*As of 11/10/2025
Navigating the Road of Joint Inventorship | 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Sponsored by:
Join an engaging panel featuring both in-house and outside litigation counsel as they explore the evolving landscape of inventorship law. This interactive session will cover key concepts such as collaboration, conception, and the legal standing required to correct inventorship, all within the context of today’s dynamic environment that is marked by rapid information sharing and the growing influence of artificial intelligence tools. Panelists will also share practical guidance and best practices to help organizations avoid common pitfalls in business relationships, including joint ventures and consulting arrangements
Moderator:
- Don Ware, Partner- Foley Hoag
Speakers:
- Erin Foley, Ph.D, Counsel and Registered Patent Attorney - Foley Hoag
- David Pauling, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel - Sutro Biopharma, Inc.
- Rachel Senturia, Head of Intellectual Property - Arc Institute
Public Disclosures and Patent Risks: US vs EP Perspectives | 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Sponsored By:
Mandatory disclosures, such as clinical trial postings, can complicate obtaining patent rights. This panel will examine how public disclosures impact patentability, comparing US and Europe’s provisions requiring disclosure and implications on prosecution. Panelists will share strategies to help navigating obtaining IP protection, and attendees will learn how to manage disclosure timing, minimize risk, and safeguard innovation across jurisdictions.
Moderator:
- Anita Spieth, Practice Group Leader – Intellectual Property Litigation, Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP
Speakers:
- Stephanie Schonewald, Partner - Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP
- Mark Chapman, Partner, Carpmaels & Ransford
Evolving Standards for Patent Eligibility in Life Sciences | 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Sponsored By:
The panel will review the ever-changing caselaw of patentable subject matter eligibility in the life sciences space, including the areas of naturally occurring compositions, methods of use, and diagnostics. Additionally, we will explore the USPTO’s recently evolving perspective on subject matter eligibility, and potential legislation addressing the issue. The panel will attempt to tease out some practical guidance and perspectives for the future in this historically muddy area of law.
Moderator:
Ryan Johnson, Partner, Litigation – Fenwick
Speakers:
- Laura Moran, Partner, Litigation - Fenwick
- Keith Jurek, Senior Patent Counsel - GRAIL
- Theodore Lopez, Director Global Intellectual Property - iRhythm Technologies, Inc
Lunch Fireside Chat: How to Work with Academics in IP Policy Research | 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Join us for a special lunch Fireside Chat with Emily Michiko Morris and Jonathan Barnett as they explore the evolving landscape of academic intellectual property (IP) policy research. This discussion will examine the networks and groups shaping this field, their impact on policymaking, and how their work intersects with biopharma. Panelists will share insights into both the opportunities and challenges of engaging with academic researchers, including strategies for fostering collaboration and sparking interest from academia as well as initiatives such as IPPI and EIRA that are helping shape the conversation.
Moderator:
Tom Stoll, Director of Federal Government Affairs - Genentech
Speakers:
- Emily Michiko Morris, David. L. Brennan Endowed Chair, Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law & Technology - University of Akron School of Law
- Jonathan Barnett, Torrey H. Webb Professor of Law - USC Gould School of Law
Antibody Inventions: The Life and Times of the Genus Claim | 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM
Sponsored by:
After years of litigation in District Courts and the PTAB, has the available scope of patent claims to antibody inventions been settled? What is the scope of genus claims? Are there other ways to claim antibody inventions? We will discuss both how we ended up here, and what strategies lie ahead.
Moderator:
- Matthew Pearson, Partner - Akin
Speakers:
- Gautam Prakash, Associate Vice President, Intellectual Property Policy and Advocacy - Eli Lilly
- Jane Xia, Assistant General Counsel Patents - Johnson & Johnson
BPCIA Litigation Update: Key Cases, Trends, and Takeaways from 2024–2025 | 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Sponsored by:
The biologics and biosimilars space continues to evolve, with ongoing litigation shaping strategic decisions for both originators and biosimilar developers. This panel will explore emerging legal challenges under the BPCIA, offering practical insights to refine your litigation approach. Stay ahead of the curve with timely updates and expert guidance in this dynamic legal arena.
Moderator:
- Geoff Biegler, Partner - Cooley LLC
Speaker:
- Carlos Garcia, J.D. PhD., Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property & Litigation - Amgen
- Daniel Knauss, Partner - Cooley
Using AI In Patent Practice: Practical and Ethical Issues | 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM
Sponsored by:
This session would address the following topics:
• The impact of AI on the patent profession – should AI be viewed as a technology that will replace or augment the work of patent practitioners?
• A review of AI patent prosecution and research tools that are currently available.
• Ethical obligations and considerations for using AI.
• Lessons learned – practitioner missteps with the use of AI.
Moderator:
- Donald Zuhn, Partner - McDonnel Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP
Speaker:
- Joshua Rich, Partner - Lippes Mathias
- Ann McCrackin, Adjunct - UNH Franklin Pierce
- Aaron Gin, PhD, Partner - McDonnel Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP
How to Talk to Policymakers about Biopharma Patent Portfolios: A Conversation Under Chatham House Rules | 10:00 AM - 11:15 PM
We have all heard it: Biopharma companies are said to procure too many patents, and as a result competition, innovation, and public health are suffering. Is it really true that companies are getting hundreds of patents for no reason other than to overwhelm would-be competitors with massive lawfare, thereby extending lucrative drug monopolies for upwards of 40 years? How to respond to such well-rehearsed narratives? During this session, “working conversation” style, we plan to draw on the diverse experience of our meeting attendees – prosecution, portfolio development, licensing, enforcement and litigation – for a more realistic appraisal of some commonly-criticized biopharmaceutical patenting practices. We will show data about so-called patent thickets and evergreening, and summarize recent pending bills that purport to address such supposed abuses. But most importantly, we will solicit your perspectives on how we as an industry should engage with policymakers to set the record on drug patents straight.
Speaker: This panel discussion will be led by various industry leaders.