EPO Month at CLA – October 2025

The California Lawyers Association is proud to present a four-part webinar series this October featuring distinguished speakers from the European Patent Office (EPO), its Boards of Appeal, and the Unified Patent Court (UPC).

In each session, European speakers will be joined by a U.S. practitioner to explore recent developments in European patent law—through the lens of what matters most to U.S. applicants, drafters, and litigators. These conversations will bridge jurisdictions and provide practical insights for cross-border IP strategy.

Whether you’re a U.S. patent attorney aiming to sharpen your EPO drafting strategy, an in-house counsel navigating global prosecution, or simply interested in the latest developments in European patent law, this series offers valuable insights tailored to your practice. Each program features EPO insiders and seasoned U.S. moderators for conversations designed with U.S. stakeholders in mind.

Event 1 – “Be Clear, Be Technical, and Directly, Unambiguously Derivable”
Date: October 2, 2025 | 9:00 am PDT / 6:00 pm CET
Speaker: Gerry Van Dooren, Director, Healthcare Technology, EPO
Moderator: Linda Huber, Partner, Nixon Peabody (Los Angeles)
Focus on EPO expectations for clarity, technical effect, and added matter. U.S.-EPO drafting friction points will be explored during the moderated Q&A.

Event 2 – “Got Technical Character?”
Date: October 9, 2025 | 9:00 am PDT / 6:00 pm CET
Speakers: Magdalena Kolasa and Emmanouil Rovilos, EPO
Moderator: Ian Schick, Patent Attorney and CEO, Paximal (Los Angeles)
An overview of AI/software patenting at the EPO, including claim strategy and technical character. Discussion will center on what U.S. filers need to know now.

Event 3 – “G1/24, AI Inventions, and So Much More”
Date: October 16, 2025 | 9:00 am PDT / 6:00 pm CET
Speakers: Dr. Martin Müller and Aurélie Jimenez, Boards of Appeal, EPO
Moderator: Ken Weatherwax, Founding Partner, Lowenstein & Weatherwax LLP (Los Angeles)
The Boards of Appeal will unpack G1/24, AI case law, and other key developments. U.S.-EPO claim interpretation differences will be part of the discussion.

Event 4 – “Two Years of the UPC and Counting”
Date: October 23, 2025 | Time TBC
Speakers: Judge Camille Lignières (Presiding Judge, Paris Local Division, UPC) and Judge Elisabetta Papa (Technical Judge, UPC)
Moderator: Valerie Ho, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig (Los Angeles)
This session will review early UPC jurisprudence and practical takeaways for international enforcement strategy, with U.S. counsel moderating the conversation.

Format & Access

• 20–25 minute presentations
• Moderated fireside chats + audience Q&A
• CLE-eligible recordings via CLA’s InReach portal

Registration opens soon. Stay tuned for details via CLA’s website and future issues of Inevitable Disclosure.