`Date: November 2, 2023
`
`Trials@uspto.gov
`Tel: 571-272-7822
`
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`META PLATFORMS, INC.,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`ANGEL TECHNOLOGIES GROUP LLC,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`IPR2023-00057 (Patent 8,954,432 B2)
`IPR2023-00058 (Patent 9,959,291 B2)
`IPR2023-00059 (Patent 10,417,275 B2)
`IPR2023-00060 (Patent 10,628,480 B2) 1
`____________
`
`Before MIRIAM L. QUINN, SHARON FENICK, and
`MICHAEL T. CYGAN, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`PER CURIAM.
`
`
`ORDER
`Granting Petitioner’s Motions for
`Pro Hac Vice Admission of Eric Lancaster and Sara Townsend
`37 C.F.R. § 42.10
`
`
`
`
`1 This Order addresses issues that are the same in all identified cases. We
`exercise our discretion to issue one Order to be filed in each case. The
`parties, however, are not authorized to use this style heading in subsequent
`papers.
`
`
`
`
`IPR2023-00057 (Patent 8,954,432 B2)
`IPR2023-00058 (Patent 9,959,291 B2)
`IPR2023-00059 (Patent 10,417,275 B2)
`IPR2023-00060 (Patent 10,628,480 B2)
`
`
`Petitioner filed motions in IPR2023-00057, requesting pro hac vice
`admission of Eric Lancaster (Paper 21) and Sara Townsend (Paper 22). The
`motions are supported, respectively, by declarations of Mr. Lancaster (Ex.
`1037) and Ms. Townsend (Ex. 1038).2
`Patent Owner has not opposed the Motions.
`In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.10(c), the Board may recognize
`counsel pro hac vice during a proceeding upon a showing of good cause,
`subject to the condition that lead counsel be a registered practitioner. In
`authorizing a motion for pro hac vice admission, the Board requires the
`moving party to provide a statement of facts showing there is good cause for
`the Board to recognize counsel pro hac vice and an affidavit or declaration
`of the individual seeking to appear in the proceeding. See Unified Patents,
`Inc. v. Parallel Iron, LLC, IPR2013-00639 (PTAB Oct. 15, 2013) (Paper 7)
`(representative “Order – Authorizing Motion for Pro Hac Vice Admission”).
`Based on the facts set forth in the Motions and the accompanying
`Declarations, we conclude Mr. Lancaster and Ms. Townsend meet all
`requirements for admission pro hac vice. See Exs. 1037, 1038.
`Accordingly, Petitioner has established good cause for pro hac vice
`
`
`2 For purposes of expediency, we refer to papers and exhibits filed in
`IPR2023-00057. Petitioner filed similar motions for Mr. Lancaster (Papers
`21, 21, 21) and Ms. Townsend (Papers 22, 23, 22) and declarations of Mr.
`Lancaster (Exs. 1037, 1037, 1037) and Ms. Townsend (Exs. 1038, 1038,
`1038) in IPR2023-00058, IPR2023-00059, IPR2023-00060, respectively.
`We refer to the motions filed in all four proceedings as “Motions” and the
`declarations filed in all four proceedings as “Declarations.”
`2
`
`
`
`
`
`IPR2023-00057 (Patent 8,954,432 B2)
`IPR2023-00058 (Patent 9,959,291 B2)
`IPR2023-00059 (Patent 10,417,275 B2)
`IPR2023-00060 (Patent 10,628,480 B2)
`
`admission of Mr. Lancaster and Ms. Townsend. Mr. Lancaster and Ms.
`Townsend will be permitted to serve as back-up counsel only. See 37 C.F.R.
`§ 42.10(c).
`We note that Petitioner filed a Power of Attorney including Mr.
`Lancaster and Ms. Townsend in accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.10(b) as
`Paper 2 in each proceeding. Petitioner has also submitted a Mandatory
`Notice identifying Mr. Lancaster and Ms. Townsend as back-up counsel in
`accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(3) in Paper 1 (the Petition) in each
`proceeding.
`
`In consideration of the foregoing, it is hereby
`ORDERED that Petitioner’s Motions for pro hac vice admission of
`Eric Lancaster and Sara Townsend are granted;
`FURTHER ORDERED that Petitioner is to continue to have a
`registered practitioner represent it as lead counsel for each proceeding;
`FURTHER ORDERED that Mr. Lancaster and Ms. Townsend are
`authorized to represent Petitioner as back-up counsel only in each
`proceeding;
`FURTHER ORDERED that Mr. Lancaster and Ms. Townsend comply
`with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s Consolidated Trial Practice Guide3
`(84 Fed. Reg. 64,280 (Nov. 21, 2019)), and the Board’s Rules of Practice for
`Trials, as set forth in Part 42 of Title 37, Code of Federal Regulations; and
`
`
`3 Available at https://www.uspto.gov/TrialPracticeGuideConsolidated.
`3
`
`
`
`
`
`IPR2023-00057 (Patent 8,954,432 B2)
`IPR2023-00058 (Patent 9,959,291 B2)
`IPR2023-00059 (Patent 10,417,275 B2)
`IPR2023-00060 (Patent 10,628,480 B2)
`
`
`FURTHER ORDERED that Mr. Lancaster and Ms. Townsend are
`subject to the Office’s disciplinary jurisdiction under 37 C.F.R. § 11.19(a),
`and the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct set forth in 37 C.F.R. §§
`11.101 et. seq.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`4
`
`
`
`IPR2023-00057 (Patent 8,954,432 B2)
`IPR2023-00058 (Patent 9,959,291 B2)
`IPR2023-00059 (Patent 10,417,275 B2)
`IPR2023-00060 (Patent 10,628,480 B2)
`
`FOR PETITIONER:
`
`Lisa K. Nguyen
`David M. Tennant
`Alan M. Billharz
`Chitrajit Chandrashekar
`ALLEN & OVERY LLP
`lisa.nguyen@allenovery.com
`david.tennant@allenovery.com
`alan.billharz@allenovery.com
`chitrajit.chandrashekar@allenovery.com
`
`
`FOR PATENT OWNER:
`
`Scott W. Hejny
`Arvind Jairam
`Eliza Beeney
`Kaylee Hoffner
`MCKOOL SMITH, P.C.
`shejny@mckoolsmith.com
`ajairam@mckoolsmith.com
`ebeeney@mckoolsmith.com
`khoffner@mckoolsmith.com
`
`
`
`5
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`