Lockwood v. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP

Whether under the implied preemption principles in Buckman Co. v. Plaintiffs' Legal Committee (2001), federal patent law bars an aggrieved patent owner-plaintiff from asserting a state law claim seeking relief for harm to patent property rights caused by a private party maliciously initiating a sham administrative patent reexamination proceeding before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where “fraud on the agency”? is not an element of the claim, and where the agency itself cannot remedy the harm addressed by state law.