Report of the Economic Survey

Join us for the 2026 Virtual Corporate Practice Institute!

Presented by the AIPLA Corporate Practice Committee

A two half-day online CLE program designed for corporate in-house counsel, including attorneys and patent agents.

The program covers a variety of topics related to intellectual property law, including attorney-client privilege, university technology transfer, trade secrets, data privacy, and working with in-house and product counsel.

The Corporate Practice Institute provides in-depth insight for in-house corporate counsel and agents to learn about wide ranging legal issues affecting their practice from experienced practitioners. It is designed for experienced in-house attorneys and new in-house attorneys learning to manage new corporate environments and challenges not taught in law schools or private practice. The Institute also helps private practice attorneys, especially associates, prepare for potential in-house career moves. The program also provides valuable networking opportunities to connect with each other and learn from each other's experiences.

Program Agenda:

Tuesday, January 13

12:00 - 1:00 pm: In-House Ethical Challenges - In-house legal situations present unique and sometimes complicated ethical challenges. This talk will center around common situations that present conflicts of interest and ethical challenges in an in-house setting.   Presented by: Beth Burgin Waller, Esq. Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black PLC

BREAK

1:30 - 2:30 pm: Working with Universities, including contracts and working with non-attorney managers -Leading corporations need access to unique technical expertise and resources found at universities for cutting-edge technology development. Patent counsel at leading institutions will discuss the legal aspects of university technology transfer mechanics, how to avoid common pitfalls that slow negotiations, and what companies can do to build lasting strategic partnerships.  Presented by: Dev Narasimhan, UW CoMotion; Adam Litteken, UIUC

BREAK

3:00 - 4:00 pm:  Trade Secrets and Confidential Information - Contracting Best Practices in Research Collaborations - A businesses' most valuable IP can often comprise trade secrets, which can complicate research collaboration partnerships - what comprises trade secrets vs know-how, and which entity owns the new IP? This talk will discuss several scenarios involving partnerships with third parties that implicate trade secret issues and how to best contract with those issues in mind. Presented by: Barbara A. Fiacco, Foley Hoag; & Kevin E. Noonan, PhD, McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff

4:00 - 5:00 pm: Networking Online Breakout Groups

Tuesday, January 20

12:00 - 1:00 pm: Updates on Data Privacy Law & Best Practices - Data privacy has established itself as a crucial component of any organization's success. This talk will examine trends and best practices for data privacy from both internal and external facing viewpoints. Presented by: Michael Wrobel, UIUC

BREAK

1:30 - 2:30 pm: IP Portfolio Partnerships - Balancing In-House and Outside Counsel Resources -  Managing a growing and diverse patent portfolio benefits from outside counsel expertise, but company brass often want to keep costs down. This talk will discuss how to best allocate resources between in-house IP professionals and outside IP counsel in the pursuit of strong patent and trademark portfolios. Presented by: Sabing Lee & David Schmidt Ph.D, Knobbe Martens

BREAK

3:00 - 4:00 pm: Diversity in Innovation - 2025 In Review - This talk will recap the major developments in diversity-related initiatives in 2025, examine significant diversity-related cases, and discuss the potential impact of diversity on innovation in 2026

4:00 - 5:00 pm: Networking - Online Breakout Groups

as of November 5, 2025  - subject to change

Registration Rates:

AIPLA Members

      AIPLA Regular-Corporate Practitioner Member:  $99
      AIPLA Regular Member: $295
      AIPLA Junior Member: $99
      AIPLA Government Member: $99
      AIPLA Student/Academic Member: $45

Non-Member Corporate Counsel: $495 (Online registration not available - Click Here to register as a non-member in-house counsel)
Non-Corporate Counsel - Non-Member: $725

Registration includes access to all sessions on-demand after the live event!

Speakers

• Fiacco, Barbara A.

  Foley Hoag, LLP | Co-Chair, Patent Litigation Practice

  Barbara Fiacco is a Partner, co-chair of the Intellectual Property Department and co-chair of the Patent, Trade Secrets, and Related Rights Litigation Practice at Foley Hoag LLP. In her practice, Barbara handles complex intellectual property and business disputes in the life sciences industry. She has successfully litigated patent, trade secret, and inventorship disputes for global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical device manufacturers and research institutions.
• Silverman, Eric E.

  Genentech, Inc. | Senior IP Attorney

  Eric E. Silverman, PhD has over twenty years of intellectual property experience spanning a wide range of industries and technologies. Eric started his IP career as a patent examiner at the USPTO, where he became a primary examiner of patent applications in technologies including pharmaceutical formulations, drug delivery, medical devices, implants, and cosmetics. He then spent several years in large international law firms where his practice included IP litigation, prosecution, and due diligence in technologies such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, solar power, petrochemicals, oil and gas, and ceramics.
• Noonan, Kevin

  McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP | Partner

  Kevin E. Noonan is co-Chair of MBHB’s Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Practice Group. Dr. Noonan is an experienced patent lawyer, molecular biologist and renowned thought leader in biotechnology and pharmaceutical patent law. Over the past 30 years, he has counseled some of the largest biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the world on intellectual property issues.

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