Iowa patent and trademark attorney, and electrical engineer
I help inventors and growing businesses protect what they build.
If you’ve invented something or started a business, you’re probably wondering how to protect it, what it will cost, and where to start. I’m Jason R. Sytsma, a registered patent attorney and Senior Vice President at Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, P.L.C. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I help inventors, founders, and businesses with patents, trademarks, and the technology agreements that go with them.
Call (319) 365-9461 or email jrs@shuttleworthlaw.com. Official firm profile
Why an engineer matters
Before law school, I studied electrical engineering at Iowa State University. I worked in the automotive industry before and during those studies, so I learned early how products are designed, tested, and built.
That background matters when you hire a patent attorney. When you explain your circuit, software, machine, or process, I can usually follow the technology quickly and ask the right questions. You spend less time teaching your lawyer the basics and more time deciding what to protect.
How I can help
Patents
Should you patent your idea at all? Is a provisional application the right first step, or a full application? What will it cost, and how long will it take? I work through those questions with you, then handle searches, drafting, and USPTO prosecution. Patent services · Software patents
Trademarks
Your business name, product name, and logo are worth protecting. I help with clearance searches before you launch, federal registration with the USPTO, and Iowa filings when they fit. Trademark services · Iowa vs. federal registration
Protecting your work online
Copycats, infringing marketplace listings, and misused domain names are common problems for growing businesses. My practice regularly includes domain name disputes (including UDRP proceedings), copyright and trademark infringement, and DMCA takedown notices to remove infringing content. Every situation is different, and the right response depends on the facts.
What working with me looks like
- Request a consultation. Tell me briefly what you’ve built or what problem you’re facing. Please don’t send confidential details until we’ve talked.
- Assessment. We talk through your invention or brand, your goals, and your timeline.
- A plan. I recommend next steps and discuss expected costs and timing before you decide.
- Filing and follow-up. I prepare and file what we agreed on, keep you posted, and track deadlines.
Any engagement is subject to a conflicts check and a written engagement agreement.
Who I work with
My clients include independent inventors, entrepreneurs, small and mid-sized businesses, and large corporations. Many are in Eastern Iowa, and I also represent clients across the United States. I co-chair Shuttleworth & Ingersoll’s Startups & Innovators practice group. I speak regularly to founders about intellectual property, including to the Small Business Development Center’s 6-Week Startup class and at the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center.
Representative technologies include RF circuits, image and signal processing, computer software and hardware, network communications and security, medical devices, industrial microwave controls, hydraulics, consumer products, and agricultural machinery.
Credentials
- Registered patent attorney, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- B.S. Electrical Engineering, Iowa State University (2005), with distinction
- J.D., University of New Hampshire School of Law, formerly Franklin Pierce Law Center (2008)
- Senior Vice President, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, P.L.C.
- Chair, Iowa State Bar Association Intellectual Property Section Council
- Best Lawyers in America®, Patent Law and Trademark Law, since 2016 (including the 2027 edition)
- Best Lawyers® 2019 “Lawyer of the Year,” Patent Law, Cedar Rapids
- Selected to Super Lawyers, Intellectual Property (2020–2026); Rising Stars (2013–2018)
- Avvo Rating: 8.8 (Excellent), as of October 2026
Recognition by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Avvo is based on each publisher’s own methodology. It is not a guarantee of any result.
Outside the office
When I’m not working with clients, I volunteer with the Hawkeye Area Council of Scouting America.
Ready to talk?
Whether you have a prototype, a business name, or just an idea on a napkin, a short conversation can help clarify your options.
Call (319) 365-9461 or email jrs@shuttleworthlaw.com. Office: 235 6th St SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401.
Official firm profile · Articles for inventors and businesses
Attorney advertising. Jason R. Sytsma, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, P.L.C., 235 6th St SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401, (319) 365-9461. This page provides general information, not legal advice. Contacting me does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
