Banner Witcoff

Banner Witcoff, a national intellectual property law firm that procures, enforces, and litigates intellectual property rights throughout the world, welcomes Abraham J. Varon and Qi Yu as associate attorneys to its Chicago office.  Abraham J. Varon brings a diversified practice within patent litigation. Before joining Banner Witcoff, AJ worked as an associate at a Chicago-based intellectual property boutique.  There,…

By Shawn Buchanan and John Peloquin So, what’s new at the PTAB? Disqualifying prior art for being inventor’s own work, public accessibility of software, interpretation of claimed ranges, and more! In Differences, Find Similarity. Bluebird bio,Inc. v. Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, IPR2023-00070, Paper 49 (April 22, 2024) (Snedden, joined by Worth and Hardman)…

Banner Witcoff is ranked No. 1 on Juristat’s 2024 list of Top Firms for Design Patents.  According to Juristat, firms are evaluated on three key metrics:  Filing volume,  Allowance rate, and  Average office actions to allowance Juristat is a software company that utilizes USPTO data to analyze patent examiners’ past behaviors, allowing attorneys to accurately predict their future behaviors.…

Banner Witcoff recognizes Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month and celebrates the stories of four notable AANHPI inventors whose contributions have profoundly shaped our lives. An Wang An Wang was a prominent inventor and entrepreneur known for inventing magnetic core memory, a critical component of early computers. He earned a bachelor’s…

By Jordan Bodner and Craig Kronenthal So, what’s new at the PTAB? Mental process steps combined with practical application patentable under 35 § USC 101, delaying the filing of an IPR until after the PGR deadline, the need for corroborating evidence in support of provisional application drafting, and more! Rock-solid concept. DynaEnergetics Europe GmbH v.…

By Justin Philpott Are you among the growing population of electric vehicle (EV) drivers? Within that segment, are you among the increasing proportion of EV drivers that have experienced the frustration of attempting to charge their non-Tesla EV at broken, busy, and poor performing charging stations not emblazoned with those five recognizable, red letters atop?…

The attorneys and staff of Banner Witcoff are saddened by the recent passing of John Harris Curry. John joined the firm as an attorney in its Washington DC office in 2017 and was a valued member of the electrical and computer engineering practice. Prior to joining the firm, John worked as a patent examiner at…

Banner Witcoff remembers our friend and colleague Ken Smolik, who passed away on March 31, 2024. Ken joined the firm as a patent agent in 2001 and was a valuable member of the electrical and computer engineering practice. Ken earned a B.S., with highest honors, and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois.…

Banner Witcoff is sponsoring the 2024 Innovations in Climate Resilience (ICR) Conference in Washington, D.C., from April 22-24. ICR’s mission, according to its website, is to “bring together the world’s brightest minds to solve the greatest challenge of our time.” This year’s theme, “Solutions For Scaling Change,” will include sessions on achieving rapid carbon neutrality,…