Speakers

Cobalt LLP

Tsan Abrahamson's practice focuses on strategic counseling in the areas of social media, sweepstakes, intellectual property, advertising, trademark clearance, trademark and copyright prosecution, licensing, and other business transactions. Tsan has successfully prosecuted and defended thousands of trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and internationally, including difficult sound and sensory marks and design marks.

Adler, Reid

Vistagen | Chief Legal Officer

Reid Adler, J.D. joined Vistagen as its Chief Legal Officer in May 2022 after serving as outside counsel for several years. During his extensive career in the biopharma sector, Mr. Adler was a senior partner at two international law firms, Morrison & Foerster and Morgan Lewis, and the general counsel to the pioneering J. Craig Venter Institute for genomics research.

Anoff, Ali

Procter & Gamble | Director & Assistant General Counsel - Patents

Ali Anoff is Director and Assistant General Counsel at Procter & Gamble. She is the primary patent attorney for renowned brands such as Olay® skin care, as well as Old Spice®, Secret®, and Native® antiperspirant and deodorants. Ali provides strategic legal counsel to the business to create and protect global intellectual property assets. Her practice focuses on IP strategy development, preparation and prosecution of global patent applications, conducting freedom-to-practice assessments and enforcement.

Bajaj, Raghav

Latham & Watkins | Partner

Raghav Bajaj is a partner in Latham & Watkins’ IP Litigation group and serves as co-chair of the firm’s PTAB practice. Raghav focuses on high-stakes patent litigation and contested proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, including inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, and related appeals to the Federal Circuit. He represents both petitioners and patent owners across a range of technologies and industries, drawing on his technical background to develop effective strategies in complex intellectual property disputes.

Banner, Brian

Slayden Grubert Beard | Shareholder

Brian Banner is the managing shareholder of Slayden Grubert Beard in Austin, Texas. He focuses on patent litigation and has nearly two decades of experience in district courts, the Federal Circuit, and before the PTAB. Brian served as lead IPR counsel in the first-ever sua sponte Director Review of an institution decision in 2022 and has since closely tracked the rise of Director authority. His practice draws on more than seven years of prior industry experience in semiconductors, processor architecture, and software design.

Beffel, Ernie

Haynes Beffel & Wolfeld LLP | Founding Partner

Ernie is valued for creativity and excellence in the practice of intellectual property law. His experience is both broad and deep, and includes patent prosecution and development, the preparation of opinions on infringement and validity of patents, pre-litigation analysis and resolution of licensing issues, due diligence in connection with mergers and acquisitions, as well as general advice pertaining to IP strategies and portfolio management.

Bellum, Stephen

Raphael Bellum PLLC | Co-Managing Member

Stephen Bellum is a co-managing member of Raphael Bellum PLLC and a seasoned patent prosecutor focused on innovations in the pharmaceutical and life sciences. Drawing on a broad medical research background and extensive experience managing international patent prosecution for clients, Stephen works with emerging and established companies, alike, providing bespoke IP guidance that aligns with their business and product development objectives.

Blaemire, Jessica R.

Bloomberg Law | Content Team Lead

Jessica R. Blaemire is a content team lead with Bloomberg Law focusing on litigation, attorney well-being, and legal ethics. In this role, Jessica helps maintain the ABA Manual on Professional Conduct, develops Practical Guidance on building well-being programs at legal organizations, creates well-being surveys for legal professionals and writes analysis pieces on topics ranging from law school drinking data to whether mandatory bar associations can promote wellness programs. Jessica co-authored the Bloomberg Law 2024 Attorney Well-Being Report, and was featured on the Bloomberg Industry Group podcast, “On the Merits” to discuss neurodiversity in the legal profession. Jessica is licensed to practice in Washington D.C. (1032912) and Virginia (96356) and earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Boundy, David

Potomac Law Group | Partner

David Boundy is a Partner in our Intellectual Property and Administrative Law practices, advising clients in strategic development of intellectual property as an integrated asset of the business, and synergizing intellectual property with legal, R&D, finance, and marketing. Mr. Boundy is listed as one of the 300 leading intellectual property strategists in the world. He has represented and counseled inventors, investors, startups, and established companies in intellectual property matters. The scope of representation includes patent prosecution, licensing, counseling to avoid litigation, opinions, financing and public offering transactions, due diligence, acquisitions, and spinoffs. His special expertise is in structuring startups’ IP portfolios to maximize financing.

Burgy, Adriana

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP | Partner

Adriana Burgy, a partner in Finnegan’s Washington DC’s office, specializes in patent opinion work, client counseling, prosecution, portfolio management, and litigation within the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology sectors. Combining legal and technical expertise, she is recognized by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) and The Legal 500 U.S. for her accomplishments in patent matters across a broad array of technologies.

Calloway, Valerie

IBM Corporation | Chief Trademark Counsel

Valerie L. Calloway is most recently Managing IP Law Attorney and Chief Trademark Counsel for IBM. Ms. Calloway led the global team that legally protects IBM’s brands and manages administrative matters globally for IBM’s IP Law Department.

Chin, Brad

Duane Morris, LLP | Partner

Brad Y. Chin is a partner in Duane Morris' Intellectual Property Practice Group. He represents clients in intellectual property litigation and counseling matters, with a focus on patent and trademark-related disputes and transactions for companies operating in the energy, technology and high-tech sectors.

Collin, Sean

Elastic NV | Vice President Legal for Innovation

Sean Collin is Vice President Legal for Innovation (Product, IP, Marketing) at Elastic NV, the world's largest B2B and B2G search, observability, and security software company. He was educated at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand (BCom. LLB (Hons)) and at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. (LLM (Dist.)). He has been called to the Bar in New Zealand, New South Wales, Australia, and in both New York and California in the United States. He has lectured at Universities, Institutes and Global Conferences in 20 countries on international IP law and technology business.

Cooper, William

Cooper Legal Group | President

William Cooper is a US Patent Attorney and the founder of Cooper Legal Group, LLC, an IP boutique. William handles many aspects of intellectual property, with a focus on patent preparation and prosecution, including filings into and out of the US in many different technology areas. William is a seasoned practitioner with nearly 30 years of experience and has been actively involved with several different AIPLA committees for many years.

Curcio, Stephanie

NLPatent | CEO and Co-Founder

Stephanie Curcio is a recognized leader at the intersection of artificial intelligence and patent law, with a focus on modernizing patent practice through workflow-aligned AI. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of NLPatent, where her work centers on applying proprietary AI models to support established patent research and intelligence workflows by automating high-friction tasks, surfacing conceptually relevant context, and reducing manual review - while preserving practitioner judgment, legal rigor, and explainability.

Curtis, Anthony

Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner | Principal

Tony Curtis is a Partner at Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner. His practice includes patent procurement, portfolio management and strategic counseling in a wide range of electrical, software, and mechanical technologies. Tony previously worked as senior counsel in patent operations and portfolio management in the communications field at Verizon and Motorola Solutions. He has worked on diverse technology, including short and long-range telecommunication devices, semiconductor devices, materials, and processing, software (including AI), healthcare-related software and devices, big data analysis and usage, Internet-related software including advertising, and business methods.

D’Amore, Matthew

Cornell Tech and Cornell Law School | Director and Professor

Matthew D’Amore is a professor of the practice and the director of the Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Program at Cornell Tech and Cornell Law School. At Cornell Tech, D’Amore teaches and conducts research in technology transactions, trade secrets, intellectual property, legal technology, and the changing practice of law.

Davis, Deborah

Pranger Law PC | Partner

Deborah Davis is a partner at Pranger Law PC and leads the firm’s Trademarks & Brand Protection practice. Her many years of experience in trademarks, advertising, and promotions matters helps clients navigate complex market and consumer realities while they safeguard and grow their critical IP assets.

Davis, Theodore

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP | Partner

Ted Davis is a partner in the Atlanta office of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, where he has practiced trademark, copyright, false advertising, and unfair competition law since 1990. He is a past member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Board of Directors and currently serves as an editor of the A.I.P.L.A. Quarterly Law Journal. He also has served on the American Bar Association’s Board of Governors and the International Trademark Association’s Executive Committee. He frequently serves as an expert witness in trademark-related matters and is an adjunct professor at the Emory University School of Law. His articles on intellectual property subjects have appeared in such general-purpose journals as the Minnesota Law Review, the Ohio State Law Journal, the Wake Forest Law Review, the University of Illinois Law Review, the Washington & Lee Law Review, the Florida Law Review, and the Akron Law Review, as well as in specialized publications like the Trademark Reporter, the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, the Journal of Intellectual Property Law, and the Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal.

Eichner, Sam

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP | Senior Counsel

Sam Eichner, a member of Pillsbury’s Intellectual Property practice, focuses on copyright and trademark disputes in federal court and before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). As a copyright and trademark litigator, Sam represents clients across industries—from fashion e-tailers and blockchain developers to universities and non-profit organizations. Sam has litigated cases to trial, and resolved many disputes through settlement and mediation, invariably seeking practical business solutions for his clients.

Elgin, Jennifer L.

TTAB, USPTO | Administrative Trademark Judge

Jennifer L. Elgin currently serves as an Administrative Trademark Judge on the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). She first joined the TTAB in 2020 as an Interlocutory Attorney and became a judge in 2023. Prior to coming to the USPTO, Judge Elgin spent over twenty-five years in private law practice in Washington D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia, and as in-house Trademark Counsel for Turner Entertainment Company. Judge Elgin received a Doctor of Law degree with honors from Emory University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer Economics with a concentration in Business Management from Cornell University.

Fink, Karl

Nixon Peabody | Senior Counsel

Karl Fink works with clients in various intellectual property litigation, patent litigation, and IP protection matters. He routinely litigates cases regarding an extensive range of technologies.

Fried, Ian

DME Law LLP | Founding Partner

Ian Fried has spent two decades at the intersection of media and technology. He serves as Chair of DEG.AI, the AI-focused alliance within DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, and as DEG’s General Counsel. He is also a founding partner of DME Law LLP, a boutique firm that advises companies ranging from Fortune 500 enterprises to early-stage startups. As a fractional executive and advisor, he works with major studios, producers, platforms, technology and machine learning companies on AI strategy, rights frameworks, content creation, distribution and protection. His career tracks the industry’s major turning points: helping build Paramount’s digital business, structuring the Netflix deal for House of Cards, and shaping YouTube’s creator-centric original content strategy. Today he works across the divide between Hollywood and Silicon Valley, helping companies navigate transformation.

Gale, James A.

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

James A. Gale is the co-chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice. He is a registered patent attorney with more than 40 years of experience and is Chambers Band 1 ranked in Florida, Martindale AV Preeminent© rated, Board Certified in Intellectual Property by the Florida Bar, and the former inaugural chair of Florida's IP Board Certification Committee. 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. An accomplished intellectual property litigator, Jim’s client list includes national and international high-technology manufacturers, as well as traditional brick-and-mortar clients.

Garberg, Morten

Hoffmann Eitle | Partner

Morten Garberg is a partner and co-head of HOFFMANN EITLE’s Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals practice group. Since starting his patent law career in the firm’s London office in 2002, Morten has gained extensive experience in representation of clients at the European Patent Office, specializing in opposition and appeal work. Now based in Munich, his expertise with patent work spans a wide variety of technical fields, including pharmaceuticals, polymers, foods and medical devices.

Gerratana, Frank

Calyx Law LLP | Partner

Frank Gerratana is a high-tech and intellectual property attorney at the intersection of law, business, and emerging technology. With degrees in computer science & electrical engineering, he brings deep technical acumen to his clients’ most complex legal challenges. Frank works with a wide range of organizations—from venture-backed startups to Fortune 500 corporations—helping them develop robust patent strategies, navigate legal hurdles, and mitigate IP-related risks. His forward-looking guidance enables companies to protect and commercialize their innovations, whether they involve artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, medical devices, microprocessor architecture, or financial technology.

Goldberg, Joshua

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP | Partner

Joshua Goldberg, partner in Finnegan’s Washington, DC office, is a former leader of Finnegan’s PTAB trials section, focusing on inter partes review (IPR), post grant review (PGR), and ex parte reexamination (EPR) proceedings before the USPTO, as well as related appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has served as lead or backup counsel in more than 350 PTAB proceedings across a wide range of technologies, representing both petitioners and patent owners.

Goldberg, Joshua B.

Nath, Goldberg & Meyer | Co-Managing Partner

Joshua Goldberg is Co-Managing Partner and the Partner-in-Charge of the Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Department of Nath, Goldberg & Meyer. Mr. Goldberg’s practice involves preparing and acquiring U.S. and foreign patents for his clients across a wide range of technology areas. His current practice places a particular emphasis on pharmaceutical, agriculture, and alternative energy technologies. He also advises corporate, university, and independent clients not only in how to obtain patents, but also how to bring new products to market without infringing someone else’s patents.

Harris, Phil

Holland & Hart | Partner

Phil Harris is a partner, registered patent attorney, and patent practice group leader at Holland & Hart. His practice focuses on client counseling along with preparing and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications (with special focus on cutting-edge technology) for clients of various structures and industries, including wireless communications, network design, machine learning and artificial intelligence, memory and computer architecture, circuit and chip design, methods of manufacturing, medical devices, and other complex technologies.

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.

Irving, Thomas L.

The Marbury Law Group, PLLC | Senior Partner

Tom Irving is Senior Partner at the Marbury Law Group with some 50 years of experience in the field of intellectual property law. My practice emphasizes patent law experting, due diligence investigations, Orange Book listings, and counseling and opinion work, particularly on ODP and MPF. I successfully reissued the patent for the drug Lovenox®, a blockbuster product, and represented targets Agouron, Principia Biopharma, and Endocyte in patent work resulting in deals respectively garnering $2.1, $3.68, and $2.1 billion USD, as publicly reported. I filed an expert report and was cross examined on prosecution laches for CureVac against BioNTech /Pfizer. In settlement, CureVac received $740 million and a running royalty on Covid-19 vaccine sales in the U.S. I have also filed two expert reports dealing with inequitable conduct and one on duty of care in patent filing and prosecution.

Jacob, Johanna

Applied Materials | Head of IP Risk Management

Johanna Jacob is Head of IP Risk Management at Applied Materials, where she leads global efforts to protect Applied’s intellectual property, trade secrets, and confidential information. In her role, Johanna partners cross-functionally to shape strategy on enterprise wide programs addressing insider risk, data protection, third party risk management, research security, and the responsible use of emerging technologies, including generative AI. In order to shape these strategies, she draws on her prior experience in private practice as an IP litigator focusing on complex trade secret litigation and counseling.

Jungreis, Rivka

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA | Patent Litigator

Rivka Jungreis is a patent litigator at Teva Pharmaceuticals USA. She handles an extensive docket of pharmaceutical patent litigation involving Teva’s generic, branded, biologic, and biosimilar products. Rivka also advises the company on a variety of trade secret, FDA regulatory, and antitrust issues in the pharma space.

Ko, Jim

Ko IP & AI Law PLLC | Principal Attorney

Jim W. Ko serves as Principal Attorney at Ko IP & AI Law PLLC, where he provides strategic legal counsel at the intersection of intellectual property and artificial intelligence. With more than 20 years of experience across in-house, law firm, and nonprofit roles, Jim help clients protect their IP assets, manage risk, and navigate the shifting legal and business landscape around AI and emerging technologies. Jim is also the Founder & Executive Director of The AI Rights Project, an independent nonprofit works to ensure that as AI transforms society, law remains grounded in human-scale judgment and decision-making, creativity, and accountability—and grounded by democratic choice.

Kosowski, Carolyn

USPTO, Office of Patent Legal Administration | Senior Legal Advisor

Ms. Kosowski is a Senior Legal Advisor in the Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA). In this role, she assists in the drafting of rule packages, memoranda, and associated guidance to implement USPTO initiatives and comply with developments in patent law, including those regarding subject matter eligibility, fees, designs, and 35 USC 112. She is also on detail to the Patent Fraud Mitigation Unit.

Landy, Barry

Ciresi Conlin, LLP | Partner

Barry Landy is an accomplished trial lawyer at Ciresi Conlin, renowned for his expertise in complex commercial litigation, with a particular focus on trade secrets, breach of contract, fraud, financial services litigation, and class actions. He represents businesses and individuals nationwide in high-stakes disputes in federal and state courts, and brings extensive experience in appellate advocacy, having appeared before multiple federal and state appellate courts.

Lee, Dustin

University of Maryland, Baltimore Office of Technology Transfer | Senior Patent Attorney

Dustin Lee is a Senior Patent Attorney specializing in medical devices, software, and emerging technologies. Additionally, Dustin manages UMB’s Medical Device Prototype Lab. He was an engineer and patent attorney in private practice before joining the Office of Technology Transfer.

Levine, David

Levine Bagade Han LLP

Mr. Levine’s practice includes domestic and foreign patent drafting and prosecution, trademark prosecution, IP portfolio management, and strategy development. Mr. Levine’s practice also includes intellectual property due diligence and all aspects of intellectual property licensing and patent litigation support.

Liang, Mark

O’Melveny & Myers LLP | Partner

Mark Liang is a partner with O’Melveny & Myers LLP. He focuses his legal practice on patent and technology-related litigation, and AI counseling. He has experience in all stages of patent cases, including claim construction, fact and expert discovery, dispositive motions, trial, post-trial, and appeal. He represents clients in federal courts, the International Trade Commission, and United States Patent and Trademark Office, including reexaminations and inter partes review (IPR).

Marrone, Matthew

Dennemeyer & Associates | Senior Patent and Trademark Attorney

Matthew is the Lead Intellectual Property Attorney in Dennemeyer & Associates Chicago office. Matthew is a strategic leader committed to building the US practice, leading and managing legal teams to deliver high-value IP counsel to clients. A skilled legal strategist and a business-minded leader, Matthew is energized by building and protecting client's innovations, as well as managing client relationships, and mentoring attorneys.

McCrackin, Ann

AI-Enabled Attorney, LLC | Founder

Ann McCrackin is a patent attorney, Adjunct Professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, and founder of AI-Enabled Attorney LLC. She provides practical AI training and IP operations consulting for law firms and legal teams, with a focus on helping professionals use AI effectively in real patent and trademark workflows.

McDermott, Mary

CNA | Risk Control Consultant

Mary is a Risk Control Consultant for CNA’s Lawyers Professional Liability Program. In this role, she is part of the CNA team helping insureds practice better by providing risk control services. Mary helps craft risk control publications, and she provides direct assistance to insureds when insureds reach out with a concern about their practice. Mary also presents on risk control and best practices for addressing the latest troubling issue.

Mertzel, Nancy J.

Mertzel Law PLLC | Principal and Founder

Nancy J. Mertzel is the Founder of Mertzel Law PLLC, a boutique intellectual property firm with offices in New York and New Jersey. Nancy handles copyright, trademark, technology, and entertainment disputes and counseling. Her litigation practice concentrates on copyright and trademark infringement. On the transactional side, she handles trademark clearance, prosecution and portfolio management and drafts and negotiates IP agreements. She also advises clients on copyright issues including fair use and artificial intelligence.

Miros, Robert

3rd Stone Design | CEO

Robert Miros is a designer, engineer, entrepreneur and executive. He presently serves as CEO for 3rd Stone Design, a company he founded 20 years ago in Northern California. The company engages in development and commercialization of health focused products for unmet global needs.

Myles, Mary Beth

Greenberg Traurig | Of Counsel

Mary Beth Myles recently returned to private practice after over nine years at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), where she served first as an Interlocutory Attorney and then as an Administrative Trademark Judge. She is currently Of Counsel at the Los Angeles office of Greenberg Traurig where she counsels clients on all aspects of trademark law, copyright law, brand protection and enforcement, and represents clients in disputes before the TTAB and in federal court.

Nowak, Urszula

Foley Hoag LLP | Partner

Urszula Nowak is a partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation Department at Foley Hoag LLP. In her practice, Urszula handles biotechnology and pharmaceutical patent and trade secret litigation as well as other biotechnology-related commercial disputes. Urszula holds a PhD in Immunology and draws on her scientific training to analyze the complex technical issues at the heart of her cases. She has successfully litigated matters involving a wide range of technologies, including gene therapy, sequencing technology, siRNA technology, therapeutic antibodies, and therapeutic peptides.

Olson, Shana

Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox PLLC | Counsel

Shana L. Olson is counsel at Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox PLLC, where she focuses on trademark protection as part of a multidisciplinary brand strategy. She advises clients on U.S. and international trademark clearance, prosecution, enforcement, and portfolio management, with significant experience in inter partes proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Pennington Rhodes, Tammy

Supercharger | Principal

Ms. Tammy Pennington Rhodes currently serves as Principal at Supercharger. She is a registered patent attorney with over 20 years of experience in patent litigation, drafting, and prosecution. She holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and began her legal career at a general civil litigation firm in Atlanta, Georgia.

Pool, Ryan

Millen, White, Zelano & Branigan, P.C. | Partner

Ryan Pool is a Partner at MWZB who specializes in chemical and life sciences patent prosecution. He is experienced in patent drafting, patent prosecution, and portfolio management. His practice has involved considerable work in the international patent sphere and he is the current Chair of the AIPLA IP Practice in Europe committee. Mr. Pool is interested in using data to find patent prosecution advantages for is clients to increase both prosecution effectiveness and efficiency. He has authored a number of papers to that end. His works have published in both US and international patent law industry publications. He will be discussing one such work today.

Potter, Karen

Morrison Foerster | Partner

Karen Potter, Ph.D., J.D. is a nationally recognized patent attorney and a leader of Morrison Foerster’s Cell and Gene Therapy Patent practice, based in San Diego, California. With more than 20 years of experience in life sciences intellectual property, Karen advises biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies on patent strategy, prosecution, and global portfolio management for advanced cell, gene, and immunotherapy products.

Punzalan, Mark

Chan + Punzalan | Partner

Mark Punzalan is a Partner at Chan + Punzalan in San Francisco where he leads the firm’s litigation matters in the areas of trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, and technology disputes. Mark also teaches litigation skills at Stanford Law School's Trial Advocacy Workshop, and he is the co-author of “Employee Mobility in California – Trade Secrets, No-Poach Agreements, Non-Solicitation Agreements” in the Practising Law Institute’s (PLI) treatise on California Employment Law. Mark has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as one of the Top 100 Northern California Super Lawyers for seven consecutive years (2020-2026).

Rattray, Adam

WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center | Head of the External Relations and Planning Section

Adam Rattray is the Head of the External Relations and Planning Section of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. He works closely with the WIPO Center’s IP Disputes Section to facilitate the provision of efficient ADR services and to provide training on mediation and arbitration for IP and technology-related disputes. Before joining WIPO he worked at the Geneva office of the law firm White & Case as a member of the WTO and international trade law practice.

Reed, Matthew

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati | Partner

Matt Reed is a partner in the Palo Alto office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where his practice focuses on technology-driven international and domestic arbitration, as well as intellectual property litigation. Drawing on a background in chemical engineering, he has successfully litigated cases across a wide range of industries, including generic pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and semiconductor processing and packaging. Matt is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and a founding member of California Arbitration (CalArb.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing international arbitration in California through education, outreach, and program development.

Richmond, Douglas

Lockton Companies | Senior Vice President

Doug Richmond is a Senior Vice President with the Lockton Companies, where he advises Lockton’s law firm clients on professional responsibility and liability issues. He joined Lockton after retiring as a Managing Director of Aon’s Professional Services Practice, where he led Aon’s loss prevention services across all professions. Before joining Aon, Doug was a partner with Armstrong Teasdale LLP in Kansas City, Missouri (1989–2004), where he had a broad civil trial and appellate practice. He is a former member of the ABA’s Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability (2020–2023) and the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (2016–2019). Doug earned his J.D. from the University of Kansas..

Roby, Rebecca

Warshawsky Law Group | Senior Intellectual Property, Marketing, and Commercial Law Executive

Sebor, Angela

Tolmar | Director Intellectual Property

Angie Sebor is the Director Intellectual Property at Tolmar, Inc., a Colorado-based, fully integrated pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative, specialty pharmaceutical products in the areas of urology, oncology, pediatric endocrinology and men’s health. Angie is a registered U.S. patent agent with a Ph.D. in Immunology and more than 27 years’ experience in patent law, both as an in-house practitioner and in private practice, primarily in the areas of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Sheppard, Christal A.

University of Nebraska College of Law | Law Professor

Dr. Christal Sheppard has over 3 decades of science, intellectual property law and policy experience covering a large proportion of the IP ecosystem. Her experience includes serving as chief counsel of patent and trademarks in the United States House of Representatives, as the first Director of the first USPTO Regional Office, as a member of the Administration's Public Patent Advisory Committee, and in the International Trade Commission’s General Counsel’s Office. Currently she is Lecturer at University of Nebraska College of Law, and has served as a Distinguished Fellow at the Nebraska Governance and Technology Center.

Shields, Mary

Bloomberg Law | Senior Legal Content Analyst

Mary Shields is a subject matter expert in legal ethics with nine years of experience as a content analyst for Bloomberg Law. Her work primarily focuses on editing the ABA/Bloomberg Law Lawyer’s Manual on Professional Conduct, an authoritative resource for understanding the interpretation and implication of lawyer professional conduct rules and related subjects. She is particularly interested in the intersection of legal service innovation and legal ethics. Previously, Mary worked for the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General. She holds a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Iowa.

Slavich, Michelle

Promise Advanced Imagination | Chief Marketing Officer

Michelle Slavich is Chief Marketing Officer at Promise Advanced Imagination, a groundbreaking entertainment studio harnessing generative AI to reimagine how films and series are made. A global marketing and communications leader, she has guided giants like Google (YouTube), Netflix, Warner Bros., and NBCUniversal through transformative growth, high-stakes product launches, and organizational change.

Smalley, Laura W.

Harris Beach PLLC | Partner

Laura W. Smalley is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group of Harris Beach PLLC, one of the leading law firms in New York State as ranked by the National Law Journal. She was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America and represents clients in patent licensing, litigation and prosecution. Laura focuses on protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights and clients’ development of their technology. She has litigated numerous patent infringement suits involving medical devices, electronic components and imaging technology, including acting as trial counsel in a patent infringement action over key components for pacemakers and implantable defibrillators that resulted in a $27 million judgment.

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.

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.

Stockton, Richard

Banner Witcoff | Attorney

Richard Stockton is a principal shareholder at Banner Witcoff in Chicago. He received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and a law degree cum laude from the University of Illinois, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Law, Technology & Policy.

Sullivan, Kelu

Kelly IP, LLP | Partner

Kelu Sullivan is a seasoned intellectual property attorney with Kelly IP, LLP, a trademark and copyright boutique based in Washington, D.C. with nearly two decades of experience in trademark, copyright, and domain name law. Kelu is particularly experienced in the management of global trademark portfolios and providing creative and practical business-focused intellectual property protection, licensing, and enforcement strategies.

Szweras, Melanie

Smart & Biggar LP | Principal

Melanie’s practice focuses on drafting and prosecution of applications relating to biologics, diagnostics, biotechnology, food and pharmaceuticals. Melanie offers strategic advice and expertise to her clients, provides validity and freedom to operate opinions and is involved in related patent litigation and licensing.

Talbert, Hayley J.

Seed IP Law Group, LLP | Partner

Hayley devotes her time to strategic intellectual property counseling in the electrical, software, and mechanical arts, focusing on efficient and effective patent prosecution. She received a B.S. (cum laude) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida (2004) and a J.D. from Willamette University College of Law (2008).

Thurston, Richard

RLT Global Consulting LLC

Dr. Thurston earned his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, having defended successfully his dissertation on China's Civil Law Reform Movement, 1912-1930. He earned his JD from Rutgers School of Law, Camden Division, where he minored in IP law. He also attended Soochow School of Law, Taipei, Taiwan, on a non-degree program. Fluent in Mandarin, he has spent the past 40+ years managing and supporting intellectual property matters at the intersection of global corporate transactions. Dr. Thurston has taught both law and business classes at: SMU School of Law (Dallas, TX); University of Texas, Dallas; Soochow University (Taiwan); National Chiao Tung University (Taiwan); and National Cheng-Chih University (Taiwan).

Till, Mary

Finnegan Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP | Of Counsel

Mary C. Till is of counsel in Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP’s Washington, DC office. She leverages her over 30 years of experience in patent law to provide patent prosecution counseling services to a broad range of clients. Drawing on her insider’s perspective with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), her capabilities range from the representation of large corporations to startups and universities needing patent procurement, portfolio evaluations, and portfolio management and strategy services.

Tishler, Sarah

Beck Reed Riden LLP | Partner

Sarah Tishler is a partner at Beck Reed Riden LLP, a nationally-recognized boutique litigation firm based in Boston, Massachusetts. Sarah’s practice is concentrated on trade secret and restrictive covenant advising and litigation, employee mobility, and commercial litigation. Sarah has won successful outcomes for clients on both sides of these disputes in all stages of litigation, including the preliminary injunction stage, jury trials, and mediation. Sarah has also counseled clients on the identification and protection of trade secrets, and the enforceability of noncompetes and other restrictive covenants. Sarah was named by the Legal 500 in 2023 and 2024 in the area of Trade Secrets, and by Best Lawyers in 2026 as Ones to Watch for Commercial Litigation.

Townes, Nicole

Friedland Cianfrani LLP | Partner

Nicole Townes is a partner in the Irvine office of Friedland Cianfrani LLP. Nicole has represented a wide range of clients in trademark, trade dress, copyright and licensing counseling and litigation, as well as false advertising, unfair competition, trade secret and patent litigation. Her practice includes domestic and international trademark selection and clearance, prosecution, and procurement.

Traphagen, Mark

Traphagen Law PLLC | Principal

Mark Traphagen is the principal of Traphagen Law PLLC and practices copyright, trademark and unfair competition, privacy and publicity rights, and advertising law. He teaches International Intellectual Property at George Washington University Law School and Entertainment Law at George Mason University Law School, and he is the author of the U.S. chapter of the treatise Copyright Throughout the World.

Van Voorhis, Kim

Nike | Assistant General Counsel, Global IP LItigation

Kim is Assistant General Counsel, Global IP Litigation & Director of IP Europe at Nike, Inc. She is a committed IP professional, bringing nearly 20 years of experience litigating, managing portfolios, and providing strategic counseling on all aspects of global intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks, design, copyright and trade secrets, in both elite law firm and Fortune 100 corporate settings.

Zhu, Tammy

Runway | Associate General Counsel

Tammy Zhu is a technology lawyer focused on artificial intelligence and intellectual property, and she serves as the Associate GC at Runway. Tammy has written and spoken on emerging legal frameworks for AI, including copyrightability, implementing AI tools, and navigating IP challenges.

Zitlau, Warren

Cahn & Samuels, LLP | Partner

Warren Zitlau is a partner at the intellectual property law firm of Cahn & Samuels, LLP in Washington, DC. He focuses on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in chemical and mechanical technologies and is involved with the AIPLA Chemical Practice Committee.

Keynote Speakers

Scott Minden

Max Sills

Kyle Poe

Eric Goldman

Derek Scott

Speakers