Our Approach
At Osha · Liang, we apply a team approach to all work done by the firm. The firm's partners, associates, and patent agents have a wide variety of technical backgrounds and work cooperatively to see that the best resources are allocated to a given task. Be it litigation or prosecution, teamwork allows the firm to provide work product of the highest quality with the most efficient possible use of time and personnel. 
Founding Partners
Osha · Liang is an intellectual property boutique having offices in Houston, Texas, Silicon Valley, California, and Paris, France. The firm provides expertise in all matters pertaining to the acquisition, licensing, and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
As an adjunct professor of law, Mr. Osha has lectured on patent prosecution at the University of Houston, which consistently ranks as one of the top intellectual property law schools in the United States. In addition to patent prosecution, Mr. Osha's practice includes infringement and invalidity opinions, licensing, copyrights, trademarks, and related litigation. He also is a frequent speaker and author on matters related to intellectual property rights, focusing on topics of interest to international practitioners.
Dr. Liang specializes in intellectual property issues involving chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. He heads up the biotechnology group at Osha · Liang and frequently speaks on biotechnology topics as well as intellectual property issues involving Asia. Dr. Liang was previously on the Faculty of Biochemistry at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School and is fluent in Chinese (Mandarin) and Taiwanese.
Intellectual Property Litigation
At Osha · Liang, our firm's litigation practice emphasizes obtaining quick and effective results for clients. The firm also has an extensive architectural copyright litigation practice, with experience representing clients ranging from individual architects to national builders and international architectural firms. In addition, the firm is experienced in enforcing trademark and trade secret rights and defending parties accused of violating the intellectual property rights of others.
Patent Prosecution
At Osha · Liang, we prepare, file, and prosecute patent applications for clients all over the world. Mr. Osha, the lead prosecutor, draws from extensive experience both in U.S. and foreign patent practice. Our expertise is used not only to issue patents efficiently, but also to issue effective patents. From the initial drafting of the specification and claims to the crafting of legal arguments in responses, we are focused on properly preserving our client's intellectual property. Furthermore, because we understand the great importance of patents to our clients, we emphasize avoiding remarks and amendments during prosecution that may unnecessarily limit the scope of a patent or adversely affect its enforceability. With our many experienced members and extensive in-house training of new personnel, we ensure that the present and future needs of our clients are properly served.
Trademarks
At Osha · Liang, we have an active trademark practice representing both U.S. and international clients in all phases of the life-cycle of a trademark. Our trademark services include domestic and international availability analysis; preparing, filing, and prosecuting domestic and international trademark applications; maintaining and policing domestic and international trademark registrations; trademark cancellation and opposition proceedings before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and internationally; enforcement of trademarks in the U.S. and other countries; and trademark infringement issues including litigation. We also prepare and negotiate trademark agreements, licenses, assignments, and other title transfers and customs recordals. Other trademark-related services include handling domain name issues and internet and e-commerce related matters. Our active trademark practice includes representing both U.S. and international clients in all phases of the life-cycle of a trademark, and we look forward to providing you with the trademark services that best suit your needs. Click here for additional Trademark information.
International Expertise
Competing in the global marketplace requires patent counsel with an international presence. At Osha · Liang, we represent clients throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and file patent applications in every industrialized country in the world. The firm conducts business in a wide variety of languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Arabic, and Dutch. We have an established network of associates in foreign countries with whom we cooperate on applications in those countries. Members of the firm visit these associates regularly, and have long-standing, personal relationships with these firms. Moreover, due to the volume of business we conduct overseas, we receive preferential pricing in many countries - savings that are passed on to the client. At Osha · Liang, we do not follow the practice of "up-charging" foreign associate bills - charges by foreign associates are passed on to the client at actual cost
The Patent Agent Program
One of the many unique and forward-looking aspects of the firm's practice is the patent agent program. At Osha · Liang, we actively recruit science and engineering graduates from the top technical universities. These individuals are then apprenticed in the field of patent law through practical training and weekly lectures, and eventually sit for the national patent agent exam. Under partner supervision, these patent agents can and do provide exceptional value to the client in terms of both technical knowledge and cost efficiency.
One of the major aspects that separate Osha · Liang from other law firms is our commitment to training. We believe that only through a rigorous training can we achieve our goal of superior quality, cost-effective client representation.
In order to achieve this goal, we have developed an intensive training program, headed by Mr. Jonathan Osha, that all new employees of Osha · Liang are required to attend. Our summer associates will have an opportunity to participate in this program.
In addition to our firm members, we also host visitors from time to time. These visitors may be from corporations or foreign law firms, and they often bring their own cases to work with various members of the Osha · Liang team. Our visitors often provide different perspectives on IP practices in different countries and they can add to the learning experience at Osha · Liang.
Briefly, the summer program includes a lecture series, which mimics the course taught by Mr. Osha at the prestigious University of Houston Law Center (which ranks among the top 5 Law Schools in the Country in the field of Intellectual Property). In addition to regular lectures, which cover various aspects of patent prosecution with working examples (i.e., office action responses, application drafting, etc.), attendees also review and analyze recent Federal Circuit opinions in order to discuss what effects the opinions may have on U.S. practice. Attendees present these cases to the entire professional staff. This provides the attendees with opportunities to engage in stimulating discussions and to improve presentation skills.
With this training, we believe the attendees will gain invaluable experience and significantly improve their abilities to deal with U.S. patent practice.
Other Services
Osha · Liang is a "full-service" intellectual property law firm with experience and expertise in other areas of intellectual property, such as licensing, due diligence efforts associated with the acquisition of intellectual property rights from third parties, legal opinions, and general counseling in this area. Members of the firm have served on corporate patent committees to assist in determining in what countries to file patent applications, whether to file patent applications, and whether to maintain existing patents. At Osha · Liang, we are committed to providing our clients with the particular assistance they need in any area of intellectual property law.
Client Satisfaction
Client satisfaction is our number one goal. At Osha · Liang, we also recognize that doing excellent work at a fair price is only part of that equation. Surveys have shown the most frequent complaints clients have about their lawyers concern failure to return phone calls and failure to respond to correspondence within a reasonable period of time. Osha · Liang is sensitive to client needs, both domestic and foreign, and responds to written correspondence and telephone calls in a timely fashion. The firm also is able to consider flexible billing arrangements, including fixed fee arrangements, and to customize invoicing in whatever manner is most convenient for our clients.
Value to the Client
At Osha · Liang, we deliver value to our clients. Maintaining the client's interests in obtaining high quality services at a reasonable cost results in long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with our clients. We believe that there is more to intellectual property law than filing lawsuits and patent applications. We make the additional effort to learn more about our clients' businesses to provide effective, pragmatic counseling and advice to our clients. Recognizing that resources are limited, we offer practical guidance on prioritizing projects, including both when and when not to expend resources on a given project. We work with our clients to focus limited resources where they have the best chance of producing the most effective results.
