Kennesaw State University (KSU) has expanded its efforts to bring research discoveries to the market through a partnership with international law firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR). SGR, which has its largest office in Atlanta, provides KSU researchers with advanced diligence and patent-related technology. This collaboration is designed to speed up the evaluation and drafting of patent applications and increase the university’s intellectual property portfolio.
The partnership has led to a notable increase in activity at KSU. The university reported a 60 percent rise in disclosures during the last fiscal year and a 300 percent increase from 2023 to 2025.
One recent outcome involved Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry Carl Saint-Louis. His provisional patent application was advanced to a non-provisional U.S. patent for technology that allows real-time visualization of the release of complex molecules with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Normally, such submissions require extensive review due to their complexity and multiple prosecution strategies. Saint-Louis was also preparing to present his findings publicly.
SGR supported KSU by conducting a comprehensive landscape assessment and drafting several applications: a U.S. non-provisional application, an international PCT application, and two provisional patent applications. The process allowed Saint-Louis to meet deadlines for publishing and presenting his research.
“It’s critical that we don’t impede the academic dissemination of research findings when we can prevent it,” said Chris Cornelison, Assistant Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at KSU. “Adopting new technologies that streamline the assessment and drafting process make SGR a great partner for us that assists in delivery service to our KSU inventors, aligning with their needs as innovators, entrepreneurs, and scholars.”
For over ten years, Michael Riesen and Robert Walling have worked on developing legal technology tools for their practice at SGR. Michael Riesen’s previous work in AI and machine learning was published in peer-reviewed journals when the field was still emerging within law.
In 2019, SGR launched SGR Labs—an initiative focused on creating practical technology-driven legal solutions by integrating software, data analytics, and automation into legal services.
By 2025, SGR Labs had implemented AI-supported workflows for intellectual property diligence, patent landscaping, preparation, and prosecution of filings. These workflows are intended to reduce delays for clients such as universities.
SGR recognized universities’ unique needs: large intellectual property portfolios requiring careful prosecution but often facing resource constraints. By partnering with academic institutions like KSU, SGR Labs aims to help move ideas from research labs into commercial markets more efficiently.
SGR Labs’ partnerships with universities include using analytics to evaluate inventions before filing patents; automating parts of application development; applying examiner data combined with AI insights to improve outcomes; and providing digital platforms for faculty members, researchers, technology transfer offices, and outside counsel to coordinate their efforts.
