Patent Attorney Contingency Fees
Illinois Appellate Court, First District, Second Division
Premier Networks, Inc. v. Stadheim and Grear, Ltd.
1-08-1133
Circuit Court of Cook County
Did the Illinois circuit court have jurisdiction over a legal malpractice suit against patent attorneys engaged in substantive patent lawyering where the complaint further alleged defendant law firm’s contingency fee arrangement for 40% of plaintiff’s future earnings from certain patents, plus costs, was unreasonably high thus voiding the agreement ab initio and that the arrangement operated to place defendant in an impermissible business relationship with plaintiff, each in violation of Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys, 134 Ill. 2d R. 1.1 et seq.?