Speakers

Alston & Bird | Partner

James Abe is a partner at Alston & Bird. James focuses on IP litigation and represents many Japanese companies. He is currently the chair of the AIPLA’s Diversity in IP Law Committee. He also chair’s Alston’s Los Angeles Office’s Diversity Committee and is a member of the Los Angeles IPLA Diversity Committee.

Albright, Alan

US District Court, Western District of Texas | United States District Judge

Judge Alan Albright is the federal district judge for the Western District of Texas, Waco Division. He was nominated by President Trump in January 2018, Judge Albright earned his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law where he was a member of the Texas Law Review. He clerked for The Honorable James R. Nowlin in Austin, Texas. From 1992–99, he served as a Magistrate Judge. In 2016 he was admitted into the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is also a member of the American Law Institute. Prior to taking the district court bench in 2018, Judge Albright practiced IP litigation as a partner in the Austin office of Bracewell, LLP. He has run 26 marathons. Judge has two sons and he some day aspires to write his first novel.

Armond, Michelle

Armond Wilson LLP | Founding Partner

Michelle Armond is an intellectual property trial attorney litigating patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. IAM 1000 lauded her as “brilliant” and an “outstanding lawyer who ranks among the best PTAB specialists nationwide.” Her “winning formula fuses her Caltech electrical engineering education with her natural talent for writing” (Daily Journal). Michelle represents Fortune 500 companies, international market leaders, universities, and innovators as lead counsel in legally and technically challenging cases. She also is hired by other attorneys to lead on difficult aspects of their cases. Her work encompasses inter partes review (IPR) and reexamination at the U.S. Patent Office, litigation in federal court, and appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. As lead counsel and a former law clerk at the Federal Circuit in Washington D.C., she litigates with an eye towards defending the decision on appeal.

Batzli, Brian

Merchant & Gould | Partner & Chairman Emeritus

Brian Batzli is an intellectual property attorney and partner at Merchant & Gould’s Minneapolis office. He is also now Chairman Emeritus, having led the firm as CEO, Managing Director and Chairman from 2011 to mid-2018. He is also a Past President of AIPLA.

Boalick, Scott

USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board | Chief Administrative Patent Judge

Scott R. Boalick is the Chief Judge for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). In this role, he leads the PTAB as it conducts post-grant trials, including inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, covered business method patent reviews and derivation proceedings, and as it hears appeals from adverse examiner decisions in patent applications and reexamination proceedings.

Brinckerhoff, Courtenay

Foley & Lardner LLP | Partner

Courtenay Brinckerhoff is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP, a Vice Chair of the firm’s IP Department, and immediate past Vice Chair of the firm’s Chemical, Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Practice. Over the past 25 years, Courtenay has represented clients in the life sciences space before the U.S. Patent Office, the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, including in a multi-party interference proceeding, PTAB trial proceedings, and ANDA litigation. She also is the editor and primary author for the firm’s PharmaPatents blog.

Bruno, Enrica

Steinfl+Bruno, LLP | Founder and Partner

Enrica Bruno is an EPO-Qualified U.S. Patent Attorney, Founder and Managing Partner of the firm Steinfl + Bruno LLP. Enrica is past Co-Chair of the AIPLA Harmonization Committee, and AIPLA IPP in Europe Committee as well as Liaison of the California Lawyers Association to the US Bars EPO Liaison Council, and CEIPI tutor. Enrica has extensive professional experience in the U.S. and Europe in drafting prosecuting and managing world-wide patent portfolios as well as developing intellectual property strategies to protect innovations, in biotechnology, chemistry and other technical fields.

Burke, Joshua

Pirkey Barber PLLC | Senior Counsel

Josh Burke is Senior Counsel at Pirkey Barber PLLC where he handles a wide range of trademark matters including searching and clearance, prosecution, enforcement, and licensing. Prior to joining Pirkey Barber last year, Josh spent 22 years at General Mills as Senior Intellectual Property Counsel - Trademarks, managing their global portfolio of beloved food brands, including Haagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Lucky Charms and Cheerios. Josh has a BA in Economics from Grinnell College and a JD with High Distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Camusso, Alberto

Jacobacci Avvocati | Partner

Alberto Camusso is a partner in the Turin office of Jacobacci Avvocati. Alberto's practice covers all areas of intellectual property, with a strong focus on patent and trade secrets litigation. He routinely acts for major international clients assisting them in devising and implementing IP rights enforcement strategies. He has acted in landmark cases before the Italian courts, including the Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice, and in various opposition cases involving legal issues before the European Patent Office.

Connor, Cabrach

Connor Lee and Shumaker | Founding Partner

Cabrach Connor handles a wide variety of high-stakes business disputes and focuses on commercial disputes having core issues rooted in technology and intellectual property. Cab has extensive experience in patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret litigation and regularly advises companies and individuals on strategic development, protection, and monetization of intellectual property assets.

Crane, Sharon

Rothwell Figg | Partner

Sharon Crane is a counsel in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in Haynes Boone’s Washington, D.C. office. Her practice focuses on patent prosecution, opinion work, patent interferences, and post-grant practice at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Sharon also provides discerning representation to clients in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors.

Crumbley, Kit

Bracewell | IP Litigation Partner

Kit Crumbley is an intellectual property litigation partner with Bracewell’s Austin office. He draws on his two decades of experience serving within the US Patent & Trademark Office and the Department of Justice to provide comprehensive intellectual property advice and counsel to businesses across all technology fields, with a particular focus on post-grant validity challenges and the appeals of those proceedings.

Cunningham, Isabella

University of Texas at Austin | Stan Richards Chair in Advertising and Public Relations

Professor Isabella Cunningham holds the Stan Richards Chair in Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Texas at Austin. She is also the Academic Director of the Tower Fellows Program at the University. Dr. Cunningham serves on several academic committees and is a member of the School Budget Council. She also served as a member of the college Administrative Council, the University Curricular Task Force, the UT Presidential Enrollment Task Force and is a member of the Executive Council of the Latin American Studies School. Dr. Cunningham has served as a director on public and private companies’ boards and several non-profit boards and non-profit institutions including St. Edward’s Board of Trustees, the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian), and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

D'Souza, Roy

SongVest Records, Inc. | President

Roy D'Souza is President of SongVest Records, Inc. (d/b/a SVR), a crowdfunded record label, and he is also a business advisor to SongVest, Inc., a platform that democratizes fan investment in music royalties. He is the Co-Founder of Venndigm LLC, an intellectual property consulting firm focused on transaction due diligence and valuation, capital markets activities, and monetization. Previously, Roy led the Valuation and Strategy practices for Ocean Tomo, LLC, a Chicago-based IP consulting firm, and the Corporate Valuation Services practice for AccuVal Associates. He also spent a material portion of his career at KPMG LLP, where he had leadership roles in tax, valuation, and IP Consulting. Roy serves as the Board President for the Chicago West Community Music Center, a non-profit organization that provides music education, performance, community support, and cultural exchange opportunities to the children and families of Chicago's west side.

Dubose, Kevin

Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP | Partner

Kevin Dubose is an appellate lawyer in Houston, and a founding partner of Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP. He is a former Chair of the State Bar of Texas Appellate Section, former Chair of the Appellate Section of the Houston Bar Association, and a Past President of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.

Ferrill, Elizabeth D.

Finnegan | Partner

Elizabeth Ferrill is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Finnegan LLP. Elizabeth counsels clients who hold design patents as well as those accused of infringement. She has prosecuted families of design patents before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), directed prosecution in foreign countries, and argued appeals before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). She also litigates design patent matters at the U.S. district court level that include trade dress claims.

Finell, Judith

Judith Finell MusicServices | Musicologist

Judith Finell is a musicologist and the president of Judith Finell MusicServices Inc., a music consulting firm in New York and Los Angeles, founded 25 years ago in New York. Since then, she has served as consultant and expert witness involving music copyright infringement, advised on artist career and project development, and a wide variety of music industry topics. Recently, Ms. Finell was honored to be the 2018 commencement speaker at UCLA’s Herb Albert School of Music. She was also interviewed by NBC/Universal for a 2018 documentary entitled “The Universality of Music,” in which she discussed the ways in which she sees music as being an international language that can bridge cultural barriers that spoken language does not.

Furiani, Tara

Tarabull Media | CEO

With over two decades of transformative leadership under her belt, Tara shatters the conventional, often stodgy, paradigms of HR and corporate culture, bringing humanity back into the workplace. Sporting dual Master's degrees in Psychology and Organizational Leadership, Tara's academic mettle is as rock-solid as her real-world chops. Her slew of advanced certifications isn't just for show; it’s her toolkit for crafting highly responsive, agile organizations. She’s been the mastermind behind multiple industry-defining shifts during her 13 years as a Chief People Officer for companies valued over $6 billion and employing more than 10,000 people worldwide.

Gale, James A.

Cozen O'Connor | Co-Chair, Intellectual Property Litigation

Jim has handled hundreds of cases involving patents, theft of trade secrets, restrictive covenants, trademarks, unfair competition, and internet disputes. He has appeared in over 400 federal cases in more than 48 federal district and circuit courts, as well as handled hundreds of injunctions in over 35 different states around the nation.

Garland, Steven

Smart & Biggar | Principal

With over 30 years of trial and appellate experience in all areas of IP and numerous landmark decisions under his belt, Steven brings the level of attention, dedication, and strategy required to be successful for high-calibre clients. He has litigated on matters relating to patents, trademarks, copyright, industrial designs, trade secrets, breach of confidential information, and competition law. In respect of patents, Steven has acted in matters that have involved a wide variety of subjects, including chemical, electrical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, telephony, mechanical and computer/internet subject matter.

Golden, John

The University of Texas School of Law | Edward S. Knight Chair in Law

John Golden is the Edward S. Knight Chair in Law, Entrepreneurialism and Innovation at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, where he has taught administrative law, contracts, patent law, seminars relating to innovation and intellectual property, and a seminar on disaster and emergency law. From 2011 to 2022, he served as faculty director of the Andrew Ben White Center in Law, Science and Social Policy. John has a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University, and an A.B. in Physics and History from Harvard College. After law school, John clerked for the Honorable Michael Boudin of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and for Associate Justice Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court. John also worked as an associate in the intellectual property department of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.

Gonell, Fabian

Qualcomm | Senior Vice President, Licensing Strategy

Fabian Gonell is Senior Vice President, Licensing Strategy and Legal Counsel of Qualcomm's Technology Licensing division, where his responsibilities include developing the Company’s licensing strategy, negotiating license agreements, and overseeing the company's compliance with the rules of standards organizations. He has played a major role in structuring and negotiating license agreements with many of Qualcomm’s licensees, including Apple, Samsung, LGE, Ericsson, and Nokia/Microsoft, as well as in Qualcomm’s response to regulatory investigations of Qualcomm’s licensing practices.

Goodman, Jordana

Chicago-Kent School of Law | Assistant Professor

Jordana R. Goodman joined Chicago-Kent College of Law as an assistant professor in August 2023. Goodman is an expert on gender and race equity issues in STEM fields. Her research explores the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion and intellectual property law.

Greenleaf, Kevin

Dentons US LLP | Counsel

Kevin is computer engineer with several years of experience in-house and as a senior component design engineer at one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers. He has nearly two decades of experience in USPTO post-grant proceedings and currently leads Dentons post-grant team. Kevin has handled 100s of post-grant proceedings at the USPTO, including reexams, interferences, reissues, IPRs, and PGRs. He also counsels clients on patent prosecution, litigation, and transactions.

Hannon, Christian

United States Patent and Trademark Office | Patent Attorney, Office of Policy and International Affairs

Dr Hannon serves as a Patent Attorney with the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA) in which he represents the United States before UPOV. Prior to joining OPIA, for ten years, Dr Hannon served as a patent examiner in the wireless telecommunications field. During his employment at the USPTO, Dr Hannon has served in the Office of the Secretary and Director as an expert advisor. He has also served on detail to the Office of the Solicitor and in OPIA prior to joining there full time.

Herman, Michele

JusTech Law, PLLC | Founder

Michele’s practice at JusTech Law focuses exclusively on legal and business issues affecting technology development and commercialization such as technology standards, open source software, and intellectual property transactions.

Hightower, Susan

US District Court for the Western District of Texas | United States Magistrate Judge

Susan Hightower has served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, since 2019. Previously, she served for nearly seven years as a judge on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Trial and Appeal Board; was a member of Pirkey Barber PLLC, where her practice focused primarily on trademark litigation; and was a senior associate with Fulbright & Jaworski LLP. Judge Hightower, an Austin native, received a BA (with College Honors) from Austin College, an MA in journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, and a JD (Conferred with Distinction) from Stanford Law School. She also served as a clerk for Judge Jacques L. Wiener, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Before law school, Judge Hightower was a professional journalist, most notably working as a reporter and editor for The Associated Press for six years.

Holcomb, John

US District Court, Central District of California | United States District Court Judge

John W. Holcomb is a U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California, Southern Division, in Santa Ana, California. Judge Holcomb was nominated for that position by President Donald J. Trump in November 2019 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in September 2020.

Howell, Matthew

Haseltine Lake Kempner | Partner

Matthew Howell is a European and UK Patent Attorney, a patent attorney litigator and a UPC representative. He is a partner at Haseltine Lake Kempner and leads the UPC team there. He is actively involved in litigation before the UPC, as well as in drafting and prosecuting patents around the world, predominantly in the field of electronics and related technologies.

Huang, Christina

Faegre Drinker | Deputy Lead, Patent Practice

Christina Huang is the Deputy Lead for the Patent Practice and the Co-Chair for the AI Working Group in the Patent Practice at Faegre Drinker. Drawing on 20+ years of software and electronics industry experiences, an academic background in multiple fields, and experience as in-house IP counsel for a multinational corporation, Christina helps clients to define and develop business-minded strategies to protect and grow their IP assets and mitigate IP related risks. She provides comprehensive IP services, including patent drafting and prosecution, freedom-to-operate and invalidity opinions, IP agreement drafting and negotiations, inter partes review, and patent and copyright litigation.

Jesse, Jim

Rock n Roll Law

Jim Jesse has been an attorney since 1992, and has been a full-time Music Law presenter since 2013. He is the former General Counsel for Cool Music Network (THE COOL TV), which is a 24-hour-a-day music video television network. Previously, he was in private practice. He has founded Rock N Roll Law, and his passion is spreading music law through his seminars. Thousands of attorneys have taken his courses, and he has conducted his music law course now in many states (see below). He is also a member of the Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA).

Johnson, John T.

Fish & Richardson | Principal

John T. Johnson is a Principal in the New York office of Fish & Richardson and he works out of both its New York and Southern California offices. His practice focuses on utility patent, design patent, trademark, and copyright litigation. Mr. Johnson has tried patent cases before both judges and juries, as well as having argued Markman hearings in various district courts, including the Eastern District of Texas, the Southern District of New York, the Southern District of California, the District of Maryland, and the Western District of Texas.

Kale, Rohan

Elasticsearch | Senior Product and IP Counsel

Rohan Kale is Senior Product & Intellectual Property Counsel at Elasticsearch, where he provides legal strategy and support for product, engineering, marketing, and business teams on all issues relating to new product development and commercialization. Rohan provides regular guidance on issues relating to enterprise software licensing and open-source software, Generative AI product integrations and guidelines for internal use, intellectual property protection and risk management, integrations with third party technologies, and SaaS deployment. As a registered patent attorney with experience in both patent prosecution and complex multinational IP litigation in private practice, Rohan leads Elastic's global innovation and intellectual property strategy.

Kewalramani, Shashi H.

US District Court, Central District of California | United States Magistrate Judge

Shashi H. Kewalramani was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge in 2017. Prior to his appointment, Judge Kewalramani maintained a private practice handling intellectual property and commercial litigation on the defense and plaintiff side for his clients, federal criminal defense, and state and federal investigation matters. He is a registered patent attorney, previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central and Northern Districts of California, and was a law clerk to the Honorable Richard A. Schell, the then-Chief Judge in the Eastern District of Texas.

Khan, Azam

Lexset.AI | Co-Founder and COO

Azam Khan has a diverse work experience spanning various roles and industries. Azam co-founded Lexset in 2018 and served as the Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, they worked at Intellectual Ventures from 2012 to 2018, holding positions such as Director of Business Development and Director of New Ventures. Before their time at Intellectual Ventures, they worked at USPTO as Deputy Chief of Staff from 2011 to 2012 and at the United States Department of Commerce as a Special Advisor from 2009 to 2011. Azam also briefly served as a Legal Advisor at ICO-EUSR The International Civilian Office - European Union Special Representative in 2009. In 2007, they worked for Obama for America in various roles including Regional Field Director.

Lainson, Daphne

Smart & Biggar | Principal

Daphne Lainson is a principal in Smart & Biggar's Ottawa office and Chair of the Firm. With close to 25 years of experience in law and patent agency and an advanced degree in chemistry, she has been entrusted with protecting inventions across the spectrum of chemical innovation. Daphne enthusiastically champions and effectively safeguards her clients’ intellectual property rights relating to new drugs, biologics, medical devices, consumer products, agrochemicals, specialty chemicals, industrial chemical processes, oil, gas and petrochemicals.

Lee, Wan Chieh (Jenny)

Haug Partners | Partner

Wan Chieh (Jenny) Lee is a partner in the New York office of Haug Partners. Her practice focuses on strategic counseling, procurement of worldwide patent rights, due diligence, freedom to operate, and intellectual property transactions. She routinely advises clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries regarding patentability, validity, freedom-to-operate, and regulatory exclusivity. Jenny develops and executes patent procurement strategies that are aligned with clients’ immediate and long-term business goals. She leverages her strong ability to digest complex technical information with her experience in both patent procurement and litigation to provide clients with valuable transactional insights.

Lewis I.D., Jeffrey

Foley Hoag | Partner

Jeffrey I. D. Lewis is a partner at Foley Hoag, resident in the firm’s New York office, and an AIPLA Past President. A chemical engineer and registered patent attorney, Jeff concentrates on patent and trademark litigation, counseling and licensing, as well as other intellectual property and general litigation. He regularly represents plaintiffs as well as defendants – both at trial and on appeal – in a range of technology-related sectors with a focus on pharmaceuticals, chemicals, mechanical/medical-device, biotechnology and life sciences. He also has represented pharmaceutical innovators in numerous Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) patent litigations. Jeff has appeared in several dozen cases before the U.S. federal district courts, and has argued numerous appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Ling, Lu

Norton Rose Fulbright, LLP | Associate

Lu Ling is an associate in Norton Rose Fulbright's Houston office. As a member of the firm's IP Disputes practice group, his practice primarily focuses on patent litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Lu served as a judicial clerk at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Lu received a B.S. in Bioengineering from UC San Diego and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from UCLA, granting him a broad technical background.

Long, David W.

Essential Patent LLC | Patent Attorney

David has over twenty years of experience litigating complex patent issues in the telecommunications industry ranging from simple matters to high-stakes litigation. He was a judicial law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and has substantial experience leading litigation in federal courts and in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (“PTO”). His experience includes balancing parallel proceedings in multiple courts and the PTO. He counsels domestic and international clients on patent licensing, product redesigns, trade secrets and other legal issues in telecommunications, electronic circuits, microchips, computer and other high-tech industries.

Lujin, Pat

Shook, Hardy & Bacon | Partner

Pat is a partner in the Kansas City office of Shook, Hardy & Bacon. His practice focuses on patent and trademark litigation involving computer hardware and software, automotive, and video game technology. Pat represents clients in federal courts across the country and in inter partes review proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He frequently speaks and writes on current patent issues, and he has co-authored two amicus briefs filed in the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of the Intellectual Property Owners Association: WesternGeco v. ION Geophysical (2018) and Alice Corp v. CLS Bank (2014). Prior to rejoining Shook in 2002, Pat served as in-house patent counsel for Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington. Pat worked as an electrical engineer before law school.

Miller, Kimberly

Knobbe Martens | Partner

Dr. Kim Miller is a Partner at Knobbe Martens and serves as a single point of contact for all IP-related matters her clients face. For more established companies, she easily adapts to their processes and procedures, blending seamlessly into their existing corporate structure while adding valuable insight regarding how to better leverage their IP assets. For smaller, emerging and fast-growth companies, Kim works diligently to identify the vision going forward, as well as to provide advice and procedural solutions that fit their agenda today and into the future. Regardless of the size or extent of her clients’ IP assets, Kim is totally dedicated to conserving financial and other resources while seeking to ensure they get what they specifically need to succeed.

Moore, Valerie

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP | Registered Patent Agent

Valerie Moore is a registered patent agent who focuses her practice on domestic and foreign patent preparation and prosecution, as well as portfolio management, relating to chemistry, materials, and life sciences. Valerie’s technical and patent experience spans areas including nanotechnology, materials engineering, polymers and surfactants, surface science, corrosion chemistry, catalysis, upstream and downstream oil and gas chemistry, mining, sensors, bioimaging, biomedical implants, mathematical modeling of data, and integrating systems with mathematical modeling.

Nall, Jennifer

DLA Piper LLP | Partner

Jennifer Nall is a trial lawyer and registered patent attorney with experience assisting clients to procure, enforce, defend, license, and litigate intellectual property rights in high-technology cases. Her litigation experience extends to all phases of patent litigation and she practices in front of numerous district courts, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, the Federal Circuit, the International Trade Commission and the Supreme Court.

Nelson, Amy

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office | Acting Deputy Solicitor

Amy Nelson is the Acting Deputy Solicitor in the Solicitor’s Office at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She joined the Solicitor’s Office in 2010, following several years as a litigator at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. She served as judicial law clerk for the Honorable Sharon Prost at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and for the Honorable Edward Damich at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Prior to that, she was a patent examiner and supervisor in biotechnology for nearly a decade. She holds a J.D. from George Washington University Law School, a Ph.D. in plant biology from Ohio State University, and a B.A. in biology from Dartmouth College.

Nikhanj, Rakhi

Mueting, Raasch & Gebhardt | Shareholder

Rakhi Nikhanj is a Shareholder at Mueting Raasch Group in Minneapolis, MN, and is a registered patent attorney with 17 years of experience advocating for her clients ranging from fortune 500 companies to start-up companies and individual inventors. Her patent work spans technical areas such as medical devices, high technology filters, software, material science, acoustics, sensors, and radio frequency and other communication systems.

Oliver, Scott

Husch Blackwell | Partner

After almost 30 years in practice, Scott is keenly aware of the legal and business issues involved in intellectual property litigation—and that, whether plaintiff or defendant, the costs to clients aren’t merely monetary. As such, he seeks to understand their motivations, concerns, and risk tolerance, always involving clients in the decision-making process, then designs and implements strategies based on their unique business objectives.

Pedersen, Brad

EnQuanta | Chief Strategy and Legal Officer

Brad Pedersen is a seasoned professional with more than 35 years of experience as outside IP counsel at both small and large firms, as in-house IP counsel, and as an inventor and entrepreneur. He has both an in-depth understanding of patent law and patent office proceedings and extensive experience in technology and innovation that enables him to bring real-world practicality to his strategy and legal work. His contributions to the field of IP law include serving as a past Board member of AIPLA and co-authoring a Bloomberg BNA Treatise on the America Invents Act. He is a named inventor on more than two dozen issued U.S. patents ranging from medical devices to unmanned aircraft. He is currently the Chief Strategy and Legal Officer for EnQuanta, a company at the forefront of providing innovative quantum cyber resilience solutions.

Polson, Margaret

Polson Intellectual Property Law | Founder and Principal Attorney

Margaret Polson is founder and principal attorney for Polson Intellectual Property Law. Overseeing the preparation and prosecution of utility and design patent applications, trademarks, and copyrights, she also assists clients with licensing and intellectual property strategy and management.

Ramamoorthy, Kavita

Fineberg Ramamoorthy LLP | Partner

Kavita is a partner at Fineberg Ramamoorthy LLP, a boutique IP firm located in Toronto, Canada. The firm specializes in pharmaceutical patent litigation, an area in which Kavita has been practicing since 2003. Kavita has extensive experience in proceedings under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations (on behalf of both innovators and generics) as well as patent actions and judicial reviews. Kavita’s practice includes litigation management, preparation of expert evidence and both oral and written advocacy. Kavita has appeared frequently before the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal. Her practice also includes advising on a variety of regulatory matters. In addition to being a lawyer, Kavita is a Canadian Patent Agent and holds a Ph.D. in Toxicology from Texas A&M University.

Re, Joseph

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP | Partner

Mr. Re, a Partner at Knobbe Martens, is a nationally recognized trial and appellate attorney, having handled high-stakes technology cases in federal courts throughout the country for over thirty years.

Rosenbloom, Brian

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst, & Manbeck P.C. | Partner

Brian S. Rosenbloom is an expert in Intellectual Property (IP) counseling, patent prosecution, and patent litigation proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He has over two decades of experience in the IP field and a strong technical background in the electrical and software arts. He counsels a broad range of clients, from Fortune 100 companies to independent inventors, entrepreneurs, and emerging enterprises.

Sarwate, Sanjiv

Dell Technologies | Counsel

Sanjiv D. Sarwate is Counsel, Senior Consultant with Dell Inc. Prior to joining Dell in April 2011, he spent fourteen years in private practice in Chicago, specializing in trademark and copyright law. His duties at Dell include all aspects of trademark practice, with a particular emphasis on anti-counterfeiting enforcement. A frequent speaker on trademark law issues, he also served as an adjunct professor at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago from 2006 to 2015. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a masters’ degree from the University of Chicago.

Sauceda, Sarah

AMD | Corporate Counsel

Sarah Sauceda is an Austin-based attorney practicing in-house on the trademark/copyright team at the semiconductor giant, AMD. Her practice is primarily focused within the spaces of: trademark, copyright, influencers, and marketing.

Schnapp, Daniel

Dentons | Partner

Dan is a Partner at Dentons New York office and is a member of the Intellectual Property and Technology group with a focus on IP and complex commercial litigation. Dan handles high-profile matters involving claims of copyright and trademark infringement, counterfeiting, unfair competition, false advertising, trade dress infringement and defamation before federal and state courts and arbitration forums. Dan has also advised and defended clients in a variety of false-advertising matters, including enforcement actions instituted by the Federal Trade Commission, matters before the National Advertising Division (NAD), and class actions alleging fraud and misleading statements in advertising.

Shimabuku, Hope

United States Patent & Trademark Office – Texas Regional Office | Regional Director

As the Regional Director of the Texas Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Hope Shimabuku carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, and is responsible for leading the Texas regional office. Focusing on the region and actively engaging with the community, Ms. Shimabuku ensures the USPTO’s initiatives and programs are tailored to the region’s unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders.

Smaby, Jonathan

Texas Center for Legal Ethics | Executive Director

Jonathan Smaby has served as the Executive Director of the Texas Center for Legal Ethics in Austin since 2009. The Center promotes the ethical practice of law by attorneys and educates the public regarding legal ethics and the justice system. The Center also administers the Justice James A. Baker Guide to Ethics and Professionalism in Texas CLE course, a four-hour program required of all newly-licensed attorneys by the Supreme Court of Texas.

Smythe, Alexandra

IDE Group | Director of Regulatory Affairs

Alexandra Low Smythe is Director of Regulatory Affairs for IDE Group, a global medical device commercialization firm building meaningful medtech ventures. She has nearly a decade of experience deeply involved in all phases of the medical device product lifecycle, managing both global regulatory and the intellectual property strategy for multiple employers and clients, including a major innovator in the radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging industry. With a unique background combining engineering and law, Alexandra carefully balances maintaining regulatory compliance and respecting and protecting intellectual property rights with achieving strategic business objectives.

Sobon, Wayne

Juul Labs | Vice President, Intellectual Property

Wayne Sobon is Vice President, Intellectual Property at JUUL Labs, Inc., based in San Francisco, California. JUUL’s mission is to transition the world’s billion adult smokers away from combustible cigarettes, eliminate their use, and combat underage usage of our products.

Spence, Nicole

IBM Corporation | Counsel, Data, AI and Automation

Nicole A. Spence is an IBM Brand Counsel for the Data, AI and Automation business unit. As a Brand Counsel, Nicole supports various IBM software and hardware products in the Data, AI and Automation portfolio, including IP, M&A, data privacy, marketing, AI and data governance, transactions and litigation. In addition, Nicole is one of IBM’s AI and IP Policy attorneys for North America.

Spraggins, Barrett

Kennedy Lenart Spraggins LLP | Founding Partner

Barrett Spraggins is a U.S. patent attorney and founding partner of the IP boutique Kennedy Lenart Spraggins LLP. As a seasoned attorney with over 15 years in the IP profession, Barrett provides a variety of IP services including patent portfolio creation, strategic counselling, IP portfolio evaluations, technology transactions, patent licensing and litigation support. As a trusted advisor for organizations of all sizes, Barrett has considerable experience in managing global IP portfolios for international companies, as well as creating new portfolios for startups. With a background in electrical engineering, Barrett practices in a wide range of industries and technologies, including software applications, electrical power and battery systems, autonomous vehicles, sensor design, distributed computing environments, medical devices, circuit design and fabrication, and all types of computer hardware.

St Clair Jones, Gregory

Kilburn & Strode | Partner

As a partner in the Tech & Engineering team at Kilburn & Strode, Greg thrives on resolving contentious issues often faced by his clients be it dealing with patent infringement threats, litigation, or acting before the European Patent Office. Having spent time on secondment working alongside a leading in-house IP team in San Francisco, Greg has developed a keen understanding of the commercial IP issues faced by in-house patent counsel. Greg regularly provides training sessions on European patent law for US in-house counsel, particularly in the area of patent-eligible subject matter at the EPO. He has also represented Kilburn & Strode extensively in the US having spent time working from the firm’s San Francisco office.

Stignani, Mark

Barnes & Thornburg, LLP | Partner

Mark is an attorney who integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning with his extensive experience as a corporate and IP counsel. By leveraging stacks of AI tools accessing the open web, private databases, social media, and governmental registrations, Mark creates comprehensive profiles of clients, competitors, and potential acquisition targets, uncovering valuable insights that lead to successful business strategies and cost-saving measures. As a registered patent attorney with 36 of his own patent filings across 11 countries, Mark's technical expertise spans a wide range of industries.

Suarez, Christopher

Steptoe, LLP | Partner

Christopher A. Suarez is an outside-the-box thinker with a passion for helping clients understand and manage risks in high-technology. As an intellectual property litigator, he focuses his practice on patent, copyright, and trade secret trials and appeals before every level of the US court system, including federal district courts, US courts of appeals, the US Supreme Court, the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and other administrative tribunals. Chris's experience spans all phases of litigation, including overseeing fact discovery; taking and defending fact and expert depositions; arguing dispositive motions, claim construction, and appeals; and examining witnesses at trial.

Sullivan, Kelu

Kelly IP, LLP | Of Counsel

Kelu Sullivan is a skilled trademark and copyright lawyer who focuses on providing practical and realistic advice to help clients make strategic decisions in sync with their business goals.

VanDyke, Heather

Javelina Legal | Principal Attorney

Heather is the founder and principal attorney at Javelina Legal focusing on copyright, trademark, live / digital / experiential events, entertainment-related transactions, content licensing, outside GC services and more. Heather opened the firm after nearly 7 years as General Counsel of South by Southwest (SXSW) where she was responsible for all legal matters, including intellectual property protection and enforcement, licensing, contracts, insurance, managing litigation, and privacy. Heather is also an Adjunct Professor at UT Law, where she teaches a seminar entitled, The Law of Music Festivals and Live Events, which covers 7 core areas of law, from copyright and trademark to tort litigation using live events as the backdrop.

Wagner, Matthew

PDC Brands | General Counsel

Matthew Wagner is General Counsel for PDC Brands and has over 20 years of experience in private practice, focused on intellectual property, federal litigation, regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. Prior to joining the company, Wagner served as a Partner at the Stamford-based law firm Diserio Martin where he chaired the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. Additionally, Matt is an active member of AIPLA, AIPPI-US and AIPPI: he served on the AIPLA Board of Directors from 2017-2020, and is past-chair of the Copyright Law Committee, among other things; currently, Matt is Vice Chair of the Special Committee on Legislation for AIPLA, a member of the Steering Committee for AIPPI-US; and a member of the Amicus Briefs Committee for AIPPI. He is an active member of other substantive committees and was elected to the AIPLA Fellows in 2021.

Ward, Trenton A.

Greenberg Traurig | Shareholder

Trenton A. Ward has over 20 years of experience in patent law, including serving for five years at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) as a Lead Administrative Patent Judge, among other roles. While serving as a Patent Judge, Trenton adjudicated more than 250 America Invents Act (AIA) trial proceedings, encompassing inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review (PGR) proceedings. Trenton leverages his experience from the bench to provide the highest level of advocacy to clients on intellectual property matters.

Wasserman, Melissa

University of Texas at Austin - School of Law | Charles Tilford McCormick Professor of Law

Melissa Wasserman joined the University of Texas law faculty in 2016. Her research focuses on the institutional design of innovation policy, with a particular emphasis on patent law and administrative law. Her articles have been published or are forthcoming in both student edited law reviews and peer review journals including Stanford Law Review, California Law Review, Northwestern University Law Review, Vanderbilt Law Review, Texas Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Public Economics, and American Economics Journal: Economic Policy. Professor Wasserman serves as one of forty Public Members of the Administrative Conference of the United States and served on the Board of Directors of the American Law and Economics Association.

Webb, Carys

Cravath, Swaine & Moore, LLP | Associate

Carys Webb is an associate in the Corporate department of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Her practice focuses on advising public and private companies with respect to intellectual property and data privacy issues. Carys received her B.A. in Literature from Yale University. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she served as the Business and Bluebook Chair of the Harvard Law Review and was a John M. Olin Fellow in Law & Economics.

Keynote Speakers

Hon. Alan Albright

Hon. Scott R. Boalick

Hon. Susan Hightower

Hon. John Holcomb

Hon. Shashi Kewalramani

Hope Shimabuku

Speakers