Paul Vapnek Passes Away

Had the pleasure of providing CLE to Townsend Townsend & Crew back in the day and sparring (occasionally) with Mr. Vapnek.  He brought a lot to IP ethics, particularly in California.

There’s a story here, with links.

About David

Professor of Law, Mercer University School of Law. Formerly Of Counsel, Taylor English Duma, LLP and in 2012-13, judicial clerk to Chief Judge Rader.

4 thoughts on “Paul Vapnek Passes Away

  1. 2

    Yeah, this place seems kind of dead.

    Perhaps not OT – to many lawyers, their life is their work, or perhaps their work is there life. Let not the same be said for YOU upon your death, dear reader – there is much more to life than toiling behind a desk.

    1. 1.1

      It was the right result but the comment leads one to infer a fundamental contradiction, incoherence or caprice.

      Apparently the reasons/response were sufficient to discharge the Order to Show Cause, however, the Bar is reminded “that they are responsible—as Officers of the Court—for compliance with the requirement of Supreme Court Rule 14.3 that petitions for certiorari be stated “in plain terms,” and may not delegate that responsibility to the client.”

      Here was the opportunity to say “why” the response in particular was sufficient (as an exception to the general rule of “no delegation” of responsibility), but instead the discharge is simply followed with an implicit contradictory admonition/warning.

      To paraphrase: “We are letting this guy off… but remember… don’t do this!”

      1. 1.1.1

        I agree Anon2 – the admonition of “don’t do this” becomes meaningless because the way out of doing this when you are not supposed to is to merely write the type of response that the law firm wrote.

        I don’t see the relevance of the “plain terms” remark if the sufficiency of the discharge (and apparently there IS sufficiency) is a mere excuse.

        I was not one of those lookin for the guy’s head, but this result is rather unsatisfying (and I cannot see how anyone is satisfied, given the points you make).

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