Workshop Abstracts and Biographies

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Addressing the Toughest Sequence Patent Search Challenges with GenomeQuest

Julien Doudement, Principal Solution Architect - Aptean GenomeQuest

GenomeQuest will share how it is already leveraging AI to enhance sequence patent analysis, as well as our ongoing investments to further improve relevance, simplify complex queries, and accelerate prior art analysis.

We will also introduce a new Chemical Modifications module developed in collaboration with CAS, enabling detection of a wide range of chemical modifications through precise positional queries, flexible pattern matching, and occurrence-based filtering.

Join us to see what’s new and learn more about our growing investments in addressing the most complex patent search challenges

BIOGRAPHY

Julien Doudement  is a Principal Solution Architect at Aptean GenomeQuest, where he focuses on designing and delivering advanced solutions for patent searchers. With over 20 years of experience working with life sciences digital platforms, including more than 15 years specializing in patent biological sequence searching, he brings deep technical and domain expertise to the intersection of life sciences and intellectual property.

He works closely with GenomeQuest customers to shape the product roadmap and drive the design and implementation of new features, ensuring solutions align with real-world workflows and evolving user needs.

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Building the Reports your Clients Want: Integrating

Chemistry, Sequence, and Publication Data

John Willmore, VP Product Development - BizInt Solutions

This workshop will explore best practices for creating reports integrating search results,  whether from multiple platforms or from a single system. We will work through examples from chemistry (structure and Markush searches), biotech (siRNA, antibody, and peptide searches), and traditional text searching techniques. We will finish with an example from all three spaces in a single ADC report.  And dog videos.

BIOGRAPHY

John manages the development of the BizInt Solutions product line. With over 30 years of experience in processing, analyzing and integrating patent and drug pipeline information, John 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 has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rice University. John spends his free time doing woodworking mostly with hand tools, 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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Combining classical and agentic AI search methods for maximising speed and recall

Sam Winders,  Account Director, - PatSnap 

All patent information teams must navigate between the "scylla and charybdis" of comprehensive recall, whilst maintaining speed and efficiency in technical domains undergoing exponential increases in complexity and sheer volume of prior art. Maintaining the quality of search delivered to internal clients, whilst dealing with increasing demands from the business (often with reduced headcount or resource) requires combing multiple search approaches together - both classical and AI. In this workshop we'll go beyond the AI hype to explore the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, and how they can be seamlessly combined together within one platform.

BIOGRAPHY

Sam is the lead representative for the healthcare and life sciences team at PatSnap. One of

the organization’s longest serving employees, Sam works closely with our leading customers

and the PatSnap product development team to ensure that our customers’ needs our met and

that PatSnap continues to rapidly expand the technical frontier within the evolving drug

discovery space.

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AI Prioritization: Accelerating Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Cycles using

Derwent Patent Monitor 

Matthew Weber, Director, IP Product Management - Clarivate

Freedom-to-operate (FTO) is becoming increasingly complex as patent volumes grow; technologies evolve rapidly, and legal and technical considerations intersect more frequently. Traditional, siloed workflows are often reliant on disconnected tools, spreadsheets, and manual reviews. Struggling to keep pace, this introduces risk, inefficiency, and delays in business-critical decisions.

This session will explore the ‘grand challenges’ of modern FTO workflows and present a vision for a more connected, scalable, and defensible approach to patent monitoring. Attendees will learn how AI-driven prioritization and collaborative workflows can transform FTO reviews from iterative, resource-intensive processes into streamlined, end-to-end decision frameworks.

Using our latest software solution, Derwent Patent Monitor as a practical example, we will demonstrate how expert-tuned AI, powered by our proprietary Derwent World Patents Index (DWPI) data - helps IP, R&D, and legal teams rapidly identify, assess, and prioritize potential patent threats. The session will cover real-world use cases, including FTO reviews, opposition monitoring, competitor/technology tracking, and service delivery. Highlighting how a shared patent intelligence enables robust and rapid IP decisions.

Participants will leave with actionable insights into:

• How AI prioritization accelerates FTO cycles without sacrificing transparency or trust
• Why collaboration across IP, R&D, and legal teams is essential for managing risk
• What to look for in reliable, explainable AI for patent decision-making
• How transitioning to an integrated patent monitoring platform can deliver immediate ROI

This session is ideal for patent information professionals, IP attorneys, and innovation leaders seeking to modernize FTO workflows and make smarter patent decisions - faster and together.

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Derwent Sequence Search Workshop

Laura Bantle, Principal Technical Solution Consultant, Clarivate

This workshop explores how biotech IP professionals can use Derwent Sequence Search to translate biological sequences into defensible intellectual property. Through persona-driven use cases—including patent analysts, biotech strategists, and in-house IP counsel—the session demonstrates practical approaches to identifying relevant sequence prior art, establishing novelty, and strengthening claim scope. Attendees will gain actionable insights into applying sequence intelligence earlier in the innovation cycle to support confident filing, prosecution, and freedom-to-operate decisions. 

BIOGRAPHY

Laura 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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How AI is Shifting the Role of the Patent Professional: From Searcher to Strategist

Taylor Elkins, Sales manager NLPatent

As AI reshapes how patent searching is conducted, the role of a patent professional is evolving from executing searches to delivering strategic insight. Rather than replacing the expert, AI is handling the heavy lifting of search execution, freeing professionals to focus on interpretation, analysis, and advising on IP strategy. This workshop explores how practitioners can embrace this shift, moving up the value chain to become indispensable strategic partners to their clients and organizations.

BIOGRAPHY

Taylor has spent five years working in the patent solutions space, partnering with organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia to develop and deliver strategic IP services. With experience spanning industries including Finance, High Tech, Legal, Automotive, and Consumer Goods, Taylor brings a broad and practical perspective to patent strategy and management. A key focus of Taylor's work has been helping organizations align IP solutions to their broader business goals and outcomes. Experience that sits at the heart of this workshop.

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Human in the Loop: Case Studies on Collaboration for Patent Information Professionals

Andrew Klein - Principal Solution Consultant, Minesoft

Though the exact tasks, roles and models keep changing, the goal of the patent information professional remains the same: enabling comprehensive and relevant patent intelligence for their stakeholders in R&D, legal and beyond. This workshop will highlight best practices on supporting your clients and feature examples of collaboration workflows enabled by Minesoft solutions presented in partnership with PIUG members. We'll discuss:

• The problems being solved: how they're changing and how they're not
• The role of facilitator and SME
• How you can build trust and rapport and strategies for communication
• Partnering with vendors for expertise, customization, and more

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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