FTO & Patentability for Pet Feeder

I'm developing a household appliance that automatically opens sealed, foil-lidded food containers and presents the food to a pet. I need a US-registered patent attorney to review two mechanical concepts and give me a written professional assessment. Scope of work: 1. Freedom-to-operate review of both concepts against a short list of US patents provided after engagement. Flag claim elements that appear to read on the designs and suggest design-around options. 2. Check the legal status of those patents, including maintenance-fee status and the claims of related continuation patents. 3. Patentability assessment: which narrower features, if any, may be protectable, and a recommended filing strategy (provisional, non-provisional, or design patent). 4. Review of inventorship and ownership issues arising from work with an outside contractor, plus review of the NDA and IP assignment agreements. 5. A first view of Canadian and Mexican exposure, with a referral to local counsel if needed. 6. A written summary and a call to discuss.

Requirements

• Active USPTO registration as a patent attorney, and a state bar license in good standing • Experience with mechanical or consumer-product patents and with clearance or validity analyses • Willing to sign an engagement letter and complete a conflicts check before any details are shared. In your bid, please include: • Your USPTO registration number and state bar number • Two or three examples of comparable matters (no client confidential details) • A fixed fee or phased estimate, and your turnaround time • How you handle confidentiality and privilege Note: No confidential project details will be shared in the bidding stage, so please do not ask for them in chat. Suggested skill tags: Patents, Legal, Intellectual Property, Patent Law, Mechanical Engineering.