Xbuzz, a gadget manufacturer, has developed a new gaming platform that enables users to talk to the characters in video games. When the company files a patent for the platform, it discovers that the product has already been wrongfully patented by a competing firm. The company hires a lawyer to get his expert advice on the situation and to find a way to gain rights over the product. In the given scenario, Xbuzz hires a(n) _____.