Where the work actually wins

Recognition in key performance metrics that reflect real patent prosecution

Measuring what matters—outcomes and execution

Top Patent Firms honors where prosecution delivers—both in results and in how work moves. We recognize Normalized Allowance Rate to keep outcomes fair across examiner mix. We highlight Normalized Time to Allowance and Normalized OAs to Allowance to show compact paths that don’t reward easy dockets. We include Time to Response after OA and Extensions because cadence and planning matter. Faster responses and fewer extensions signal real discipline.

These categories reflect how clients judge prosecution today—did the work convert, how many turns did it take, and could the team keep momentum without avoidable delays? That is performance you can point to—and compare—across the USPTO.

Learn about our methodology. →

Click to Explore Top Patent Firms by Metric:

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Raw speed can be misleading when examiner cadence varies. Normalized Time to Allowance adjusts each firm’s time-to-allowance to account for examiner-specific processing speeds, so you see execution—not examiner luck. This isolates true efficiency across mixed dockets: teams that keep cases moving, reduce cycle time, and align outcomes with product timelines.

We calculate Normalized Time to Allowance = firm_avg + (firm_avg − examiner_avg), and are honoring firms at disposition.

Learn more about our methodology. →

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Extensions add cost, slow momentum, and signal avoidable friction. Firms with lower extension usage plan better, staff appropriately, and keep cases moving without last-minute delays—exactly the kind of operational discipline clients value. This metric highlights cadence you can count on: predictable responses, fewer fee bumps, and tighter paths to allowance across mixed dockets.

We calculate extensions as the average number of time extensions requested per application for each firm. 

Learn more about our methodology. →

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Time to Response After OA measures the average days between receiving an office action and filing the first response. Lower values signal tight workflows, adequate staffing, and proactive case management—habits that keep momentum with the examiner, shorten the overall prosecution timeline, and improve client experience. This metric highlights cadence you can count on: predictable turnarounds without last-minute scrambles.

To calculate Time to Response After OA we measure average days from first OA to first response. We honor firms at disposition.

Learn more about our methodology. →

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Normalized OAs to Allowance adjusts the raw count of office actions to account for examiner-specific tendencies. Some examiners issue more OAs as a matter of course; others issue fewer. By normalizing—so you see execution, not examiner bias—this metric highlights teams that advance cases with fewer turns, reduce fees and rework, and keep prosecution compact across mixed dockets.

We calculate normalized OAs to Allowance using the formula firm_avg + (firm_avg - examiner_avg). We honor firms at disposition.

Learn more about our methodology. →

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Raw allowance rate can hide docket difficulty. Normalized Allowance Rate adjusts each firm’s result relative to the examiners they faced, so you see outcomes—not examiner bias. By correcting for systematically easier or harder examiners, this metric makes cross-firm comparisons fair and puts the focus where clients care most: did the work convert to granted rights.

We calculate Normalized Allowance Rate as firm_avg + (firm_avg − examiner_avg), and are honoring firms at disposition.