Patenting Artificial Intelligence in 2026: Drafting, Prosecuting, and Defending High-Value AI Inventions

Usha Parker, Partner | Perilla Knox Hildebrandt Staley & Amy LLP

Usha Parker is a partner at Perilla Knox Hildebrandt Staley & Amy LLP, where she focuses her practice on patent application drafting and prosecution. An electrical engineer who worked at a Navy laboratory and at Motorola before entering law, has drafted hundreds of patent applications and conducted more than a thousand interviews with USPTO examiners.

• Education & Credentials

Usha earned her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Tech University, her M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech, and her J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. She is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. She is admitted to the bars of Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. She is not licensed to practice in Georgia. She is also a member of three engineering and mathematics honor societies.

• Recognition & Leadership

Usha serves on the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s AI Task Force and previously chaired the association’s Electronic and Computer Law Committee. Her articles have appeared in the Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, and she has presented at AIPLA programs.

• Professional Involvement

Usha is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the South Asian Bar Association of Washington, D.C. (SABA-DC).

• Experience

Usha’s practice centers on patent preparation and prosecution, with additional experience in litigation support. Before entering law, she served as an engineer at a Navy laboratory and at Motorola. Over the course of her career, she has drafted hundreds of patent applications and conducted over a thousand interviews with USPTO examiners.

SESSION 1 – Drafting AI Patent Applications That Survive USPTO Scrutiny | 12:00pm – 1:00pm

This session explores practical drafting strategies for patent applications involving artificial intelligence, machine learning, and software-based innovations. Using current USPTO practice, attendees will learn how to prepare stronger specifications and claims, reduce prosecution risks, and improve the likelihood of obtaining meaningful patent protection for rapidly evolving technologies.

BREAK | 1:00pm – 1:10pm

SESSION 2 – Patent Prosecution Strategies for AI Technologies: Examiner Interviews, Office Actions, and Portfolio Development | 1:10pm – 2:10pm

Building on the drafting principles discussed in Session One, this session focuses on successfully prosecuting AI patent applications before the USPTO. Attendees will learn practical techniques for responding to Office Actions, conducting productive examiner interviews, managing patent portfolios, and developing prosecution strategies that maximize long-term business value.