Baker Botts lawyers Michael Knierim, Robert Maier, Kurt Pankratz and Margaret Welsh spoke during Session Two of the third seminar co-hosted with FTI Consulting. They discussed the major changes and trends in U.S. patent disputes that have been observed in the second Trump administration over the past few months, as well as the following key changes and challenges:

• Changes in PTAB and Trends in Inter Partes Review Procedures (IPRs) (Invalidation Trials)
• Background of these changes leading to an increase in appraisal reexamination (EPR) petitions in some cases
• Trends in third-party litigation funding and the spread of a favorable environment for patentees, resulting in an increase in the number of patent lawsuits and trials and damages
• Growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools as a means of enforcing and defending patent rights