In this issue: Behind the Scenes at the USPTO: Accounting for the Supervisory Patent Examiner; Ninth Circuit Scales Back Dilution Standard; and Joint Actors Granted Immunity From Infringing Poorly Drafted Claims, For Now; En Banc Review Granted.

Welcome to the Summer issue of our Intellectual Property Quarterly Newsletter. We are pleased to announce that earlier this month we were recognized as a nominee for The Chambers USA Award for Excellence in the area of IP. This award is based on research for the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and reflects a law firm’s preeminence in key practice areas. We thank you, our readers and clients, for trusting us with your intellectual property matters that resulted in this recognition.

In this issue of our IP Quarterly Newsletter, we examine current topics involving patent and trademark law, including a behind-the-scenes look at the examination structure and process at the United States Patent and Trademark Office; how the dilution standard has been scaled back by the Ninth Circuit in Levi Strauss & Co. v. Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Co.; and two Federal Circuit cases that triggered a pending en banc review of the standard for joint infringement of patent method claims.

Additionally, it appears that Congress may pass some form of patent reform legislation this term, and we’ve been tracking its status through a number of client alerts. Be on the lookout for future alerts, seminars, and webinars as we continue to monitor developments in this legislation.