Washington, D.C. – U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers, for the 10th consecutive year, collaboratively announce the release of the “Best Law Firms” rankings. This is the second time in less than two years that the Kim & Lahey Law Firm has been recognized for this honor.
by Cherish BentonUS Patent & Trademark Office Waives Fees in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a notice on March 16th to offer relief for certain inventors and entrepreneurs who were affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. The notice states the USPTO “considers the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak that began in approximately January 2020, to be an extraordinary situation within the meaning of 37 CPR 1.183 and 37 CPR 2.146 for affected patent and trademark applicants, patentees, reexamination parties, and trademark owners.”
Patent applicants will be able to file a petition to revive and the PTO will waive the fee for those who were unable to “timely reply to an Office communication due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, which resulted in the application being held abandoned or the reexamination prosecution terminated or limited.”
The petition to revive must include a copy of the notice and a statement that “the delay in filing the reply required to the outstanding Office communication was because the practitioner, applicant, or at least one inventor, was personally affected by the Coronavirus outbreak such that they were unable to file a timely reply.” The petition must be filed no later than six months after the date the application became abandoned or the reexamination prosecution was terminated or limited in order to be entitled to a waiver of the petition fee under 37 CPR 1. l 7(m).
The USPTO is also waiving fees for trademark applications and registrations that were abandoned or canceled/expired due to inability to timely respond to a trademark-related Office communication as a result of the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak, however, the petition must be filed no later than two months of the issue date of the notice of abandonment or cancellation. Download the full notice: coronavirus_relief_ognotice_031620201.
Questions or concerns about your Patents or Trademarks? Call us at 864-973-6688 for a consultation.
by Cherish BentonKim & Lahey Law Firm Named to “Best Law Firms” List 2020
Firms included in the 2020 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” are recognized for professional excellence with consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be eligible for a ranking, a firm must first have a lawyer recognized in The Best Lawyers in America©, which recognizes the top 5% of private practicing lawyers in the United States. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.
“Choosing the right law firm can be a vital decision,” said Tim Smart, executive editor at U.S. News & World Report. “The rankings draw on U.S. News’ 35 years of experience evaluating complex institutions to help individuals and companies alike make the best decisions.”
The 2020 rankings are based on the highest number of participating firms and client votes received on record. Almost 16,000 lawyers provided more than 1,229,000 law firm assessments, and more than 12,000 clients participated providing 107,000 evaluations.
“For the 2020 ‘Best Law Firms’ publication, the evaluation process has remained just as rigorous and discerning as it did when we first started ten years ago.” says Phil Greer, CEO of Best Lawyers. “This year we reviewed 14,931 law firms throughout the United States – across 75 national practice areas – and a total of 2,106 firms received a national law firm ranking. We are proud that the ‘Best Law Firms’ rankings continue to act as an indicator of excellence throughout the legal industry.”
by Cherish BentonDoug Kim Selected to 2019 SC Super Lawyers List
Douglas Kim, Partner, Kim and Lahey Law Firm, LLC
Douglas Kim, a longtime intellectual property attorney in the Upstate area, has been selected to the 2019 South Carolina Super Lawyers list. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.
Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.
Based in Greenville, South Carolina, Doug started his own law firm in March of 2018. Soon after, he partnered with longtime friend and colleague, Seann Lahey, in what is now the Kim and Lahey Law Firm, LLC. They assist clients, both domestically and internationally, who are looking to safeguard innovative ideas or inventions, secure their brand’s identity, or otherwise need to protect their business interests. They take a client-centric approach toward understanding a client’s needs in order to create customized legal solutions involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, enforcement, licensing, contracts, privacy policies, and website terms and conditions.
Doug also serves as the Chair of the South Carolina Bar Intellectual Property and Innovation Committee.
The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.