Top government officials to speak at ABA Intellectual Property Law conference

Top officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Copyright Office, Federal Trade Commission and other leading experts will be among the speakers and presenters at the American Bar Association’s 33rd Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference April 18-20 in Arlington, Va.

Highlights of the conference:

• The Mark T. Banner Award Luncheon: This year’s honorees are Simon Tam and his legal team. The award recognizes excellence and unique contribution in the field of IP law. Early in 2017, Tam’s team argued pro bono at the U.S. Supreme Court in Matal v. Tam. At issue was the service mark THE SLANTS, which Tam sought to register for his Asian-American rock band. The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court decision that the potential disparagement clause of Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Tam’s successful pursuit resulted in the invalidation, on constitutional grounds, of a federal intellectual property statute for only the second time in U.S. history. The band will be performing at the luncheon.

• The Women in IP Law Luncheon: Keynote speaker will be newly appointed Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Andrei Iancu, who will address current issues and future directions of the office. A special panel presentation by prominent women leaders within the industry will feature Lisa Dunner, managing partner, Dunner Law, PLLC; Sharon Barner, vice president and general counsel, Cummins, Inc.; Marylee Jenkins, partner, Arent Fox, LLP; and Esther Lim, partner, Finnegan, LLP.
Program highlights include:

• “Patent Law: Impact of Heartland on District Court Litigation” — Panelists will discuss the impact of the Supreme Court’s Heartland decision on patent litigation and venue challenges across the country.
Speakers are: Sherry R. Fallon, U.S. magistrate judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, Wilmington; Jennifer Trusso Salinas, partner, Troutman Sanders LLP, Irvine, Calif.; and Michael C. Smith, attorney, Siebman Burg Phillips & Smith LLP, Marshall, Texas.

• “Ask the Office: Hot Topics with the USPTO Commissioner for Patents” — Commissioner Drew Hirshfield from the USPTO in Alexandria, Va., and Marylee Jenkins, a partner at Arent Fox LLP in New York, will discuss current activities, updates, strategy and goals for the agency in 2018-19.

• “Copyright Law & Policy Developments” — This panel will discuss navigating through “ahead of the curve” issues and challenging initiatives in IP law. Speakers are Jason G. Everett, a staffer for Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) of the U.S. House of Representatives; Terry Hart, director of Legal Policy, Copyright Alliance, Washington, D.C.; Joe Keeley, chief counsel to the Space, Science and Technology Committee at the U.S. House of Representatives; and Catherine R. Rowland, senior advisor to the U.S. Register of Copyrights, U.S. Copyright Office, Washington, D.C.

• “Coming Together: Worlds Apart—A Global Patent Law Survey” — Panelists will discuss the Global Patent Law Survey 2018. Speakers are: Marco Aleman, director, Patent Law Division, World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; Arvie Anderson, patent attorney, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis; Nick Bassil, partner, Kilburn & Strode LLP, London, England; Tina H. Tai, patent attorney, China Patent Agent (H.K.) Ltd., Hong Kong.

• “Standards Essential Patent & the Internet of Things” — This panel will look at key perspectives on legal and policy developments. Speakers are: Michael Carrier, professor, Rutgers Law School, Camden, N.J.; Dave Djavaherian, standards and intellectual property professional, PacTech Law PC, Irvine, Calif.; Suzanne Munck, deputy director and chief counsel, Intellectual Property Division, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C.; and Paula Zeineddin, Zeineddin IP Law, Washington, D.C.

• “The Dark Side of Knock-Offs” — Panelists will discuss what happens when civil trademark enforcement crosses over into the criminal world. Speakers are: Brian Levine, senior counsel and national CHIP coordinator, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.; and Marina A. Lewis, partner, Lewis Kent LLP, San Francisco.

• “Preserving Attorney Client Privilege When Your Clients Go Global” — This panel will examine the comparison of international standards of attorney-client privilege, focusing on U.S. and European laws on privilege. Speakers are Robert Lytle, assistant general counsel, Microsoft Corporation, Seattle; Marjan Noor, partner, Allen & Overy LLP, London, England; and Joel Van Winkle, group counsel, Global Product Organization, Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich.