Essentials and Pitfalls in Drafting IP Provisions in Commercial Agreements

Jennifer Carnahan is an intellectual property attorney at The Dow Chemical Company in Lake Jackson, Texas. She provides global IP support for certain polyethylene technologies, as well as for the corporate functions.  Additionally, she serves as Dow’s Trade Secret Protection and Enforcement Counsel, acting as a focal point in the Legal Department for trade secret related matters.  She negotiates and drafts intellectual property agreements, including those related to licensing, joint development, divestitures, and nondisclosure. She also has responsibility for patent portfolio management, freedom of action assessments, and general counseling. Jennifer received a JD from the University of Houston, a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Rice University and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Texas – Austin.

Leland G. Hansen is a shareholder at McAndrews with extensive experience in intellectual property litigation involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair competition, and antitrust claims. Leland has served as lead counsel before federal district courts, the International Trade Commission, and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, and in contested proceedings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, including reexamination and inter partes review. Leland has also served as lead counsel in alternative dispute resolution proceedings such as mediation and binding arbitration, both domestically and internationally.