Stites & Harbison, PLLC

Stites & Harbison, PLLC A full-service law firm representing clients across the United States and internationally. and World Services Group (WSG).

A full service Southeastern-based law firm representing clients across the United States and internationally, Stites & Harbison PLLC is known as a preeminent firm managing sophisticated transactions, challenging litigation, and complex regulatory matters on a daily basis. The firm represents a broad spectrum of clients including multinational corporations, financial institutions, pharmaceutical co

mpanies, health care organizations, private companies, nonprofit organizations, family-owned businesses and individuals. The firm maintains ten offices across the Southeastern region and is able to service the needs of international clients with its memberships in Business Counsel, Inc. Additionally, Stites & Harbison is a member of The Harmonie Group, the national network of top litigation law firms, and is the Kentucky representative to the prestigious Southern Law Network. The firm is a member of the American Property Tax Counsel (APTC) with membership in the organization limited to the preeminent property tax law firm in each state.

Be careful: your AI prompts might count as patent disclosures.For inventors, R&D teams, and product developers, external...
06/02/2026

Be careful: your AI prompts might count as patent disclosures.

For inventors, R&D teams, and product developers, external AI tools can be useful for brainstorming, drafting, summarizing, and refining technical ideas, but entering unpublished invention details into an AI platform could create patent risk.

While U.S. law may offer a limited grace period for some inventor-originated disclosures, many countries apply stricter novelty rules, and disclosure before filing can jeopardize foreign patent rights. Enterprise AI tools may reduce risk, but they do not eliminate it. The contract, service tier, settings, and workflow all matter.

The safest rule remains the simplest one: file before disclosure. This should now be understood to cover AI prompts, uploads, pasted technical text, schematic descriptions, experimental results, draft claims, and any other information that could reveal the invention in enabling detail.

Companies seeking patent protection, particularly on a global scale, must incorporate AI usage into their invention disclosure and filing strategy from the start. Samantha Page, PhD, explains further in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert: https://www.stites.com/resources/client-alerts/patent-risks-of-using-ai-public-disclosure-concerns-for-inventors/

Software, AI, and machine learning patent claims may be entering a more applicant-friendly moment at the USPTO. For the ...
05/27/2026

Software, AI, and machine learning patent claims may be entering a more applicant-friendly moment at the USPTO. For the Agritech industry, that could matter in a very practical way.

Agriculture is increasingly powered by software-enabled tools that can improve yield: precision farming systems, AI-driven crop modeling, drones, robotics, satellite imagery, smart irrigation, and data analytics platforms, to name a few.

For years, software-related patent applications have faced difficult subject matter eligibility challenges under Section 101, but recent USPTO developments suggest a shift. New guidance and decisions indicate that examiners should avoid treating AI and machine learning claims as automatically “abstract” and should focus more carefully on whether the claimed invention is integrated into a practical application or improves technology.

For Agritech innovators, now may be a good time to reassess patent strategy and identify innovations that may be better positioned for protection under the USPTO’s evolving approach. Read the latest Stites & Harbison Client Alert from Patrick Torre to learn more: https://www.stites.com/resources/client-alerts/a-new-era-in-patent-eligibility-at-the-uspto-an-opportunity-for-agritech/

Wondering how to begin creating an AI policy for your organization?When creating their initial AI policy, many companies...
05/22/2026

Wondering how to begin creating an AI policy for your organization?

When creating their initial AI policy, many companies make the crucial error of using a generic template, overlooking how AI already functions and is expected to function within their specific operational context.

To avoid leaving sensitive data unprotected, your AI policy needs to be strategic and built on complete information. In this Stites & Harbison Client alert, Mandy Decker offers practical starting points and key considerations for organizations drafting these policies.

Read here: https://www.stites.com/resources/client-alerts/ai-policies-for-organizations-what-to-consider-before-you-draft/

We are excited to welcome our 2026 summer associates to Stites & Harbison and to have these exceptional students spend t...
05/19/2026

We are excited to welcome our 2026 summer associates to Stites & Harbison and to have these exceptional students spend their summer with us!

At Stites & Harbison, our summer program is designed to give law students a true, immersive experience that goes well beyond a simple introduction to associate life. From day one, our summer associates engage in meaningful work, supporting client and pro bono matters through research and drafting projects under the guidance of experienced attorneys.

With a flexible assignment system, summer associates are able to explore a range of practice areas, follow their interests, and build strong connections with attorneys across the firm. Here’s to a great summer ahead with our outstanding group of summer associates!

Stites & Harbison congratulates attorney Bailey Browning on being selected for the ELEVATE Kentucky Class of 2026 by Lea...
05/12/2026

Stites & Harbison congratulates attorney Bailey Browning on being selected for the ELEVATE Kentucky Class of 2026 by Leadership Kentucky.

ELEVATE Kentucky is a leadership development program for emerging professionals.

Based in Lexington, Bailey is a member of the firm’s Business & Finance Service Group and a graduate of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, where she earned her J.D., summa cm laude, and Order of the Coif.

Congratulations, Bailey, on this well-deserved recognition!

Learn more here: https://www.stites.com/resources/press-releases/stites-harbison-attorney-bailey-browning-selected-for-elevate-kentucky-class-of-2026/

How does your institution balance the pressure to file quickly with the need for comprehensive patent descriptions?A rec...
05/11/2026

How does your institution balance the pressure to file quickly with the need for comprehensive patent descriptions?

A recent Federal Circuit decision in Seagen v. Daiichi highlights a critical issue faced by universities and academic research institutions filing patents. In the decision, the Court invalidated patent claims for Enhertu, a multibillion-dollar oncology drug, and erased a $41 million jury award for patent infringement. The reason? The original patent filing failed to adequately describe the specific structure that was later commercialized. Early-stage filings often occur before key embodiments are fully known or developed, yet U.S. patent law requires applicants to demonstrate possession of those embodiments at the time of filing.

In this Stites & Harbison Client Alert, read Attorney Kimberly Vines' recent article in the Chemical Practice Chronicles, which reviews the Federal Circuit’s decision and ways technology transfer offices can strengthen their patent disclosures.

Click to learn more: https://www.stites.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Vines_Crystal-Ball-Problem_AIPLA-Spring-2026-Newsletter-May2026.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=The%20Crystal-Ball%20Problem%3A%20Early-Stage%20University%20Filings%20and%20Written%20Descriptions&utm_campaign=05-07-26%20Vines%20Client%20Alert

We are proud to share that Stites & Harbison, PLLC has been named to The Patent Lawyer Magazine’s 2026 Top 10 Patent Fir...
05/06/2026

We are proud to share that Stites & Harbison, PLLC has been named to The Patent Lawyer Magazine’s 2026 Top 10 Patent Firms and IP Practices in North America – South list. This is our fifth year on the list.

This recognition reflects the work our patent team undertakes every day to help clients secure and protect patent rights, enforce existing portfolios, and develop practical IP strategies across a wide range of technologies.

Congratulations to our IP team! Learn more here: https://www.stites.com/resources/press-releases/stites-harbison-earns-2026-top-10-listing-in-patent-lawyer-magazine/.

We’re excited to welcome Stevi H. Whitman to Stites & Harbison’s Lexington office as an attorney in our Intellectual Pro...
04/30/2026

We’re excited to welcome Stevi H. Whitman to Stites & Harbison’s Lexington office as an attorney in our Intellectual Property & Technology Service Group.

Stevi earned her J.D. from the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law (2025) and previously spent time with the firm as a summer associate (2024). She also holds a B.S. in Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology, magna cm laude, from the University of Kentucky (2021). She is admitted to practice in Kentucky.

Please join us in welcoming Stevi to the team! https://www.stites.com/resources/press-releases/stevi-h-whitman-joins-stites-harbisons-lexington-office/

We’re proud to share that Legal 500 has recognized Stites & Harbison in its inaugural US City Elite 2026 rankings, highl...
04/30/2026

We’re proud to share that Legal 500 has recognized Stites & Harbison in its inaugural US City Elite 2026 rankings, highlighting outstanding attorneys in local and regional markets.

Atlanta Elite – Commercial Disputes: Derrick L. Bingham, R. Daniel Douglass and Jennifer M. Guerra

Southeast Elite – Intellectual Property: Kimberly Vines, Ph.D.

The US City Elite rankings spotlight regional powerhouse firms based on peer and referee feedback, key matters, and attorney interviews. Congratulations to our honored attorneys on this well deserved achievement!

Learn more here: https://www.stites.com/resources/press-releases/legal-500s-us-city-elite-2026-honors-stites-harbison-in-atlanta-and-southeast/

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