Expert Analysis

• Patent Lessons From 4 Federal Circuit Reversals In September

  

  Cases that were reversed or vacated by the Federal Circuit last month provide helpful clarity on collateral estoppel, patent eligibility, construction of claim terms that have different boundaries across different claims, and the role of courts as neutral arbiter, say attorneys at Bunsow De Mory.

• Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

  

  Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

• Lessons For Municipalities Facing Cyberattacks

  

  With municipal IT teams facing the daunting task of keeping agencies operational while safeguarding sensitive government data, including residents' and employees' personally identifiable information, there are steps a municipality can take to guard against a major cyberattack, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• New Export Control Guidance Raises The Stakes For Banks

  

  Recent guidance from the Bureau of Industry and Security alerts banks that they could be liable for facilitating export control violations, the latest example of regulators articulating the expectation that both financial institutions and corporations serve as gatekeepers to mitigate crime and aid enforcement efforts, say attorneys at Freshfields.

• Opinion

  Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

  

  The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

• The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

  

  The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

• Fed. Circ. Ruling May Signal Software Patent Landscape Shift

  

  The Federal Circuit's recent ruling in Broadband iTV, despite similarities to past decisions, chose to rely on prior cases finding patent-ineligible claims directed to receiving and displaying information, which may undermine one of the few areas of perceived predictability in the patent eligibility landscape, say attorneys at King & Wood.

• How 2 Proposed Bills Could Transform Patent Law

  

  The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act and the Prevail Act may come up for vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee after the election, and both offer benefits and challenges for inventors and companies seeking to obtain patents, says Philip Nelson at Knobbe Martens.

• Series

  Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

• Budding Lessons From Landmark Plant Seed Patent Battle

  

  The Corteva v. Inari case involving intellectual property rights in genetically modified plants is now proceeding through discovery and potentially to trial, and will raise critical questions that could have a major impact on the agriculture technology industry, say Tate Tischner and Andrew Zappia at Troutman Pepper.

• GAO Decision Offers Insights On Verifying TAA Compliance

  

  The U.S. Government Accountability Office's August decision in Matter of: HPI Federal LLC serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying Trade Agreements Act compliance — and of understanding the parameters of an agency's acceptance of an offeror's TAA representation, say Amy Hoang and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth.

• 6 Tips For Cos. Facing Service Provider Cyber Incidents

  

  When a third-party service provider experiences a cybersecurity incident, businesses may wonder if their information is compromised and if their systems are safe, but there are certain steps that can help businesses prepare for and respond to targeted attacks on vendors, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

• Unpacking State AG Approaches To Digital Asset Enforcement

  

  Attorneys at Cozen O'Connor survey recent digital asset enforcement by attorneys general nationwide driven by concerns over regulatory gaps where technological developments and market changes have outpaced legislation.

• Opinion

  Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

  

  With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

• Opinion

  Bring Back Patent Models To Shut Down The Patent Trolls

  

  By reintroducing the requirement that inventors submit a miniature working model of their inventions along with their patent, legislators could help to deter patent trolls, reduce frivolous litigation and support legitimate inventors in protecting their innovations, says Darin Gibby at Kilpatrick.