IP Counsel Café 2012

Chief IP counsel, senior counsel, IP litigators, patent prosecutors, venture capitalists, and start-ups will converge to facilitate interactive discussions and establish strategic alliances relative to the future of IP protections and entrepreneurship.

On Wednesday, April 18 at 2:30 p.m., Foley will present “Is Litigation Getting Tougher in Certain Venues?” This panel will discuss challenges that companies are facing in various districts around discovery and transfer issues ─ what’s working and what’s not, joint defense considerations, whether AIA has changed litigation in certain districts, as well as practical approaches to add more value to your IP strategy. Join Foley and other industry leaders to find out how companies are dealing with these multi-faceted challenges.

• Are certain districts becoming more strict?
• Do defendants in multi-defendant lawsuits have a meaningful opportunity to defend themselves?
• What are recent experiences around discovery and Special Masters?

Moderator

• William Robinson, Partner and member IP Litigation Practice, Foley & Lardner LLP

Sprekers

• Floyd E. Anderson, VP, Chief Patent Counsel, Avago Technologies
• Cynthia Courtney, Vice President, Discovery Engineering, D4
• Alex McTague, Patent Litigation Counsel, Google
• Hilary Ware, Associate General Counsel, Litigation, Netflix

At 5:10 p.m., Foley will present “Build vs. Buy: High-Level Techniques for Creating an IP Portfolio that Drives Success in Today’s Volatile Market.” Companies face increased challenges in developing a comprehensive patent strategy that defuses threats to their overall livelihood. Contributing to this volatile climate is the emergence of relatively robust secondary market for patents and patent portfolios and the implications of AIA relative to the viability of your IP assets. Join us to address key elements of how IP strategy can be used to achieve your business objectives in today’s changing market.

• How does the AIA change the calculus of aligning IP strategy with business strategy for IT/high-tech companies?
• Do the acceleration techniques provided by the AIA and prior rule-making now represent a desirable alternative to the old strategy of filing (and waiting)?
• How can you use the AIA to address potential threats before they materialize?
• What factors determine where you spend your IP dollars?
• Considerations for prioritizing business objectives, technology assets, marketplace needs, and competition threats to establish a well-integrated IP strategy

Moderator

• John Lanza, Partner, Electronics and Emerging Technologies Practices, Foley & Lardner LLP

Sprekers

• Naomi Obinata, Corporate VP of Legal and IP, SuVolta
• Michael Johnson, Senior IP Counsel, Qualcomm
• Douglas Kundrat, VP, Deputy General Counsel & Director of IP, Agilent Technologies
• James Grant, Senior Legal Counsel, Cricket Communications