Subject Matter Eligibility for Mechanical Patents: Implications of American Axle, Abstractness, and Laws of Nature

Mr. Christensen’s IP practice focuses on assisting clients in protecting their inventions in both U.S. and foreign patent offices in a variety of technical fields, including optics, additive manufacturing, aerospace systems, consumer and industrial products, and renewable energy systems. He also has significant experience in assisting clients in developing cost effective strategies for managing risk in their developing of new products, and the building and managing their IP. Mr. Christensen further counsels startup to medium-sized clients in preparing their portfolios for investment financing and associated due diligence activities. He is active in thought leadership, especially related to how technology is changing both manufacturing and legal business operations and regularly presents at webinars and authors articles on a variety of law practice management and IP topics.

Mr. Bahr specializes in all areas of patent practice. He previously served as the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy at the USPTO. During his distinguished career at the USPTO, he was involved in nearly all patent-related rulemaking since 1995. His involvement in patent rulemaking includes the changes to implement the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 and the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. He provided administrative oversight and direction for the activities of the Office of Petitions, Office of Patent Legal Administration, Office of Patent Quality Assurance, Central Reexamination Unit, and Manual of Patent Examining Procedure staff during his tenure at the USPTO.

Mr. Watts is responsible for planning and implementing Ranking Member Thom Tillis and the Republican minority’s legislative portfolio on all aspects of intellectual property law. He previously served as Majority Chief Counsel and Staff Director for the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Intellectual Property in the 116th Congress under then Chairman Thom Tillis. As Majority Chief Counsel, Mr. Watts was responsible for planning and implementing then Chairman Tillis’ legislative and oversight agenda on all aspects of America’s innovation economy. During his tenure as Majority Chief Counsel, the Subcommittee held over seventeen legislative and oversight hearings and multiple staff briefings on intellectual property issues ranging from the state of patent eligibility law in America to reforming the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Under Mr. Watts' leadership, the Subcommittee passed the CASE Act, the Trademark Modernization Act, and the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act, three landmark bills that collectively represent the largest changes to intellectual property law since the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act.  Prior to his appointment as the Subcommittee’s Majority Chief Counsel, he had served as Chief Counsel in Senator Thom Tillis’ (R-N.C.) personal office. Earlier in Mr. Watts' career he spent two years serving as Chief Immigration Counsel to then Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA). He began his career with then Senator Jeff Sessions as a Legislative Counsel on the Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest, handling civil rights and civil liberties law, general tort law, bankruptcy, telecommunications, and intellectual property issues for the Senator.