About Our Firm

Who We Are

Avek IP is the result of outstanding attorneys practicing together on a platform built to meet clients’ intellectual property needs. We are a sizable yet nimble intellectual property law firm with the ability to handle any patent, trademark, copyright, domain name, and trade secret matter, and we have a strong track record of success. The firm launched in 2022 following a merger between Kansas City-based firms Avant Law Group and Erickson Kernell.

Founded in 2003, Erickson Kernell IP was a fixture of the regional intellectual property market, ranked among Best Lawyers in America and U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Law Firms” for intellectual property services in Kansas City and with firm lawyers repeatedly recognized by Super Lawyers and IP Stars.

Avant Law Group was formed in 2020 by prominent Big Law expatriates who wanted to serve clients without large-firm bureaucracy. Avant’s attorneys have been repeatedly recognized by Super Lawyers, IP Stars, Nation’s Best Lawyers of Color, National Law Journal, and Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

In addition to sharing deep intellectual property expertise, our attorneys share a culture and philosophy: we take pride in understanding each client’s business and providing advice and solutions tailored to their context. Our attorneys also share a commitment to success and efficiency.

We are here to assist you with acquiring and enforcing intellectual property rights, as well as to help you avoid and defend against infringement actions.

Our firm protects innovations and brands with unsurpassed experience, efficiency, and results.

We focus on intellectual property law – patents, trademarks, copyrights, domain names, and trade secrets.

We are problem solvers. We listen to your needs and efficiently guide you through the process of protecting and enforcing your rights. And when necessary, helping you avoid and defend against infringement claims.

We are teachers and counselors. We educate you about the law and your options and assist you in making good business decisions.

We are business partners. We take the time to learn about your business to ensure that our advice and services are given in the proper context.

Unrivaled intellectual property protection.

Intellectual property is the lifeblood of innovation and free enterprise. It drives economic growth and gives businesses a competitive advantage over their peers. IP protection is essential to protect one’s business interests.

Whether you are seeking IP, enforcing IP, or defending against IP rights, it is important to engage intellectual property lawyers who know the law and have a track record of success.

What We Do

Because intellectual property is our focus, we bring significant depth and breadth of experience to each matter.

We have managed thousands of patent and trademark prosecution matters in a wide range of industries and technologies.
We have handled more than 75 Inter Partes Reviews at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including the first-ever IPR win invalidating a design patent.
We have successfully litigated numerous IP cases.
We have argued and won appeals at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
We have written patent portfolios for large public companies and for smaller companies that have been acquired by well-known brands.
We have helped redesign products to avoid patent infringement claims.
We have protected famous trademarks for household brands.
We have negotiated agreements for and against some of the largest businesses in the world.
We have experience working in industry and at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

We are committed to helping our clients have a better understanding of IP law, their legal rights, and their options, enabling them to make good business decisions. We are here to help your business succeed.

Our intellectual property clients include:

Large companies headquartered around the globe, small start-up endeavors, and companies of all sizes in between;
Lawyers in private practice representing individuals and entities with intellectual property needs;
Attorneys from foreign countries who need help navigating the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office;
Product inventors, designers and developers; and
Artists and authors.