How to Conduct a Patent Attorney Search

If you have an invention, or useful idea that you wish to protect, then you are encouraged to conduct a patent attorney search as soon as possible. Hiring an experienced patent attorney will help you develop a filing strategy and guide you through the application process. Granted, there are several different patent attorneys to choose from, so what strategies should you rely on when attempting to find a competent patent attorney? One of your first steps should be to confirm their qualifications. For instance, here is some common questions that should be answered prior to hiring any lawyer:

• Did they graduate from an accredited law school? Although graduation from a prestigious law school can be a wonderful prerequisite, it’s often not the most important indicator of future courtroom performance since law schools are not rated above one another.
• Are they licensed to practice law? They should have applied and received a license to practice law from heir state board of bar examiners before offering their legal services.
• Are they experienced regarding patent rules and regulations? Since patent prosecution is often considered one of the most complex areas of law with a vast number of rules, you should verify that your attorney has successfully taken the Patent Bar. In addition, you should be confirming that any attorneys you are considering are registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Upon confirming some of these qualifications, you can also go a step further and read some of the ratings and reviews that previous clients have issued regarding the service that they’ve received from a respective law firm. Simply type the name of the attorney or law firm into a search engine to discover whether or not previous clients had a positive experience using their services or not. A 5-star rating is often a reliable indicator that a law firm provides its clients with professional legal services. Those credentialed patent attorneys should also provide a transparent fee scale, or at least an average cost, based on the service being requested. Some attorneys offer their services based on fixed fees that are derived from an hourly rate. Finally, complete your patent attorney search by personally interviewing each of the lawyers that you’ve shortlisted in an effort to ensure that there aren’t any personality conflicts, and you are comfortable around them. If you are lucky enough to find a law office that offers a free initial consultation, you are encouraged to take advantage of this time because investing in legal counsel can become a significant expense. In addition, you’ll want to gauge their accessibility. Do they maintain office hours that are conducive to your schedule? It’s even possible to begin the process by completing an initial trademark or patent application online. The Concept Law Group is a full-service intellectual property law firm that specializes in filing and prosecution of Patent, Trademark and Copyright applications. Contact the registered patent attorneys for a free, no obligation consultation.