Intellectual property lawyers: Make sure you hire the one that meets your needs.

Intellectual property law covers a very broad section of legal issues involving contracts, patents, trademarks, copyrights, etc. Intellectual property lawyers have varying degrees of expertise which can range from being a generalist in the field to specializing in sub-specialties that can range from information technology to transactional entertainment law.  So it is important that you focus your search for a intellectual property lawyers to those who advertise themselves as having expertise in the area of the legal problems or issues that you need to resolve.   

Often business lawyers will have some knowledge of intellectual property law so if you are in business and have a working relationship with a business lawyer you can ask him if he can advise you in the matter of intellectual property law.  He may be able to analyze your legal needs and provide a plan that can resolve them.  If not he may be able to provide you several names of intellectual property lawyers who could help you.  Ask for several names so that you can research them to see who will best serve your needs.

To hire the best possible intellectual property attorney you need to use the telephone book or the internet to create a list of potential attorneys then check the background information on each attorney on that list.  Check the internet to see if the lawyer has a web site or a biography listed on any of the legal sites.

Call the lawyer and ask about his area of expertise.  Request a preliminary interview to determine if he has an interest in representing you to determine if you can work with him.  One of the things to determine in this interview is how he explains the process to you.  If he speaks in legalize and does not explain the terms in everyday language that you can understand you probably do not want his services.  Do this for each lawyer on your list before you make a determination as to which intellectual lawyer you use as the ability to work with your lawyer is of critical importance in a long term relationship.

Since some intellectual property lawyers specialize in transaction work while others specialize in litigation it is important that you choose one who specializes in your problem area.  If you are applying for copyright protection or registering a trademark you should consider a transaction lawyer but if you are being sued or want to sue then you should select a lawyer that specializes in intellectual property litigation.