A top official at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office told lawmakers that companies need more clarity on how legal fees are awarded in abusive patent litigation disputes, even after two U.S. Supreme Court rulings on the issue this year.

The high court’s decisions in April left behind some uncertainty that patent litigation reform could address, Michelle Lee, the PTO’s deputy director, told the House Judiciary Committee’s courts, intellectual property and the Internet subcommittee on Wednesday.