NEW YORK, N.Y. (March 26, 2018) - Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Gene W. Lee, a partner in the firm’s Patent Litigation practice, has been elected as a Director of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Bar Association at its Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, March 22, 2018.

The PTAB Bar Association is a non-profit organization of lawyers and patent agents, dedicated to maintaining or improving the reputation and stature of the legal profession and community associated with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) PTAB. The Association works to fulfill its vision through education, outreach, collaboration, and advocacy.

"PTAB trials are critically important to petitioners and patent owners,” said Gene. “The coming year should prove very interesting as we await the Supreme Court decisions in the Oil States and SAS cases, and the Board’s application of the Aqua Products decision. The Association is the premier professional organization related to PTAB work. As a Director, I hope to play an active role in helping the Association shape PTAB practice in the future as it continues to evolve.”

Gene is an experienced lead counsel in patent litigations in the federal courts, the USPTO, and the United States International Trade Commission. He regularly works on PTAB trials and other adversarial proceedings in the USPTO, and trade secret, copyright, trademark, and unfair competition matters. In addition to adversarial matters, he advises clients on licensing, patent portfolio analysis, and the IP aspects of corporate transactions.

The formation of the PTAB Bar Association traces its roots to the passage of the America Invents Act (AIA). The AIA went into effect in 2012 and fundamentally changed patent litigation by providing a new forum, new administrative judges, and new rules to resolve issues of patent validity. The PTAB Bar Association and its activities are governed by its Board of Directors and Officers. The Board of Directors is made up of fifteen regular members of the Association.

Perkins Coie’s IP practice includes more than 250 lawyers focused on post-grant proceedings, IP litigation, patent and trademark prosecution, technology licensing, copyrights, and trade secret and unfair competition counseling. The firm offers an experienced, full-service legal and technical post-grant team that can guide clients through the PTAB landscape. The practice includes 135 professionals who are registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and more than 150 lawyers and agents who have science degrees, including 25 lawyers with Ph.D.s. Perkins Coie releases an annual extensive report addressing the changes and progress of IPR proceedings.

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

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