Covington’s Patent Office Trials practice draws upon the expertise of two former high-ranking Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Administrative Patent Judges, the firm’s deep bench of patent litigators with expertise in complex, multi-forum patent disputes and appeals, and Covington’s long history of success in reexamination proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). No other PTAB trial team offers Covington's combination of experienced PTAB litigators and PTAB insiders.
Covington has handled over 200 America Invents Act (AIA) proceedings at the PTAB for petitioners and patent owners, with a strong track record of success from institution through final decision. Covington attorneys represent clients in all fields of technology, and regularly advise clients on combined litigation and PTAB strategies.
The practice is led by Scott Weidenfeller and David Garr in Washington, and Peter Chen in Palo Alto. Scott is a former Vice Chief Administrative Patent Judge, where he had significant responsibility for developing, implementing, and communicating Board policy. Previously, Scott served as Senior Counsel at the PTO’s Office of the Solicitor, with primary responsibility for managing the agency’s AIA-focused litigation. Peter is also a former Lead Administrative Patent Judge, as well as a first-chair patent litigator with over three decades of trial experience. He presided over more than 200 AIA proceedings while serving as a PTAB at the West Coast Regional Office of the PTO. Mr. Garr is an experienced patent litigator who has handled over 75 AIA proceedings, and specializes in complex patent disputes spanning the PTO, U.S. District Courts, and the ITC.
This unique combination of Patent Office and litigation talent, on both the East and West Coasts, puts Covington’s clients in position to successfully undertake Inter Partes Review (IPR), Post Grant Review (PGR), and Covered Business Review (CBM) proceedings, while efficiently managing simultaneous litigation.
Back
