Assignment history

Inventors

• Jack Boys (Cole Haan LLC)
• Ann Bono (Cole Haan LLC)
• Aubert Shepherd (Cole Haan LLC)
• Mattias Verfl (Cole Haan LLC)

Original assignee

Cole Haan LLC is the entity named on the issued patent. Cole Haan is a global lifestyle brand that designs and retails footwear, bags, outerwear, and accessories. They ship products embodying the claims, specifically shoes with knit wingtip uppers. Cole Haan LLC is currently operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2019-09-20 (executed) / recorded 2019-09-24 — Reel 050476/0341

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: BOYS, JACK; BONO, ANN; VERFL, MATTIAS; SHEPHERD, AUBERT (inventors)
  • Assignee: COLE HAAN LLC, NEW HAMPSHIRE
  • Correspondent: MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP, 500 NORTH CAPITAL STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC, 20001
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to original operating company assignee

• 2020-06-30 (executed) / recorded 2020-07-01 — Reel 053100/0028

  • Conveyance: Patent Security Agreement
  • Assignor: COLE HAAN LLC
  • Assignee: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT, ILLINOIS
  • Correspondent: DLA Piper LLP (US), 1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10020
  • Context: Securitization as collateral for a loan

• 2020-09-14 (executed) / recorded 2020-09-14 — Reel 053770/0204

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: COLE HAAN LLC
  • Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., MASSACHUSETTS
  • Correspondent: MOORE & VAN ALLEN PLLC, 100 NORTH TRYON STREET, SUITE 4700, CHARLOTTE, NC, 28202-4003
  • Context: Securitization as collateral for a loan

• 2023-08-15 (executed) / recorded 2023-08-15 — Reel 064599/0780

  • Conveyance: Release by Secured Party
  • Assignor: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Assignee: COLE HAAN LLC, NEW HAMPSHIRE
  • Correspondent: K&L GATES LLP, 1601 K STREET, NW, WASHINGTON, DC, 20006-1600
  • Context: Release of prior security interest

• 2023-08-15 (executed) / recorded 2023-08-15 — Reel 064599/0077

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: COLE HAAN LLC
  • Assignee: ACQUIOM AGENCY SERVICES LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT, COLORADO
  • Correspondent: K&L GATES LLP, 1601 K STREET, NW, WASHINGTON, DC, 20006-1600. This correspondent recurs for a security interest and release for Cole Haan LLC.
  • Context: New securitization as collateral for a loan

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11041262
    2019 : Inventors assign to Cole Haan LLC
    2020 : Securitized to Alter Domus
         : Securitized to Bank of America
    2021 : Patent issued
    2023 : Released from Alter Domus
         : Securitized to Acquiom Agency

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The primary assignee is Cole Haan LLC, an operating company. The other entities are collateral agents for security agreements, which is a common financial transaction.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. None of the named assignees or collateral agents appear on public NPE lists.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. K&L Gates LLP appears as the correspondent for both the 2023-08-15 Release by Secured Party (Reel 064599/0780) and the 2023-08-15 Security Interest (Reel 064599/0077).
4. Cascading transfers — not present. The transfers primarily relate to securitization agreements rather than consecutive ownership changes.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. While there is litigation noted on Google Patents, the assignment records mainly reflect financial arrangements rather than a direct transfer preceding a lawsuit. The earliest listed litigation on Google Patents is an IPR filed by Unified Patents in 2025, long after the initial assignment to Cole Haan and the security agreements.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. Cole Haan LLC appears to be an active, operating company.
7. Privateering — not present. There is no indication in the assignment records or public information that Cole Haan LLC has transferred the patent to an NPE to assert on their behalf.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The patent is not currently held by a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion. The patent is currently held by Cole Haan LLC, an operating company that manufactures and sells footwear. The recorded assignments primarily reflect securitization agreements, which are financial instruments and not indicative of NPE activity. While there is a repeat correspondent for some of the security agreement filings, this does not outweigh the strong evidence of an operating company owner. For verification, see the USPTO Assignment Center search for US11041262.