Sarah (Fackrell) Burstein is a Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is an internationally-recognized expert in design patent law. Prior to becoming a law professor, she worked as a federal law clerk and as an IP associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She has a law degree from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Art & Design from Iowa State University.

Barbara K. Müller is a partner of Wild Schnyder AG, one of the oldest and most prestigious IP boutique law firm of Switzerland. After her education in Switzerland, Barbara worked in Austria and the US. Barbara holds an LL.M. degree of Northwestern University in Chicago and Dr. of the Zurich university. Barbara is active in several areas of intellectual property law, including trademark, design, and copyright law. She advises and litigates for domestic and foreign clients. Barbara has a broad experience in strategic consulting, contractual work and litigation. In addition to her practical work, Barbara publishes regularly, among other things on trademarks in the njus.ch book series and as co-editor and co-author of the copyright commentary in the Stämpflis Handkommentare series. Barbara is an active member of INTA. 

Claudia Stangle is a partner at Leydig, Voit & Mayer in Chicago with over 25 years of experience and specializes in trademarks, trade dress, copyrights, false and comparative advertising, Internet law, trade secrets, licensing, and right of publicity. Ms. Stangle has significant experience in complex inter partes proceedings before the TTAB, has represented clients in federal courts around the U.S. including in the Ninth Circuit, and has won numerous UDRP proceedings. She also has experience in patent infringement and trade secret litigation. She represents clients in a wide variety of industries including in the life sciences, automotive, insurance, reinsurance, financial, car rental, commercial real estate, software, AI, consumer and luxury goods, entertainment, cannabis, alcoholic beverages, and industrial products space. Ms. Stangle currently serves as the Chair of the Recruiting Committee and was previously Chair of the DEI committee and a member of her firm’s Board of Directors. She is also Vice-Chair of IPO’s D&I Committee. Ms. Stangle is a frequent guest lecturer speaking about a variety of intellectual property topics, has been a regional oral argument judge for the Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition and has served as an Adjunct Professor at Widener Law School teaching law students about copyrights and trademarks.  She has three boys and loves to run and bike in her spare time.

J. Bradley White, a partner and Chair of Osler’s National Intellectual Property Department, heads the firm’s patent litigation and patent/design prosecution practices. Brad has significant expertise in complex patent litigation, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector, where he has adeptly navigated proceedings under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations. His leadership at Osler and his impact on the industry are evident in the successful outcomes he has achieved for his clients and the respect he commands among his peers. Brad’s strategic acumen in enforcing patent rights is well-regarded, as is his ability to coordinate and manage prosecution and litigation strategies across multiple jurisdictions. His appearances as lead counsel include the Federal Court of Appeal, Federal Court, and Ontario Superior Court. Moreover, his international credentials are solidified by his role as worldwide coordinating litigation and IP counsel before the US International Trade Commission. As a Registered Canadian Patent Agent, and to practice before the USPTO, Brad’s proficiency extends to both Canadian and foreign patent and industrial design prosecution. His services encompass strategic IP portfolio reviews, patentability assessments, and the provision of opinions on patent infringement and validity. Clients benefit from his worldwide patent portfolio management and enforcement advice. His editorial insights have also been featured in the Canadian Patent Reporter, where he served as a past associate editor.

Beth Ferrill is a partner in Finnegan’s Washington DC office.  She counsels clients who hold design patents as well as those accused of infringement. Her practice includes prosecution of families of design patents before the USPTO, directing prosecution in foreign countries, arguing appeals before the PTAB, and taking design patent infringement cases through trial in district court.  Beth is the recipient of Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO)’s Carl B. Horton Distinguished Service Award and has been recognized by Intellectual Asset Management Patent 1000 as a leader in patent litigation and transactions in the D.C. area, and nationally for design patents. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Comparative Global Design Law, published by Bloomberg law, leads Finnegan’s veterans pro bono program, and serves as co-chair of Finnegan’s litigation section. 

Brendan O'Dea is a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson with a patent practice focused in the mechanical and electromechanical arts, as well as in industrial designs.  In guiding his clients from their initial concepts to concrete strategies for managing their intellectual property portfolios, Brendan practices at all stages before the U.S. Patent Office, provides legal opinions on patent validity and non-infringement, and advises with regard to commercialization and licensing.  Outside of his work with clients, Brendan teaches a course on patent prosecution in the engineering department at Georgia Tech.  Brendan received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lafayette College and his J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School. 

Perry Saidman is a recognized pioneer in design law. He has more than 40 years of experience providing design protection and enforcement strategies.  His expertise in design patent prosecution issues facilitates resolution of difficult or unusual cases when it comes to enforcement. As a prolific author and speaker, and in his private practice, Perry takes on many seemingly intractable design law issues of the day, including functionality, anticipation, obviousness, infringement and damages. He is very active in bar associations, including the Design Rights Committee of the IPO and AIPLA’s Industrial Designs Committee which he founded in 1989. He has taught Design Law as an adjunct professor at G.W. Law School, and testified before the House Judiciary Committee regarding the auto replacement parts bill. His most recent papers involve the hot button issues of design patent anticipation, the written description requirement under sec. 112, functionality, and determining the article of manufacture under  35  U.S.C.  289.  He also  authors  a  blog  at designlawperspectives.com covering recent design law cases and happenings.

Anna Chauvet leads Finnegan’s copyright practice and leverages significant experience in tackling cutting-edge issues relating to copyright. She has testified before the U.S. Copyright Office regarding artificial intelligence and copyright, and advised on potential legislative efforts regarding copyright and copyright-adjacent issues. Prior to rejoining Finnegan, Anna served as associate general counsel at the U.S. Copyright Office, where she advised on litigation strategy to inform the U.S. government’s views regarding novel questions of copyright law pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.  After that, she served as vice president of public policy at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), where she was integral to policy development, advocacy strategies, and reaching consensus among members and congressional offices in the areas of artificial intelligence, music licensing, and antitrust. Anna holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law.

Woo Sin "Sean" Park is a senior associate at Day Pitney LLP. Sean helps clients with all aspects of litigation related to patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret matters. His works involve a number of subject matters, including toys, video games, artificial intelligence, websites, life science devices, aerospace components, wireless communication devices and software. He has briefed and argued personal jurisdiction, venue, intellectual property validity/invalidity, claim construction, infringement/non-infringement, fee shifting and other issues. Sean serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Connecticut School of Business, where he developed and teaches a class on the legal and ethical environment of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) representation. In the course, he covers the role of contract law, data privacy and integrity, and intellectual property laws, as well as laws regulating false advertising and celebrity endorsements in relation to NIL representation.

Ed Ryan is an associate partner at Tutunjian & Bitetto, P.C., in Long Island, NY. His work as a patent prosecutor in neural network technologies and other forms of artificial intelligence systems gives him a valuable perspective on how these systems operate. Ed has spoken and written on the topic of AI-generated artwork previously, following the developments of case law and the Copyright Office’s position on the subject. He is now a member of the IPO’s Artificial Intelligence & New Emerging Technologies committee, and is working with the policy sub-committee to advance IPO members’ interests as this new body of law advances.

Jessica Patterson, as Senior Advisor and Director for International Work Sharing in the Office of International Patent Cooperation (OIPC), coordinates Patents’ international relations activities and leads work sharing and harmonization efforts, including the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) and the Collaborative Search Program (CSP) pilot. She oversees OIPC's IP5 activities and efforts, including leading USPTO's efforts with Industry. She leads Patents’ bilateral and multilateral stakeholder collaboration efforts, ensuring the organization establishes and builds relationships and coalitions with offices and users globally. Prior to this role, she served as the Director of International Outreach and Administration (IOA), overseeing the administrative needs and outreach in support of the organization. Jessica directed OIPC's outreach programs, analytical functions, and program management for the numerous international programs under the purview of OIPC.

Philip Soo is the current Secretary, chair of the Procedural Harmonization subcommittee, and a long-time member on IPO’s International Patent Law and Trade committee. As in-house IP counsel, Phil supports 3M’s Display Materials and Systems business and 3M Engineering, and has been deeply involved with IP generation matters for 3M’s industrial businesses over many years. Phil also leads 3M’s IP Case Law practice group and serves as the IP subject matter expert on trade secrets, government R&D contracts, export controls, standard-setting organizations, and intercompany agreements. Phil holds a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University, a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a J.D. from Loyola Law School (Los Angeles). 

Daniel J. Staudt is Vice President and Chief IP Counsel of the Siemens Corporation’s Intellectual Property Department, covering all Intellectual Property legal matters for the Siemens North American Operating Companies. Mr. Staudt’s practice focuses upon managing all of Siemens Corporation IP attorneys and staff that manages all the Intellectual Property assets for Siemens and its affiliates. He is located at Siemens’ offices in Orlando, Florida.  Previously, he was Chief Counsel for the IP operations in Munich, where he managed the group that covered IP issues for the Munich-based Siemens AG businesses and prior to that he was division IP counsel for the Siemen Energy Division’s US Business. Mr. Staudt is a Past President (2020-2021) and sustaining board member of the Intellectual Property Owners Association. 

Thomas S. Valente is the Senior Director for Global Affairs at the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) in Washington, DC. IPO is an international trade association representing companies and individuals in all industries and fields of technology who own, or are interested in, intellectual property rights. Mr. Valente is the IPO staff lead on international IP matters. During his career, he has also practiced with law firms, both big and small, covering a wide range of IP issues. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Peter W. Hall of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Emil J. Ali is a partner at McCabe & Ali, LLP where he focuses his practice on helping lawyers understand their obligations under state and federal law.  As a registered patent attorney, a significant focus of his practice involves advising lawyers and law firms on all aspects of the intersection of IP and ethics matters.  Emil’s work includes counseling clients on lateral transitions, malpractice avoidance, expert opinion and testimony, and respondent’s defense work before various bars and courts.  You can view his musings on IP ethics issues at www.ipethicslaw.com.

Naman Seth is an associate with Leydig, Voit & Mayer. He has 8 years of experience representing clients in patent prosecution, primarily in the electrical, software, mechanical, chemical, and biomedical technology areas. He has also been part of litigation support teams collaborating closely with client technical experts to craft robust non-infringement and invalidity arguments. He is studying the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence in the US patent landscape. Naman graduated with a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and earned his law degree from Fordham University.  

Robert Wittmann is a shareholder with Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd. He has 24 years of experience representing clients in patent prosecution and patent litigation primarily in the electronic, electrical, software and mechanical technology areas. Robert regularly advises clients on issues of patent procurement, infringement, validity, and enforcement of patents. He routinely handles patent prosecution and post grant proceedings before the United States Patent & Trademark Office, and he has litigated patent infringement actions on behalf of patent owners and accused infringers in many jurisdictions throughout the United States.  Robert graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University and earned his law degree from DePaul College of Law where he graduated with honors.  

Yejin Kim is a partner at Sughrue Mion with twenty years of experience in patent prosecution, portfolio management, and counseling. Her practice is focused on electrical engineering and computer science arts. Before attending law school and practicing patent law in the U.S., Yejin gained experience as a Korean patent attorney at a reputable law firm in Korea and as in-house counsel at Samsung Electronics. 

Carl Kukkonen is a recognized leading IP strategist with Jones Day with more than 25 years of experience helping AI clients build litigation-ready patent portfolios, minimize risk through invalidity and freedom-to-operate analyses, and develop and implement litigation strategies.  Carl has helped clients protect diverse AI technologies including machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing innovations across diverse industries including cybersecurity, manufacturing and supply chain, drug discovery, and medical devices. 

Laura Sheridan is Head of Patent Policy at Google, advocating for an effective patent examination process, a patent litigation system that operates fairly for all participants, and transparency in these areas. She has shared her views on patent issues in numerous policy dialogues, including testifying before Congress on the intersection of AI and patents. Her patent policy work is shaped by years of private practice experience in patent prosecution, litigation, due diligence, and post-grant practice before the Patent Office. An active member of the IP community, Laura is part of the Intellectual Property Owners Association delegation to IP5 Industry, a group which engages on procedural harmonization matters with the IP5 Offices (the Offices of China, Europe, Japan, Korea, and the US). Laura also helped to form the New York chapter of ChIPs and is a member of the Advisory Board for the NYU Law Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy. Laura studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University and received her J.D. from Fordham Law School. 

Nicole A. Spence is an IBM Brand Counsel for the Data and AI business unit, as well as one of IBM’s AI and IP Policy attorneys for North America. Prior to her current IBM role, she was an IBM patent attorney for more than two years and IP Counsel for more than three years. She is also a certified information privacy professional in the US and the EU. Prior to IBM, Nicole practiced as a litigator for more than seven years, and she had her own practice for more than two years, where she advised start-ups in FinTech, music, fashion and software on IP and corporate matters. She earned her BA in Molecular Biology and History at Smith College, and her JD from New York Law School.  

John Cheek is Vice President & Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for Tenneco Inc., a Fortune 200 designer, manufacturer, and marketer of automotive products for original equipment and aftermarket customers.  Prior to joining Tenneco in 2017, Mr. Cheek was a senior IP leader at Caterpillar Inc. for nearly 20 years, where he served in IP leadership roles in the United States and Europe.  Mr. Cheek received an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Wabash College and completed additional undergraduate studies in Physics and Mechanical Engineering . He received a J.D. from the University of Dayton and an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and has lectured on intellectual property strategy and management at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.  He currently serves as President of the Association of Corporate Patent Counsel (ACPC), on the Board of Directors of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), and on the Board of Directors of the IPO Education Foundation.

James R. Ferguson is a partner with Mayer Brown LLP, where he focuses his practice on intellectual property, complex commercial litigation and international arbitration.  He represents companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, financial services, information technology and biotechnology industries in cases involving license disputes, patent claims, joint ventures, IT disputes and many other issues.   Jim also counsels companies on patent licensing structures, particularly structures involving multi-national affiliates.

Megan Hall is a partner at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP. She advises multinational corporations on international tax matters, including the tax aspects of acquisitions, mergers, internal restructurings and business formations. She has designed plans and led teams to complete international restructurings in advance of a spin-off of a division, initial public offering and acquisition by private equity. She is experienced in post-transaction integration and reporting, including implementing global transfer pricing strategies. Megan also advises employers in connection with tax-related immigration issues unique to global workforces. She provides cross-border tax planning related to short and long-term assignments, including the applicability of SOFAs. She advises on employer withholding obligations, employee exemptions from withholding due to visa status and has efficiently resolved employer withholding tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service. Megan has advised US chemical companies for more than a decade and is a frequent presenter and author on the Superfund chemical excise taxes. Prior to joining Eversheds Sutherland, Megan served as a law clerk to The Honorable Marvin J. Garbis, United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

David Lane is Associate Patent Counsel at Johnson & Johnson. 

Jake Feldman is the Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at Kenvue, maker of iconic brands such as Listerine®, Johnson’s®, BAND-AID® Brand, Benadryl®, Tylenol®, Aveeno®, and Neutrogena®. Jake is responsible for managing the Trademark, Patent, Global Brand Protection, and IP Operations teams at Kenvue. Jake also provides counsel on generative AI, social media, and on various policy issues.

Zach Keegan is an Attorney-Advisor in the Intellectual Property Enforcement Branch, Regulations and Rulings Directorate in the Office of Trade at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In this role, Zach provides guidance to CBP personnel stationed at the Ports of Entry regarding the detention and seizure of merchandise suspected of violating intellectual property rights. Zach also adjudicates administrative petitions seeking remission of goods that have been seized for infringing protected trademarks or copyrights. Finally, Zach reviews right holder applications for CBP’s IPR e-Recordation system and conducts domestic and international training on border enforcement of IPR. Zach holds a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and a B.A. in Political Science & International Relations from The State University of New York, College at Geneseo. 

Sanjiv Sarwate is Senior Legal Director - Trademarks with Dell Technologies and has been with Dell since April 2011. Before that, he was in private practice in Chicago specializing in trademark and copyright law. He is the primary attorney with responsibility over trademarks at Dell, with an emphasis on anticounterfeiting and online trademark enforcement. He is a frequent speaker on trademark issues, including before the US Patent and Trademark Office, the European Intellectual Property Office, and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property, as well as a past chair and current member of IPO’s Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a masters’ degree from the University of Chicago.  

Chris Weimer practices trademark, unfair competition, trade secret, and copyright law with a focus on disputes and enforcement. He is a Member of Pirkey Barber PLLC and resides in Austin, Texas.  He currently serves as Co-Vice-Chair of the IPO Anti-Counterfeiting and Anti-Piracy Committee. 

Carlyn Burton uses intellectual property in creative and strategic ways to help clients achieve their business goals. With more than 15 years of IP legal experience under her belt, Ms. Burton has represented a wide range of clients – from accomplished Fortune 500 companies to innovative start-ups.  As a scientist, she combines diverse technical knowledge with a strong skill set across multiple areas:  domestic and foreign patent prosecution and maintenance, IP counseling, licensing, and IP litigation in the fields of chemistry, materials science, and mechanical engineering, with an emphasis in oilfield technologies, specialty chemicals, polymers, nanotechnology, and pharmaceuticals.

Shruti Costales (she/her)is the Managing Member at Shruti Law PLLC. Shruti is a licensed patent attorney and has worked in private practice, in-house, and with the Federal Government. She has 20+ years of deep legal experience in handling IP transactions, complex commercial transactions including drafting and negotiating XaaS agreements and handling FED/SLED agreements, product counseling, procurement agreements, due diligence and mergers & acquisitions related assessments, patent counseling, patent litigation, patent and trademark application drafting and prosecution. Her experience includes working in the technology (XaaS, IoT, AI,HW, and SW), microelectronics (e.g., semiconductors, integrated circuits/chips, microprocessors, memory devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS),optoelectronic devices, etc.), electronic devices, healthcare (including biotechnology, medical devices, and pharmaceutical – small molecule and large molecule), chemical (including catalysts and polymers), automotive, and petrochemical/energy technology areas. Shruti has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and a JD from Franklin Pierce Law Center (now the University of New Hampshire School of Law). She is an Advisory Board member for Patent Pathways® and is the former co-chair of the DEI committee for the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) where she co-authored many white papers and guides. Shruti loves reading mystery novels, writing poetry, and sewing.

John Harrity is a co-founder and partner at Harrity & Harrity, LLP, a patent law firm renowned for its commitment to quality, innovation, and culture of giving back. With a background as a Patent Examiner at the USPTO, John's focus at the firm has been on electrical, mechanical, software, and business methods technologies. John's contributions extend beyond patent application drafting and prosecution through his work with the American Heart Association and the firm’s various initiatives that aim to improve inclusivity of the patent field.

Mercedes K. Meyer, Ph.D., represents leading life science and technology companies maintaining an extensive biotechnology and pharmaceutical patent management, prosecution, opinion and due diligence practice. With a doctorate in virology and degree in chemistry, Mercedes has a deep understanding of complex biotechnology and scientific research, which is key for advising life science clients on commercializing and protecting product innovations as well as performing diligence for investing in new technologies, particularly in corporate joint development projects. Mercedes advises on developing patent strategies, managing the intellectual property rights, and making associated investments and acquisitions. Mercedes also handles patent reexaminations and inter partes matters.

The Honorable Melissa A. Haapala is currently serving as Acting Deputy Chief Judge.  She was appointed as Vice Chief Administrative Patent Judge to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) on September 27, 2021. Judge Haapala was appointed as an Administrative Patent Judge on November 17, 2014 and has served as a Senior Lead Administrative Patent Judge and a Lead Administrative Patent Judge. In addition to her executive management and supervisory responsibilities, Judge Haapala has presided over numerous inter partes reviews under the America Invents Act (AIA) and heard hundreds of appeals from adverse decisions of examiners in patent applications. Prior to joining PTAB, she worked as a staff software engineer for Storage Technology, practiced at several law firms, served as Senior Counsel at Sun Microsystems, and as Assistant General Counsel at Ricoh.  Vice Chief Administrative Patent Judge Haapala earned a law degree from the University of Denver College of Law, a Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems, Management of Technology from Regis University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Colorado. She is also the mother of three boys.

The Honorable Grace Obermann is an Administrative Patent Judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Appointed to the Board in February of 2012, she has been paneled on approximately 500 trial cases involving patents in every major technical art. Judge Obermann is a former Assistant Director of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she supervised the trial attorneys that litigate patent, copyright, and trademark infringement lawsuits brought by or against the United States. During her tenure, she personally litigated scores of IP lawsuits involving everything from bombs and satellite systems to postage stamp art and insurance products. Judge Obermann holds a J.D. from George Washington University and a B.A. in Chemistry from Rutgers University. She clerked for the Honorable Raymond C. Clevenger, III, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The Honorable Michael P. Tierney serves as Vice Chief Administrative Patent Judge at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Vice Chief Judge Tierney was appointed to the PTAB on July 31, 2000 as an administrative patent judge in the Chemical Section, where he handled ex parte appeals of chemical cases. Judge Tierney joined the USPTO as a patent examiner, where he primarily examined applications for chemical compositions. Since being appointed as an administrative patent judge, Judge Tierney worked as a member of the Interference Trial Section, where he worked on interferences, reexaminations, and supervised two patent attorneys working on ex parte appeals. As part of the USPTO implementation of the America Invents Act (AIA), Judge Tierney led the PTAB’s comprehensive effort on trial rulemaking. He worked closely with USPTO executive officials, trial judges, the patent community, and other members of the public to develop the trial rules and has given numerous presentations to educate the patent community on the statutory provisions, proposed rules, and final rules for the AIA administrative trials. Prior to his appointment to the PTAB, Judge Tierney served as an associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, where his practice concentrated on patent litigation, opinions, and prosecution. Judge Tierney received both a Juris Doctor degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington.

Todd Walters is the Chair of the firm’s Patent Office Litigation practice and Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property section. He is a current Vice-Chair of the Post-Grant Practice Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), a past Chair of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Trial Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) and a past Chair of the USPTO Post Grant and Inter Partes Practice Committee of the American Bar Association-Intellectual Property Law (ABA-IPL) section. Todd was named the Best Lawyers ® 2020 Patent Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Washington, D.C.