Top 10 Reasons

To Choose Me As Your Patent Attorney

Reason No. 1

I Teach Patent Law to Other Lawyers and Law Students

For the past nine (9) years, I have been an Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University Law School teaching patent, trademark, and copyright law to graduating law students.

In addition to being an Adjunct Professor at Nova Law School, I lecture and teach patent and trademark law to other attorneys and members of various business groups including the South Florida Inventor’s Society.

Reason No. 2

12 Years of Specialized Experience

I have been focusing my practice on patent law for the past 12 years — before the Internet developed and before national television shows like American Inventor and The Big Idea made patents a household name.

All lawyers will eventually get grey hair (or have no hair) no matter what area of law they practice or how often they bounce around from one practice area to another. The key to excellence in any field is not aging — that happens with time anyway . . . but specializing.

Reason No. 3

I’ve Learned From the Best Patent Lawyers in the Country

Prior to starting my own law firm, I worked at the internationally known law firm of Fish & Neave (now merged with Rogers & Wells) in New York City. At the time, the firm had over 200 attorneys practicing in ONLY one practice area—patent law—and is still regarded as one of the top patent law firms in the world.

The firm has had a long history specializing in preserving intellectual property rights. We were retained by legendary inventors Thomas Edison (lightbulb), Henry Ford (automobile), the Wright Brothers (airplane), and Alexander Graham Bell (telephone) when they desired protection for their ideas.

In 1992, the firm made history, once again, by procuring a $972 million dollar judgment against Polaroid for patent infringement. To date, this remains the largest patent infringement judgment in history.

Reason No. 4

I Have Been Practicing Patent Law Since I Was 3 Years Old

OK, I didn’t start quite that early. Unlike Tiger Woods, I can’t claim to be perfecting my art as a patent lawyer since I was able to walk.

I took patent law as an elective course while at the University of Miami and obtained the highest grade in the course. Not surprising, considering that practicing patent law is what brought me to law school in the first place.

There was another student at the University of Miami School of Law who also chose patent law as his lifelong calling right from the start. In fact, we studied for the patent bar examination together, split gas, and shared a ride on the drive up to Orlando to take the exam, and we both became admitted to the patent bar at the same time. Neither one of us had finished law school at the time.

You probably want to know who that other attorney is and where he is practicing today?

You guessed it . . . he is Glenn E. Gold, my partner at Gold & Rizvi, P.A. and fellow Idea Attorney®. Incidentally, he is also my best friend from law school. We dreamed of forming a law firm focusing on protecting ideas and worked hard over the years to build the reputation of Gold & Rizvi, P.A. and bring it to where it is today. Together we make an unbeatable team — The Idea Attorneys®.

Isn’t that what you want in your patent law firm?

Reason No. 5

I am Respected by My Colleagues and Opposing Lawyers

Although you have heard quite a bit from me about my own qualifications and experience in patenting matters, I think it is far better for you to learn what others have had to say.

I’m not talking about glowing testimonials from past clients that you cannot verify. Any lawyer can produce a list of testimonials from satisfied clients.

Martindale Hubbel bases their ratings system on a system of blind confidential surveys it conducts of other practicing attorneys and members of the judiciary.

In addition to my AV Rating by Martindale Hubbel, The South Florida Business Journal has consistently chosen me as a Best of the Bar Finalist in the field of patent law. Again, the nomination and selection process is based on blind confidential surveys taken exclusively from other practicing attorneys licensed by the Florida bar.

Attorneys confidentially evaluating the competence of fellow attorneys makes sense.

Reason No. 6

Experts Are Less Expensive

A common misconception is that a general practice attorney at $150/hour is a lower cost alternative than a $250/hour specialist. The difference is that the specialist knows what he is doing and can accomplish in a matter of hours what will take the general practitioner days to complete. If you do the math, you will see that the experienced specialist is the real bargain.

You won’t pay me to spin my wheels at your expense. Your matter is handled quickly and efficiently. And done right the first time.

Call me to discuss your patenting matter so I can take the time to review your concept and provide you with a fixed-fee estimate of fees.

There is no obligation to proceed with my firm. At the very least, you’ll see that doing things the right way from the start is not more expensive.

Reason No. 7

Because I Am Passionate About Patent Law

A 2005 Survey of Intellectual Property Attorneys (53 U. Kan. L. Rev. 875) revealed that 85 to 90% of intellectual property attorneys were either “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with their careers. This affirms what I have known for years.

Too many lawyers have stumbled onto intellectual property law or come into it for the wrong reasons. These same attorneys later wonder why they are not any good at it.

You simply WILL NOT and CANNOT succeed at something you don’t enjoy.

Reason No. 8

You Deserve Better Than the Closest Local Patent Attorney

Of course not. You would look for the most experienced, recommended, and qualified doctor you can find—and travel to him or her to have your operation.

Since hiring a patent attorney requires no travel, why limit your search to the closest attorneys you can find?

All patenting matters can (and usually are) handled by me via telephone, facsimile, email, and overnight delivery without any required in-person meetings. A significant number of my clients are located outside of Florida and many are even outside of the United States.

Today, most patent applications are filed ELECTRONICALLY over the Internet using the Patent Office’s digital filing software—making a lawyer’s distance from the Patent Office completely irrelevant. In fact, the U.S. Patent Office stopped maintaining paper copies of patents at their patent search facility years ago.

Less than 1 percent of all lawyers are registered to practice before the United States Patent Office. Why limit your choice of a lawyer even further by focusing on the tiny handful of patent lawyers that happen to be within driving distance of you?

Reason No. 9

Because I Take the Time to Learn About Your Invention BEFORE Providing an Estimate of Fees

How do you think new or inexperienced lawyers find clients for patenting matters? What about lawyers that have practiced for a number of years but have a poor track record, a reputation for shoddy work, or just want to make a mid-career shift to patent law?

Simple—they make sure they bid often, bid early, and bid low.

This is not just true for patent law, of course, but if you bid low enough and bid often enough in any field, you will eventually get some work. Every practice area, including patent law, has a small trickle of clients looking for an attorney ONLY based on price and a struggling practice only needs a few patenting clients a year to keep the lights on and the water running until they finally learn the practice area (if they ever learn it at all!).

I occasionally run into inventors that have been given a price quote by a competing law firm BEFORE the lawyer takes the time to learn what the invention is and how it works! This is a red flag in my opinion. Particularly when a flat-fee estimate is thrown out during the initial telephone call.

It is impossible for a patent lawyer to provide an estimate before he knows about your invention.

I take the time to review your concept before throwing out numbers. I understand the need for a budget but providing you with a budget only makes sense if the budget is accurate.

Isn’t this what you would expect from a professional?

Reason No. 10

Because With Me – The Buck Stops Here

Gold & Rizvi, P.A. is my law firm. Over the years, I have seen my practice grow because of my reputation and I stand behind my work.

It takes years to get a grasp of patent law, arguably the most difficult specialty of law, and a new associate typically doesn’t know his head from his rear end. Not only that, but associates routinely jump ship to move to other law firms, work in-house for a corporation, or get burned out (from practicing an area of law they aren’t excited about) and leave the law altogether.

Where will your patent attorney be when you need him?