Discipline

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Received a Request for Information and Evidence from OED – Here is How to Respond

Discipline, IP Ethics, Office of Enrollment and Discipline, Patent Ethics / By

First Contact The envelope comes by Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested and stamped as “Personal and Confidential.” Inside is a letter from the USPTO captioned “REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE UNDER 37 C.F.R. § 11.22(f).” The letter goes on to read that the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) received information regarding you, and that […]

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Disciplinary Actions Rise Against Lawyers Who Commit Acts of Domestic Violence: Know The Warning Signs

Attorney Domestic Violence, Discipline, Moral turpitide / By

The statistics of reported cases of domestic violence are stunning.  According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), 1 in 3 adult women and 1 in 4 adult men have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.  Moreover, 1 in 4 women have been victims of “severe physical violence by

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Failure To Communicate No. 1 Cause Of USPTO Attorney Discipline

Communications, Diligence, Discipline, Failure to Communicate, Patent Ethics / By

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, since it is the New Year I thought it would be helpful to remind you all, again, of what is in my opinion the First Commandment of Ethics:  Thou Shalt Communicate With Thy Clients. Seriously.  Clients do not like to be ignored by their attorneys.  This

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The OED Redemption: Director Expediting Petitions To Reinstate Suspended Practitioners

Discipline, Office of Enrollment and Discipline, Patent Ethics / By

It is not necessarily an easy feat for a suspended lawyer to become readmitted to the Bar.  Some jurisdictions prohibit a suspended lawyer from even entering into a law firm.  In other jurisdictions, a suspended lawyer may work as a paralegal subject to numerous restrictions and conditions.   For lawyers who have practiced for many

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Lawyer Who Photoshopped Self Into Celebrity Photos Posted On Firm Website Suspended For Deceptive Advertising

Advertising, Discipline, IP Ethics, Patent Ethics / By

“You are known by the company you keep” – Aesop’s Fables As lawyers, we are often judged by prospective clients based upon the quality of our past or existing clients.  If you represent a large, rich, powerful corporation, the message that sends to a prospective client is – if he or she is good enough

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Theft, Intimidation, Lies and Obstruction Nets Turkey of the Month Award

Discipline / By

The newly-branded Turkey of the Month (f/k/a Jackass of the Month) Award goes to David J. Steele. An attorney since 2003, Mr. Steele was disbarred by the Indiana Supreme Court, which charged him with eight counts of misconduct involving among other things “theft of client funds, retaliatory disclosures of clients’ confidential information, pervasive dishonesty, and

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Tales From The OED Crypt: Using Forged Document To Trick Witness Can Get Counsel Treated To Discipline

Discipline, Patent Attorney Disciplinary Matters, Patent Litigation Ethics, USPTO Decisions / By

Lawyers often are accused of playing “tricks” in litigation. For those who are familiar with trial tactics, the “trick” label is usually nothing more than legal “tradecraft” – the techniques of experienced litigators to weave a story through a combination of arguments, documents, and witness testimony. Pretending to read from a document while asking a

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USPTO Suspends Former GWU Ethics Professor For Two Years

Discipline, IP Ethics, Reciprocal Discipline / By

Mark H. Allenbaugh, a former award-winning Adjunct Professor on Ethics in Business and the Professions at the George Washington University, was suspended for two years from practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The suspension came as a result of a reciprocal disciplinary proceeding commenced by the Office of Enrollment and Discipline after the

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