H&M Aeronaut Tool Company sued the law firm of Gibbons P.C. over a patent application that was filed by the firm on behalf of H&M.  Shortly after the patent was approved, a competitor was found to be making a similar product.  In court, H&M was unable to assert the patent due to improper language used in the application.  H&M then sued Gibbons for lawyers malpractice, stating the the application could have been prepared more effectively.

While the court did find in favor of Gibbon, the defense costs and potential costs to the reputation of the firm were large, explains ProtectLawyers.com.  Patent law is a particularly risky area of practice and requires specialized insurance policies.  Contact a broker to assure that your firm is properly protected.