KEITH BERGELT is the chief executive officer of Open Invention Network® (OIN), the collaborative enterprise that enables innovation in open source and an increasingly vibrant ecosystem around Linux. In this capacity he is directly responsible for enabling, influencing and defending the integrity of the Linux ecosystem. Prior to joining the OIN, Mr. Bergelt served as president and CEO of two Hedge Funds – Paradox Capital and IPI – formed to unlock the considerable asset value of patents, trademarks and copyrights in middle market companies. Paradox and IPI were the first Funds of their kind to offer specialty lending products supported exclusively by intellectual property. Previously, Mr. Bergelt served as a senior advisor to the technology investment division at Texas Pacific Group. He also headed business development, intellectual property and licensing for the Kelso & Company portfolio company Cambridge Display Technology in the United Kingdom. Additionally, he established and served as General Manager of the Strategic Intellectual Asset Management business unit at Motorola Corporation and served as Motorola's director of Technology Strategy. Mr.Bergelt was a co-founder of the Intellectual Property Advisory Practice within the Electronics and Telecommunications Industry group at SRI Consulting in Menlo Park, California. Prior to his extensive private sector experience, Mr. Bergelt served for twelve years as a diplomat with postings at the United Nations in NY and the American Embassy in Tokyo, Japan where he was involved in the negotiation of IP rights protection in Asia.Mr. Bergelt holds an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Duke University, a Jurist Doctorate degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Theseus Institute in France. He is a frequent speaker on corporate strategy, finance and intellectual property management.
M. WILLIAM BLACKBURN is Intellectual Property Counsel for Southwire Company, a leading wire and cable provider in North America. His practice includes overseeing preparation and prosecution of U.S. and international patent, trademark, and copyright applications, strategic portfolio management, preparation of patentability, validity, and freedom-to-operate opinions, negotiation of IP related agreements including licensing, secrecy, and joint development contracts, managing IP litigation matters, and interface with business and R&D functions to ensure IP strategy correlates with business objectives. Mr. Blackburn received an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri School of Science and Technology) and received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Mr. Blackburn worked in engineering roles with McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), PepsiCo, and Kimberly Clark before practicing IP law with Merchant & Gould. CHRISTINE M. CASON is the Senior Trademark and Copyright Counsel for Georgia-Pacific LLC. Christine supports all of Georgia-Pacific’s US-based businesses in a variety of trademark, copyright and related matters including brand protection and enforcement, managing litigation, client counseling on brand protection strategies, licensing, transactions, domain name protection and enforcement, compliance policies and training, and emerging social media issues. She is a graduate of Emory University School of Law, J.D., 1999 and University of Rochester, B.A., cum laude, 1996.
ROXANNE CENATEMPO is the Global Chief IP Counsel for Imerys, a producer of industrial minerals, building materials, technical ceramics and refractory products. Imerys is: headquartered in Paris, France; active in over 47 countries with over 245 industrial locations; and it achieved $5 Billion in sales in 2010. Roxanne joined Imerys in 1998, and is responsible for all its IP matters. With 48% of Imerys’ sales in Europe, 26% in emerging countries, and 6% in Japan and Australia, Roxanne’s practice is dominated by international patent matters. Roxanne holds a B.S. in Chemistry from The Ohio State University, a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, is registered to practice before the USPTO, and is admitted to practice in the State of Georgia.
KEVIN CRANMAN is General Counsel for Ericsson Television Inc. He handles commercial transactions regarding telecommunications and broadcasting technologies, IP development and protection, litigation and dispute management, HR and employment issues. Previously, he served as in-house counsel and handled IP issues at Panasonic Mobile Communications, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and other technology ventures - and in a business role at BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Georgia.
BRIAN DECKER is currently in-house Patent Counsel with Newell Rubbermaid, Inc., serving as patent counsel for multiple Newell Rubbermaid business units, providing IP and strategic counseling, and managing outside patent prosecution and litigation counsel. Prior to joining Newell Rubbermaid, he was an associate in the intellectual property practice of Sutherland in Atlanta, with a focus in electrical, software, and medical device technologies. Brian received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. He also received his Bachelor of Engineering with a double major in Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University. Prior to his career as an intellectual property attorney, Brian consulted for Deloitte Consulting.
MARCUS DELGADO is the Chief IP Counsel for Cox Communications, Inc. He handles all intellectual property matters for the company, including patent litigation, patent licensing, patent portfolio management, trademark litigation and clearance, trade secret protection, and copyright enforcement. He also negotiates technology transfer agreements, software license agreements, and rights clearances for Cox. He further advises clients on cable copy protection and digital rights management issues. Prior to joining Cox, Marcus was the Chief Patent Counsel for BellSouth from 1999-2003. Prior to BellSouth, he worked as an IP associate for Kilpatrick Stockton in Atlanta, and Graham & James in LA. Marcus received a B.A., in Physics from Boston University. He received a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law.
JOSE A. DUTHIL is Senior Corporate Counsel at Cisco Systems, Inc., where he is responsible for managing all aspects of Intellectual Property matters, including litigation, pre-litigation assertions, and transactional matters. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University College of Engineering and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Franklin Pierce Law Center. In his legal career, he has been an associate at Jones and Askew, Finnegan Henderson and Jones Day, where his practice included patent prosecution, patent litigation, and client counseling. Prior to his legal career, he was a Control Systems Engineer and Systems Analyst for Honeywell Inc.
DON FANCHER is the Southeast Regional Managing Principal of Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP and also serves as the national leader for the firm’s intellectual property practice. He has over 24 years experience and concentrates his practice in matters regarding forensic investigations, dispute consulting, intellectual property, and reorganization services. He has assisted clients in the US, Canada, South America and the UK and provided expert witness testimony in State, Federal, and Bankruptcy Courts in various jurisdictions around the country. He has also had works published in numerous journals, periodicals and handbooks and has regularly made presentations for the Practicing Law Institute and Licensing Executives Society. Don is active in various civic and professional activities. He is a member of the Licensing Executives Society, Institute of Business Appraisers, and Institute of Management Consultants. Don received his BBA from Texas A&M University and MBA from Baylor University.
SCOTT M. FRANK serves as the President & CEO at AT&T Intellectual Property Inc. Scott Frank is responsible for the identification, development, protection, management, marketing, licensing and sale of all company-wide intellectual property for AT&T (formerly Bellsouth), the world’s largest communications company.
BERNARD J. GRAVES, JR. serves as chief patent counsel for Eastman Chemical Company, where he has worked for the past 10 years. Eastman manufactures and markets chemicals, fibers and plastics worldwide. Mr. Graves previously worked at Kilpatrick Stockton LLP and Eli Lilly & Co. He is a Board Member of the Intellectual Property Owners Association. Mr. Graves received his law degree from Indiana University and his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from DePauw University.
KRISH GUPTA is Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for EMC Corporation. At EMC, Krish is responsible for all of EMC’s IP and technology licensing matters, including, patent and trademark prosecution, licensing, IP litigation and support for EMC’s M&A activities. Krish received his graduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University and his law degree from Suffolk University Law School.
CHARLIE HENN is a partner at Kilpatrick Townsend. He concentrates his practice in the area of intellectual property litigation, including cases involving trademarks, copyrights, patents and trade secrets. Mr. Henn was the exclusive U.S. winner of the 2010 International Law Office (ILO) Client Choice Award for Intellectual Property, which recognizes the top provider of client service on intellectual property matters. He is listed in the 2009 and 2010 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Intellectual Property Litigation (Georgia) and for Sports Law (Nationwide) in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He is a graduate of Emory University, summa cum laude (1995) and earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D., cum laude (1998).
SUSANNE HOLLINGER is Chief Intellectual Property Officer and Associate Director at Emory University’s Office of Technology Transfer. She is responsible for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device patent prosecution, diligence, and licensing. Ms. Hollinger holds a Ph.D. from Emory University and a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law.
MELISSA C. HOWARD MELISSA C. HOWARD is Senior Counsel at Turner Broadcasting System, where she negotiates program license, development, talent, and other entertainment agreements for Cartoon Network and advises on intellectual property issues in connection with the development and production of original programming. Prior to joining Turner in 2005, Ms. Howard was an associate in King & Spalding’s Intellectual Property practice group from 2000-2005. Ms. Howard graduated from Georgia State University's School of Law, where she was a member of the Moot Court Board, Bleckley Inn of Court, and the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. She holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Brenau Women's College.
PROFESSOR DAVID HRICIK practiced law for 15 years before starting to teach at Mercer in 2002. He represented clients in major patent and trademark litigation matters, and also defended law firms against multi-million dollar legal malpractice claims. Since coming to Mercer, he has taught ethics, patent law, federal civil procedure, and remedies. His books on ethics in patents are published by Oxford University Press and he continues to represent clients and consult with firms on matters of discipline, malpractice, and patent practice.
JEAN JACKSON is an Assistant General Counsel at the U.S. International Trade Commission, specializing in the administration of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. She supervises a group of twelve patent attorneys who advise the Commission on matters concerning the review of initial determinations made by administrative law judges. Ms. Jackson began working in Section 337 as a staff attorney in the Office of General Counsel in 1985. She has been an Assistant General Counsel since 2004. In 2008 she was recognized with the Commission’s Distinguished Service Award. Before working at the Commission, Ms. Jackson was a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She holds a law degree from Emory University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in biology.
MARK W. JOHNSON is Senior Counsel for the Home & Family Group at Newell Rubbermaid Inc., a global marketer of consumer and commercial products. Newell Rubbermaid brands include names such as Graco, Calphalon, Sharpie, Rubbermaid, Parker, Levolor, Vise-Grip, and IRWIN, among many others. Mr. Johnson’s responsibilities include providing legal counsel to the corporation on a wide range of matters from managing litigation to regulatory affairs. Prior to joining Newell Rubbermaid, Mr. Johnson was a commercial litigator at McGuireWoods LLP in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mr. Johnson is a 2001 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and a 1998 graduate of Hampton University.
STEPHEN E. KABAKOFF has patent litigation and prosecution experience in various areas of electrical engineering, including 3G wireless communications, computer and network architecture, software design, magnetic and optical storage systems, semiconductor packaging, semiconductor memory, and optical devices. He has participated in multiple patent trials and has experience in various phases of pretrial litigation, including prefiling investigations, fact and expert discovery, and motion practice, in several U.S. district courts and the ITC. Prior to law school, he worked for three years as a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where he examined patent applications in the areas of cryptography, information security, and e-commerce business methods.
DANIEL W. McDONALD heads the litigation group of Merchant & Gould, a national intellectual property law firm. Based in the firm’s flagship Minneapolis, MN office, he has over 25 years experience intellectual property litigation, focused on patent litigation and trials, while successfully representing both plaintiffs and defendants. His experience has encompassed a broad range of technologies including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, electronics, apparel, and kitchen and home items. Dan has been recognized by Chambers USA as one of the Leading Individuals in IP Litigation. He holds a J.D., magna cum laude, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with high distinction from the University of Minnesota Law School and College of Science and Engineering.
BRUCE B. McPHEETERS served as Secretary, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Lawson Software from 1999 until July 2011, when Lawson was sold to an affiliate of Infor and Golden Gate Capital. Lawson Software is based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and develops and sells globally, enterprise resource planning software. Bruce received an engineering degree, with distinction, from Iowa State University in 1977 and a law degree from the University of Southern California in 1981, where he was a member and editor of the Southern California Law Review. From 1981 until 1999, Bruce was in private practice focusing primarily on computer software, securities, and mergers & acquisitions, representing both privately held and publicly held companies. Before joining Lawson Software, Bruce was a principal of the Gray Plant Mooty law firm, Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he served on the firm’s Board of Directors.
GEORGE D. MEDLOCK is a partner at Alston & Bird, LLP, where he practices in the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group. Mr. Medlock's practice includes all areas of intellectual property litigation and counseling with a particular emphasis on patent litigation and enforcement. He has represented clients in patent infringement lawsuits in federal district courts across the United States, including cases involving telecommunications, semiconductor devices and computer software. He is a member of the Georgia and District of Columbia Bars and is also registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Medlock received his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He received his B.S., cum laude, in electrical engineering, and B.A., cum laude, in Spanish from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was a member of Tau Beta Pi national engineering honor society, Eta Kappa Nu electrical engineering honor society and Sigma Delta Pi national Spanish honor society.
TODD MITCHEM is Intellectual Property Counsel at Simmons Bedding Company. Todd is responsible for all domestic and international intellectual property matters at Simmons including portfolio development, portfolio management, litigation and licensing. Previously, he served as in-house counsel for The Home Depot and BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation. Todd has a J.D. from The University of Georgia School of Law and a Bachelor’s of Electrical Engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology.
NICOLE N. MORRIS is Senior Patent Counsel at The Coca-Cola Company. Nicole is responsible for the development and implementation of the Company's global patent strategy and providing day-to-day advice & counseling to key business & scientific stakeholders, including FTO opinions and competitive assessments. Nicole worked as an engineer for six years with 3M and Eli Lilly and has been practicing law in area of patent and trademarks for eight years. Nicole has over fourteen years of experience in consumer products and manufacturing. Nicole received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University, her M.S. in Chemistry from University of Michigan and her law degree from the University of Minnesota.
KARIN J. NORTON is Senior Patent Counsel for Samsung Electronics. She handles patent litigation matters and particularly Section 337 proceedings before the U.S. International Trade Commission. Prior to joining Samsung, she served as a senior investigative attorney in the Office of Unfair Import Investigations at the ITC. Ms. Norton holds a Ph.D. from Temple University and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.
PETER G. PAPPAS is a Partner in Sutherland’s Intellectual Property Practice Group, where he focuses on chemical patent prosecution and also handles mechanical patent prosecution, federal trademark prosecution, licensing and other intellectual property transactions, validity and infringement opinions, and litigation support. He has substantial experience prosecuting patents for packaged beverage manufacturing, colloids, food chemistry, renewable energy, polymeric nonwoven products and manufacturing equipment, paper technology, water treatment, flexible packaging, textiles, agricultural chemicals, printing, carbon black, polymer extrusion equipment, latex gloves, xerography, electro-chemistry, electro-luminescence, ceramics and other aspects of polymer technology. Pete is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He received his law degree from The University of Alabama School of Law and his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Alabama.
MIKE POWELL is a shareholder with Baker Donelson, a 570 lawyer firm with offices in Georgia, Washington DC, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Mr. Powell is a registered patent attorney who handles business and litigation matters involving intellectual property. Mr. Powell is recognized as a "Notable Practitioner" by Chambers USA in its directory of America’s Leading Business Lawyers, one of Georgia's Top 100 "Super Lawyers" by Super Lawyers Magazine, and as one of Georgia’s “Legal Elite” lawyers by Georgia Trend Magazine. Prior to earning his law degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta in 1991, Mr. Powell received a Bachelor of Science in theoretical physics from Loyola University in New Orleans.
WILLIAM M. RAGLAND, JR. , a Member of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC in Atlanta, concentrates his practice on intellectual property litigation, licensing and technology matters. Mr. Ragland's trial practice focuses on disputes regarding patents, trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, copyrights, non-competition agreements, Internet and e-commerce, intellectual property and technology licenses, co-development of technology, false advertising, unfair competition and insurance coverage for intellectual property disputes. He has tried numerous cases before juries and judges in many jurisdictions and has successfully represented clients in cases of national importance. As a leading technology lawyer, he provides strategic advice regarding the structure, negotiation and implementation of intellectual property licensing and enforcement programs and portfolio management services. In both 2009 and 2010, he was named as one of the top 250 intellectual property strategists in the world by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine. Mr. Ragland also has been featured in Corporate Counsel magazine, IP Law & Business magazine and Business to Business magazine regarding leaders in innovative intellectual property licensing and enforcement programs. He received his J.D from the University of Virginia School of Law and an A.B. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
KEITH ROBERSON is the Intellectual Property and Technology Counsel for 3D Systems Corporation, a global provider of three-dimensional ("3D") content-to-print solutions including personal, professional, and production 3D printers, print materials, on-demand custom parts services and creative content development, design productivity tools and curation services and downloads. Mr. Roberson manages 3D Systems' intellectual property portfolio, supervises domestic and foreign litigation, and provides guidance regarding regulatory and other legal aspects of 3D Systems' product offerings. Prior to joining 3D Systems, Mr. Roberson was a patent attorney with Alston & Bird and Corning Incorporated.
DAVID P. RUSCHKE is Chief Patent Counsel of Medtronic CardioVascular. He manages a team of 15 attorneys, agents, and paralegals, providing services and counseling on all matters related to intellectual property, including patent litigation, product clearances, patent prosecution, due diligence, mergers and acquisitions, licensing, third-party agreements, opinions, copyrights, and trademarks. He previously worked at Medtronic, Inc. at its world headquarters in Minneapolis, and before that was employed by Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. Mr. Ruschke also clerked for Judges Gajarsa and Archer of the Federal Circuit. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, and holds a Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Minnesota.
CHERYL TUBACH is Chief IP Counsel for J.M. Huber Corporation, a privately held global company specializing in the manufacture of hydrocolloids, engineered inorganic materials, and engineered wood products. She previously worked at Myers & Kaplan IP Law, LLC; The Coca-Cola Company; and Eastman Chemical Company. Ms. Tubach was previously a technical service and sales engineer with Dow Corning Corporation in the electronics, aerospace and high technology industries. Ms. Tubach is a Board Member of the Intellectual Property Owners Association and is the Board Liaison for the IP Trademark Law, International Committee. She also was a Board Member for Eastman Chemical Company and The Coca-Cola Company. Ms. Tubach has a J.D. from Georgia State University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.
STEVE VAN NURDEN oversees Mayo Clinic’s invention arm as Chair of Mayo’s Office of Intellectual Property (OIP). Under Mr. VanNurden’s direction, OIP patents and commercializes Mayo discoveries, technologies and other inventions through both standard and unique licensing agreements and business models. Since 1986, OIP has successfully brought 1,900 health care technologies to the marketplace and has been granted over 1,000 patents. In 1998, with the guidance of Mr. VanNurden, OIP started a Technology Based Ventures program (TBV) giving OIP the ability to evaluate Mayo technologies for possible formation of start-up companies. Since that time, Mayo’s TBV program has formed over 40 companies of which Mr. VanNurden has served on the Board of Directors of several of the companies. In 2004, Mr. VanNurden and his team created a new division in OIP with a focus on medical devices. Over the next five years, Mayo Clinic Medical Devices took the first Mayo Clinic branded medical devices to the marketplace. OIP continues to develop new and innovative business models to further advance Mayo’s discoveries into the marketplace. He holds Bachelors Degrees in Accounting & Finance and a Masters Degree in Business Administration.
KARI WANGENSTEEN is a business and intellectual property attorney with more than twenty years of experience with consumer products companies and a deep understanding of the retail industry. As a member of Best Buy’s legal team since 2002, Kari has managed the domestic advertising and international intellectual property practice groups. Prior to joining Best Buy, Kari managed legal affairs for Dell Inc. business units with a focus on commercial law, complex commercial transactions, digital rights, licensing, Internet, and professional services matters. Kari also served as vice president and general counsel for a small privately held consumer products company, an attorney advisor for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Munich, Germany office, and director, legal affairs for the Parker Brothers division of the former Kenner Parker Toys, Inc. JASON S. WEAVER was born and raised in Indiana, and graduated from DePauw University with a B.A. in 2002. He received his J.D. from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2006. Prior to coming to NASCAR in 2006, Mr. Weaver worked as a parts runner and managing the show car program with the IRL race team Treadway Racing and as a legal intern with International Speedway Corporation. Mr. Weaver joined NASCAR, Inc.’s Daytona Legal Department as Associate Legal Counsel and now holds the position of Marketing Counsel in Charlotte’s Legal Department. His primary responsibilities at NASCAR include sponsorship and licensing contract drafting and negotiation and intellectual property. Jason has successfully negotiated major sponsorship/licensing contracts on behalf of NASCAR, including Screenvision, COPD, NASCAR RV Resorts, Ten80, UPS, Dollar General, Kraft, Brookshire’s, and Ahold USA (Martin’s and Giant’s).
JOHN K. WILLIAMSON is a partner in the Intellectual Property practice group of K&L Gates and focuses his practice on all aspects of intellectual property law including litigation, licensing, infringement analyses, strategies, and asset management. He is a past president of Intellectual Property Owners (IPO) and was Chief IP Counsel for PPG Industries and for Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Mr. Williamson received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a J.D. from the University of Missouri.
TIM WILSON is Senior IP Counsel in the Legal Division at SAS Institute Inc., the world’s largest private software company, where he leads the patent practice. He also provides advice on all types of intellectual property law matters and competitive intelligence issues. Prior to joining SAS, Tim was an associate at Brown Raysman in New York, where he advised clients on all manner of licensing and outsourcing transactions. Tim began his legal career as a patent and intellectual property litigator with Jones Day in Cleveland. Tim received his JD from Syracuse University College of Law in 1992 and a BS from Pennsylvania State University in 1989. Tim is a member of the Editorial Board of Intellectual Property Magazine.
ERAN ZUR, along with his partners, recognized the potential risks that patent litigation posed to operating companies, and founded RPX to offer a unique solution for mitigating this threat. Mr. Zur began his career as an M&A attorney, working in Israel, the UK and New York. He then moved to Arizona and joined the small team of lawyers that designed and implemented the licensing program of the Lemelson Medical, Education & Research Foundation, LP, considered by many to be the most successful licensing program for an individual inventor, with almost 1,000 licensees and generating over $1.3 billion in license fees.