About Cardinal
Cardinal is a two-division AI-augmented advisory: Cardinal IP (patent research and strategy) and Cardinal Studio (strategy + creative shop, Series A–C investor pitch decks).
How this portal works
Each client has a canonical folder structure on disk (mirrored to the homeit360.com SharePoint when domain settlement is complete and the firm Microsoft 365 subscription is provisioned). Per-matter sub-folders follow the pattern used at top UK IP firms:
clients/<slug>/
├── 00_Client_Master/ (engagement, KYC, conflicts, billing)
├── 01_Matters/
│ ├── <MATTER-CODE>/ (one per matter)
│ │ ├── 01_Matter_Setup/
│ │ ├── 02_Correspondence/{In,Out}/
│ │ ├── 03_Filings/
│ │ ├── 04_Specification/{As_Filed,Amendments,Current_Operative}/
│ │ ├── 05_Office_Actions/
│ │ ├── 06_Hearings/
│ │ ├── 07_Evidence/
│ │ ├── 08_Citations_PriorArt/
│ │ ├── 09_Strategy_Memos/
│ │ ├── 10_Client_Communications/
│ │ ├── 11_Working_Drafts/
│ │ ├── 12_Time_and_Billing/
│ │ ├── 13_Deadlines_Diary/
│ │ └── 99_Archive/
│ └── ...
├── 02_Raw_Intake/ (preserved untouched)
├── 03_Dossier_Index/ (Haiku-map + Opus-reduce artefacts)
└── 04_Client_Portal_Export/ (this site's static build target)
What the portal is, and isn't
Cardinal is not a regulated legal practice. The portal presents AI-augmented research, strategy memos, and document drafts; for matters requiring representation by a registered patent attorney or solicitor, the partner appoints external regulated counsel. UKIPO filings on patent matters are filed by the applicant in propria persona unless and until the partner appoints a CIPA-registered representative (Form AF1).
Roadmap (what this MVP doesn't yet do)
- Authentication. Cloudflare Access in front of the portal, with Authentik (homelab) as the IdP. Per-client access controlled at the edge — clients see only their own matters.
- Document viewing. Inline PDF viewer (PDF.js); rendered Markdown for .md files; cryptographic signature verification for filed documents (so the client can confirm what was filed).
- SharePoint sync. Once homeit360.com Microsoft 365 is provisioned for the firm, mirror the matter folders to a SharePoint document library. Clients with M365 accounts can co-edit documents with full version history.
- Canva integration. For Cardinal Studio matters, embed Canva-rendered investor-deck previews directly in the per-matter timeline.
- Secure messaging. Round-trip messaging that creates a record in the M365 mailbox so all communications are part of the matter file.
- Billing summary. WIP / billed / paid summary per matter, with per-fee-earner breakdown.