IP Law Firm - Patent & Trademark Practice

$2.7M

Revenue

$1.0M

SDE

2.9x

Multiple

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Full Editorial Writeup

Established intellectual property law firm serving clients nationwide with a strong focus on patent prosecution, trademark protection, IP enforcement, and related advisory services. Founded in 2014,... Businesses Franchises Brokers Loading... High-Growth Intellectual Property Law Firm | $1M+ SDE | Fully Remote Asking Price:$2,900,000 Cash Flow (SDE):$1,019,307 EBITDA:Not Disclosed Gross Revenue:$2,724,624 Established:2014 High-Growth Intellectual Property Law Firm | $1M+ SDE | Fully Remote Business Description Established intellectual property law firm serving clients nationwide with a strong focus on patent prosecution, trademark protection, IP enforcement, and related advisory services. Founded in 2014, the firm has built a national client base of approximately 180 historical clients and maintains 40–50 active client relationships annually. The practice serves inventors, startups, and product-based businesses across a wide range of industries and has developed a strong reputation for responsiveness, technical expertise, and practical business-focused legal counsel.In 2025 the business generated approximately $2.7 million in revenue and just over $1 million in Seller's Discretionary Earnings. Revenue has grown substantially in recent years, driven by increasing demand for both patent services and intellectual property enforcement work.Key highlights include:- Fully remote operating model with minimal overhead- Experienced team including patent attorneys, patent agents, and paralegals- Strong recurring and long-cycle revenue characteristics- National client base with no geographic limitations- Growing intellectual property enforcement practice serving ecommerce sellers and product-based businesses- Capacity-constrained growth opportunity- Significant barriers to entry due to the specialized nature of patent law- Owner willing to assist with transition and remain involved in a client-facing/business development role if desiredThe firm is well positioned for continued growth through the addition of attorneys and patent agents, expansion of enforcement services, and increased business development efforts. Existing demand exceeds current capacity, creating an immediate opportunity for expansion under new ownership.Ideal buyers include:- Intellectual property law firms seeking growth through acquisition- Regional or national firms looking to add or expand an IP practice- Attorneys seeking ownership of an established, highly profitable platform- Firms seeking recurring patent and enforcement revenue streamsSeller is seeking $2.9 million and is committed to supporting a smooth transition. Qualified buyers will receive additional information upon execution of a confidentiality agreement.***Please note that potential buyers are legally required to be either an attorney or a law firm. Ad#:2512889 Detailed Information Employees: 10 Full-time Facilities: The firm operates as a fully remote practice, allowing the business to serve clients nationwide while maintaining low overhead and operational flexibility.Key assets included in the sale may include:• Established brand recognition within the intellectual property and patent law market.• Approximately 180 historical clients and 40–50 active clients annually.• Experienced remote team of patent attorneys, agents, and paralegals.• Digital client files, document libraries, and case management records, subject to applicable legal requirements.• Firm website, domain names, and marketing assets.• Technology systems supporting communication, document management, billing, and workflow administration.• Established referral relationships and professional networks.• Seller transition assistance to support client retention and knowledge transfer.The firm's remote model allows a buyer to operate from virtually any location while continuing to serve its existing client base.(Home Based) Competition: The business operates in a specialized segment of the legal services industry focused on intellectual property protection, including patents, trademarks, and related enforcement services. Demand is driven by ongoing innovation, new product development, entrepreneurship, and the continued growth of ecommerce. Competition comes from both large national law firms and smaller boutique practices. The company has established a strong position by providing high-quality intellectual property services through an efficient operating model that allows it to serve clients nationwide. The industry benefits from meaningful barriers to entry due to the specialized education, licensing, and technical expertise required to perform patent-related legal work. The business has developed an established reputation, experienced team, and national client base that provide a strong foundation for continued growth. Growth & Expansion: The business is well positioned for continued growth through a variety of strategic initiatives. Opportunities include expanding professional staff capacity, increasing business development and marketing efforts, growing relationships with existing clients, and broadening service offerings.Additional growth may be achieved through geographic expansion, strategic partnerships, referral network development, and the implementation of scalable operational processes. The business's established reputation, experienced team, and existing infrastructure provide a strong foundation for future expansion under new ownership.Management believes there are meaningful opportunities to increase revenue and profitability while leveraging the company's existing platform and market position. Financing: Seller financing available Seller may be willing to finance some small portion of the transaction. Support & Training: The owner is willing to assist in transitioning client relationships and operational responsibilities and also open to remaining involved long term if the structure is a good fit. The owner anticipates that a full transition of responsibilities and client relationships would take approximately 3 to 4 months, ensuring a smooth handoff and continuity of operations. Reason for Selling: The owner is selling in order to spend more time with family. Home-Based: This business is currently Home-Based Listing Statistics Saved This Listing Listing Last Updated Appeared in Search Listing Detail Views BizBuySell EDGE Know the True Market Value Before You Make an Offer Get valuation data to negotiate with confidence. Get a Valuation Report Business Listed By: Mike Derus Opportunities In Business View My Listings Phone Number 651-315-7417 Voice only (no SMS) Sponsoring Broker: Mac Thelen Ad#:2512889 The information in this listing has been provided by the business seller or representative stated above. BizBuySell has no stake in the sale of this business, has not independently verified any of the information about the business, and assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness. Read BizBuySell's Terms of Use before responding to any ad. Learn how to avoid scams. Contact Form Full Name* Enter a valid Full Name Phone Number Enter Phone Number Email Address* Enter Email Address Optional Message Yes, send me the Buyer Newsletter for popular businesses, tips, & email promotions. Show sellers you’re serious - learn about BizBuySell Edge for premium buyer tools & alerts Send Message By clicking the button, you agree to BizBuySell’s Terms of Use and Privacy Notice Business Listed By: Mike Derus Opportunities In Business View My Listings Phone Number 651-315-7417 Voice only (no SMS) Sponsoring Broker: Mac Thelen Your request has been sent. What Happens Next? is reviewing your details. A representative will reach out soon to discuss your options. Expect a response in 1-2 business days. Report an issue with this listing Similar Listings Legal Services and Law Firms for Sale Healthcare Staffing Agency for Sale, 5+M in Revenue with 60+ staffs White Bear Lake, MN Asking: $4,500,000 Premier Full-Service Catering & Food Production - Twin Cities Metro MN Asking: $4,850,000 Established Diversified Outdoor Services Business MN Asking: $9,000,000 Homestretch Franchise Opportunity Cash Required: $150,000 Â©2026 CoStar Group Send Message Listing Shar

Why we like it

Earnings quality is real: $1.02M SDE on $2.72M revenue is a 37 percent margin with a fully remote, low-overhead structure, so there is little fixed cost drag masking the true cash flow. Patent and enforcement work also carries long-cycle billing, meaning revenue is stickier than typical transactional legal work.
The moat is structural, not marketing. Patent practice requires USPTO patent bar admission which demands a technical degree, so you cannot simply hire generalist lawyers to replicate this. That licensing wall is the single biggest reason this firm has defensible pricing power and durable client retention.
Market tailwinds are genuine and non-discretionary. Businesses do not stop filing patents or defending their IP in a downturn because losing a patent window or letting infringement run is permanent damage, not a deferrable expense. The growing ecommerce enforcement niche is a bonus tailwind as Amazon and marketplace sellers increasingly police knockoffs.
There is an obvious operator lever: the firm is explicitly capacity-constrained with demand exceeding supply. That means a buyer who adds attorneys and patent agents can convert existing turned-away demand into revenue without spending on new client acquisition, which is the cleanest kind of growth.

How to improve it

Attack the capacity constraint immediately by recruiting one to two additional patent agents or associate attorneys. The listing says demand already exceeds supply, so every billable hour you add likely converts to revenue with minimal marketing cost, directly expanding SDE within the first year.
Build recurring revenue by productizing the trademark and IP monitoring services into annual retainer or subscription packages. Trademark watch, portfolio maintenance, and enforcement monitoring are naturally recurring and would smooth the lumpy project-based patent revenue while raising client lifetime value.
Systematize the ecommerce enforcement practice into a scalable offering with flat or tiered pricing. Amazon and marketplace sellers face constant knockoffs and represent a large, underserved, high-volume buyer base that fits a templated enforcement workflow far better than bespoke litigation.
Formalize the referral network into a structured channel program. The firm already has professional networks and referral relationships, but converting these into tracked, incentivized referral partnerships with product accelerators, VCs, and trademark filing services would create predictable inbound flow.
Reduce owner dependency in the first 90 days by mapping which clients and revenue tie directly to the founder. Negotiate the seller into the offered client-facing and business development role to retain relationships while you build a second rainmaker, protecting against post-close attrition.
Implement standardized workflow and billing automation to raise realization rates. As a remote firm the systems already exist, but tightening matter management and reducing write-offs on fixed-fee patent work can lift margin without adding a single client.

Diligence notes

Verify client concentration carefully. With only 40 to 50 active clients annually, a handful of large accounts could represent an outsized share of the $2.72M revenue, and losing one or two post-close could materially hit cash flow. Request revenue by client for the last three years.
Confirm the SDE build and the seller's personal billings. The owner is a producing attorney, so understand how much of the $1.02M SDE is the owner's own billable production versus true enterprise profit that transfers. This directly determines the real post-acquisition earning power.
Assess the buyer pool restriction and its impact on price and financing. Buyers must legally be an attorney or law firm, which narrows demand and may explain the 2.85x ask; confirm state bar rules on ownership transfer and whether the firm can be sold as an entity or only as an asset/book transfer.
Scrutinize revenue mix between patent prosecution, trademark, and enforcement, and the recurring versus one-time split. The listing claims recurring and long-cycle characteristics, but patent prosecution is largely project-based, so validate how much revenue actually repeats year over year.
Review staff retention risk and employment agreements. The firm's value lives in its patent attorneys and agents; confirm non-competes, compensation, and whether key producers are likely to stay after the founder exits, since their departure would gut the practice.

Source

Originally listed on BizBuySell. View original listing →