PTAB Bar Association Releases "Women at the PTAB," "Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials," and "Top Diverse Practitioners in PTAB Trials" Reports - March 21, 2025
Today, the PTAB Bar Association proudly announces the release of its third "Women at the PTAB" report, the third "Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials" list, and the inaugural "Top Diverse Practitioners in PTAB Trials" list. The "Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials" recognizes the fifty most active women practitioners before the PTAB as of December 2024.
The "Women at the PTAB" report, prepared by the Association’s Women’s Committee, analyzes statistics for women practitioners appearing in PTAB trials, including trends since the PTAB's inception in 2012. Only 13% of total PTAB attorney appearances were women as of the end of 2024, although 30% of the PTAB’s judges, 34% of the Federal Courts of Appeals, and nearly half of the Federal Circuit’s active judges are women (Paul R. Gugliuzza & Rachel Rebouche, Gender Inequality in Patent Litigation, 100 N.C. L. Rev. 1683 at 1692, 1707, 1727). The report compares statistics for patent owners vs. petitioners, different technical fields, and the top 100 law firms and companies participating in PTAB proceedings. For patent owners, women make up 9% of total attorney appearances, while women make up 15% of attorney appearances for petitioners. The report finds that the percentage of women varies across technical fields, from 27% in biotech to 10% in semiconductors, with some fields still above average at 16% (mechanical) or average at 13% (computer science). Four of the top 100 parties appearing before the PTAB have never had a woman represent them in over twelve years. Additionally, 1,752 of the 2,000+ firms and entities appearing in PTAB post-grant proceedings have never had a woman appear for them. The study also identifies several suggested next steps for law firms and companies to encourage the participation of women in PTAB practice. All statistics in the "Women at the PTAB" report were generated using an electronic database search that automatically identifies the gender of attorneys through an algorithm.
The Association’s Diversity Committee is also pleased to present its inaugural Top Diverse Practitioners report. A dedicated team of volunteers contacted 130 law firms to identify the top diverse practitioners appearing before the PTAB. For the purposes of the report, "diverse" refers to individuals who identify as members of underrepresented racial/ethnic groups (Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino; Asian or Pacific Islander; Arab-American or Middle Easterner; American Indian or Alaskan Native); individuals who identify as female or nonbinary; first-generation college graduates; LGBTQ+ individuals; individuals with disabilities; and military veterans. Note that this report is based on individuals opting to be recognized as diverse. Overall, the Diversity Report recognized 137 individuals who have made twenty or more appearances before the PTAB.
About the PTAB Bar Association
The PTAB Bar Association is a voluntary bar association of over 700 members, most of whom are in private and corporate practice. Members represent a broad spectrum of individuals, companies, and institutions involved in practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (“USPTO”) and in patent, administrative, and appellate law more generally. The Association is dedicated to helping secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive resolution of every PTAB proceeding, and serves as an avenue for constructive dialogue between the bar community, the PTAB, and other stakeholders.
Contact:
Lily Rin-Laures, President
Megan Raymond, President-elect
presscontact@ptabbar.org
