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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