AI in Action: Practical Applications for Patent Teams

Christopher Geosits, MBA, PMP, is an intellectual property professional at Thermo Fisher Scientific with experience spanning intellectual property operations, project management, and business strategy. He brings a multidisciplinary perspective to the evolving role of artificial intelligence within the legal and intellectual property fields. Christopher holds an MBA and is currently pursuing a doctorate, with his research focused on AI implementation strategies in the legal field. His interests center on how legal organizations can move beyond AI experimentation toward practical and responsible implementation, aligning emerging technologies with organizational strategy, business objectives, and professional workflows. Drawing on experience in both corporate and law firm environments, Christopher brings an operations and strategy perspective to conversations about AI adoption, change management, and the evolving impact of artificial intelligence on legal and intellectual property functions.

Debbie Laughton is an intellectual property attorney focused on patent prosecution, litigation, strategy, transactional work, and portfolio management. She is recognized by Intellectual Asset Management’s (IAM) Patent 1000, the Legal 500 U.S. Elite, and as an Illinois Super Lawyer. She often serves as lead attorney on high-stakes patent disputes, and was part of a team that successfully represented a client before the United States Supreme Court as it reviewed the standard for awarding enhanced patent infringement damages. Debbie advises clients on legal considerations surrounding AI initiatives, including internal AI development and deployment, as well as partnerships with AI technology providers. She was recently recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as a 2026 Notable Leader in Accounting, Consulting, and Law, and she is a longtime member of the University of Illinois College of Engineering Board of Visitors.

Currently Deputy Chief IP Counsel at Cepheid, Paul Spatafore is an experienced attorney specializing in intellectual property, transactional law, and corporate legal strategy. With a career spanning federal government (USPTO examiner), private practice (Counsel to the Firm), and in-house counsel roles (VP and Director level roles), he has guided and advised startups to Fortune 500 companies in developing and protecting innovations, managing complex agreements, and aligning IP strategy with business objectives. He brings a cross-sector perspective to IP strategy, licensing, IP analytics and valuation, litigation, and compliance across multiple industries, including biotech, diagnostics, telecommunications, AR/VR, AI/ML, green energy, and aerospace.