Congress is unlikely to take on patent reform legislation this year, but patent litigation is about to experience a major change anyway.

On Dec. 1, a rewrite of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will take effect, significantly altering the pleading standard for patent infringement cases and creating a new approach to discovery.

“This is a sea change for how attorneys will approach claims in courts,” says Chris Mammen, a partner and patent litigator at Hogan Lovells.