PTAB Committees


Committees define the PTAB Bar Association. Their leaders and members work to set and accomplish goals, sometimes spawning additional committees. All members are encouraged to participate in the committees. Below is a list of the current committees and their functions.

Upon signup, members may designate the preferred committees that they would like to join. After signup, members may change their preferences by modifying their account settings. The Association Officers will take all member preferences into account before assigning members to committees, based on demand and to ensure an appropriate distribution of participation across the committees.

Annual Conference Committee


This committee plans the Association’s annual conference and develops and coordinates sponsorship opportunities related to the annual conference. The annual conference committee is aligned with the program committee to coordinate substantive programming, topics, and speakers throughout the year.

Contact us: conference.committee@ptabbar.org

Gene Lee
 
    Usman Khan   Fahd PatelDana Louttit Hon. Janet Gongola    Sarah Geers         Jad Mills       Gilbert Smolenski      
Committee
Co-Chair
Committee
Co-Chair
Committee
Co-Chair, Emeritus
Committee
Vice-Chair
Committee
Vice-Chair
Committee
Vice-Chair
Committee
Vice-Chair
Committee
Vice-Chair
Jad Mills at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati | JD SupraSmolenski_Gilbert

Communications Committee
 

This committee is responsible for the Association’s newsletter, the PTAB RoundUp, the Association’s law journal, and the Association’s social media accounts. It also coordinates with other committees to provide content for the website, prepare communications about Association activities, etc. This committee also ensures the Association uses our logos in a consistent way and that we maintain our brand.

Contact us: comm.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Jonathan Bowser  James SteinJordan RossenJennifer HuangJessica Marks
Committee Chair
  Committee Vice-Chair
(Operations)
 Committee Vice-Chair
(Social Media)
  Committee Vice-Chair
 
Committee Vice-Chair
 

Diversity Committee


This committee encourages diversity of thought and perspective through recruitment and retention of diverse lawyers, agents, and law students, including diversity based on religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, and age for active involvement in the overall mission and leadership of the Association. This committee is expected to coordinate with other committees, including the Membership Committee, Women’s Committee, and the Young Lawyers/Agents Committee.

Contact us: diversity.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Ashley CheungSaurabh GuptaMatthew  Berntsen  Inge OsmanMarshall Schmitt
Committee Co-ChairCommittee Co-Chair Committee Vice-Chair  Committee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-Chair
Inge A. OsmanMarshall Schmitt | Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

Industry Committee
 

This committee is composed of in-house counsel. It meets to discuss and develop PTAB matters of interest to those in industry. It proposes topics and events for the Association’s annual conference and for the Association’s continuing legal education panels.

Contact us: industry.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Brad Waugh Melissa BrandMark TaylorAndrew John ("A.J.") Sutton
 Committee Chair
 Committee Vice-Chair
 Committee Vice-Chair
 
 Committee Vice-Chair

Membership Committee
 

This committee leads membership recruitment and proposes membership dues, categories, and amounts. This committee is expected to coordinate with other committees, including the Women’s Committee, Diversity Committee, and the Young Lawyers/Agents Committee.

Contact us: membership.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Alison BaldwinPhillip CitroenDavid McCombsGwilym AttwellBen Everton
Committee ChairCommittee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-Chair
Gwilym Attwell - Fish & Richardson P. C. | LinkedIn

Program Committee
 

This committee arranges logistics for regional meetings, CLEs, and webinars. It also arranges program speakers and topics, and it develops and coordinates sponsorship opportunities related to these programs. The Program Committee is aligned with the Annual Conference Committee, Industry Committee, PTAB Trials Committee, Committee on Appeals to the PTAB, and Committee on Appeals from the PTAB to coordinate substantive programming and topics, and is expected to coordinate with other committees to identify program speakers throughout the year.

Contact us: program.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Jeremy MonaldoFred MeekerJoel SayresGabrielle HigginsFrank Bernstein
 Committee Chair Committee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-Chair

Committee on Appeals from the PTAB
 

This committee relates to Federal Circuit and Supreme Court review of decisions by the PTAB, including appeals from ex parte appeals, reexaminations, IPR/CBM/PGR trials, derivations, and interferences. It collects and organizes appellate opinions and statistics for cases originating at the PTAB and proposes to the Board of Directors initiatives related to appellate review of PTAB decisions and comments on amicus briefs filed on behalf of the Association. This committee is also expected to coordinate with other committees to help with substantive communications, programs, and other needs that implicate appeals from the PTAB.

Contact us: appealsfrom.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Jihong LouRachel ElsbyTheo FosterLaura Vu
 Committee Chair Committee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-Chair
Laura Vu - Associate - Haynes and Boone, LLP | LinkedIn

Committee on Appeals to the PTAB
 

This committee relates to appeals to the PTAB, including ex parte appeals and reexamination appeals. It proposes to the Board of Directors responses to legislative proposals, modifications to appeal rules and procedures, and comments on amicus briefs that implicate PTAB appeals.  It also collects and organizes ex parte/reexamination appeal statistics and PTAB opinions. This committee is also expected to coordinate with other committees to help with substantive communications, programs, and other needs that implicate appeals to the PTAB.

Contact us: appeals.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Grace KimCourtenay BrinckerhoffLora Green Michael ShepherdMaury Audet
 Committee Chair Committee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-Chair
 

PTAB Trials Committee
 

This committee relates to IPR/CBM/PGR trials, derivations, and interferences. It proposes to the Board of Directors responses to legislative proposals, modifications to trial rules and procedures before the PTAB, and comments on amicus briefs that implicate PTAB trials.  It also collects and organizes PTAB trial statistics and opinions in PTAB trials. This committee is also expected to coordinate with other committees to help with substantive communications, programs, and other needs that implicate PTAB trials.

Contact us: trials.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Brent BabcockAaron BarlowBen HaberMishima AlamJennifer BushDaniel ZeilbergerAngela Oliver
 Committee Chair Committee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-Chair

Women’s Committee
 

This committee develops initiatives to encourage more women to get involved in PTAB practice and in the Association, including in leadership positions. This committee also supports the USPTO’s women’s initiatives including its Network of Executive Women.  This committee is expected to coordinate with other committees, including the Membership Committee, Diversity Committee, and the Young Lawyers/Agents Committee.

Contact us: womens.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Mita ChatterjeeLauren RobinsonJessica KaiserShannon LentzAlice Ho
 Committee Co-Chair Committee Co-ChairCommittee Co-ChairCommittee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-Chair
Lauren Robinson

Young Lawyers and Agents Committee
 

This committee develops programming of interest to young lawyers and patent agents, including networking and mentoring programs. This committee is expected to coordinate with other committees, including the Membership Committee, Diversity Committee, and the Women’s Committee.

Contact us: young.lawyers.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Casey KraningGracie Mills Graham PheroMichael Milea
Committee Co-ChairCommittee Co-ChairCommittee Co-Chair, Emeritus Committee Vice-Chair

Amicus Committee
 

If you would like the PTAB Bar Association to consider filing an amicus brief, please complete the “PTAB Bar Association Request for Amicus Support” form linked here and submit the completed form by e-mail to amicus.committee@ptabbar.org.  In considering whether to submit a request, please understand that the PTAB Bar Association will generally file in support of neither party and will generally take positions that balance the interests of the PTAB Bar Association’s diverse membership, which comprises and represents both petitioners and patent owners.  To ensure enough time to retain counsel and draft the brief, we request that amicus requests be submitted at least six weeks (and preferably eight weeks) before the amicus filing deadline.

Contact us: amicus.committee@ptabbar.org
 
Jason StachSara Tonnies Horton
Committee ChairCommittee Vice-Chair

Technology Committee

This committee is in charge of developing and updating the PTAB Bar Association's website and addressing all other technology requirements of the Association. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you would like to request edits to the Association's website or have any other technology-related requests.

Contact us: technology@ptabbar.org
 
Kevin McNishJosh GriswoldRick BiseniusCraig Deutsch
Committee Chair Committee Vice-Chair Committee Vice-ChairCommittee Vice-Chair