Tuesday, May 6

Host	Workshop Title	Time	Location	Cost
Minesoft	Mastering Patent Research: Advanced Search Strategies and Practical Tips for Optimal Results	4:00 - 5:00 pm	Edison D	Free to Annual Conf. Registrants

Wednesday, May 7 - Workshop Day

Host	Workshop Title	Time	Location	Cost
PIUG	Breakfast and Registration	8:00 - 9:00 am	ABC
CAS	New Capabilities from CAS	9:00 - 10 am	Edison D	Free to Annual Conf. Registrants
PIUG	Networking Break	10:00 - 10:15	ABC
BizInt	Building integrated IP Reports and Visualizations	10:15 - 11:15 am	Edison D	Free to Annual Conf. Registrants
	Networking Break	11:15 - 11:30 pm	ABC
Clarivate	AI That Knows IP: How Human-Authored Patent Summaries Unlock the Power of AI for Patent Specific Use cases	11:30 pm - 12:30 pm	Edison D	Free to Annual Conf. Registrants
PIUG	Networking Lunch	12:30 - 1:30 pm	ABC
USPTO	CPC Classification: Best Practices	1:30 - 2:30 pm	Edison D	Free to Annual Conf. Registrants

Workshop Abstracts and Biographies

PIUG Course - Essential Techniques for Finding Freedom-to-Operate (FTO)

John Zabilski, Chair of the PIUG Education Committee

Abstract

It’s known by several names including Freedom to Practice or a clearance search. Without Freedom to Operate you may not be able to make, use or sell your invention. An FTO search looks for in-force patents in a geographic area of interest to avoid potential infringement. Discover what is required to complete a comprehensive search and identify what is still legally protected to better inform business decisions. This course provides understanding of the fundamental concepts of FTO, identifies essential resources for finding FTO and includes search examples demonstrating suggested approaches for FTO searches. Also learn how to utilize freely accessible resources to determine what is legally in-force such as INPADOC and national patent office registers as well as vendor-based alternatives. Whether you are new to performing FTO searches or more experienced, this course provides focused techniques that save your time and make you more effective in achieving accurate results.

Available live in-person/virtually online or access on-demand afterwards!

Biography

Previously John held several positions for over 40 years at Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), a division of the American Chemical Society (ACS, including indexing (database building), development (database creation), training and consulting on how to search for patent information. John has provided onsite and online training in the agrochemical, biotech, chemical, pharma and polymer areas for many organizations including 3M, AbbVie, Corteva, Dow, Eli Lilly, Lubrizol, P&G, Pfizer and multiple universities. Some of his personal milestones include training at 10 patent offices around the world, contributing to presentations for the WIPO Technology Innovation Support Centers (TISC), and presenting at AALL, ACS, PIUG, SLA and world online meetings including the China Patent Annual Conference in Beijing.

John is a Registered U.S. Patent Agent and a Qualified Patent Information Professional (QPIP).

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The AI Revolution in Patent Intelligence: Unlocking Business-Critical Insights (Frazer Kearl, Sr. Product Manager, Patsnap)

Abstract:

In the era of digital transformation, the ability to extract meaningful insights from patents is a competitive advantage. This session explores how AI-powered digitization—far beyond basic OCR—enables organizations to turn patent documents into strategic assets. We’ll examine real-world applications, from accelerating R&D cycles to strengthening IP strategies, and why Patsnap’s approach outperforms conventional methods. Join us to discover how AI is reshaping the patent landscape and driving smarter business decisions.

Biography:

Frazer Kearl is a Senior Product Manager at Patsnap, specializing in driving product innovation and strategy for IP and R&D professionals. With a background in computational chemistry, he is passionate about developing technology solutions that address real-world challenges and enhance user experiences. At Patsnap, he leads product development initiatives, ensuring alignment with business objectives and market needs while spearheading go-to-market strategies that strengthen brand visibility and market penetration.

Frazer is responsible for shaping a dynamic product roadmap, delivering impactful feature releases, and ensuring that Patsnap’s solutions empower IP and R&D teams to accelerate innovation and make data-driven decisions. His expertise spans product strategy, market analysis, and cross-functional collaboration to drive business growth and customer success.

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Mastering Patent Research: Advanced Search Strategies and Practical Tips for Optimal Results

Andrew Klein, Principal Solution Consultant, Minesoft

Abstract

In today’s rapidly evolving IP industry, leveraging patent analytics and competitive intelligence is essential for making informed strategic decisions. This session will explore how AI tools, custom workflows, and integrated data sources can enhance search and analysis, making them more efficient and targeted. Discover tips and tricks to refine your focus using data and unique workflow solutions, to streamline your research processes and uncover critical insights while minimizing unnecessary complexity.

Biography

As Principal Solution Consultant at Minesoft, Andrew helps corporations and law firms use patent information and analysis to meet their IP goals, innovate faster, and save time and money in the process. He leverages his experience and expertise as a former librarian and patent searcher to help streamline workflows, discuss best practices, and simplify complicated tasks related to prior art, FTO/clearance, company portfolios, due diligence, technology landscaping, competitive intelligence, business development, litigation support, and more. He looks forward to speaking with you about how Minesoft products and services can solve your patent data problems.

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New Capabilities from CAS

Darryl French, Customer Success Specialist, CAS

Abstract

Learn the latest news about CAS STNext® and CAS SciFinder®. CAS has been busy introducing new content and functionalities on new and existing platforms.  We will discuss enhancements to STN, SciFinder, the new BioFinder platform, and preview exciting semantic and AI searching capabilities.  Gain insight into new product features, content, and what you can expect from CAS in the coming year.

Biography

Darryl French has been a proud member of PIUG for over three years. After graduate school in chemistry, he worked as a document analyst and structure editor at CAS with a focus on polymeric materials. After a tenure at CAS of four years, he transitioned to working as a STIC searcher at the USPTO in the electrical engineering and chemical arts areas. Once again after four years, Darryl rejoined CAS as a Customer Success Specialist. For the last several years he has trained in such CAS tools as the CAS SciFinder Discovery Platform and CAS STNext.

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Building integrated IP Reports and Visualizations

John Willmore, VP, Product Development, BizInt Solutions, Inc.

Abstract

A look at the benefits and challenges of different techniques for integrating IP search results into reports and visualizations. This workshop will look at unique content from different IP databases, and explore how to leverage this content with the BizInt Smart Data Integrator.

Biography

John Willmore is Vice President, Product Development, for BizInt Solutions, Inc. and manages the development of all aspects of the BizInt Solutions product line.  John has over 30 years of experience in processing, analyzing and integrating patent and drug pipeline information, and has worked closely with patent and drug pipeline publishers over that period. He was the head of the TRW Smart Charts team at TRW, Inc. and along with Diane Webb, founded BizInt Solutions in 1996. John spends his free time doing woodworking, playing amateur ice hockey, and competing with the dogs. He is an American Kennel Club judge for earthdog, dachshund field trials, and agility.

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AI That Knows IP: How Human-Authored Patent Summaries Unlock the Power of AI for Patent Specific Use Cases

Matt Weber, Mark Bauer, and Laura Bantle, Clarivate

Abstract

Join the Clarivate product team for an insightful workshop on applying new AI solutions to patent-specific use cases. Find out how new AI solutions can improve productivity without sacrificing quality for prior art searching, portfolio benchmarking, threat detection and chemistry research. Learn how new Clarivate AI tools are trained, and how human-authored patent summaries improve the speed and precision of new AI solutions. We'll also share an update on Derwent Chemistry solutions and the Derwent Chemical Patents Index.

Biographies

Matt Weber has served as the Director of Product Management for Search and Watch at Clarivate since 2023. His primary focus is on developing tailored solutions for expert patent searchers, including Derwent Innovation and SequenceBase. Prior to joining Clarivate, Matt worked at Elsevier, where he helped highly innovative companies digitally transform their R&D processes using machine-readable research information. He champions customer-centric product development and is dedicated to creating solutions that address the unique challenges faced by clients.

Mark Bauer is a principal consultant for Clarivate’s Patent Intelligence team.  His role is to help clients realize their vision for an efficient and effective patent research and analysis solution.  Mark helps clients make the best use of Clarivate patent offerings to help support IP workflows.  As a former bench chemist, Mark has a been instrumental in guiding product teams to find the right fit for R&D consumers.  In recent years this includes helping to develop Clarivate’s chemistry research platform.  With over 30 years of customer facing experience Mark has met with thousands of patent researchers.  His depth of experience with customer workflows has proven invaluable in answering the challenging questions facing scientific discovery and innovation professionals.

Laura Bantle is the Principal Solution Consultant for the Derwent business at Clarivate.  Laura is a registered US patent attorney and a member of the Minnesota Bar, with over 10 years of experience in IP due diligence, patent and legal research, litigation strategy, and contract drafting. Her primary goal is working with customers to successfully develop and implement their patent research, analytics, and portfolio strategy. Laura earned her B.S. from the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota, and graduated magna cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Cybaris® Intellectual Property Law Review.  Prior to joining Clarivate Analytics, Laura gained corporate industry experience in pharmaceutical regulatory compliance, patent licensing, and M&A due diligence.

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CPC Classification: Best Practices

Justin Krause, OIPC-CQIC, USPTO

Abstract

The USPTO will present a general overview of best practices using CPC for search and classification, focusing on biotech subject matter and recent updates to the CPC scheme. Biotech topics will include fusion antibodies, immunoassay diagnostics and compositions containing biological molecules. This session will also cover an introduction to combination set (C-Set) formulation and their incorporation into search strategies. Specific examples will illustrate the search process with emphasis on relevant tips and strategies to improve efficiency.

Biography

Justin Krause, Classification Quality and International Coordination (CQIC), Office of International Patent Cooperation, United States Patent and Trademark Office

Justin Krause has been with the USPTO for 19 years.  For the first 10 years, he was a patent examiner in TC 3600, examining machine elements, gearing, robotic arms and bearings.  Since 2015, he has been with the Office of International Patent Cooperation as a Senior International Patent Classifier where he handles classification matters in the mechanical arts.  He has provided training on CPC search and classification to other national patent offices around the world, as well as to internal and external users at the USPTO.

He has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, a J.D. from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law and is a member of the Virginia State Bar.

He lives in Virginia with his wife, 2 kids and pet snake. He spends any leftover free time running, building models and working on a pair of “almost old” BMWs.

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