Q&A: A conversation with Inventa

Inventa is a leading Intellectual Property law firm specialized in the protection of trademarks, patents, industrial designs, copyright and domain names. 

 

Over the past decade, Inventa has experienced rapid growth, evolving into one of the most respected Intellectual Property law firms in the market.

 

Technology, and more recently AI, has played a critical role in that journey.

 

In this Q&A, we speak to Vítor Palmela Fidalgo (Partner | Attorney at Law at Inventa) about how early investment in IT, an open but responsible approach to AI adoption, and a strong focus on governance and security have supported their growth. As an RWS client, Inventa also shares what they look for in technology partners today, which areas of IP work will always require human judgment, and how they see AI shaping the future of legal practice.

The impact has been significant. 10 years ago, Inventa invested in a robust IT infrastructure as a core pillar of its growth strategy. We have consistently developed and implemented proprietary tools to enhance efficiency and scalability, such as our internal IPMS, which supports deadline management, and portfolio monitoring. This technological backbone has allowed us not only to streamline operations but also to maintain a high level of accuracy and responsiveness as our client base expanded.

Inventa has always taken a very open stance towards AI adoption. However, this openness has been paired with a strong emphasis on security, confidentiality, and data protection, particularly given the sensitive nature of our clients’ information.

From the outset, we approached AI as a support tool rather than a substitute for legal judgment. We have implemented AI-driven solutions in areas such as internal deadline and task management, as well as to assist in the drafting of legal documents.

As the technology has matured, our perspective has evolved from cautious experimentation to structured integration, always guided by principles of ethical and responsible use. However, governance, transparency, and human oversight remain central to our approach.

Certain core aspects of IP practice will invariably require human expertise. These include strategic decision-making, legal interpretation, negotiation, and litigation strategy. These areas depend heavily on contextual analysis, experience, and judgment. These elements cannot be fully replicated by automated systems. On the other hand, more procedural and repetitive tasks are likely to become increasingly automated. These include formalities management, deadline tracking, basic clearance searches, and initial document generation.

AI will significantly enhance efficiency in these areas, but always within a framework supervised by legal professionals. This trend will be further reinforced with the rise of agentic AI, which enables systems to autonomously execute multi-step tasks within defined parameters, making automation more sophisticated and operationally impactful.

As I said, certain core aspects of IP practice will invariably require human expertise. These include strategic decision-making, legal interpretation, negotiation, and litigation strategy. These areas depend heavily on contextual analysis, experience, and judgment, elements that cannot be fully replicated by automated systems.

On the other hand, more procedural and repetitive tasks are likely to become increasingly automated. These include formalities management, deadline tracking, basic clearance searches, and initial document generation. AI will significantly enhance efficiency in these areas, but always within a framework supervised by legal professionals.

Yes, AI capabilities are increasingly relevant when evaluating partners. However, we do not assess AI merely in terms of sophistication, but rather in terms of reliability, transparency, and compliance.

The most important aspects for us are data security and confidentiality safeguards, explainability of AI outputs; integration with existing workflows; and alignment with ethical standards and regulatory requirements. Ultimately, AI should enhance, not compromise, the quality and integrity of legal services.

When it comes to the use of AI in IP legal work, three key trends are likely to emerge. 

First, AI will function primarily as a tool of augmentation rather than replacement, becoming an integral part of the IP professional’s toolkit by enhancing productivity, analytical capacity, and consistency, while leaving core legal judgment firmly in human hands. 

Second, there will be a progressive standardisation and automation of routine and procedural tasks, such as portfolio management, deadline tracking, clearance searches, and initial drafting, leading to greater efficiency, scalability, and cost predictability across the industry. 

Third, the increasing reliance on AI will inevitably drive the development of more robust regulatory and ethical frameworks, with particular emphasis on data protection, transparency, explainability, and accountability, which will become central to the responsible deployment of these technologies in legal practice.