Conference Sessions Summary

Monday, October 17, 2022

• Keynote Address:  Randy J. Curato --  Beat The Odds — Don't Roll The Dice On Docketing

•  Karin Reed --   Owning the Room (Virtual Presentation)

Despite the pandemic forcing a rapid adoption of video collaboration technology, most people still do not feel comfortable or confident speaking through a webcam… sometimes opting to not even turn it on. For those who do turn the camera on, many are making minor but important mistakes which are magnified through the lens. During “Owning the Zoom Room,” video communication expert and thought leader Karin Reed will empower people to exude “presence” when communicating and presenting virtually.

• Joy Baldridge -- Going from the “New Normal” to the “Next Normal”   

Joy Baldridge will walk us through how to handle anything with success and less stress. Through a mindset of adaptability, she will explore substantive ways to better handle adversity and return even stronger and how to tackle obstacles. Participants will be left feeling motivated and inspired.

• IP and Lit Round Robin

Brief Overview of Session: Network and interact with other members for a 90 minute session.

IP Track

• The Patent Center and How It Impacts YOU
• 2022 Best Practices in Hiring in the New World  Order

Litigation Track

• Communicating What Your Docketing Team Does and What You Deliver (exploring the concept of branding)
• Audit Trail and QC Practices

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Litigation Track

• U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit Overview

Susan Gelmis

Susan will present an overview from the inside of case processing and caseload data in the Ninth Circuit. She will discuss recent and upcoming changes to rules, practices, and forms, and she will provide a guide to resources, filing tips and avoiding common filing mistakes.

• Central District Court of California Help Desk Tips — IT Developments in Federal Court. How to Make Sure your Documents Don’t Get Rejected

Sarah Walsh and Nancy Hackney

Nancy and Sarah will provide tips and suggestions as to what parameters the court sets when reviewing documents that produce notice of deficiencies. The parameters that will be discussed will range from commencement of an action through trial.

• Building Your Lit Docket Brand
  

Bradley Small, Esq. and Mary Beaudrow

Your brand is your reputation. Mary and Bradley will present an interactive presentation on how to build your brand. Their goal is to help individuals better understand what their individual and department brands are and how they can build on those brands. Participants will walk away with a better understanding and a plan of action moving forward and what they can do once they have built their brand. Audience participation will be heavily encouraged.

• Handling Formula Based Dates — Less is More

Alan O’Hair

• Lit — Designing, Implementing & Leveraging a Docket Quality Control Program

Sarah Frey, Esq., Alison Ladd, Esq. and Han Lee, Esq.

Risk management is important for all organizations now. Navigating a docketing team through the larger, strategic conversation within your organization can be difficult. Combining this difficulty with the daily responsibilities and stress of a docketing department can be overwhelming. Sidley has developed an auditing procedure that gives the professionals in the docketing department quality control feedback helping to reduce the risk and stress of making docketing errors. This session will cover how to design, implement and leverage a docket quality control program.

• What’s Happening at the USPTO and Why You Need to Know

Mollybeth Kocialski

Mollybeth Kocialski, the Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional USPTO, will deliver remarks on the latest metrics at the USPTO, updates on patent procedure and law, and how the USPTO has advanced since the beginning of the pandemic.

• USPTO Examiner Roundtable — Stakeholder Training on Examination Practice and Procedure

David Le, Sarah Alawadi and Julie Brocketti

David, Sarah and Julie will make up an Examiner roundtable with David moderating. This session will be an interactive Q&A session wherein the attendees can personally ask examiners questions on procedure, docketing and the law.

• Trademark Audits and Updates

Jason Blair, Esq.

Jason will provide insight to attendees as a previous trademark examiner on updated practice on trademark examination, the increase in random audits in the examination proceedings, and updates on trademark procedure and law, and how the Trademark Office has adapted since the beginning of the pandemic.

• Public PAIR Retirement/Patent Center (panel discussion)
  

Kristin Bigelow and Allyson Campbell

Kristin and Allyson will lead a discussion of the new USPTO Patent Center, what’s new in Forms, updates to the search screens, filing drawings in DocX, and known issues and work-arounds in the Patent Center, to name a few.

• IP — Designing, Implementing & Leveraging a Docket Quality Control Program (panel discussion)

Lori Martin, Phil Thomson and Kelly Whitfield

Lori, Phil and Kelly will focus attention on discussing best practices for quality control procedures, audit trails, adaptions made during the pandemic, and what, if  anything, bars you from implementing best practices in a Quality Control program.