Expert Analysis

• USPTO Initiatives May Bolster SEP Litigation In The US

  

  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent efforts to revitalize standard-essential patent litigation face hurdles in their reliance on courts and other agencies, but may help the U.S. regain its central role in global SEP litigation if successful, say attorneys at Axinn.

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  Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

• Trade Secret Steps To Take As Exposure Risk Increases

  

  Against the backdrop of rising trade secret litigation, greater employee mobility and constraints on noncompetes, recent cases highlight the importance of minimizing trade secret risks when employees leave or when new hires join, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

• Open Questions After Defense Contractor Executive Order

  

  The scope and long-term effects of President Donald Trump’s executive order on the U.S. defense industrial base are uncertain, but the immediate impact is significant as it appears to direct the U.S. Department of Defense to take a more active role in contractor affairs, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• What Artists Can Learn From Latest AI Music Licensing Deals

  

  Recent partnerships between music labels and artificial intelligence companies raise a number of key questions for artists, rightsholders and other industry players about IP, revenue-sharing, and rights and obligations, say attorneys at Manatt.

• If Your AI Vendor Goes Bankrupt: Keeping Licensed IP Access

  

  With contracting norms still evolving to account for the licensing of artificial intelligence tools, customers that need to retain access to key AI products in the event of vendor’s bankruptcy should consider four elements that could determine whether they may invoke traditional Section 365(n) intellectual property protections, say attorneys at Sidley.

• USPTO's New Patentability Focus Helps Emerging Tech

  

  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent efforts to shift patentability criteria back toward traditional standards of novelty, obviousness and adequate disclosure should make it easier for emerging tech, including artificial intelligence, to obtain patents, says Bill Braunlin at Barclay Damon.

• Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

  

  Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

• Tips For Financial Advisers Facing TRO From Former Firm

  

  The Eighth Circuit's recent decision in Choreo v. Lors, overturning a lower court's sweeping injunction after financial advisers moved to a new firm, gives advisers new strategies to fight restraining orders from their old firms, such as focusing on whether the alleged irreparable harm is calculable, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

• Learning From A Typical Section 1782 Discovery Case

  

  A California federal judge's recent approval of a Section 1782 application, compelling a U.S.-based company to produce materials relevant to a German patent dispute, usefully illustrates the specific steps foreign litigants must undertake before wielding this powerful tool for obtaining evidence unavailable via discovery mechanisms abroad, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.

• How To Trademark A Guy In 8 Ways: An IP Strategy Against AI

  

  Attempting a novel method of protection against artificial intelligence misuse of his voice and likeness, Matthew McConaughey's recent efforts to register eight trademarks for a series of audio and video clips of himself underscore the importance of extending existing legal frameworks beyond traditional applications, says Summer Todd at Patterson Intellectual Property.

• Utilizing The ITC To Combat 'Gray Market' IP Infringement

  

  As technological developments intensify trademark owners' need to respond swiftly to "gray market" sales of international goods imported into the U.S. without the trademark owner's consent, litigating at the U.S. International Trade Commission offers an underutilized enforcement option, say attorneys at MoFo.

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  Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

• From IPR To EPR: The Rapid Rise Of Ex Parte Reexamination

  

  With the current administration's dramatic shifts in policy rendering inter partes reviews essentially unavailable for the majority of patents being asserted in litigation, IPR filing rates have plunged, and ex parte reexamination requests have surged to the average rate of IPR petitions in 2024, say attorneys at McKool Smith.

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  Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

  

  Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.