Wilson Sonsini is proud to support the PTAB Masters™ 2026 program presented by IPWatchdog®. This year’s event will focus on what has been a tumultuous year for the Patent and Trial Appeal Board (PTAB), with changes that many in the industry feel have swung to favor patent owners at the expense of petitioners. The discussions will tackle the new processing of PTAB filings, the current state of day-to-day practice at the PTAB, winning arguments and best practices for petitioners to prevail on institution, how patent owners can effectively present discretionary denial arguments, the likelihood of legislative and regulatory changes to PTAB practice, and major decisions by both the PTAB and the Federal Circuit.

Wilson Sonsini senior counsel Richard Torczon will speak on a panel titled “CAFC Review of the PTAB: Mandamus, Recent Rulings, Emerging Trends” at 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday, January 30. The panel will walk through the surge in mandamus challenges targeting discretionary denial and examine Federal Circuit decisions to date on the issue as well as provide a breakdown of the rulings that matter. The panelists will also map out the broader trendlines—including increased scrutiny of procedural shortcuts, demand for transparent reasoning, and judicial impatience with policy swings that lack statutory grounding.