Solutions at the speed of now

The USPTO has announced a new pre-order procedure that, for the first time, gives patent owners a formal opportunity to weigh in before the Office decides whether to order ex parte reexamination. Signed by Director John A. Squires on April 1, 2026, the Official Gazette Notice takes effect for all reexamination requests filed on or after April 5, 2026.

Most consumers have had the experience of “buying” a digital product, such as music, a movie, an ebook, or a video game, only to learn later that what they received was not ownership of the product but a revocable license with restrictions.

Stradling successfully obtained a rare sanctions order on behalf of Harbor Diversified, Inc. and its senior executives in a securities fraud action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The Stradling team successfully moved to dismiss the operative complaint, and then convinced the Court that the initial complaint was so defective as to warrant sanctions under Rule 11. The Court ordered plaintiff’s counsel to reimburse Harbor for the fees and costs incurred in responding to the defective complaint. Stradling partner Jason de Bretteville led the defense team.

Stradling prevailed at the California Supreme Court, successfully validating the City of San José’s legal authority to issue up to $3.5 billion in proposed pension obligation bonds to address the unfunded liabilities in its Retirement Systems.  The Court issued a unanimous opinion holding that the City’s unfunded liability represents an obligation imposed by law and that the California Constitutional Debt Limit does not constrain the City’s discretion in deciding whether or not to issue pension obligation bonds to address its obligation to fund the Retirement System.