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Amsel IP Law: Fifteen Years in Silicon Valley, Now Building Patent Strategy for Austin Startups

Jason Amsel spent 15 years at a large Silicon Valley law firm, taking technology companies from inception through major acquisitions and IPOs, before moving to Austin in 2015. He’s since become an active mentor at Capital Factory, the Austin Technology Incubator, and MassChallenge — three of the city’s most prominent startup organizations — and guest lectures on entrepreneurship at UT-Austin.

Origin and Background

Amsel IP Law PLLC is based at 3571 Far West Boulevard, Suite 3121, Austin, TX 78731, in the Northwest Hills area. Founder Jason Amsel holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, along with an M.Eng. and B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University, and is licensed in California and Texas as well as registered before the USPTO.

Practice Concentration

The firm provides IP strategy, consulting, and patent prosecution services specifically for technology companies, ranging from early-stage startups to large public companies. Amsel has drafted and prosecuted thousands of patent applications over his career, and regularly advises startups on building new patent programs, reinvigorating stagnant ones, and realigning mature IP portfolios with current business objectives. At his prior Silicon Valley firm, he served as IP counsel through strategic investments, acquisitions, SPAC transactions, and IPOs, and gained experience in patent litigation, post-grant reviews, and infringement and clearance analysis. See this Austin Intellectual Property directory for how this Silicon Valley-trained patent strategy practice compares to litigation-focused IP firms.

Notable Work / Track Record

As a patent prosecution and IP strategy boutique, Amsel IP Law does not publish a running table of case-specific outcomes, and Awesome Attorneys did not identify one. Fifteen years handling patent work through acquisitions, SPAC transactions, and IPOs at a large Silicon Valley firm is itself a documented indicator of practice depth at the highest stakes level of startup IP strategy.

Client Voice

Client feedback describes Jason Amsel’s approach as insightful and informative, with startup founders specifically crediting him with setting them up for effective long-term IP strategy and providing innovative, reassuring consultancy that bolstered their business confidence. Awesome Attorneys did not identify negative or critical reviews warranting disclosure in the sample reviewed, though the available independent review sample was modest.

Beyond the Courtroom

Jason Amsel has served as a mentor for Capital Factory, the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), and MassChallenge — three prominent Central Texas startup support organizations — and contributes as a guest lecturer on entrepreneurship at UT-Austin, reflecting sustained direct involvement in the Austin startup ecosystem beyond his paid client work.

Recognition for This Austin IP Firm

Jason Amsel was selected to Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list for intellectual property in 2018 through 2021 and again in 2023, an independently verifiable peer-review designation awarded to a select number of accomplished attorneys in each state. Awesome Attorneys did not identify formal board certification in intellectual property law for this profile, as no such state board certification track currently exists for patent or trademark law outside USPTO registration itself.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Patent prosecution before the USPTO is governed by federal law regardless of the applicant’s home state, but Texas startups working through the acquisition, IPO, or SPAC transactions Amsel specializes in should be aware that Texas trade secret protections under the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act often need to be coordinated with patent strategy, since publicly filing a patent application discloses information that would otherwise remain protectable as a trade secret. None of this is legal advice; a specific patent or IP strategy matter should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts involved.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Amsel IP Law’s clearest differentiator is Jason Amsel’s 15 years of Silicon Valley patent strategy experience through the highest-stakes moments of a startup’s life — acquisitions, SPACs, and IPOs — now applied directly to Austin’s startup community with active, hands-on mentorship at the city’s leading incubators. The honest trade-off is that this is a solo or small practice built around strategy and prosecution rather than a litigation-focused firm, so a client already facing active infringement litigation may need to pair this counsel with trial-focused co-counsel. For an Austin startup founder who wants patent strategy from an attorney who has personally guided companies through acquisition and IPO events, that Silicon Valley-honed experience is a strong basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Amsel IP Law’s own website (attorney biography for Jason Amsel and firm overview), Super Lawyers’ attorney profile documenting his Rising Stars selections, and Catalog Lawyer’s firm directory entry.

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Amsel IP Law PLLC or Jason Amsel prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.