Communications concerning a practitioner's services: specific rules.

§ 11.702 Communications concerning a practitioner's services: specific rules. (a) A practitioner may communicate information regarding the practitioner's services through any medium. (b) A practitioner shall not compensate, give, or promise anything of value to a person for recommending the practitioner's services, except that a practitioner may: (1) Pay the reasonable costs of advertisements or communications permitted by this section; (2) Pay the usual charges of a legal service plan or a not-for-profit or qualified practitioner referral service; (3) Pay for a law practice in accordance with § 11.117; (4) Refer clients to another practitioner or a non-practitioner professional pursuant to an agreement not otherwise prohibited under the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct that provides for the other person to refer clients or customers to the practitioner, if: (i) The reciprocal referral agreement is not exclusive, and (ii) The client is informed of the existence and nature of the agreement; and (5) Give nominal gifts as an expression of appreciation that are neither intended nor reasonably expected to be a form of compensation for recommending a practitioner's services. (c) A practitioner shall not state or imply that he or she is certified as a specialist in a particular field of law, unless: (1) The practitioner has been certified as a specialist by an organization that has been approved by an appropriate authority of a State or that has been accredited by the American Bar Association, and (2) The name of the certifying organization is clearly identified in the communication. (d) Any communication made under this section must include the name and contact information of at least one practitioner or law firm responsible for its content. [86 FR 28466, May 26, 2021]