“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.” – Mark Twain Give patent attorney Stephen Robinson at least a little credit – he was honest about being dishonest. The fact he self-reported his ethical violations to the Kansas Bar was not enough to save his state law license. In re Stephen R. Robinson, No. 107,311 (Kan. Sup. Ct.). Nor
“The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.” — Gorden Gekko, Wall Street. Maybe “greed works” for some. For Alexander James Burke, however, greed may end up being his downfall. On October 16, 2014, Burke,
Former Siemens Patent Attorney Indicted In $2.4 Million Fraudulent Billing Scheme Read More »
It should come as no surprise that California intellectual property lawyer Patrick Missud was disbarred for moral turpitude. After all, Missud clogged the federal and state courts for years with frivolous lawsuits and bizarre, often outrageous, litigation conduct. On October 1, 2014, a Review Board of the State Bar Court of California adopted a hearing panel’s recommendation
After a Decade of Frivolous Litigation, IP Lawyer Finally Ousted From California Bar Read More »
Most patent malpractice cases are the result of not a single error by one person, but a combination of errors, often involving multiple individuals. Such a combination of errors led to a Virginia intellectual property firm’s failure to file its client’s, Protostorm LLC’s, patent application. The end result: on October 10, 2014, a federal judge in
The Perfect Protostorm: Jury Awards Startup $8 Million For Botched Patent Application Read More »
Attorney disciplinary matters involving illegal, immoral, incompetent, negligent, unprofessional, or unethical behavior by intellectual property practitioners are a frequent source of news in the IP media outlets. When an attorney does not violate the ethics rules, that fact, in and of itself, is rarely the subject of discussion. Then there are those rare occasions where
EXTRA EXTRA: Attorney Abides By Rules Of Professional Conduct; No Discipline Imposed Read More »
“It is strange the way the ignorant and inexperienced so often and so undeservedly succeed when the informed and the experienced fail.” – Mark Twain in Eruption In the world of attorney discipline, the mental state of the attorney is an important factor in determining the type and severity of discipline bar counsel will seek.
Patent Attorney Who Lied to Client and Bar Counsel Receives Two-Month Suspension Read More »
Ample opportunities exist to obtain Continuing Legal Education credit in Intellectual Property Ethics. Some upcoming live events to consider: 30th Annual Institute on Intellectual Property Law, October 9-10, 2014, Galveston, Texas – The Duty of Candor in Post-Issuance Proceedings by Professor Lisa A. Dolak Intellectual Property Law Institute 2014, October 16-17, 2014, San Francisco, California
Upcoming IP Ethics Continuing Legal Education Read More »
What happens in patent litigation does not necessarily stay in litigation. This is especially true if a court sanctions counsel for litigation misconduct. News about such conduct travels quickly. Inevitably, it catches the attention of a different, and potentially more dangerous, audience–the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED). Depending on the nature and severity of the litigation misconduct, an OED ethics investigation followed by formal charges alleging litigation counsel violated the USPTO’s Rules of
Courts Sanction Patent Counsel for Litigation Misconduct–Will USPTO Discipline Be Next? Read More »
