2023 Report of the Economic Survey October 2023

Home

In This Section

 

 

Please sign in to view the articles. Once you've signed in please refresh the page to see the download link. 


The bi-ennial Report of the Economic Survey is one of the premier and most sought-after publications of the Association. The Economic Survey’s results are often cited in judicial opinions, analyzed by research firms, and used by law firms. Current AIPLA members can access the Report online - for free!  You must log in to access the digital file.  When you open the file in PDF, you can display the bookmarks to more easily navigate to the specific information in the Report.


Order a print copy of the Report of the Economic Survey.

As the profession, and world as a whole, changes over time, we're trying to stay ahead of the curve and capture information that will help our members see how their work experience stacks up with others. Here's what we learned:

We are always looking to make the Report as timely and relevant to practitioners, as such, we have made a number of changes and enhancements. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, questions related to COVID-19 were removed or revised. One new question asked about the number of miles between respondents’ remote work location and their office location. We added new categories to some questions. More specifically, privacy/cybersecurity was added to the question that reports the percentage of time devoted to various practice areas, and design was added as a category for the technical specialization time spent.

 


Key Findings from the Report:

  • Remote work percentages in 2023 were projected to be similar to 2022, but office attendance increased.
  • Median gross income and billed hours of respondents decreased.
  • Average hourly billing rate for private firm attorneys remained unchanged.
  • Median charges for US patent applications increased by about 10% in 2022 compared to 2020.
  • US trademark application charges increased year over year, but prosecution costs for both patent and trademark applications stayed the same.
  • Over 70% charge a fixed fee for initial trademark applications.
  • Median patent litigation costs varied in 2022 based on the amount at risk - increasing for cases with $1-25 million at risk but decreasing for cases with more than $25 million at risk.
  • Median trademark litigation costs generally increased for cases with over $1 million at risk in 2022.
  • There was an upward trend in salaries from 2020 to 2022 among private practice partners and solo practice practitioners, as well as for first-year associates

As always, the Report's format is consistent with previous reports, and includes:
  • typical charges for law services,
  • typical types of fees for law-service charges,
  • typical costs of litigation, and
  • characteristics of firms.
 
    AIPLA would like to thank Nicholas Camillo and Sarah Knight, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Law Practice Management Committee, Ryan Dean and John Gorecki, the Economic Survey Subcommittee Co-Chairs, and all of the members of the Committee for their hard work in putting this publication together. We are pleased to continue bringing you this valuable member benefit. We hope that you find the Report a useful reference tool in your practice.

    Note: The online edition of the Report is protected from copying, editing, and printing. We know that members may need specific pages for court filings and we hare happy to provide specific pages for such use upon request. If you are in need of specific tables to submit, please contact agordon@aipla.org, and state the purpose for needing the tables, and the specific tables (page numbers) needed.
    Knobbe Martens

    Upcoming Events

    • World IP Day 2024

      May 1, 2024 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

      Join AIPLA and partner organizations on May 1 in Washington, DC, for a special three-hour program to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day 2024. This annual international event is an opportunity to learn about the role that intellectual property (IP) rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity. The theme of this year’s celebration is “IP and the SDGs: Building Our Common Future With Innovation and Creativity.”
    • 17th Annual Design Day

      May 9, 2024 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

      Join us for an in-person or virtual day of lively and thought-provoking discussion about various aspects of design patents, hosted at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Get insights from USPTO design managers, design patent practitioners, and industrial designers. No CLE credit is offered for attendance.
    • 2024 Advanced Chemical Patent Practice Institute

      May 14 to 15, 2024

      This advanced course is designed for patent attorneys and patent agents actively practicing in the chemical and related arts and will be presented from both prosecution and litigation perspectives and equips practitioners to prepare and prosecute patent applications, withstand challenges from PTAB and district courts, including such hot button issues as advanced claim drafting, claim construction, written description, enablement, and legislative proposals. Attendees will be armed with strategies and best practices to maximize the scope of patent protection while minimizing challenges to the validity and enforceability of the patents. The program also offers information that will assist in client counseling and making strategic portfolio and business decisions.
    • 2024 Spring Meeting - Austin, TX

      May 16 to 18, 2024

      Join us as we bring IP professionals together to learn and connect. More information coming soon! The 2024 Spring meeting will take place in downtown Austin, at the Hilton Austin. Leadership Meetings on Wednesday, May 15. Programming scheduled May 16-18.
    • 2024 Legal Secretaries & Administrators Conference

      May 21 to 22, 2024

      It can be hard to stay on top of the latest news, procedures, and tools. The Legal Secretaries and Administrators conference can assist. This conference is designed for paralegals, administrators, and other office specialists to hear directly from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This two-day virtual program provides a comprehensive overview of new features and services, best practices for streamlining procedures, and opportunities to ask questions and hear directly from the USPTO.