2025 Thought Leader Summit Agenda


PTAB Bar Association 
2025 Thought Leader Summit 

Wednesday, October 8, 2025
 
Bi-Coastal Event
Alexandria, VA | San Jose, CA
 
Join us for the PTAB Bar Association Thought Leader Summit on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. The Thought Leader Summit will be offered as a bi-coastal experience, held at the Westin Old Town Alexandria in Alexandria, Virginia from 2:00pm-5:00pmET, and at the USPTO in San Jose, California from 2:00pm-5:00pmPT.

The 2025 Thought Leader Summit will focus on the evolving Discretionary Denial landscape. Participants will hear from senior PTAB leadership involved in discretionary denial decisions and learn more about the latest trends and decisions impacting post-grant petitions from fellow practitioners, in-house counsel, industry experts, and judges from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).   

This exciting program includes: 
Keynote Remarks - The PTAB View on Discretionary Denials  
  • Acting Deputy Chief Judge Kalyan Deshpande in Virginia 
  • Senior Lead Judge Michelle Ankenbrand in California (virtual) 
     
Session One - Panel Discussion (CLE Session) 

This session will explore: 

  • The Latest Discretionary Denial Trends and Developments 
     

Session Two-Round Table Discussions with PTAB Judges (CLE Session)
Table Moderators will facilitate discussions on the following topics: 

  • Latest Director Review Decisions 

  • Alternatives to IPRs/PGRs (e.g., EPRs) 

  • Winning Arguments Under the New Bifurcated Process 

  • Other Discretionary Denial Strategies

 

Attendees at both venues will enjoy a networking reception immediately following the programming.


 

The detailed Agenda will be forthcoming.