WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2026 | | |
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | | Session 1: Demystifying Reexam and PGR Procedure This session will take a deep dive into the intricacies of EPRs and PGRs to explain key differences between IPRs and both EPRs and PGRs. Practitioners of all levels—and representing both patent owners and patent challengers—will benefit from our expert panel’s insights. |
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2:20 PM - 3:20 PM | | Session 2: Funding the Future: Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Litigation Funding and IP Policy In this session, panelists will dive into the charged intersection of litigation funding, evolving PTAB practice, and IP litigation, igniting a heady mix of pragmatism and provocation. Funders speak candidly about risk appetites and portfolio selection while industry practitioners trace an arc from doctrinal restraint to aggressive pleadings and expert choreography. |
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3:40 PM - 4:40 PM | | Session 3: Section 101 at the USPTO and Beyond This panel will discuss recent Section 101 developments, including the apparent divide between Director Squires’ guidance for the Examining Corps and Federal Circuit decisions, which side ex parte PTAB decisions are landing on, and what would happen if the pending PERA legislation is enacted, with a focus on major unresolved questions concerning the eligibility of AI inventions. |
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5:00 PM - 6:00 PM | | Networking Welcome Mixer |
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THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026 | | |
7:00 AM - 7:45 AM | | Walk for STEM |
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8:00 AM - 8:45 AM | | Breakfast Program with Helen Wan, attorney and author of The Partner Track, the novel that inspired the Netflix series Partner Track. Click HERE to learn more about Partner Track. The Breakfast will include an art auction of an original portrait of Jane Goodall to raise funds for Camp Invention. |
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9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | | Session 4: A Decade in Review: Evolution of PTAB Practice The PTAB Bar Association’s past presidents will walk us down memory lane by reviewing the most important cases of the past decade that have shaped PTAB practice and by sharing the most memorable moments of their tenures. |
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10:20 AM - 11:20 AM | | Session 5: Current State of PTAB Practice Explore how the PTAB landscape has evolved following the March 2025 guidance, with a focus on observable patterns and practice shifts. |
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11:40 AM - 12:40 PM | | Session 6: Practical Implications of Recent Rules and Guidance Gain strategic, forward-looking approaches for how proposed PTAB rules and guidance may shape future practice and decision-making. |
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2:30 PM - 3:30 PM | | Session 7: Pivoting in the New IPR Landscape This session will address the strategic considerations of ex parte reexaminations, including adjusting in the new IPR landscape. |
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3:50 PM - 4:50 PM | | Session 8: Interactive Roundtable Sessions with PTAB Judges Join intimate, small group discussions with current and former PTAB judges. Bring your questions, your challenges, and your perspective for a rare chance to engage directly with the people who know PTAB practice from the inside. |
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5:10 PM - 5:40 PM | | Fireside Chat with Hon. Kalyan Deshpande, Chief Judge, USPTO |
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5:40 PM - 7:00 PM | | Networking Social Event |
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FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2026 | | |
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM | | Session 9: Judges Panel Hear directly from current judges as they provide valuable insights into recent changes and evolving practices. |
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10:35 AM - 11:35 AM | | Session 10: Debate on Layered Patent Protection This session will examine layered patent protection, including current law, criticisms, and potential avenues for reform |
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11:55 AM - 12:55 PM | | Session 11: Ethics and AI This session will explore the ethical implications of AI that have driven divergent approaches within the profession—either embracing technology to enhance efficiency and client service or avoiding it at the risk of losing clients and revenue to those who do. |
