Save the Date for the annual IP+ Conference at CSU|LAW, brought to you by IPTA!
Join us FREE for CSU|LAW’s annual IP+ Conference to learn about updates and insights in intellectual property law, the intersection of IP and medicine, IP and AI, and more. Our exceptional keynote is a fireside chat with Vaishali Udupa, Commissioner for Patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Your day will be filled with captivating discussions, insightful presentations, and networking opportunities. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your journey, this conference has valuable content for everyone.
Register to secure your spot at this must-attend event.
CLE credit: 1.5 hours
Everything will be free with in-person or online options.
We thank our generous sponsors for helping to make this program free: John Cipolla (Calfee), Hilco Streambank (Karl Maersch), Renner Otto, and Tarolli.
If you would like to sponsor, please contact our IP Program Director Christa Laser (c.j.lasernull@csuohio.nulledu) for details.
Agenda
Time | Panel Name | Confirmed Participants |
| 9:30am - 9:49am | Introductions | Christa Laser, Assistant Professor, CSU College of Law |
| 9:50am-10:50am | Keynote Fireside Chat with Vaishali Udupa, Commissioner for Patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) (1.0)
Vaishali Udupa, Commissioner for Patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), will join for a fireside chat about her role at the Patent Office and how patent law and the Patent Office has changed since she joined. She will also discuss upcoming challenges and opportunities for the patent office in new technology. | Vaishali Udupa, Commissioner for Patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Moderator: Karl Maersch, Senior VP, Hilco Streambank |
| 11am-12pm | Healthcare and Intellectual Property Law (1.0)
This panel will explore the intersection of medicine and intellectual property law, focusing on the protection of medical innovations through patents and trade secrets. In this conversation with legal experts, licensees, and inventors, we will discuss the licensing process of medical innovations, trends in pharmaceutical and medical patents, and the balance between protecting innovation and ensuring public access to medical advancements. Attendees will learn about key considerations for patenting medical inventions and the legal frameworks that support innovation in the healthcare industry. | Heather Callahan, Cleveland Clinic, General Manager, Business Development & Licensing Dr. Dave Hehemann, MetroHealth inventor is affiliated with Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital Ted Theofrastous, Partner @ Kohrman Jackson & Krantz and Distinguished Practitioner in Residence @ CWRU IP Venture Clinic Stan Beekman, Independent Inventor Deborah Hemmingway, Managing Partner, Ecphora Capital Moderator: Christa Laser, Assistant Professor, CSU College of Law |
| 12pm-1pm | Lunch | |
| 1pm-2:30pm | AI and Ethics (1.5 Ethics) This session will explore the legal and ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI), with a particular focus on the challenges posed by deepfakes and AI-driven technologies in the political arena. The panel will discuss how existing laws apply to AI-generated content, the potential need for new legislation, and the ethical considerations of using AI in elections and public discourse. Participants will gain an understanding of the evolving legal landscape surrounding AI and the strategies for addressing the legal risks associated with AI technologies. We will also discuss the ethical requirements for competence, confidentiality, and other professional obligations and how they are impacted by the emergence of AI. | Christian Harchelroad, Consulting Director, Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 Jess Miers, Visiting Assistant Professor, Akron University School of Law Mike Zadd, Senior Counsel at Cleveland Clinic (Greg Stein’s substitute) Brynna Wasserman, Calfee Law Raymond Ling, Assistant General Counsel, Progressive Moderated by: Ari Sherwin, Senior Legal Counsel, The Sherwin-Williams Company |
| 2:40pm-3:40pm | The State of Intellectual Property Law (1.0)
In this session, legal experts will provide an overview of the current state of intellectual property (IP) law, highlighting recent case law and legislative developments. The panel will analyze significant court rulings that have shaped IP law in recent years, discuss trends in IP litigation, and consider the implications of these developments for practitioners. Attendees will gain valuable insights into how recent legal changes may impact their practice and learn strategies for navigating the evolving IP landscape. | John Cipolla, Partner, Calfee Patrick Norton, Partner, Jones Day Christina Moser, Partner, Baker Law Kim Pinter, Partner, Calfee Moderator: Christa Laser, Assistant Professor, CSU College of Law |
| 3:45pm-5pm | Happy Hour |
Speaker Bios
Vaishali Udupa is the Commissioner for Patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As Commissioner for Patents, Ms. Udupa manages and leads the Patents organization as its chief operating officer. She oversees the agency’s 10,000 Patents employees, including more than 9,000 patent examiners responsible for fostering the country’s innovation system by providing patent protections to inventors as stated in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. Prior to joining the USPTO, Ms. Udupa was the Vice President, Associate General Counsel for Litigation at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). Prior to HPE, she was an IP litigation manager at HP and an associate at Jones Day and Pennie & Edmonds. Ms. Udupa earned her Juris Doctor from American University's Washington College of Law and her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia.
Christa Laser, Professor, comes to Cleveland State University 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.
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.
Ari Sherwin is the senior intellectual property counsel for The Sherwin-Williams Company and consultant to the United States Anti-Doping Agency tasked with drug testing of Olympic athletes. A former drug-free weightlifter, he is a national collegiate gold medalist and American record holder. Ari founded the anti-drug and health awareness program “Drugs In Sports … A Deadly Game,” which has been presented to over 300,000 people since 1993 and was awarded a Presidential Commendation. He was selected as a 2008 American Marshall Fellow and traveled throughout Europe to meet with leaders in the business, legal, political, and Olympic communities. Ari earned his B.S. in Biological Sciences from Ohio State University, M.S. in Anatomical Studies from Case Western Reserve University, and J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
Karl Maersch is the Senior Vice President at Hilco Global, which provides intellectual property strategy, patent monetization, valuation, and patent & technology licensing advisory services. Mr. Maersch is an accomplished advisor with significant experience in licensing, strategy, monetization, litigation, and management in large law firm, corporate, and service provider settings.
John Cipolla is the Firm Vice Chairman; Co-Chair, Intellectual Property at Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP. John's focus is primarily on complex litigation matters that include patents. John has extensive experience in litigation and dispute resolution in all areas of intellectual property. He also provides clients with counseling and strategy concerning the procurement of patents and trademarks. In addition, John has provided numerous opinions in patent and trademark matters.
Patrick Norton is a partner at Jones Day. He is a trial lawyer with significant experience representing clients in their most important intellectual property matters. Patrick represents both plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving a wide variety of technologies, and has extensive experience in medical device litigation, representing Johnson & Johnson in such cases since joining Jones Day in 1998. In addition to patent litigation, Patrick has handled cases involving breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, and noncompetition agreements. He has litigation in both state and federal courts, and also has extensive experience in arbitrations.
Heather Callahan is General Manager, Business Development & Licensing, at Cleveland Clinic. She is an experienced executive and entrepreneur with a history of success in the early-stage biotechnology industry. She is skilled in management as well as pharmaceutical and medical device development, patent strategy, business development, and licensing. She has extensive experience with early-stage companies and has advanced degrees in biochemistry and law, and most recently earned an Executive MBA from University of Denver - Daniels College of Business.
Christian Harchelroad is a Consulting Director at Palo Alto Networks Unit 42. He has experience leading containment of high priority cybersecurity incidents. And establishing secure communications systems. His previous roles include serving as a Communications Officer for the United States Marine Corps.
Greg Stein, is IT and IP counsel for Cleveland Clinic. Stein, who served as vice chair of the Data Privacy and Information Security Group as a partner at Ulmer & Berne LLP prior to joining Cleveland Clinic, has a deep understanding of privacy and security risks in the healthcare industry.
Stan Beekman is an independent inventor who successfully licensed multiple patented technologies to manufacturing companies for production, including orthopedic devices.
CLE Credit: 1.5 hours
What's it all about? View last year’s Conference: