In-House Lawyers Should Watch Their Law Firms in Court, Judges Say
In-house counsel and company executives who can make decisions need to attend hearings to see what they’re getting for their legal fees, patent judges said conference sponsored by University of California Berkeley Center for Law & Technology and Stanford Law School.
In its report on the conference, Bloomberg Law quotes Judge James Donato, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California: “I am amazed that you all don’t show up with more regularity, particularly when you’re looking at a summary judgment motion or have a Markman” hearing on claims construction “or some other significant proceeding where you have spent in all likelihood six figures in legal fees and costs to get that thing ready for me to decide.”
Judge Ron Clark, chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, requires the general counsel or a corporate-level decision maker to attend hearings either in person or via phone to understand what’s happening and what the court demands, according to the Bloomberg report.
