Fiscal pressures continue to plague us all. Looking back on 2023, it has been a challenging year for all businesses in the United States, especially those in Los Angeles and within the State of California. The economic uncertainties and inflationary pressures have created a complex landscape that has impacted our operations and resources.
To address these fiscal pressures and maintain our high-quality of services, Sherman IP is making its annual modifications of attorneys’/service fees. These modifications affect Sherman IP’s flat fees, and our attorneys’ fee portions of patent and trademark legal work. These increases also affect Sherman IP’s flat fee filings made through Sherman IP’s Control Legal® practice platform.
Folks may recall that in prior years, Sherman IP delayed its fee changes, and at times the fee increases of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to help clients acclimate for budgetary differences. That absorption was meant to allow our clients to maintain a consistent budget for currently anticipated filings. Each of those delays were really appreciated by our clients, and Sherman IP received a lot of positive feedback from clients and contacts expressing their gratitude.
While fee changes are never desired, the economic forces affecting us all affects Sherman IP as well. Once again, to allow our clients to acclimate to our new 2024 fee schedule, and to allow our clients to complete their work-in-progress and maintain current anticipated budgets, any filings completed before February 16, 2024, will have fees assessed based on Sherman IP’s 2023 fee schedule regardless of when the work is/was ordered.
In quoting or issuing further invoices for any specific filing, Sherman IP staff will assess the likelihood that a filing will be completed by February 16, 2024. That means our team members will be asking you whether you actually have the materials and other items/information required, and showing you are ready to file. The closer we get to February 16, 2024, the less likely it will be that your filing will be able to be completed by February 16, and the more likely that your filing will fall over into the new 2024 fee schedule. If that is the case, you will be assessed Sherman IP’s fees based on our new 2024 fee schedule.
Likewise, any previous unpaid flat fee invoices quoted through Sherman IP’s Control Legal® practice platform will expire on February 16, 2024, if the fees have not already been paid and/or filed prior to that date. We urge you to proceed without delay.
In Sherman IP’s Control Legal® practice platform, all work is conducted on a limited scope, flat fee basis. Each filing is quoted and invoiced separately, in advance. The quoted flat fee amount includes all project required attorneys’/service fees for that specific anticipated project/filing, as well as the specific project required communications, follow on communications, and calendaring involved. A single, quoted, and agreed upon flat fee covers all anticipated work for that specific filing/project. Sherman IP is your attorney representative with the USPTO in the matter for which we were originally retained. However, any future work in that matter requires Sherman IP to be hired separately for an approved and/or pre-paid flat fee for further particular, anticipated scope of work. That way, you can control and budget at each stage in the entire matter.
We recommend that clients consider filing their anticipated patent and trademark matters now to avoid fee increases and that any foreign applicants contact us to make sure that their applications are represented appropriately. Sherman IP attorneys are specialists in representing clients before the USPTO for their patent and trademark matters.