I am writing to share with you important news regarding my practice.
After practicing trademark law for 45 years, first with the United States Patent & Trademark Office and subsequently in private practice here in Chicago, I have decided to retire and close that practice, effective in ninety (90) days. I have gotten to know many of you personally over the years and would like to let you know that my phone number will remain the same if you want to chat. However, I will no longer be practicing law.
Because most of you either have pending matters before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office or registered trademarks that need to be maintained, to ensure a smooth and easy transition for you and to ensure that your rights will be protected, I have arranged for the orderly transfer of my trademark practice to McAndrews, Held & Malloy, a Chicago-based boutique firm with deep experience in trademark prosecution and portfolio management, as well as a full range of other IP services. Two McAndrews shareholders, Ron DiCerbo (a World Trademark Review 1000-recognized attorney) and Paul McAndrews, will contact you shortly with introductory information and next steps.
You can find out more about the firm at mcandrews-ip.com, but I can say that their firm model is similar to my own – to provide elite legal services with a personal touch and a high level of value. If you choose to work with them, I am confident that you will be in the best of hands. I should also note that I am receiving no monetary compensation from McAndrews. My interest is simply to find you the best possible legal resource as I retire. If you have a pending matter, your billing rate will not change. If you have a registered trademark, my power of attorney ended when that mark registered, and the attached fee schedule will apply to the maintenance of those registrations.
Ron and Paul have told me that they will happily enter into the same kind of fixed-fee arrangement that you have enjoyed with my firm. Many of their flat fees will be less than I have charged. After speaking with them, if you are comfortable with this transition, no action is required on your part. If you prefer to select different counsel, or do not wish to have your matters transferred to another firm, please notify me in writing within the 90-day period noted above, and I will transfer your files either to you or to your new attorneys. Note that any file transfer will be in electronic form and that where you have either a pending or registered trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, copies of any correspondence with that Office as well as a copy of your registration certificate, if applicable, is a matter of public record and is available at that Office’s website. You should also already have copies of all correspondence as well as invoices between us.
Again, if I do not hear from you, responsibility for the maintenance of your matters will be transferred to the McAndrews firm and you need not do anything further; there will be no impact on your trademark rights whatsoever.
I can assure you that you will be in good hands.
Above all, please know that it has been an honor to serve as your attorney.
If you have any questions, feel free to call me at any time.
[Note that if I am acting as your registered agent, I will continue to do so. In Illinois a registered agent does not need to be an attorney.]
