37 CFR 11.1

USPTO Confirms Agency “Practitioners” May Ethically Partner With Foreign Attorneys

1 Comment / IP Ethics, Multijurisdictional Practice, Patent Ethics / By

On May 26, 2021, the USPTO clarified its position that U.S. “practitioners”—who, by definition, include only United States-barred attorneys and USPTO registered patent attorneys and agents—may form partnerships and co-own law firms with non-U.S. attorneys without violating the USPTO’s Rules of Professional Conduct.  The USPTO guidance was included in the agency’s Final Rulemaking, the purpose […]

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OED Launches Diversion Program As Alternative To Traditional Attorney Discipline

Leave a Comment / Discipline Diversion, OED, Office of Enrollment and Discipline, USPTO Ethics Investigation, USPTO OED / By

In a welcome response to the growing epidemic of drug and alcohol abuse among members of the legal profession, the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) of the USPTO announced today it has initiated a new disciplinary diversion program that focuses on treatment rather than punishment.  The OED’s Diversion Program, which will initially begin as

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