The United States District Court for the District of Columbia affirmed on January 4 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's five-year suspension of an attorney. The USPTO excluded attorney John Halvonik of Rockville, Maryland from practicing before the USPTO for five years on a finding that Halvonik violated a number of provisions of the USPTO's Code of Professional Responsibility, which includes disciplinary rules governing conduct of attorneys practicing before the Office. The USPTO found that Halvonik committed multiple willful and egregious acts of professional misconduct in violation of the Code, including commingling client and personal funds, failing to promptly refund client fees that had not been earned, and neglecting to prosecute client matters in a timely manner. "Attorneys must be careful to abide by the rules of professional conduct of their state bar and any agency or office before which they practice," says Julie Machal-Fulks, partner at Scott & Scott, LLP. "The USPTO received complaints about Halvonik and thereafter concluded he had engaged in misconduct." For more information, please contact Ms. Machal-Fulks at 800-596-6176 or jfulks@scottandscottllp.com.
