Sterne Kessler Shortlisted for 2026 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Award for Innovation in Technology

Washington, D.C. (October 14, 2026) – Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox has been shortlisted for a Financial Times Innovative Lawyers North America Award in the Innovation in Technology for Clients category for its propriety Section 101 analysis tool. This AI-enabled workflow is trained on Federal Circuit case law to model how patent litigators assess patent eligibility.

Section 101 patent eligibility is a high-stakes, unpredictable area of patent law and one of the fastest ways a client can win or lose in patent litigation. Analysis is deeply precedent-dependent, with outcomes hinging on finding the right cases among hundreds of decisions. Initially built by Sterne Kessler Labs, the firm’s internal innovation team, the Section 101 tool models how litigators evaluate patent eligibility by analyzing case law and modeling litigation-style reasoning.

Building on this foundation, the firm partnered with Thomson Reuters to further develop and integrate the tool into what is now the Patent Claim Eligibility Analyzer in CoCounsel Legal, creating a scalable, client-facing solution that delivers faster, more consistent, and more defensible analysis grounded in real-world legal strategy.

“We built this technology to address a real challenge patent practitioners face: making sense of a complex and constantly evolving body of Section 101 case law,” said Dan Block, director in the Electronics Practice Group and head of Sterne Kessler Labs. “This recognition reflects our broader approach to innovation, combining deep legal experience with technology to help practitioners work more efficiently and make well-supported strategic decisions.”

Sterne Kessler’s investment in AI innovation includes collaborating with clients and leading service providers to develop practitioner-led workflow solutions to enhance IP practice. To learn more, visit www.sternekessler.ai.

About Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

Based in Washington, D.C., Sterne Kessler is a leading intellectual property law firm providing strategic IP services to clients worldwide. With more than 170 attorneys, the firm offers integrated capabilities across patent and trademark prosecution, strategic counseling, post grant proceedings, and litigation before federal district and appellate courts and the International Trade Commission. Since 1978, Sterne Kessler has served as a trusted partner to innovative companies, startups, inventors, universities, and investors, helping them protect, enforce, and maximize the value of intellectual property. The firm is committed to delivering practical, business driven solutions that support innovation and long term strategic objectives.