Inventions is the primary docketing system for all technologies, patents, and agreements. The Inventions Legal Portal allows law firms to submit invoices electronically and view customer records regarding Matter IDs, patents, and authorized work. Logging into the Inventions Legal Portal requires an account, which the customer’s office can provide to multiple users.
Step 1: Upload LEDES Files
- Log in to Inventions. The Upload Invoice Tool page will display.
- Only one LEDES file can be uploaded at a time and must include the following:
- The law firm matter number (typically saved in the system as the Account Code, in Column 4).
- The authorization code must be included in Column 8.
- Click on Select a LEDES File to Upload to begin uploading the file.
- If there are errors during the upload, an error message will appear indicating the problem.
- If there are errors during the upload, an error message will appear indicating the problem.
The image below shows an example of an acceptable LEDES file:
Once a valid LEDES file is uploaded, the line items will appear in the table.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Error Messages
Be sure to check for any error messages in the Errors column. The most common errors are:
- Invalid Matter ID
- Invalid Authorization Code
Invalid Matter ID
Matter ID errors can be investigated by clicking on the Patent Schedule or Matters in the navigation bar. Check that the Matter ID is correct and exists in Inventions.
If a Matter ID needs to be corrected, click on the blue text on the incorrect Matter ID cell, in the Matter ID column to edit. If the Matter ID does not exist in Inventions, contact the organization to have it created.
Invalid Authorization Codes
- Click on the invalid Authorization Codes to see a list of available Authorization Codes for the corresponding Matter ID
- Select the correct Authorization Code for the invoice line item, then click OK. If the authorization code is not displayed, contact the organization.
When all errors are correct, a green No Errors message will appear in the Errors column.
Step 2: Upload Related Documents
Once you’ve uploaded the LEDES file, you can upload documents associated with the items in the LEDES file. These might include copies of invoices, supporting materials, backup copies, etc. Documents must be in one of the following formats: PDF, DOC, or DOCX. There is no limit to the number of documents that can be uploaded.
- Select one or more file(s), or replace existing files by clicking on Select Related Documents.
- Select the file type by clicking on the radio button next to the appropriate option.
- Click Submit.
A message will appear confirming successful submission.
Understanding the Navigation Bar
Upload History
The Upload History page displays past submissions, including the date submitted and the current status.
- Search Box: Performs a search of the entered text across all of the displayed columns.
- Advanced: Perform a search in a specific field.
- Reordering Columns: The red line to the left of the check boxes allows you to drag columns for reordering.
- Column Display: Checking or unchecking boxes will display or hide the column from the page.
- Additional Filters: Click to display additional criteria for advanced searching.
- Export to Excel: Exports data into an Excel file.
- Reset Report: Restores the default report view.
- Show All (Max) Rows: 500 rows are displayed by default. Clicking Show All (Max) Rows will display all rows matching the criteria.
- Column Header: Click to sort in descending or ascending order.
Statuses
- New Imported Data: Uploaded but not yet reviewed.
- Verified / Approved: Approved for payment.
- Denied: The submission has been rejected and an email will be sent explaining why.
Patents
The Patent page displays a list of patents associated with the law firm, listed by the Matter ID on the record associated with that particular patent. Please note: There may be inactive patents in the list.
Patent Schedule
The Patent Schedule page is used for tracking upcoming patent filings, prosecution decisions, and maintenance fees. If the office uses Authorization Codes, they can be viewed in this search page along with the authorized spend amount.
Matters
The Matters page lists all of the Matter IDs associated with the law firm, as well as the patent or technology it’s associated with, and how many available Authorization Codes there are.