Optio IP – Limited Scope Engagement Agreement

1. Identity & Relationship. This agreement is between you ("Client") and Venjuris, P.C., doing business as Optio IP ("Firm", "we", or "us"). By completing this purchase and checking the agreement box, you are retaining our Firm for the specific legal services selected at checkout. Joseph R. Meaney will be the attorney primarily responsible for your matter, though other attorneys or paralegals may assist.

2. Limited Scope of Representation. We will provide the specific flat-fee intellectual property service you selected at checkout (e.g., Preliminary Search, Comprehensive Clearance, or Provisional Patent Application).

  • What is not included: This is a limited-scope engagement. Unless specifically purchased as a separate service, this engagement does not include filing a formal Non-Provisional Patent Application, responding to substantive USPTO Office Actions, ongoing monitoring, or litigation.

3. Flat Fees & Government Costs. The amount paid at checkout is a flat fee for the specific professional services selected.

  • Government Fees: Client understands that any government fees (such as USPTO filing fees) are strictly out-of-pocket costs. If your service includes filing a document with the USPTO, you will be billed separately for the exact government fee prior to submission.

4. Technology, Communications & AI Tools. We operate a paperless office and communicate primarily via email, text messaging, and secure portals. All electronic records are securely backed up.

  • Artificial Intelligence: We may use enterprise-grade AI tools to improve efficiency in analyzing documents and drafting specifications. These tools supplement our work but never replace our legal expertise and judgment. We exclusively use enterprise platforms that contractually guarantee your data remains strictly confidential, stays within our secure environment, and is never used to train public AI models.

5. Disclaimers & No Guarantees. While we use our professional judgment to advise you, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) makes all final determinations. A favorable clearance search does not guarantee that a patent or trademark will be granted. Furthermore, Client acknowledges that a Provisional Patent Application (PPA) is a temporary 12-month placeholder that does not issue into a finalized patent without further action and additional costs.

6. Termination & Dispute Resolution. Either party may terminate this engagement at any time by providing written notice, subject to the applicable rules of professional conduct. Unless previously terminated, this engagement automatically concludes upon our delivery of the final service or written opinion purchased. In the unlikely event of a fee dispute, such dispute shall be submitted to and resolved by binding arbitration before the Fee Arbitration Committee of the State Bar of Arizona.