Legal Ethics for IP Practitioners: A Cautionary Tale of Professional Irresponsibility
Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP will present a free webinar, “Legal Ethics for IP Practitioners: A Cautionary Tale of Professional Irresponsibility,” featuring Fitch Even attorney Steven G. Parmelee.
The webinar will take place on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, at 9:00 am PST / 10:00 am MST / 11:00 am CST / 12 noon EST.
Registered patent practitioners must follow the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct, which conform to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Although largely similar to state bar rules, the USPTO rules can be applied in some fact scenarios that are unique to the intellectual property world.
During this webinar, the presenter will take a deep dive into how one patent attorney repeatedly ran afoul with the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct in the context of a business venture that purported to serve the unique needs of the inventor community. This troublesome tale showcases some interesting ways in which the USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline interprets and applies these USPTO rules. The presenter will examine these and other behaviors to which the USPTO objected:
- Following instructions from an intermediary on when to file a patent application for a client
- Disclosing a fee arrangement with a client
- Supervising an employee working for a client via an intermediary
- Doing business under an assumed name
CLE credit has been approved for California, Illinois, and Nebraska. Other states may also award CLE credit upon attendee request.
Following the live event, a recording of the webinar will be available to view for one year at www.fitcheven.com.