California is a hotbed of technology and innovation, so patent attorneys flock there in droves. So there are a lot of California patent attorneys. Places like Los Angeles and San Jose host hundreds of them ready to make it "big time." The problem is that most people don't know that all significant patent law is federal. So, it really does not matter where your patent attorney lives. In fact, if you have a patent attorney in California, you are probably paying a premium price for his services, as statistics show that average pricing along the West Coast can be twice as expensive for the same FEDERAL protection as in other states.
Your invention MUST be described to government employees in D.C. using only what you can put in black and white on paper. If your Attorney cannot grasp a good understanding of your invention through email, fax, phone, video and mailed prototypes, how can he ever properly explain it on plain paper to the United States Patent Office?
They are more likely to have an enormous desire to succeed in the very competitive patent law market practice because of the high cost of living in those areas. What does that mean to you? It means higher prices. Patent law firms on the coast cannot survive without charging higher prices and creating more work, which, by the way, may not even be necessary. Do you want an attorney to give you advice based on what must be done from his survival point of view? Recent attention has been brought to many ambitious attorneys making up billings for work never done, exaggerating circumstances to get more work, and even SUING their clients for patent infringement on inventions they applied for themselves! Further, they have recently been told by the US Patent Office to STOP the illegal practice of outsourcing patent work to India, often without the knowledge of the clients. You do not want to work with someone who is under that kind of pressure -- it would drain you financially in a very short time.
You know that between prototypes, marketing, sourcing, business development and all the many things you need to do, you do NOT usually have any extra cash. Why risk your whole business venture on giving a cash bail-out to a "really good attorney" whose charges are defined by the location in which he lives, and the need to survive. Find a "really good attorney" that will not end up costing you far more than you ever anticipated
You can find a reputable patent attorney that doesn't reside in high-price areas like the West Coast. Talk with friends and business associates. See who has provided top results for the people you already know. Search the internet. Interview a few attorneys to see how they bill, what successes they have had, and how they can help YOU! Don't settle for a "really good attorney," get the RIGHT attorney.
