Morrison & Foerster Partner Charles Barquist Wins Burton Award for Excellence in Legal Writing

NEW YORK, June 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Charles Barquist, a partner in Morrison & Foerster's Intellectual Property Group, received the Burton Award for Legal Achievement, which recognizes excellence in legal writing. The awards were presented in association with the Law Library of Congress, which hosted a reception for this year's honorees on June 9 in Washington, D.C. He was honored for his article, "Challenging Validity in the PTO Under the 2011 America Invents Act." Only 30 papers were chosen from submissions received from the nation's 1,000 most prestigious and largest law firms. The article was originally published in Practicing Law Institute: Patent Litigation in 2012.

In the article, Mr. Barquist wrote about the America Invents Act (AIA) and the substantial changes it made to the PTO procedures available for challenging patents. "Prior to the AIA," he wrote, "The only methods available for the PTO to reconsider the patentability of issued patents were ex parte reexamination, inter partes reexamination, and interference proceedings. The AIA left the ex parte reexamination procedures basically intact but the other procedures were completely revamped or eliminated." After describing the AIA's various new procedures, Mr. Barquist's paper concluded with a discussion on the burden of proof in PTO proceedings and some considerations that may affect the choice of the PTO or the courts for contesting the validity of patents.

"When I wrote this paper, the U.S. was facing its most comprehensive patent reform in 60 years and the impact was significant for companies who depend on the value of their intellectual property and patents," said Mr. Barquist. "I am honored to receive this award on behalf of myself and my co-author and colleague Matt Kreeger."

The Burton Awards were established in 1999 by William Burton, former New York State Assistant Attorney General and author of Burton's Legal Thesaurus, to honor the finest accomplishments in law, including writing, reform, public service and interest, regulatory innovation, and lifetime achievements in the profession.

Among the noted judges reviewing this year's entries were Virginia Wise, Harvard Law School; Philip M. Genty, Columbia Law School; Jeanne Merino, Stanford Law School; Judge Ed Forstenzer, California's Superior Court (retired); William Ryan, former Chair of the White House Plain Language Committee; and William Burton.

"The Burton Awards have become one of the most prominent awards programs in law, and winners are held to the highest standard of excellence," said Morrison & Foerster chair emeritus Keith Wetmore. "Chuck's paper was no exception. This award speaks volumes about the quality of his work in all aspects of his career. He joins the ranks of some of the most important legal writers of our time, and the firm congratulates him on this achievement."

This year, the Burton Awards celebrated its 15th Anniversary. The awards ceremony was followed by a pre-dinner reception, gala, and performance by comedian, actor, and television host Jay Leno.

Mr. Barquist joins several other Morrison & Foerster lawyers who have received a Burton Award for academic writing. Prior winners include litigation partners Randall Fons and Brian Hoffman, who wrote about securities enforcement; capital markets partner Anna Pinedo, who wrote about next generation hybrid securities; and financial transactions partner Pauline Stevens, who addressed security interests in patents and patent applications.

Mr. Barquist is resident in Morrison & Foerster's Los Angeles office. He focuses his practice on business litigation including patents and other intellectual property, antitrust and unfair competition, and dispute resolution for technology companies.

For more information on the Burton Awards, visit: http://www.burtonawards.com/

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