
USPTO Examination Policy Shifts Under Current Leadership
How changes to examination policies and procedures are affecting prosecution and patent quality.
This discussion will cover the recent changes to examination policies at the USPTO and how patent prosecution strategies are adapting to these changes. We will further consider how an increased emphasis on examination efficiency may affect patent quality and future validity outcomes.
- Presenter: Christopher K. Brunnquell, Associate, Foley & Lardner, LLP
- Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026
- Time: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. networking and heavy appetizers, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. presentation
- Location: Foley & Lardner, LLP, 11988 El Camino Real, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92130
This presentation will qualify for 1 hour of CLE credit.
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Speaker Bio
Christopher Brunnquell assists organizations with patent preparation and prosecution, product clearance, freedom-to-operate analysis, and infringement and validity analysis. Chris has also supported litigation matters, including conducting research, drafting claim charts, and brief drafting. He is a member of the Mechanical & Electromechanical Technologies Practice Group.
Chris has prepared and prosecuted patent applications in a wide variety of technical fields, including fuel cell technology, medical devices, aerospace, construction equipment, solar energy, outdoor power equipment, power plant control systems, inkjet and laserjet printing technology, building automation, financial services technologies, photoluminescent aircraft markers, and sustainable building materials.
In law school, Chris co-wrote an appeal brief on behalf of a client of Northwestern Law School’s Center on Wrongful Convictions leading to the overturning of his murder conviction and his release from prison. Chris was the director of development of the Northwestern Intellectual Property Law Society and executive articles editor of the Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property.