USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct – McCabe Ali LLP Law

Mike Speaking at Licensing Executive Society – Ethics Issues for IP and Other Attorneys: Best Practices for Avoiding Common Mistakes

Michael McCabe — Sat, 03 May 2025 21:44:21 +0000

Mike spoke at a webinar-hosted CLE for the Licensing Executive Society USA & Canada on ethics issues facing attorneys in intellectual property and other fields of law. Attorneys are facing scrutiny by government regulators over whether their law practices comply with the USPTO rules of professional conduct. Lawyer and their employers who run afoul of their jurisdiction’s ethics rules may find themselves facing daunting collateral consequents, including responding to ethics grievances, malpractice complaints, and disqualification orders. This one-hour session will address common ethical issues faced by attorneys and best practices for creating a practice environment that promotes compliance with ethical obligations, including conflicts of interest, ineffective communications, and complying with the duty of candor before a tribunal. Sponsored by the Washington, D.C. Chapter.

Mike Co-Authored Dibble Dabble Double Trouble: Mitigating the Risks of Dabbling in Your Law Practice

Michael McCabe — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 18:22:04 +0000

Mike co-authored Dibble Dabble Double Trouble: Mitigating the Risks of Dabbling in Your Law Practice, published by In Practice . . . With CNA – A Practitioner’s Perspective on Emerging Legal Trends (Issue 3, June 2023). Co-authored with Tracy L. Kepler, Risk Control Consulting Director for CNA’s Lawyer Professional Liability program.

This work presents the ethical and legal risks when attorneys step outside of their comfort zones to engage in a generally unfamiliar area of law–a practice known as “dabbling.”

Mike Presented Recent Ethics Enforcement Trends in Patent and Trademark Matters Before the USPTO to Boston IPLA 3rd Annual Symposium

Michael McCabe — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 17:52:58 +0000

Mike presented on ethics and disciplinary trends for patent and trademark attorneys for the Boston Intellectual Property Law Association 3rd Annual Symposium. Mike addressed multiple topics of interest including:

Conflicts of interest in IP
Knowing your IP client
Duties of pre-filing investigations under 37 CFR 11.18
Unauthorized practice of law and the U.S. Counsel Rule for trademarks

Mike Presented Signing Away Your License: USPTO’s Vigorous Enforcement of “Personal” Signature Rules and Pre-Filing Duties Under Rule 11.18

Michael McCabe — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 17:28:57 +0000

Mike presented an in-house CLE to Leydig, Voit & Mayer on the USPTO’s ethics and disciplinary enforcement trends relating to 37 C.F.R. 11.18 and compliance with the “personal” signature rules in 37 C.F.R. 1.4 and 37 C.F.R. 2.193.

Mike Presented Creating and Running an Ethical IP Law Firm: A Survival Guide for Patent and Trademark Practitioners (Part I)

Michael McCabe — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:09:04 +0000

Mike presented on ethics issues and practical guidance for IP attorneys seeking to start their own law firms. Co-presented with Jan L. Jacobowitz, adjunct professor and the former Director of Professional Responsibility and Ethics Program and the University of Miami School of Law.