He’s back! Those of you who attended last year’s AUTM Annual Meeting (AM) will surely remember just how articulate and witty Judge Rader was during the Mock Oral Arguments segment that was run at the joint AUTM-Licensing Executives Society (LES) session in Anaheim. Let’s face it—hearing about the ins and outs of even the “hottest” patent court case can be rather dull for non-attorneys. Sometimes when I hear someone say “Bilski,” “Stanford v. Roche” or “Prometheus” I have to suppress the urge to scream. But I digress. Anyway I found myself strangely attentive and engaged during Judge Rader’s session last year—in fact I think I even understood the nuances and legal implications of the case thanks to the straightforward, never oversimplified explanations and clever comments provided by Judge Rader and the other expert panelists.
The honorable Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals is an impressive person. After more than two decades on the bench it is believed that Judge Rader has taught patent law to more law students than any other person ever. Despite a busy docket and extensive administrative duties as the Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Rader continues to frequently travel the world teaching and lecturing on intellectual property matters. In his free time the honorable Chief Judge plays in a rock band called DeNovo — he is the lead vocalist and he also plays the tambourine (I swear I am not making this up….do a Google search). Apparently Judge Rader had a really good time at the 2012 AUTM AM (we are a fun group) and so he has graciously accepted our invitation to serve as our 2013 Fireside Chat speaker. Sitting next to Judge Rader in a matching oversized comfy chair will be incoming AUTM President Sean Flanigan. Unfortunately there will be no fireplace but the chairs are very nice. As an added bonus it is my understanding that no PowerPoint slides will be used during this session.
Judge Rader has also been an innovator in the courtroom. He has advocated for several significant changes to how patent ligation cases are handled. For example the Federal Circuit now has a new model for e-discovery—this new process will reduce costs and streamline the discovery process. In addition the Judge has some provocative and insightful ideas on how to deal with the increasing problem with so-called patent trolls and what the Judge calls grasshoppers. What is a grasshopper you ask? Join incoming AUTM President Sean Flanigan at the Fireside Chat to find out! Don't forget, the Fireside Chat takes place Wednesday, February 27 at 6 p.m.