The health care and life sciences sector is entering a period of accelerated transformation shaped by new technologies, shifting regulatory frameworks, and evolving market demands. Foley & Lardner LLP's "Health Care & Life Sciences Top Trends for 2026" provides timely insights into how organizations can capitalize on emerging opportunities while navigating a complex environment of heightened enforcement, policy uncertainty, and rapid innovation. The report surveys enforcement priorities under President Trump's second administration, developments in [...]

Since the introduction of the new bifurcated scheme for director review, the Office has identified "changes in the law" as a potential reason an IPR might be referred for a decision rather than discretionarily denied, but has not issued any decisions actually relying on this factor—until now. Director Squires' decision in Top Glory Trading Group Inc. and DP Dream Pairs Inc. v. Cole Haan LLC, IPR2025-01395, Paper 18 (USPTO Jan. 12, 2026), designated as informative the [...]

The recent Inline Plastics v. Lacerta decision underscores a critical point for patent owners: failure to correctly identify all inventors can lead to a finding of inequitable conduct and render entire patents – or even entire patent families – unenforceable. Background Inline Plastics, a Connecticut-based manufacturer of tamper-evident food containers, faced a major setback involving its Safe-T-Fresh product line. These containers, protected by five U.S. patents, feature an innovative tear strip integrated into the hinge that signals [...]