System and method permit prior art management. A method may comprise maintaining a database of patent portfolios and a database of patents with each patent stored in the database of patents associated with one or more patent portfolios stored in the database of patent portfolios. A method and system of prior art management may include maintaining a database of prior art portfolios, a database of patent matters, and a database of prior art reference citations, at least some of the prior art reference citations being associated with at least one of the patent matters stored in the database. Prior art references may be cross-cited between patent matters and portfolios.