“Never rat out your friends. And always keep your mouth shut.” – Robert De Niro, GoodFellas I am of Sicilian ancestry, raised in an Italian household in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn. Despite this upbringing, it was not until I was an adult when I first learned about the “Code of Silence” known as “omertà.” […]
The “Rat Rule” And USPTO Discipline – Reporting Ethical Violations To OED (Part 1) Read More »
The Bar cares when you’ve stayed too long at the bar. Attorneys need to be mindful that a conviction for drunk driving may impact their ability to practice law. Practitioners who are subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of the USPTO, for example, must advise the Office of Enrollment and Discipline within 30 days of any criminal
Drunk Driving Can Lead To Professional Discipline Read More »
“Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom” – Albert Einstein As we prepare to celebrate the birthday of our country’s independence, I am reminded that we, as lawyers, owe a significant ethical duty to exercise independence in the representation of our clients. As an attorney,
The Ethics of Independence Read More »
As reported last week, on June 22, 2015, following a two-year study, the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (“APRL”) Board approved publication of the Report of APRL’s Lawyer Advertising Committee. As explained on the APRL website, “The Report recommends extensive revisions to lawyer advertising rules so they are compatible with modern electronic means of communication. The
APRL Clarifies Advertising Report Did Not “Slam” Current Ethics Rules Read More »
“It is long past time for rationality and uniformity to be brought to the regulation of lawyer advertising,” says the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL) in a comprehensive report released June 22, 2015. The report, which was authored by the APRL’s Regulation of Lawyer Advertising Committee, is the culmination of a two-year study of the ABA Model Rules
Report Slams Ethics Rules on Attorney Advertising As “Outdated” And “Unworkable” Read More »
A federal judge in New York rejected an intellectual property firm’s attempt to rely on the Supreme Court’s 2014 Alice decision as grounds to set aside a jury’s multi-million dollar verdict for mishandling a client’s patent application. In denying post-trial motions, U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen ruled that Virginia law firm Antonelli Terry Sout & Kraus LLP forfeited
I still remember vividly today the very first time I signed a paper, as an attorney at law, for filing in court. It was 22 years ago. I remember being nervous. I practiced my signature on a scratch pad, wanting to get it just right, before finally putting ball point to paper. The paper was of heavy bond,
Allowing Someone Else To Type In Your S-Signature On USPTO Documents Is Unethical Read More »
Bad news on the doorstep. I couldn’t take one more step. Don McLean – American Pie In the last year, many “bad news” articles have been published arising from IP litigation. Not surprisingly, a growing number of those articles have been based on exceptional case findings and awards of attorneys’ fees under the Octane Fitness
IP Litigators Beware: Bad News May Be Hazardous To Your Law License (Part 2 of 2) Read More »
