Drawing on RPX's data and intelligence, Mr. Howard will begin by providing a broad view of recent US litigation trends and global patenting activities. This overview will be followed by an in-depth analysis of the impact of USPTO Director Kathi Vidal in her first year of holding office, followed by an update on the Western District of Texas, discussing the effects of the random judge assignment order on Judge Albright and case filings. The session will conclude with updates on recent developments in China, including the latest litigation numbers there.

In recent years, there seems to be an increasing number of financially healthy operating companies transferring patents to NPEs. This panel will discuss internal and external factors that cause companies to divest patents to NPEs, how to anticipate and mitigate the risks associated with these divested patent portfolios; and the likelihood that this trend will continue or accelerate.

In this session, four former law clerks to the nation's top patent judges join us to share their behind-the-scenes insights about litigation finance disclosures, case transfers, effective advocacy before their judges, and different approaches to oral arguments.

After covering structural and procedural aspects of Europe’s imminent Unified Patent Court and Unitary Patent system, experts from Continental, IP Bridge, and MOSAID will discuss strategic considerations from their own unique perspectives.

Despite its impact on patent litigation and dealmaking, the business of third-party litigation funding (TPLF) remains largely opaque and relatively unregulated. However, some efforts have led to increased transparency of TPLF in certain venues, and as the practice continues to grow and the lit fin market matures, we are learning more about how litigation funding works—and in particular, how these deals can influence settlement dynamics. This diverse panel of experts will discuss recent developments and trends related to the disclosure of TPLF and explore their effects on the patent space.

Generative AI chatbots like Chat-GPT have brought artificial intelligence to the forefront of public discourse. This panel of distinguished experts working at the boundary of AI and the law will feature an informative discussion on the current state of play and possible future scenarios of the impact of AI on the legal profession, and on society at large.