Andrew Bjerken

Vice President, Head Of Global Privacy

Andrew Bjerken is a Member of the IAPP Advisory Board at IAPP, where Andrew focuses on diversity in privacy. Andrew currently serves as the Vice President, Head of Global Privacy at Marriott Vacations Worldwide, leading a global team in data privacy strategy. Additionally, Andrew is an Adjunct Faculty at Grand Canyon University teaching courses in the Master's of Cyber-Security curriculum. Andrew holds a Doctorate of Business Administration from Northcentral University and has extensive experience in information security and privacy across various companies and institutions.

Bennett Borden

Clarion AI Partners

Bennett is a partner in the Washington DC office of DLA Piper and a data scientist who has made significant contributions to the field of AI governance and algorithmic bias testing. Bennett is a leading authority on developing insight out of data, whether to help clients monetize and productize data, develop AI systems and algorithmic models in a legal and ethical manner, or conduct discovery and internal investigations. He has helped numerous clients monitor and test their AI and automated decision-making systems for unintended bias. Bennett's legal expertise extends beyond algorithmic bias testing to include defending companies in the use of AI and automated decision-making systems, including high-profile cases such as a social media MDL case in the Northern District of California. Bennett's contributions to the field have earned him the distinction of being named a Chambers ranked lawyer annually since 2015. In addition to his legal work, Bennett has authored numerous articles and publications on topics related to AI governance, algorithmic bias testing, and legal issues surrounding AI. Bennett is a Scientific Advisor to NIST and a member of the National Conference of Lawyers and Scientists (NCLS) of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science.

Christopher Day

Christopher Day brings a diverse and forward looking background shaped by service, innovation, and leadership. He began his professional journey as a medic in the U.S. Air Force, where he developed a strong foundation in discipline, service, and decisive action. After completing his military service, he transitioned into the professional services sector, holding roles at KPMG and later HHM CPAs, where his work ultimately led him to serve as Chief Innovation Officer.

Today, Christopher leads Data and AI Governance at Marriott Vacations Worldwide, where he helps the organization deploy conversational AI and other advanced solutions that drive meaningful, measurable business outcomes.

While advancing his career, Christopher has long aspired to practice law. A traditional, full time legal program was not compatible with the demands of a growing career and family, but Cleveland State University’s Online J.D. Program removed that barrier. The program has allowed him to pursue his legal education while continuing to grow professionally, making it an opportunity he could not pass up.

Kevin Garewal

Director, Law Library & Assistant Professor of Law

Kevin R. Garewal is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Law Library. He is a two-time alum of CSU.  He is a 2004 CSU|LAW graduate and completed a Master’s degree in Accounting in 2013.

Professor Garewal has held a number of library positions most recently as Vice Provost and Dean of Libraries at the University of Rochester. Prior to that he served as the Associate Director of Collections at Harvard Law School Library.  

Professor Garewal has extensive experience in collection development, budget management, and creating new library services. His research interests include library budget models, library collection use analysis, open access initiatives, and workforce morale issues.

Professor Garewal is a member of the Ohio Bar and previously serviced as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Cuyahoga County.

Mehtab Khan

Assistant Professor of Law

Mehtab Khan is an Assistant Professor of Law at Cleveland State University College of Law, where she teaches Intellectual Property, AI Law, and other tech-related subjects. Professor Khan is an expert on copyright law, platform governance, and artificial intelligence. Her recent academic scholarship includes articles on developing an accountability framework for large-scale AI training datasets, regulating automated content moderation and online speech tools, and the impact of AI on the creative industries.

Professor Khan was previously a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center (BKC) at Harvard University. Her research at BKC examined ways of governing the practices involved in developing and deploying AI technologies. She is particularly interested in ensuring diversity and representation in the development process. She has also held positions at Yale Law School, serving as a Resident Fellow at the Information Society Project and as the Program Director for the Yale/Wikimedia Initiative on Intermediaries and Information. Additionally, she has been a visiting researcher at Stanford HAI. She is a recipient of numerous grants to work on the use of AI in hiring. In 2019, she was a Fellow at the Center for Technology, Society and Policy and a Research Grantee at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity.

Her doctoral dissertation, completed at Berkeley Law, examines the role of internet platforms in shaping fair use. This research was partly inspired by the challenges internet users face in accessing knowledge and the ways platforms like Google and Wikipedia navigate complex copyright rules to make knowledge more accessible.

Professor Khan is a licensed attorney and has previously worked as a lawyer in the United States, Malaysia, and Pakistan. She has held positions at the Wikimedia Foundation, Creative Commons, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation—three Bay Area institutions that have been at the forefront of many legal battles around digital rights. She holds an LLM and JSD from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

Christa Laser

Associate Professor of Law, Director of Intellectual Property Law Center

Professor Christa Laser comes to CSU Law after nearly a decade of practice experience as an intellectual property litigator at the law firms WilmerHale and Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She has deep expertise in patents, trademarks, copyrights, false advertising, pharmaceutical litigation and regulation, and technology law. She has represented leading life sciences and technology companies in all stages of trial and appellate matters and consulted on legislative changes to intellectual property laws. In the years that Prof. Laser has served as the Director of Intellectual Property, CSU Law rose 55 ranks in the US News specialty rankings for intellectual property law.  Prof. Laser founded and co-chairs the annual CSU Law IP+ Conference on intellectual property, with speakers including a Federal Circuit judge, Chief Legal Officer of Lenovo, and the Commissioner of Patents.

Professor Laser's research focuses on intellectual property and innovation. Her patent law scholarship has been cited by numerous scholars, by judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and in briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court. Her research envisions an intellectual property system that supports innovation, investment, and competition across all technology areas.

Professor Laser was the World Champion of the Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition. Prior to law school, she worked as a scientific researcher, where her work studying protein dynamics of photosynthesis using genetically modified bacteria and laser spectroscopy was published in the prestigious journal Science. 
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Senior Associate, Intellectual Property Litigation, WilmerHale; Associate, Kirkland & Ellis LLP; judicial intern for Chief Judge Randall R. Rader, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Judge Roger W. Titus, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland; Scientific Researcher, The BioDesign Institute at Arizona State University, Department of BioOptical Nanotechnology.

J.D., The George Washington University Law School (World Champion, International & North American Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition; Research Assistant, Professor Lawrence Cunningham; Notes Editor, American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal); B.S., Arizona State University, Barrett Honors College (Beckman Scholar; Biochemistry Award).

Brenda Leong

Director, AI Division, ZwillGen

Brenda Leong is the Director of ZwillGen’s AI Division, a legal function uniquely designed to enable a partnership between lawyers and data scientists. Brenda leads the division in developing policies and practices around AI governance, including evaluating and red-teaming Generative AI, building model risk management frameworks, and performing model audits, along with designing and automating AI-related policies and procedures.

Before joining ZwillGen, Brenda was Managing Partner at Luminos.Law where she and her team pioneered many of the innovative audit and testing processes now operated by ZwillGen.

Brenda also serves as an adjunct faculty member teaching AI and Biometrics at the IE University Law School Executive Program. She is an Advisory Board member of the IAPP AI Center and is a trainer for their AI Governance Professional certification program.

Previously, Brenda was Senior Counsel and Director of AI and Ethics at the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) where she oversaw the development and analysis of AI and ML resources. She has a particular focus and experience on the responsible use of biometrics and digital identity, including facial recognition, facial analysis, and emerging issues around voice-operated systems.

Prior to her work at FPF, Brenda served in the U.S. Air Force. She is a 2014 graduate of George Mason University School of Law. She has taught Privacy, Security, and AI Law courses at Penn State Law and George Mason School of Law.
 

Katherine Lowry

Chief Information Officer, Baker & Hostetler

Katherine is an award-winning innovation leader for delivering transformational technology initiatives such as augmentation of legal services using AI and intelligent automation, increasing enterprise data maturity and data literacy, developing smart legal contracts and the delivery of information and research services. Katherine was recently recognized as a 2022 Most Innovative Intrapreneur at the Financial Times Innovative Lawyer Awards, and was elected to the Fellows-Elect Class of 2022 for the College of Law Practice Management. She was also selected by Relativity for its first annual list of AI Visionaries in 2022.

She serves as Co-Chair of the Emerging Technology team of BakerHostetler's Digital Assets and Data Management Group and leads the firm's legal technology consulting and R&D team, IncuBaker, which is known for helping lawyers navigate the intersection of digital business, emerging technology and the law. This team serves corporate legal departments across every industry to support their digital transformation, privacy management and data initiatives.

Notably, Katherine has led the team in extensive analysis and market research to identify issues that can be automated for businesses post-signature using smart legal contracts and blockchain-based solutions to streamline operations and improve client service.

Katherine is often called upon to share her experience with numerous organizations at home and abroad, including ILTA, AALL, TEI, ALA, LEI, and her self-created Blockchain Cincinnati Meetup Group, which has nearly 400 members. Through her research and collaborative work, Katherine strives to develop a culture of transformative change in legal analytics, AI and blockchain-based solutions for BakerHostetler and its clients.

Kevin Mooney

Associate General Counsel, Privacy and Regulatory Legal

Kevin Mooney leads the Privacy and Regulatory Legal Group at Surescripts, where he supports all legal verticals while partnering closely with key stakeholders and enterprise leadership across the organization.

Prior to joining Surescripts, Kevin spent 20 years in a variety of leadership roles at Cleveland Clinic, contributing to its recognition as the number one smart technology hospital in the world. During his tenure, he demonstrated a rare ability to integrate strategy, operations, and tactical execution in support of enterprise wide goals. His work included building and leading the IT, IP, and Cyber legal practice, establishing and managing the Data Governance Office, co building the AI Governance structure, founding the Northeast Ohio CyberConsortium and serving on its board, and speaking nationally on these disciplines.

Kevin’s expertise spans contract and technology focused commercial law, intellectual property, AI and cybersecurity, global healthcare information and privacy regulations, data governance, and AI governance. He is known for successfully bringing first to market technologies to life and for seamlessly embedding the functions of in house counsel and data management into the core of the businesses he supports.

Timothy Opsitnick

Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Technology Concepts & Design, Inc. (TCDI)

Tim is Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Technology Concepts & Design, Inc. (TCDI). His consulting practice focuses on electronic discovery, cybersecurity, data privacy, and computer forensics. Tim has conducted numerous continuing legal education seminars, written articles, and contributed to publications regarding electronic discovery, cybersecurity, and other technology issues. In addition, he has served as a court-appointed Special Master and as an expert witness. Tim is a past member of the Steering Committee for The Sedona Conference Working Group 1 on Electronic Document Retention and Production, and he is also a member of Sedona Working Groups 6 and 11. He also serves on The Sedona Conference Working Group Series Leadership Council. Tim was an editor of The Sedona Guidelines: Best Practice Guidelines & Commentary for Managing Information & Records in the Electronic Age (Second Edition 2007), a contributor to The Sedona Principles: Best Practice Recommendations and Principles Addressing Electronic Document Production (2004 and Second Edition 2007), a member of the drafting team for The Sedona Principles, Third Edition: Best Practices, Recommendations & Principles for Addressing Electronic Document Production (2017), a WG1 Steering Committee Liaison and Editors-in-Chief, The Sedona Conference Commentary on Legal Holds, Second Edition: The Trigger & The Process (2019), and a WG1 Steering Committee Liaison, The Sedona Conference, Commentary on the Need for Guidance and Uniformity in Filing ESI and Records Under Seal, (2022). Tim is also a member of The Sedona Conference Technology Resource Panel. Tim is a past member of the Advisory Board for Georgetown University Law Center’s Continuing Legal Education for the development of programs for its E-Discovery Institute, and a member of the Advisory Council for EDRM, and a member of the Advisory Council for George Washington Law School, James F. Humphreys Complex Litigation Center.

Vall Propper

Associate General Counsel, Emory University

Vall Propper is an Associate General Counsel focusing on general healthcare matters, as well as healthcare and non-healthcare related information technology, privacy, and digital technology.  Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel, Vall was an Associate General Counsel at  University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio where she provided legal support to a multi-hospital academic medical center for 9 years.  She then served as a Lead Counsel at Walmart supporting Walmart Health’s value based care initiative along with other healthcare regulatory and compliance matters.  Most recently, she served as a Vice President of Compliance at Option Care Health.

Vall received her M.P.H. from Case Western Reserve University and her J.D. from Cleveland State University College of Law.  Prior to law school, Vall spent time in local government working in the intersection of public health, public safety, and emergency management.

Cory Scott

Executive Director

Cory Scott brings over 25 years of cybersecurity expertise spanning both private industry and public service. His career has included vulnerability research, forensics, and incident response at leading consultancies, as well as security leadership roles at major financial institutions and technology companies including LinkedIn, Microsoft, Google, and Confluent.

Currently, he is dedicating his time to public service and security research. He serves as Deputy Regional Lead for the Cleveland branch of the Ohio Cyber Reserve, part of the Ohio Military Reserve focused on protecting state governmental bodies against cyber attacks. He also sits on the advisory board of CyberOhio, where he helps advise the governor on public policy initiatives involving collective defense and critical infrastructure protection.

As the newly appointed Executive Director of Cleveland State University's Center for Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection, he focuses his research on three key areas: cybersecurity for public sector organizations and critical infrastructure, including policy analysis of how collective defense strategies impact citizens and communities; data protection strategies for large multi-tenant service providers; and the evolving practice of cybersecurity—particularly its intersection with legal practice and professional ethics.

Scott has presented his research and insights at major industry conferences including Black Hat Briefings, USENIX, OWASP, RSA Conference, and SANS.

Mark Smolik

general counsel and chief compliance officer of DHL

Mark Smolik is general counsel and chief compliance officer of DHL’s supply chain operations throughout the Americas. He also serves as global chair of DHL’s supply chain legal practice group and is responsible for leading the legal, commercial contract management, government incentives, and compliance teams throughout the Americas. Smolik serves as the chairman and founder of Qualmet LLC, a platform for in-house counsel and legal operations professionals to measure the value of services provided by external counsel and other legal service providers. Before DHL, Smolik was senior vice president, general counsel, and chief ethics officer of Safelite Group, Inc. Before Safelite, he served as Sherwin-Williams’ senior corporate counsel. He serves on the CSU|LAW Board of Visitors and has lectured twice in the past two years at the law school about the rapidly changing legal market and its implications for legal education.

Michael Stovsky

Chair, Intellectual Property Practice Group; Team Lead - IP and Technology Transactions, Benesch

Mike leads Benesch’s Intellectual Property, Technology Deals, Data Security and Privacy, and Blockchain and Smart Contracts practices.

He has nearly three decades of experience representing technology companies from start-up to growth stage, middle market to Fortune 50, as well as major regional and national venture capital and private equity funds and their portfolio companies, and as lead outside counsel on technology transactions, intellectual property, privacy and data security, CIPP/US, GDPR DPO, and Metaverse law.

Mike provides advice and guidance with respect to the protection of trade secrets and other confidential business information, drafts and reviews confidentiality, non-competition, and non-circumvention agreements, and performs due diligence with respect to trade secret and confidentiality issues in the context of technology deals and M&A transactions.