MISSION STATEMENT  My mission is to use my education, training and experience in such a way as to provide U.S. and foreign individual inventors and small businesses with high-quality legal services at reasonable costs so that they will gain protection of, and profit from, their ideas. 

BIOGRAPHY   I spent twenty-eight years in the US Patent & Trademark Office (PTO). I was a patent examiner in the medical area for fourteen years and a quality review examiner in the overall chemical area for fourteen years. As an examiner, I examined applications in the fields of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, blood products of undetermined constitution, enzymes, carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, interferons, steroids, and vaccines.  I served on detail to the Board of Appeals (the office which decides cases when there is a conflict between the examiner and the applicant) and the Solicitors Office (the office which represents the PTO in court in the event an applicant appeals an unfavorable decision by the Board of Appeals).  I was also an instructor for incoming patent examiners and older examiners attending the patent academy. 

In the office of quality review, I reviewed applications which had been allowed but had not yet issued. Cases which were found to be unpatentable were returned to the examiner for reopening of prosecution.   In the office of quality review, I was recognized by the other quality review examiners as being the expert in patent law. I believe that during the 28 years in the PTO there were three years in which I did not receive an achievement award for outstanding quality and quantity. 

Upon retiring from the PTO in 1989, 1 worked 5 years as a consultant with a Washington, DC patent law firm representing BASF in its chemical and mechanical cases in the PTO.  I have been a sole practitioner since 1994 serving independent inventors in all fields of inventions. This has included work with copyrights, trademarks, and design patents as well as the regular utility patent.  As to relevant education, I was graduated cum laude from Lincoln University (PA) with a degree in chemistry, I attended George Washington University medical school for two years, I have an L.L.B. from George Washington University law school, and a Masters of Science in General Administration degree from University of Maryland University College. 

STRATEGY STATEMENT  I believe that my first responsibility is to my clients. Therefore, I will strive to give my clients accurate advice and opinions. I will keep my clients fully informed in a timely manner of information concerning their inventions. My dealings with my clients and the PTO will be such that patents and trademarks of high quality will result.  

My second responsibility is to those who work for me. Therefore, I will provide a sense of security in their jobs, I will strive to inform those who work for me of the importance of their work and will seek to instill a feeling of pride and accomplishment in a job well done. Payment must be fair and adequate, management must be just, the working hours must be reasonable, and the working conditions must be clean and conducive to producing a work product of which the workers can be justly proud. Those who work for me should feel free to make suggestions and complaints. There must be an opportunity for advancement and each worker will be considered on his or her own merit. 

My third responsibility is to my stakeholders. My business must make a sound profit. Reserves must be created. My mistakes must be paid for. Adverse times must be provided for, adequate taxes paid, new equipment purchased, new projects launched, and experiments made with new ideas. When these things have been done, the stakeholders should receive their fair return.  I am determined, with the help of God's grace, to fulfill these obligations to the best of my ability.

Richard L. Huff

Law Offices of Richard L. Huff

19304 Olney Mill Road, Olney  MD 20832

Tel: (301) 924-2169  Fax: (301) 570-8166

Email:  richhuff@erols.com