2026 USPTO Dinner and Discussion

The "2026 USPTO Dinner and Discussion" is an event organized by the Connecticut Intellectual Property Law Association (CIPLA) to provide updates on activities at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Scheduled for September 16, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Elm City Club, the event features Deputy Chief Judge Michelle Ankenbrand of the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) as the keynote speaker. Judge Ankenbrand will discuss recent administrative changes at the USPTO, including pilot programs, updates to examining procedures, and changes in the processing of documents at the PTO/PTAB. She will also address discretionary review by the director in instituting Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs) or overturning appeal decisions, as well as recently identified precedential decisions and their implications.