Mousilli Legal Group has published a patent attorney resource for technology companies and startups, so founders can search, file, and prosecute patent applications before a product launch.
Summary
- The USPTO reported 776,995 unexamined patent applications as of April 6, 2026, down from a high of 837,928 in January 2025
- For the first time in nearly a decade, first office actions in a fiscal year exceeded new applications filed in that year
- First-action pendency averaged 19.9 months in FY 2024, down from 20.5 months in FY 2023
- Mousilli Legal Group's patent counsel is admitted in Florida and Texas and registered to practice before the USPTO
USPTO Backlog Turns While First Actions Still Take Nearly Two Years
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is reducing a long inventory of unexamined applications. An April 10, 2026 USPTO release reported 776,995 unexamined patent applications as of April 6, 2026, down from a high of 837,928 in January 2025.
The speed to a first look is still measured in years. USPTO counted nearly 545,000 first office actions in FY 2024, up from about 530,000 in FY 2023, and reported average first-action pendency of 19.9 months in FY 2024, down from 20.5 months in FY 2023.
For an inventor building in Austin or another U.S. market, a first office action about 20 months after filing still lands after many startups have already shown the product. A public demo can become prior art before the Office has looked at the claims, so the decision to search, file, or keep a trade secret has to take place before launch.
Patent Attorney Resource for Inventors and Technology Companies
Mousilli Legal Group's patent services include prior-art searching, U.S. and foreign applications, prosecution of office actions, opinions on infringement and non-infringement, licensing, and enforcement.
Benjamin Hanrahan, Senior Patent Counsel, leads the firm's patent practice. He is a registered patent attorney and a computer science engineer, admitted in Florida, and Board Certified in Intellectual Property Law by The Florida Bar, with more than 18 years of experience prosecuting applications in mechanical, computer, electrical, software, and internet fields.
Feras Mousilli, Founder and Managing Attorney, is admitted in Texas and registered to practice before the USPTO. He previously served as corporate counsel at Apple Inc. (2014) and Dell Inc. (2006).
Patent prosecution is federal practice before the USPTO, open to attorneys registered with the Office regardless of the state in which they are admitted. Matters that need a state court are handled by attorneys admitted in that state.
What Inventors Should Confirm Before They File
Many startups treat a shipped product, a pitch deck, or a conference demo as the start of protection. Public disclosure can limit what a later application can claim. A useful first pass looks at prior art, whether a provisional would support later claims, and whether the edge is better kept as a trade secret, before a founder spends on a raise or a public launch.
A U.S. provisional application can preserve a filing date for 12 months. Conversion to a nonprovisional has to happen inside that window, and new matter added later does not inherit the earlier date. That sequence already appears in the firm's Insights writing on the patent landscape for tech innovators. The new resource gathers search, filing, and prosecution in one place.
Founders who want to discuss a specific invention or filing can book a free 15-minute consultation at https://www.mousillilegal.com/book.
About Mousilli Legal Group PLLC
Mousilli Legal Group PLLC is a Houston, Texas-based boutique law firm providing intellectual property, technology, and corporate counsel for innovators, startups, and established enterprises.
