Sterne Kessler and Clarivate Team Up on AI-Powered Patent Tools
Sterne Kessler and Clarivate launched a partnership to build AI-driven patent workflow solutions.
Why it matters: This partnership shows how collaboration between law firms and tech providers is reshaping patent prosecution and IP management workflows. It signals broader legal tech adoption in handling increasing patent complexity efficiently.
- Partnership announced on October 15, 2026, between Sterne Kessler and Clarivate.
- Focus on integrating Sterne Kessler’s tools with Clarivate’s IP data to enhance patent workflows.
- Initial AI-enhanced patent drafting feature scheduled for the first half of 2027.
- Clarivate’s stock jumped 7.8% on the announcement day.
On October 15, 2026, Clarivate Plc and law firm Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox revealed a strategic collaboration to co-develop AI-enhanced patent workflow solutions. The partnership aims to combine Sterne Kessler’s practitioner-developed technology and patent expertise with Clarivate’s intellectual property data and software capabilities.
The first phase targets enhancing the patent drafting workflow within Clarivate’s Rowan Patents platform, with an initial release expected in early 2027. This collaboration is designed to deliver practical, future-ready AI tools addressing the day-to-day challenges faced by patent professionals.
Simon Webster, President of Intellectual Property at Clarivate, noted, "This partnership with Sterne Kessler represents a powerful example of how legal practitioners and technology providers can work together to address the real challenges facing today's patent professionals." Sterne Kessler’s COO Robert Burger added, "We're excited to partner with Clarivate to bring practitioner insight into the development of AI-enhanced patent workflow solutions."
Market reaction was positive, as evidenced by Clarivate’s stock rising 7.8% on the announcement day, signaling investor confidence in the collaboration’s potential impact on the IP legal tech market.
While specific AI technologies to be deployed remain undisclosed, the partnership underscores growing momentum in applying artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of patent prosecution, managing the complexity and volume of IP workflows.
By the numbers:
- 7.8% — Clarivate’s stock increase on announcement day (October 15, 2026)
- First half of 2027 — Target release for AI-enhanced patent drafting workflow
What's next: Watch for the rollout of the AI-enhanced patent drafting functionality within Clarivate’s Rowan platform in early 2027.