PatenTrack automatically creates a dedicated Slack or Microsoft Teams channel for every patent or patent application in the portfolio. These channels serve as ongoing, asset-specific communication threads that include the law firm, client’s in-house teams (legal, R&D, marketing, product), and other stakeholders.

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Why This Enhances Client Relationships:

✅ Moves Beyond One-Off Communication

Traditionally, communication between outside counsel and clients happens episodically—centered around filing, office actions, or litigation events. Once a patent is granted, communication typically stops unless enforcement or licensing is triggered later.

With PatenTrack:

• Communication persists over the patent’s lifetime.
• The outside counsel remains in the loop, positioning themselves to support decisions around maintenance, licensing, enforcement, or abandonment.
• The client sees the lawyer as involved, responsive, and invested, not just reactive or transactional.

✅ Creates Focused, Organized Conversations

Having a dedicated channel per asset eliminates confusion over which email thread is relevant. It:

• Prevents key context from being buried in long email chains.
• Keeps documented, searchable history of discussions and decisions.
• Reduces time spent “catching up” during strategic portfolio reviews.

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Practical Example:

Let’s say a client has U.S. Patent No. 10,123,456 related to a battery efficiency system in their electric vehicles. The dedicated Slack channel for this patent allows:

• The in-house product lead to upload internal roadmaps showing where the patent is being implemented.
• The outside counsel to suggest claims that could support a continuation application based on the evolving product line.
• The in-house patent manager to flag that the corresponding EP patent was inadvertently not nationalized in Germany.
• The C-suite or VP of Licensing to ask if this patent might be bundled with others for a strategic cross-licensing deal.

This creates a living workspace around the patent, rather than a static archive or disconnected email updates.

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Comparison with Traditional Methods:

Traditional Approach	PatenTrack’s Channel Approach
Emails with broad subjects (“RE: Portfolio Review”)	Focused channels per asset (e.g., #US10123456)
Stops communication after grant	Maintains post-grant strategic discussion
Limited visibility across stakeholders	Transparent, multi-party participation
Poor document traceability	Easy sharing and search of docs and threads
Limited client interaction	Regular engagement builds stronger trust

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