A South Florida patent attorney was recently suspended for three years for failing to properly represent a client in connection with the client's patent application. According to the report of a court-appointed referee, the patent attorney failed to inform his client of a patent denial response period and failed to timely appeal the denial. In imposing the sentence, the Florida Supreme Court approved the recommendations of the referee, who found the lawyer guilty of violating several Florida Bar Rules, including Florida Bar Rule 4-1.3 (Diligence) and Rule 1.4 (Communication). The Florida Bar Rules are based on and are similar to the ABA's Model Rules of Professional Conduct.