PTAB urges law firms to include more women on trial teams

Of the top 500 firms appearing in most proceedings before the  US Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), women make up half of the total attorney appearances at just 17 firms, according to a new report.

The  report, released by the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s  Bar Association on Thursday, November 14, urged law firms to include more women on PTAB trial teams.

Prepared by the Association’s Women’s Committee, the report details statistics for female practitioners appearing in PTAB trials, including statistics for law firms and companies participating in PTAB proceedings.

The report found that in the top 100 firms by number of PTAB proceedings in the semiconductor and computer science industries, women attorneys make up just 8% of the attorneys appearing before the appeals board.

While statistics indicate 20-30% of registered patent attorneys are women, more than 1,300 of the 1,800 firms and entities appearing in PTAB proceedings have never had a woman appear for them, the report found. In total, women made up just 10% of all attorney appearances.

The committee also outlines some challenges and a “call to action” for the country’s law firms.

It urged law firms to include more women on PTAB trial teams and improve year-on-year averages for this by at least 1%.

It also asked firms to identify at least one more woman for her first speaking role in a PTAB proceedings, whether that be in a telephone hearing, oral argument or deposition.

Additionally, the association asked each firm to send one more woman to the PTAB Bar Association Annual Meeting than it did last year.

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