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William C. Neer

William worked as a summer associate at Finnegan, where he assisted with a variety of matters, including complex pharmaceutical patent litigation under Hatch-Waxman, proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and patent prosecution.

During law school, William served as a judicial intern at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He also interned for Unified Patents, LLC.

While completing his undergraduate degree, William was a research assistant in the Division of Plant Sciences, Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center. His research focused on chemical ecology; specifically, he examined whether insect feeding vibrations caused changes in levels of phytohormones and volatile organic compounds produced by plants.

Pro bono work is an important part of William’s practice. He has helped represent individuals applying for asylum.

Recent Articles by William C. Neer

Could Description Amendments Made During Prosecution at the European Patent Office Affect U.S. Litigation?

Earlier this year, the European Patent Office (EPO) updated some of its Guidelines for Examination in a way that potentially could affect U.S. patent litigation. These Guidelines instruct European patent examiners (and the public) on how the patent prosecution process works—much like the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. For example, the Guidelines detail what form a patent application must be in, what happens during a prior art search, and perhaps most importantly, what should be included in an application. Guideline F-IV 4.3 particularly focuses on the form, contents, and clarity of the claims.