Finnegan’s Arner Prepares to Argue PTAB-Reviewed Case

Inside Counsel’s “Women, Influence & Power in Law Network: Power Plays” column highlights significant litigation wins and major deals that have involved women partners. In August 2014, the publication highlighted Finnegan partner Erika Arner for her involvement in the SAP v. Versata Software case.

In June 2013, the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) ruled in favor of Finnegan client SAP against Versata Software, citing that Versata’s patent claims for a method for pricing products and services were invalid. Versata appealed the PTAB’s decision, and in October, Arner will represent SAP before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The case is significant because the ruling was the first of its kind from the PTAB on covered business method (CBM) patents. Although the PTAB is still fairly new, Arner suggests that any company involved in patent litigation consider an appeal to the PTAB as part of its strategy.