AGENDA: Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Managing patent prosecution and a portfolio in today’s complex and ever-changing landscape requires tackling inconsistency by the APJ, budget pressures and a need for higher quality patents. With the budget pressure comes a need to be selective with international filings, focusing on countries that are both important to the business and patent friendly. Coupled with an apparently pro-patent USPTO director what does the future hold and how will this environment effect your current filings and portfolio?

This panel will explore:

• How will the new USPTO director’s initiative impact patent filing strategies?
• Budget constraints and a push for quality patents – Can this continue?
• Are continuations and provisionals a sound strategy to buy-time?
• Managing the portfolio budget and renewals – Mixed messages from management
• International filings: 
  • A bad omen for the US system?
  • What are the best strategies?

The businesses goals come to the forefront with the transactional side of IP. M&A, buying and selling portfolios, and structuring impactful licensing deals can be a challenge in a shifting IP landscape. As a result, IP business models have evolved. The lack of data on IP transactions and the multiple valuation techniques for portfolios make for a subjective benchmarking strategy.

This panel will explore: 

• IP transactions landscape in the current environment
• Overall M&A activity and IP Valuation
• What does it take to get licensing deals accomplished in the current environment?
• The impact of increased international business activity

A complex and unclear patent landscape, the DTSA and headlines covering high profile cases and stories of intrigue and espionage have brought Trade Secrets to the attention of the C-Suite. To avoid making the headlines organizations must understand that at its core trade secrets is a human initiative – requiring constant management and employee engagement.  How can trade secret breaches and liability be avoided? How can you prove a trade secrets breach if it occurs?

This panel will explore:

• Benchmarking the current landscape:
  • DTSA
  • Current case law
• Going beyond ticking boxes – What are real-world effective trainings and policies?
• Areas of trade secrets liability: exiting employees, onboarding and high-stakes markets or innovation
• When there is a breach – damage control

With growing complexity in the United States' IP landscape many US companies are looking at international IP strategy to enhance the company’s business goals. For example, in the two biggest markets for the majority of US companies, China and Europe, there are multiple developments to stay on top of. In China the development of a more balanced approach to IP litigation is making it an essential market for US companies. With Europe the turmoil of Brexit and recent changes to the EPO have US companies needing to understand where that leaves them in terms of strategy. 

This panel will explore:

• China – is it becoming more balanced for US companies?
• What are the other markets to pay attention to in Asia?
• Europe – Brexit and EPO updates
  • UK and Germany litigation landscape
• Working with foreign law firms and corporate offices

The last 12 months have seen a slight shift towards patent owners, due in part to recent legal decisions. Now comments from USPTO leadership hint at forthcoming changes but no firm policies are in place. Keen to avoid longer US litigation cycles and IPRs - owners are looking internationally for faster, cheaper and more favorable enforcement opportunities. As the landscape evolves how can you prepare? What pitfalls should you avoid?

This panel will explore:

• Reality in today’s landscape – Still pro defendant
  • Leaning towards owners
• Identifying opportunity or strategic advantage
• Budget
• Case Law and Preparation
  • SAS
  • TC Heartland
  • IPRs
• Short term – What can counsel do?

The PTAB has acted swiftly, adjusting to SCOTUS’ SAS Institute Inc. V. IANCU decision – instituting a spate of short-term efforts to comply with the decision. A finalized set of processes however, still remains unclear. While IPR costs and time to trial is expected to increase – counsel are also facing a strategic rethink to the process. Will IPR dominance remain? Will the recent sovereign immunity ruling bring even greater complexity to the process? What should you focus on? How will the business be impacted?

This panel will explore:

• State of the current IPR landscape:
  • PTAB Today – What do we know? What should you plan for?
  • How should you prepare?
  • Choosing IPRs – Have considerations changed?
• How to change or evolve your strategy?
• Has the business case changed for IPRs?
  • Cost, Resource Allocation – Impact on the business
  • Fee hikes – What will their impact be?
• Best practices in front of the USPTO

Roundtable 1: Patent Annuity Market Trends
Cary Levitt, Chief Operating Officer, Dennemeyer Group
Dan Bikus, Business Development Manager, Dennemeyer Group

Roundtable 2: Unintended Consequences of Nautilus, Highmark, Octane & Alice for Patent Owners
Brad Lawrence, Partner, Cantor Colburn LLP

Roundtable 3: European Patent Strategy
Christopher Carroll, Partner, White & Case LLP

Roundtable 4: Opinions of Counsel: Recent Developments
Sandra Frantzen, Shareholder, McAndrews, Held & Malloy