Virtual Panel: Judicial Wisdom In Action: The Journey From Administrative Patent Judge to Optimized Advocate

The discussion highlights how their prior experience as APJs, adjudicating complex patent disputes, provides invaluable insights into litigation strategies, patent prosecution, and advocacy. The panelists share real-world examples of how their judicial wisdom positively impacts their current roles and emphasize the importance of a balanced approach to intellectual property disputes, especially before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Furthermore, the panel emphasizes the value of collaboration between APJs-turned-advocates and the USPTO, fostering a more efficient and effective patent ecosystem. The session underscores the dynamic evolution of legal professionals and the role of judicial wisdom in shaping a more optimized and fair IP landscape.

Moderator:

Azie S. Aziz, Ph.D., Patent Agent, Womble Bond Dickinson US, LLP (Houston, TX)

Azie is a Patent Agent and IP Analyst at Womble Bond Dickinson, Houston, Texas office. She specializes in patent drafting and prosecution across various fields, including energy, electrical systems, software, wireless communications, and medical devices. Prior, Azie worked as a Senior Geophysicist and Account Manager at Lumina Technologies and focused on seismic technology applications for hydrocarbon reservoir characterization, software development, marketing, and business development.

Azie’s diverse background includes research in geophysical methods like Radar, Lidar, and EM, with a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Houston. She also interned at Shell, addressing seismic imaging challenges in the Gulf of Mexico. Azie’s experience includes electrical engineering at KMS Technologies, where she contributed to Marine Electromagnetic sensor development, resulting in a U.S. patent. She worked with PETRONAS, focusing on wireless networking, digital signal processing, and RFID, and taught at their university.

Azie holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics from Multimedia University in Malaysia. She is a co-inventor of a U.S. patent, co-authored ten peer-reviewed journal publications, and presented at over 35 scientific conferences.

Panelists:

Lora Green, Partner, Gemini Law LLP/Former Administrative Patent Judge, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Lora Green is a Partner at Gemini Law LLP. Lora was an Administrative Patent Judge (APJ) for over 17 years, including 6 years as a Lead Administrative Patent Judge of the Biotech section, at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). At the PTAB, Lora worked on the post-grant trial proceedings, interferences, inter-partes reexaminations, and ex parte appeals, with her focus on the life sciences and biotech. Before joining Gemini Law LLP, Lora provided strategic counseling in contested PTAB proceedings, IP protection, patent law, and patent strategy at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

Before becoming an APJ, Lora clerked at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for the Honorable William Bryson for two years. Lora was also a primary examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where she attended law school at George Washington University, graduating top of my class. a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University.

Jessica Kaiser, Partner at Perkins Coie, LLP/Former Lead Administrative Patent Judge, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Jessica Kaiser represents established and emerging technology, telecommunications, and life sciences companies in complex intellectual property (IP) disputes. Jessica’s experience is divided between the bench and the bar, including as a former lead administrative patent judge (LAPJ) at the USPTO and a partner at an international law firm.

As a LAPJ at the USPTO, Jessica managed and decided numerous cases before the PTAB in America Invest Act (AIA) trials, including inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, and ex parte appeals during the original prosecution of patents. She also worked with USPTO and PTAB leadership in developing and implementing PTAB reforms, including agency rulemaking, a pilot program for motions to amend patent claims during AIA trials, PTAB statistics, and remote hearing operations.

Before joining the USPTO, Jessica was a staff attorney in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, providing legal advice to the court, including on mandamus petitions and all types of motions filed prior to an appeal being assigned to a merits panel.

While a partner in an Am Law 100 firm, Jessica managed teams of lawyers and other legal professionals in all aspects of patent litigation, from pre-filing investigation through appeal. Her representations included businesses in such industries as pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, computer software, smartphones, medical devices, fluid metering, and telecommunications.

Early in her career, Jessica clerked at the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., and at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Before attending law school, Jessica worked as an engineer in capacities spanning from metallurgical engineer for Dow Chemical Company, to senior project engineer for Exxon Company USA (now Exxon Mobil Corporation), to procurement engineer for Tosco Refining Company (now ConocoPhillips).

Richard Torczon, Senior Counsel, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C./Former Administrative Patent Judge, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Richard Torczon is senior counsel in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he is a member of the patent litigation practice. Before joining the firm, Richard was an APJ at the PTAB, where, since 1996, he worked on patent interferences and appeals. During his tenure at the PTAB, he wrote over a thousand opinions and orders on patent appeals, petitions, motions, and briefs. Richard was an early member of the interference trial section and authored many of the PTAB's rules. He has experience in the full spectrum of technologies reviewed by the PTAB, including computer-based inventions, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and medical devices, and plant and design patents.

Before serving as a judge, Richard was an associate solicitor in the USPTO's Office of the Solicitor, where he represented the USPTO on patent and trademark matters, particularly before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Richard was an Honors Attorney at the U.S. Department of Commerce and previously worked at the Adachi International Patent Law firm in Nagoya, Japan.

Richard testified before Congress about the board and spoke on board-related topics, legal ethics, and effective arguments at programs for numerous organizations, including the American Bar Association, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and the PTAB Bar Association.

Trenton Ward, Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP/Former Administrative Patent Judge, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Trenton A. Ward has over 20 years of experience in patent law, including serving for five years at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) as a Lead Administrative Patent Judge, among other roles. While serving as a Patent Judge, Trenton adjudicated more than 250 America Invents Act (AIA) trial proceedings, encompassing inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review (PGR) proceedings. Trenton leverages his experience from the bench to provide the highest level of advocacy to clients on intellectual property matters.

Trenton’s practice focuses on patent litigation, including trials before the PTAB, District Court trials, and appeals before the Federal Circuit. His practice also covers patent prosecution management and client counseling.

Trenton is a thought leader on patent adjudication and has spoken on behalf of or about the PTAB at over 100 conferences, seminars, and meetings in the US, UK, Germany, Israel, Japan, and Taiwan. Further, he frequently publishes on topics relating to patent law.