolio management

  • Renewal analysis based on claim strength and commercial value rather than routine renewal schedules.
  • Competitor filing monitoring and strategic alerts.
  • Retainer-based advisory and ad hoc support.

Commercial and risk support

  • Commercialisation and licensing support.
  • IP due diligence linked to investments, acquisitions, or partnerships.
  • Infringement exposure analysis and design-around strategy.

Who we work with

The same practice, three different perspectives.

Technical teams Help to articulate the real invention clearly, identify the key technical differentiators, and ensure nothing of protection value is lost or misrepresented during the drafting process.
Business leaders Clearer visibility on the commercial significance of what the team has built, where protection should be focused, and what the competitive value of filing actually is.
Patent attorneys Better briefs, stronger technical and commercial context, and more complete input before and during drafting, making the attorney’s work more straightforward and the outcome more valuable.