Can a suspended or excluded patent attorney or agent inspect patent applications?
No, a patent attorney or agent who has been suspended or excluded from practice by the USPTO cannot inspect patent applications, unless they are an inventor or applicant on that particular application. The MPEP states:
USPTO employees are forbidden to hold either oral or written communication with an attorney or agent who has been suspended or excluded from practice by the USPTO regarding an application unless it is one in which said attorney or agent is an inventor or the applicant. Power to inspect given to such an attorney or agent will not be accepted.
This policy prevents suspended or excluded practitioners from accessing confidential application information they are no longer authorized to view.
Topics:
MPEP 105 - Suspended or Excluded Practitioner Cannot Inspect,
Patent Law