Foley Hoag LLP partner and Patent Trial and Appeal Board Practice Group co-chair Peter Sullivan was presented with a 2023 Burton Award - the legal industry’s premier writing recognition. 

Sullivan was honored for his article "Thaler v. Vidal: The Federal Circuit Nixes Artificial Intelligence as Inventor," which examines whether an AI software system can be an ‘inventor’ under the Patent Act.

The Burton Awards Program, held in association with the Library of Congress, is presented by lead sponsor Law360, and co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. Judges and law school professors, including professors from Harvard Law School, Georgetown Law Center, and UC Berkeley Law School, chose the winners. Only 25 individuals were recognized for 2023.

Sullivan’s litigation practice spans numerous specialties, from patent, trade secrets and other intellectual property disputes to complex multi-jurisdictional contract and tort litigation to international commercial arbitration matters. He acts as lead counsel in state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as the International Trade Commission, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.