Boards of Appeal Case Law Conference 2026
Join this year’s Boards of Appeal Case Law Conference and gain valuable insights into the recent developments of the case law and practice of the Boards of Appeal. The conference is aimed at experienced patent practitioners, judges and national patent office staff.
Event details
Programme
- Thursday, 19 November 2026
14.00 hrs Opening
Carl Josefsson, President of the Boards of Appeal
14.10 hrs Highlights of the recent BoA case law
Gain insight into the most significant decisions issued by the Boards of Appeal over the last year. A selection of noteworthy cases will be presented, with important legal developments in the case law highlighted and their practical implications for the European patent community considered.
Moderator:
Monika Millet, legally qualified member, Boards of AppealPresenter:
Karel Peirs, technically qualified member, Boards of Appeal15.20 hrs Break 15.30 hrs Sufficiency of disclosure: the approach of the Boards of Appeal
Several Board of Appeal decisions concerning sufficiency of disclosure will be presented, focusing on the practical application of established legal principles. Drawing on decisions from different technical fields, the session will highlight their contribution to the development of the case law and encourage discussion of their continuing relevance and practical implications.
Moderator:
Andrea Veronese, technically qualified member, Boards of AppealPresenter:
Daniele Semino, technically qualified chairperson, Boards of Appeal16.40 hrs End of day one - Friday, 20 November 2026
14.00 hrs Opening of the second day 14.05 hrs Recent decisions of the Enlarged Board of Appeal
Decisions of the Enlarged Board of Appeal shape the interpretation and development of European patent law, with an impact extending beyond the individual cases from which they arise. In this session, recent decisions of the Enlarged Board will be discussed, with a particular focus on claim interpretation and G 1/25.
Moderator:
Birgit Burm-Herregodts, legally qualified member, Boards of AppealPresenter:
David Rogers, legally qualified member, Boards of Appeal15.10 hrs Break 15.20 hrs Judges’ panel: limitation of auxiliary requests before deciding bodies
The EPO’s distinctive practice of admitting and dealing with multiple auxiliary requests is not necessarily mirrored in other European jurisdictions. This judges' panel will explore different approaches to the treatment of multiple auxiliary requests, the procedural considerations underlying them and their impact on efficiency, fairness and quality of decision-making.
Moderator:
Birgit Burm-Herregodts, legally qualified member, Boards of Appeal Panellists:
Marcus Müller, technically qualified chairperson, Boards of Appeal
Sir Richard Meade, British High Court judge (UK)* Further panellists to be confirmed
16.35 hrs Closing remarks 16.45 hrs End of conference
Speakers and panellists
List of speakers and panellists will follow.
More information
Recording and data protection
Note that you will not be able to watch any recordings after the event.
However, we do inform you that parts of the event may be recorded for quality audit and internal training purposes.
Please see the Data Protection Statement of the European Patent Office on processing personal data when using Zoom in virtual events, including oral proceedings by VICO.
Technical requirements
Once you register for the conference, you will receive an e-mail confirming registration and including a Zoom registration link.
To attend the online part of the event you need a computer or mobile device with a high-speed internet connection. However, to take advantage of all Zoom features, we strongly recommend installing the Zoom desktop client app on your computer (Windows and Mac versions available). To join via mobile device, simply download the Zoom mobile app for your iOS or Android device from the App Store or Google Play Store.
You can also access Zoom from a web browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Chromium (Microsoft) Edge) without downloading any additional software, however some features (like selecting microphone, speaker or camera, entering breakout rooms, downloading files from the chat) might then be restricted.
We recommend using a headset to enhance your Zoom experience.