#349 Inc500 Fastest Growing Companies in America (2021): How to Propel Your Growth Through Affiliation, with Keegan Caldwell, Managing Partner at Caldwell Intellectual Property Law
For many businesses, patents protect more than just an idea or a concept. It also safeguards true business assets that are critical to a company’s existence in the long term. Aside from the protection it provides, patents can also be used as leverage to give companies a competitive advantage. It can also drive revenues and profitability, which in some cases, could turn into 9 to 10-figure monetization events. That is why every growing company, regardless if they choose to pursue a patent or not, should have an Intellectual Property (IP) strategy to help them develop, grow, leverage, and monetize their portfolio of IP assets such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc. However, with technological innovations happening rapidly and a new “shiny” object being invented almost every day, what seems logical to get patented now could become obsolete tomorrow. In this case, would a patent still be worth it? Or will it be just another piece of very expensive paper? We are pleased to hear from Keegan Caldwell, Managing Partner at Caldwell Intellectual Property Law, as he shares his insights on patent-related matters and his unique journey from struggling with narcotics addiction, to having a Ph.D. in chemistry, to building the #1 fastest-growing law firm in the country. Top Takeaways: 05:48 One of the sad things about law firms 06:27 How Keegan got his first client 11:01 How Keegan grew his business 16:13 What most successful people have in common 19:11 The value of morale in building a unicorn company 21:30 How to define if something is or isn’t patentable 25:51 How to determine a patent’s value 28:59 The potential dangers of not having your innovations patented 34:21 How much does it cost to get something patented 40:44 Why every company needs an IP strategy 43:47 What the patent system was initially created for 51:19 Keegan’s advice for someone who is planning to become an attorney 54.35 The most exciting invention from Keegan’s current clients To get in touch with Keegan Caldwell, go to Website: https://caldwellip.com/ About the guest: After finishing high school, Keegan Caldwell joined the Marines and worked as an engineer. He got into the construction business for a couple of years when he got out. Unfortunately, this was also when he had some substance abuse issues and got into legal trouble. Eventually, he was able to turn his life around and got the help he needed. With his grandmother’s advice, he went to college to take up biomedical science and earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. While doing his Ph.D., he worked as an intern in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He discovered he could become a patent lawyer without going to law school. Upon graduating with his Ph.D., he decided to take the Patent Bar and pass. But Keegan didn't want to be limited to Patent Law. Certain states in the US allow one to take the state bar without going to law school. So he took the state bar and is now a full-pledged lawyer. Today, Keegan Caldwell is a Managing Partner at Caldwell Intellectual Property Law. They provide technical expertise and post-grant experience to help organizations convert innovation into defensible intellectual property.
