Seminar Recap
In Practice: How AI Is Changing Patent Work and What It Means for In-House Counsel
In-House Connect, Foley & Lardner, and Patlytics hosted a candid look inside a patent practice putting AI to work.
October 20, 2026
•
Boston, MA
Hosted with
Foley & Lardner and In-House Connect
Key points:
- Process before platform. Foley spent about a year mapping best practices across 150+ practitioners before choosing an AI platform.
- Workflows beat prompts. Five people writing five prompts get five different results. Structured workflows with the right context make quality repeatable.
- Start with the right projects. Foley began with the two workflows it repeats most: patent applications and office action responses.
- Human first, human last. Attorneys own and review every output, and transparency about how the work was done builds trust.
- Value, not a race to the bottom. In-house teams can choose lower costs, more value at the same price, or a new way to collaborate with outside counsel.
The main takeaway:
AI pays off for the firms that do the process work first: mapping how their best practitioners work, turning that into repeatable workflows, and keeping attorneys accountable at the start and end of every task. For in-house counsel, getting that value means talking with outside counsel directly about what AI should deliver, whether that's savings, more value at the same price, or a better way to work together.
Speakers
Chris McKenna
Partner, Foley & Lardner
Nash Ream
Customer Success Lead, Patlytics
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