John Todd Timmerman

I solicited this patent attorney based on MH ratings. At the prearranged meeting I was instead handed off to Tom Toner, whom I knew nothing about. SKL is a big firm in Tampa and Tom assured me they were partners and that both he and Timmerman would be working on my patent. During the initial meeting ...I accepted the terms and negotiated an agreed upon price limit for the complete patent application of a maximum of $10,000.00. (Actually I asked him what it would cost and he said "$5K, pause, $10K at the most.") In the first few months of billing this $10K amount was invoiced and promptly paid in full. In fact, the invoices were signed by Timmerman - not Toner. Later I got more invoices from Shumaker Loop & Kendrick and signed by Timmerman for thousands more than the agreed upon amount. Attorney Toner explained that this was an internal billing error and not to worry - he'd take care of it personally. This over-billing went on for months and each time I'd call Toner and he'd say that he'd take care of it and that he'd honor our verbal agreement (which I memorialized in emails to both Toner and Timmerman.) It finally seemed to be resolved when after many more months passed I hadn't gotten overcharge invoices and my patent was at last issued. More design work improved the invention in the interim and I sought to improve the patent to reflect the changes. Again I asked (on the phone) for a specific amount for this Continuation In Part or CIP. It was to be no more than $1900.00 and this time I put this into an email right away. So my first couple invoices from Timmerman took the full amount right away (again paid in full promptly) and later he sends me invoices for amounts above the agreed upon $1.9K. When I asked to speak with attorney Toner I was told he left SLK to work for Jabil Circuits as in-house counsel! When I told Timmerman he or someone at SLK needed to complete the work I'd paid for in full in advance, he gets snotty with me and insists I need to pay up ALL the open invoices and gives me the "I got you cornered now" attitude - call it arrogance personified. I hunt down attorney Toner at home and after everything that happened, he now minces words about the overcharges saying stuff to the effect that "...didn't include supplies and expenses..." etc. - a complete about-face after years have passed. At the end of this exchange I brought up the character issue and reminded him of the famous quote that a man's character is his destiny. This seemed to make him angry and he became hostile and rude. So now I'm angry. I emailed Timmerman and told him I wasn't paying a penny over the agreed upon amounts and SLK could quit sending me bills because he was fired. Next thing I find out is neither Toner nor his former partner Timmerman intends to complete the CIP work that I'd paid for in full. Toner actually said that all he'd agreed to do was "file" the CIP! Now I have to respond to (mostly incomprehensible) office actions myself - with no help forthcoming from SLK, Timmerman or Toner.