I knew there was something I liked about this guy…

Over the weekend, Doug Sorocco added to a post from Krajec’s excellent blog, Anything Under the Sun Made by Man.  Krajec’s post gives several excellent suggestions for saving money during the patent prosecution process.

Sorocco adds a point that may appear to run counter to the theme of Krajec’s post — saving money.  Doug adds the point that a patent attorney should attend the business planning and strategy meetings of his/her client to more effectively represent the client.  He also believes that the attorney should be familiar with the business plan of the organization.

I agree wholeheartedly with Doug.  I call it the “embedded patent attorney” approach.  Following this approach, the attorney does whatever it takes to learn about your business….walking the floor, routinely meeting with employees, reading everything he can about the business, its industry, and the competition.  Over time, the attorney develops a familiarity and, indeed expertise, in the field that will return huge dividends.  A well-educated (in your business, not a reference to his/her pedigree) patent attorney can help the business person steer the ship, so to speak.  The patent system provides a wealth of information about your industry, and a patent attorney that is integrated with your overall business strategy can sort through the vast amount of information available to provide meaningful insight on your strengths and weaknesses and to identify (and seize!) opportunities.

I have structured my practice around this concept.  I knew there was something I liked about Doug….