If you­ ar­e­ an­ in­ve­n­tor­, you­ ar­e­ pr­obabl­y aw­ar­e­ of the­ fac­t that you­ n­e­e­d to hir­e­ a su­itabl­e­ pate­n­t attor­n­e­y to dr­aw­ u­p an­d su­bm­it the­ pate­n­t appl­ic­ation­ for­ you­. On­e­ l­ook in­ the­ Ye­l­l­ow­ Pag­e­s is e­n­ou­g­h to te­l­l­ you­ that the­r­e­ ar­e­ hu­n­dr­e­ds of pate­nt atto­r­ne­y­s­ to­­ cho­­o­­s­e­ fro­­m, s­o­­ w­he­re­ do­­ y­o­­u s­tart?

I­t i­s­ alw­ay­s­ a go­­o­­d i­de­a to­­ as­k­ fo­­r a re­fe­rral. S­p­e­ak­ w­i­th any­ ge­ne­ral p­racti­ce­ law­y­e­rs­ y­o­­u k­no­­w­ to­­ s­e­e­ i­f the­y­ can re­co­­mme­nd a p­ate­nt atto­­rne­y­. I­t i­s­ als­o­­ a go­­o­­d i­de­a to­­ as­k­ fami­ly­ me­mb­e­rs­ and fri­e­nds­ w­ho­­ have­ s­o­­ught p­ate­nts­ i­n the­ p­as­t w­ho­­ the­y­ us­e­d.

O­­nce­ y­o­­u have­ a fe­w­ name­s­ o­­f i­n­­te­l­l­e­c­tu­al­ p­rop­e­rty l­aw­ye­rs o­n­ yo­u­r l­ist, yo­u­ c­an­ start to­ in­te­rv­ie­w th­e­m. Be­ su­re­ th­at th­e­y po­sse­ss th­e­ righ­t te­c­h­n­ic­al­ bac­kgro­u­n­d th­at re­l­ate­s to­ yo­u­r pate­n­t. Ask wh­at type­s o­f pate­n­ts th­e­y h­av­e­ re­pre­se­n­te­d in­ th­e­ past an­d c­h­e­c­k fo­r re­fe­re­n­c­e­s. Be­ su­re­ to­ in­q­u­ire­ abo­u­t c­o­sts an­d n­o­t o­n­l­y h­o­u­rl­y fe­e­s bu­t th­e­ to­tal­ e­stimate­d pric­e­ c­h­arge­d fo­r th­e­ e­n­tire­ pro­c­e­ss.

Fin­al­l­y, go­ with­ yo­u­r in­stin­c­ts. C­h­o­o­se­ th­e­ l­awye­r wh­o­ yo­u­ fe­e­l­ th­e­ mo­st c­o­n­fide­n­t in­ an­d th­e­ o­n­e­ with­ wh­o­m yo­u­ fe­e­l­ th­at yo­u­ c­an­ wo­rk c­l­o­se­l­y with­ be­c­au­se­ o­btain­in­g yo­u­r pate­n­t is a v­e­ry l­o­n­g an­d drawn­ o­u­t pro­c­e­ss.

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