The America Invents Act (“AIA”) may be back on Congress’s agenda this year.  Enacted in 2011, the AIA established the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) to adjudicate patentability disputes.  The Board is composed of administrative patent judges (APJs) who are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and removable by either the Secretary or the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for “such cause as will promote the efficiency of the service.”  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently concluded that this appointment and tenure structure is unconstitutional, raising questions for Congress about the ability of APJs to adjudicate cases.

Last fall, a panel of the Federal Circuit held in Arthrex, Inc. v. Smith & Nephew, Inc., that the current appointment of APJs violates the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.  The Federal Circuit reasoned that because APJs have significant discretion to decide cases, there is no direct review of their decisions, and their removal is limited by the AIA, APJs are “principal officers” who can be appointed only by the President with advice and consent by the Senate.  To correct this constitutional violation, the Federal Circuit severed the tenure protection provision from the Act, so that APJs can still be appointed by the Secretary but can now be terminated at will.

The Federal Circuit decision may not be the last word on the issue.  The case could be heard by the full Federal Circuit sitting en banc and eventually by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Any final decision on the issue might not come from the courts for at least another two years, and there is no guarantee that the en banc court or Supreme Court will reach the same result.  APJs and litigants are therefore continuing to participate in the patentability review process without certainty about whether the Board’s decisions could later be overturned because of a conclusion that the APJs are unconstitutional.

The issue has caught Congress’s attention.  The House Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet held a hearing in November to address the potential concerns.  The Subcommittee heard testimony from law professors and practitioners about how the Arthrex decision forces APJs to decide cases without the tenure protections usually afforded to judges in administrative agencies.  Without these protections, the experts warned, the APJs may lose their independence to decide cases without undue pressure from the agency and Department heads.  The experts suggested acting quickly to restore certainty and impartiality to  the patentability review process.

The Subcommittee’s Chair, Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA), noted that it is inconsistent to create an adjudicatory body with judges who have no job security.  Chairman of the full Judiciary Committee, Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY), added that APJs without tenure protections would simply try to discern what the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office wants, leaving litigants to question if the Board is in fact impartial.  The Subcommittee’s Ranking Member, Representative Martha Roby (R-AL), observed that although the Arthrex decision may have remedied the constitutional defect, the Board still raises concerns because its decisions are not subject to review except by Article III courts.  Since its decisions are so impactful, involving patent assets worth tens of millions of dollars, Ranking Member Roby questioned whether a non-Senate-confirmed entity should have so much authority.

In light of the time it would take to receive a final decision from the courts, and the possibility that any final decision’s solution may not be satisfying, the Subcommittee appeared willing to consider a legislative fix.  Chairman Johnson raised four alternative provisions that the experts suggested would pass constitutional muster: (1) have all APJs be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate; or subject Board decisions to (2) discretionary review by the Director, (3) a panel of presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed officials, or (4) of a presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed chief APJ.  These reforms would ensure greater accountability of the APJs’ decisions to a presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed entity without removing their tenure protections.

Any of these plans, and maybe others, appear to be fair game for potential legislation this year.

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Photo of Holly Fechner Holly Fechner

Holly Fechner advises clients on complex public policy matters that combine legal and political opportunities and risks. She leads teams that represent companies, entities, and organizations in significant policy and regulatory matters before Congress and the Executive Branch.

She is a co-chair of…

Holly Fechner advises clients on complex public policy matters that combine legal and political opportunities and risks. She leads teams that represent companies, entities, and organizations in significant policy and regulatory matters before Congress and the Executive Branch.

She is a co-chair of the Covington’s Technology Industry Group and a member of the Covington Political Action Committee board of directors.

Holly works with clients to:

  • Develop compelling public policy strategies
  • Research law and draft legislation and policy
  • Draft testimony, comments, fact sheets, letters and other documents
  • Advocate before Congress and the Executive Branch
  • Form and manage coalitions
  • Develop communications strategies

She is the Executive Director of Invent Together and a visiting lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She serves on the board of directors of the American Constitution Society.

Holly served as Policy Director for Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Chief Labor and Pensions Counsel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee.

She received The American Lawyer, “Dealmaker of the Year” award in 2019. The Hill named her a “Top Lobbyist” from 2013 to the present, and she has been ranked by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers from 2012 to the present. One client noted to Chambers: “Holly is an exceptional attorney who excels in government relations and policy discussions. She has an incisive analytical skill set which gives her the capability of understanding extremely complex legal and institutional matters.” According to another client surveyed by Chambers, “Holly is incredibly intelligent, effective and responsive. She also leads the team in a way that brings out everyone’s best work.”

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Photo of Matthew Shapanka Matthew Shapanka

Matthew Shapanka practices at the intersection of law, policy, and politics, advising clients on important legislative, regulatory and enforcement matters before Congress, state legislatures, and government agencies that present significant legal, political, and business opportunities and risks.

Drawing on more than 15 years…

Matthew Shapanka practices at the intersection of law, policy, and politics, advising clients on important legislative, regulatory and enforcement matters before Congress, state legislatures, and government agencies that present significant legal, political, and business opportunities and risks.

Drawing on more than 15 years of experience on Capitol Hill, private practice, state government, and political campaigns, Matt develops and executes complex, multifaceted public policy initiatives for clients seeking actions by Congress, state legislatures, and federal and state government agencies. He regularly counsels businesses—especially technology companies—on matters involving intellectual property, national security, and regulation of critical and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles.

Matt rejoined Covington after serving as Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, where he advised Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on all legal, policy, and oversight matters before the Committee, particularly federal election and campaign finance law, Federal Election Commission nominations, and oversight of the legislative branch, including U.S. Capitol security after the January 6, 2021 attack and the rules and procedures governing the Senate. Most significantly, Matt led the Committee’s staff work on the Electoral Count Reform Act – a landmark bipartisan law that updates the procedures for certifying and counting votes in presidential elections—and the Committee’s joint bipartisan investigation (with the Homeland Security Committee) into the security planning and response to the January 6th attack.

Both in Congress and at Covington, Matt has prepared dozens of corporate and nonprofit executives, academics, government officials, and presidential nominees for testimony at congressional committee hearings and depositions. He is a skilled legislative drafter who has composed dozens of bills and amendments introduced in Congress and state legislatures, including several that have been enacted into law across multiple policy areas. Matt also leads the firm’s state policy practice, advising clients on complex multistate legislative and regulatory policy matters and managing state advocacy efforts.

In addition to his policy work, Matt advises and represents clients on the full range of political law compliance and enforcement matters involving federal election, campaign finance, lobbying, and government ethics laws, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s “Pay-to-Play” rule, and the election and political laws of states and municipalities across the country.

Before law school, Matt served in the administration of former Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA) as a research analyst in the Massachusetts Recovery & Reinvestment Office, where he worked on policy, communications, and compliance matters for federal economic recovery funding awarded to the state. He has also staffed federal, state, and local political candidates in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

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