A Patent Lie [Paperback]

Paul Goldstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 2009

A gripping inside look at high-stakes lawyering, A Patent Lie is further evidence that Paul Goldstein is an emerging master of the legal thriller.After being forced from his high-powered Manhattan law firm, Michael Seeley—the tough-but-wounded hero of Errors and Omissions—has set up shop in his native Buffalo. Partly out of need, partly out of pride, Seeley takes on a case for his estranged brother, whose small biotech firm is suing a Swiss pharmaceutical giant over a controversial new AIDS vaccine. Seeley heads out to Silicon Valley to lead the case, but soon realizes there is much more at stake than he was first led to believe. As certain partnerships come to light, and financial gains become staggeringly clear, Seeley's own life may be in grave danger.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Goldstein, a Stanford law professor and intellectual property expert, delivers on the promise of his thriller debut, Errors and Omissions (2006), with this outstanding sequel. Michael Seeley, who's living in seclusion in Buffalo, N.Y., agrees at his estranged brother's urging to travel to San Francisco to take on a patent infringement case that Vaxtek, a small company, is bringing against St. Gall, a Swiss pharmaceutical giant, over an AIDS vaccine. Robert Pearsall, the lead plaintiff's attorney, apparently committed suicide on the eve of trial. Surprised that Pearsall, known for his meticulous preparation, didn't depose Lily Warren, a St. Gall employee who claimed to have invented the vaccine, Seeley pursues that loose end, only to find that Warren's version of events raises questions about not only Seeley's clients but also his predecessor's death. In lean prose, Goldstein masterfully portrays the intricate courtroom maneuvering and the ethical dilemmas of trial attorneys. Scott Turow fans will welcome this complex protagonist. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

In Goldstein’s debut novel, Errors and Omissions (2006), the story of a movie studio hell-bent on securing the rights to the James Bond franchise, he showed that copyright law can be sexy. Here, Goldstein brings pizzazz to another area of intellectual property, patents—pharmaceuticals, to be exact. Michael Seeley is enjoying his reclusive life back in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, handling small-time cases instead of the corporation litigation suits he used to head up at a big Manhattan firm. He doesn’t miss that cutthroat (and alcoholic) life, but he is hard-pressed to turn down his estranged brother Leonard’s plea for help. Leonard is a doctor with a small pharmaceutical company in San Francisco, and he claims one of the giant corporations in the industry has stolen their patent for a breakthrough drug treating people who are HIV-positive. As he learns about the case, Michael realizes that his brother has not been completely forthright. Goldstein pairs a first-rate medical drama with a tragic story of a broken family, and he effectively combines suspense with rich characterization. --Mary Frances Wilkens --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (May 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030727490X
• ISBN-13: 978-0307274908
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #759,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "There's an issue of principle here.", June 29, 2008

By 

E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Patent Lie (Hardcover)

In "A Patent Lie," by Paul Goldstein, forty-seven year old attorney Michael Seeley is a solo practitioner in his hometown of Buffalo, New York. He has a part-time receptionist, his office is a dump, and he handles "nickel and dime cases." On a chilly autumn day, his younger brother, Leonard, whom he hasn't seen in nine years, stops by to see him. Since Leonard lives in San Francisco, where he works as the chief medical officer for a small biotech company, this is not a casual visit. For weeks, Leonard has been leaving Michael frantic messages. It seems that Leonard's employer, Vaxtek, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against a giant Swiss drug producer, St. Gall. The trial is scheduled to begin in three weeks, and Robert Pearsall, Vaxtek's lead attorney, has suddenly died, an apparent suicide. Leonard wants his brother to take over this important case, since the company's financial health and his own portfolio could be seriously affected by the result of the litigation.

Michael has problems of his own. Before moving back to Buffalo, he was employed by a New York corporate law firm, and although he won his share of cases, he was not happy. Lonely and deeply depressed, he found refuge in drinking, and eventually descended into alcoholism. He barely escaped disbarment, and is now staying sober one day at a time. Why risk what he has fought so hard to achieve by getting involved in a high-profile and potentially stressful trial? In addition, Michael has no desire to reconnect with Leonard, since seeing him inevitably brings back horrible memories of the two young boys cowering in fear while their drunken bully of a father stormed through the house. When he was only fifteen, Michael left home for good, and he has no desire to revisit the past or bond with what is left of his family. He cares about Leonard, but does not trust his brother, who "never stopped manipulating people and events to get what he wanted." Against his better judgment, Michael agrees to fly out to San Francisco and try the case with the assistance of a team that includes a young attorney named Chris Palmieri. Soon, however, he notices some anomalies that trouble him. He begins to suspect that the lawyers and administrators who work for Vaxtek and St. Gall may be concealing vital information. Michael eventually comes to regret his decision to leave his sleepy little practice back east in Buffalo.

"A Patent Lie" is an intelligent legal thriller with a colorful cast: Michael is a crafty lawyer with sharp instincts; this case will test not only his professional ability but also his idealism, tenacity, and courage. Thirty-six year old Lily Warren is a vaccine researcher and former colleague of the supposed inventor of the AIDS vaccine, the pompous and obnoxious Alan Steinhardt. Seely is attracted to the brilliant and beautiful Warren, but he senses that she is withholding critical facts that could affect the trial's outcome. Judy, Robert Pearsall's distraught wife, is convinced that her husband was murdered, and she urges Michael to look into the circumstances surrounding his death. District Judge Ellen Farnsworth is a no-nonsense type; she has little patience with anyone who tries to cross her. Joel Warshaw, the owner of Vaxkek, is a wily and venal entrepreneur who buys and sells companies for profit. After meeting him, Seely is convinced that the amoral Warshaw would sink to any depths in order to enrich himself.

This is an engrossing and complex courtroom drama that requires close concentration, since there are intricate scientific and legal issues at stake. Seely is no fool, and after bringing himself up to speed and interviewing Judy Pearsall and Lily Warren, he realizes that he may be missing the forest for the trees. Something does not compute, and Michael is determined to find out what it is. Both he and Lily must decide whether to play along with what may be corporate malfeasance or risk their reputations and lives opposing a group of powerful and ruthless men. This is your classic David vs. Goliath story and it is well told. For the most part, the author avoids phony theatrics and formulaic plot devices. The courtroom scenes are instructive and absorbing, and Goldstein wraps up his narrative satisfyingly. "A Patent Lie" will appeal to audiences of legal thrillers that rely on ideas and personalities rather than silly twists and turns, mindless violence, and steamy sex scenes. Goldstein does not go for the glitz, but instead focuses on what happens when clever lawyers and those who employ them act selfishly and callously, ignoring the needs of those who are unable to stand up for themselves.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patents, and how to understand them, July 14, 2008

By 

James Comfort "jim comfort" (Dallas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Patent Lie (Hardcover)

OK I promise that I enjoyed this book because I have been a Patent Attorney for over fifty years, and enjoyed it because it make Patent Attorneys become heros. We always were, however we were not appreciated before. Every Attorney who is has a client, either before he files for a patent, or before litigation, should buy multi copies of this book and give every client a copy of the book. The book is well written for everyone and the suspense is well done. What it does is explain in a novel what a patent is, why it is important, and how to protect, or not protect an invention. For years patents were considered unimportant, until the Japanese, Koreans, and now the Chinese took our basic inventions, copied them, ignored our patents, and sold copied products into the US market. Then we understood the importance of patents, and used them to protect US inventions.

The other review gave the story of this novel. However if you want to understand patents, the litigation of patents, then this novel is for you. If you just want a good story, it is also well worth reading.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars author improving, October 24, 2008

By 

Charles H. Hendry "CHH1" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Patent Lie (Hardcover)

A more focused novel than predesessor and stronger writing. You do not need to read the previous novel to enjoy this one. The protagonist is difficult to like except as a decent person and ethical one. He lacks the expansion of personal involvement with others on a human level. The writing seemed to me to be at less 'arm's length' and more an expression of the writer. The detachment of the author seems to be both weakness and strength - perhaps due to legal training.A Patent Lie