2016 marked the fourth anniversary of the America Invents Act (AIA). The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) was once again the forum of choice for challenging patentability of claims, surpassing the Eastern District of Texas as the #1 venue for patent disputes. 2016 also marked the launch of the PTAB Bar Association, the first national bar association of its kind to form in more than 30 years. The PTAB Bar Association intends to establish best practices for the unique skills required to practice before the PTAB. More than 45 law firms joined to form the association, which will host its inaugural conference in 2017.

Fish’s 2016 Post-Grant Report examines significant case law and decisions before the PTAB and the Federal Circuit as well as trends and statistics from the past year. It also reviews the new rules for post-grant proceedings and takes a closer look at the biopharma industry and its use of inter partes review in patent disputes.