Banner Witcoff’s Laura Brutman participated in the 40th Annual Meeting of the US Bar-European Patent Office (EPO) Liaison Council. Laura, who currently serves as Chair of the Council, will continue in this role through 2025.
The delegation’s trip began with a visit to the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Local Division in Munich. There, the group met with Presiding Judge Dr. Matthias Zigann, gaining insights into the Court’s processes. The visit included an opportunity to observe a portion of a preliminary injunction hearing.
The delegation also met with the Enlarged Boards of Appeal (BoA) of the EPO. Judges from the Technical Board of Appeal gave presentations on topics such as the relationship between the EPO Boards of Appeal and the UPC, UPC approaches as compared to the BoA, Enlarged BoA pending cases, artificial intelligence, and quality metrics at the BoA.
At the EPO, President Antonio Campinos gave an address highlighting filing trends and measures to improve access to the patent system. EPO representatives provided updates on key developments, including in-depth presentations on quality, the Unified Patent Court, and ongoing efforts to harmonize patent practices. The EPO also shared valuable guidance tailored to U.S. applicants to improve the quality of their European patent applications.
This trip underscores the Council’s commitment to exchange ideas and information between U.S. practitioners and the EPO.
You can read more about this event by clicking here.
