In recent developments, the Georgia appeals court has endorsed a verdict, relieving a prominent patent docketing contractor from accountability for an alleged “clerical mistake”. This incident had an impactful ripple effect, resulting in a foregone patent application submission date, and thereby leading to a substantial lawsuit amounting close to $102 million.
The complaining party, a neurosurgeon, had vehemently argued against the justifications of the contractor, who was actively engaged by the renowned remote law firm, FisherBroyles, at the time of the incident. However, the court asserted that the surgeon’s reliance on the dates provided for patent application was inappropriate.
Details regarding the complexity of the case and the intrinsic cohesiveness between the law firm and its subcontracted patent docketing contractor have been largely discussed on Law360.
Despite the polarizing sentiments that this lawsuit has triggered in the legal sphere, it ultimately underscores the necessity for careful handling of deadlines in any legal process. Additionally, it sheds light on the degree of caution that should be exercised when outsourcing legal services, an increasingly prevalent practice in the contemporary law industry.