LOT NETWORK BRIDGE
MEMBER MEETING
Speakers
John A. Squires is the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As chief executive, he leads one of the largest intellectual property (IP) offices in the world—almost a $5 billion operation with over 14,000 employees located across the 50 states and Puerto Rico. He is also the principal IP advisor to the President and Administration, through the Secretary of Commerce.
Prior to joining the USPTO, Mr. Squires served as Partner and Chair of the IP and Emerging Companies Practice at Dilworth Paxson LLP and an adjunct law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law. He has extensive experience in all aspects of IP and emerging companies, across a vast array of scientific and technology disciplines, including patent and trademark asset creation, procurement and acquisition, transactions, licensing, corporate formation, governance and structuring, high-stakes litigation and regulatory, and risk management matters.
Mr. Squires led the creation of the United States’ first patent asset-backed finance platform for one of the world’s leading funds. He also led the founding, launch, and was a board member of numerous IP and risk-related businesses, including iQ4, the Risk Assistance Network + Exchange (RANE), and FinClusive.
David J. Kappos is Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property Practice. He is widely recognized as one of the world’s foremost leaders in the field of intellectual property, including intellectual property management and strategy, the development of global intellectual property norms, laws and practices as well as commercialization and enforcement of innovation‑based assets. Mr. Kappos advises Cravath’s clients on a wide range of their most complex intellectual property issues, including those pertaining to artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptoassets and fintech, as well as cybersecurity and data privacy.
From August 2009 to January 2013, Mr. Kappos served as Under Secretary of Commerce and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In that role, he advised the President, the Secretary of Commerce and the Administration on intellectual property policy matters. As Director of the USPTO, he led the Agency in dramatically re‑engineering its entire management and operational systems as well as its engagement with the global innovation community. He was instrumental in achieving the greatest legislative reform of the U.S. patent system in generations through passage and implementation of the America Invents Act, signed into law by President Obama in September 2011.
Prior to leading the USPTO, Mr. Kappos held several executive posts in the legal department of IBM, including litigation counsel, Asia Pacific IP counsel and, from 2003 to 2009, Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Lawyer responsible for all patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret matters worldwide.
Ruud Peters is the Co-Director of the Center for Intellectual Property (CIP), and CEO at Peters IP Consultancy B.V. ; Former Chief IP Officer and Executive Vice President at Koninklijke Philips N.V.
He is an IP business leader and entrepreneur with both strategic and operational capabilities, who created and managed one of the world’s leading and most successful IP businesses as Chief Intellectual Property Officer of Philips for a period of 15 years till the end of 2013. In 2014 he established his own IP Consultancy company providing consultancy in IP strategy and organizational matters to enterprises and institutes around the globe. In addition, he is acting as board member/advisory board member/advisor for Iprova Sarl, Lausanne, Switzerland; School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Institute for Intellectual Property Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Center for Intellectual Property (CIP), Gothenburg, Sweden; AI Patents, North Carolina, USA and Arbell Energy, Tel Aviv, Israel. In 2017 he was appointed as Guest-Professor at the School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
He was inducted into the IP Hall of Fame in 2010 and he received an Outstanding Achievement Award for his lifetime contributions to the IP field from Managing Intellectual Property magazine in 2014 . He frequently speaks at major international IP conferences/webinars and also writes regularly articles in leading IP and business magazines. Ruud has a background in physics (Technical University Delft, The Netherlands).
Dr. Bowman Heiden is the Founding Faculty Director of the Open Innovation Labs at the Institute for Business Innovation, UC Berkeley.
Dr. Heiden is the Co-Director of the Center for Intellectual Property (CIP) at University of Gothenburg, which is a joint platform between academia and industry focused on the transformation of knowledge into wealth and welfare. He is also the Executive Director of the Tusher Strategic Initiative for Technology Leadership at UC-Berkeley and co-chair of the Technology, Innovation, and Intellectual Property program at the Classical Liberal Institute at the NYU School of Law. Dr. Heiden was recently a member of the European Commission Expert Group on Standard Essential Patents.
Previously he was a visiting Professor at UC Berkeley and the Innovation Director for the Qatar Science & Technology Park, where he was responsible for driving innovation strategy and intellectual property policy. Over the past ten years, Dr. Heiden has managed over 100 innovation projects with industry, university research institutes, healthcare providers, and start-up ventures.
As Co-Director of CIP, Dr. Heiden currently manages the internationalization of the CIP platform and strategic collaborations with industry and university partners. In this role, Dr. Heiden has co-founded and developed the Intellectual Capital Management (ICM) and Business Creation and Entrepreneurship in Biomedicine (BCEB) master’s level programs, CIP FORUM, the Business of Intellectual Property executive program, and the CIP Internship Program.
Dr. Heiden holds degrees in engineering, technology management, and economics, and his research is at the interdisciplinary interface of economics, law, and innovation, in particular, intellectual property and open innovation in knowledge-intensive sectors. Before turning his focus to the field of knowledge-based business, Dr. Heiden played professional basketball in a number of European countries.
In her career of more than 25 years, Rose James has gained experience both in-house and with the US government. Before her current position at Expedia, she served as intellectual property and technology transactions counsel at multinational technology company Cummins. Before that, she spent nearly 14 years with the US Department of Homeland Security, where her achievements included establishing a new legal practice within the Office of General Counsel specializing in intellectual property, internet, and technology law, and serving as chief intellectual property counsel at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. She has also served on a variety of charitable and nonprofit boards.
Peter Jovanovic is Legal Director for Intellectual Property at Dell Technologies, providing support for several business units. At Dell, he is primarily responsible for patent portfolio development, patent litigation, and open source. Before joining Dell, he was a patent attorney providing patent prosecution, litigation, strategy, and licensing services. Prior to becoming an attorney, Peter was a software engineer, having experience in computer security, satellite communications, and logistic planning software.
Peter has bachelor’s degrees in computer science and mathematics from UC San Diego, a master’s degree in computer science from San Diego State, and a juris doctorate from UC Hastings College of the Law.
Peter is recognized by the IAM Strategy 300 as one of the world’s leading IP strategists, is registered to practice before the USPTO, and is a member of the California Bar. He was also an adjunct law professor, where he taught the primary legal and procedural requirements for preparing and prosecuting patent applications under US federal law.
Strategic in-house counsel with deep expertise at the intersection of emerging technology, data governance, and responsible AI. As Senior Corporate Counsel at Microsoft, Courtney leads legal strategy for strategic data initiatives for consumer and enterprise AI-integrated products. She architects scalable commercial and IP frameworks that enable innovation while safeguarding privacy, IP, and consumer trust.
She also advises and spearheads deal negotiations with top enterprise commercial tech companies, unicorn startups, and product teams across industries from AI Labs, fintech, retail consumer package goods, digital platforms, and gaming to audio tech and e-commerce. Her approach blends negotiation and legal strategy with business pragmatism, enabling scalable solutions in fast-moving environments. Whether negotiating enterprise deals, shaping internal policy, or driving cross-functional alignment, she brings a collaborative lateral mindset and a passion for ethical tech deployment.
Matt is a Director in Lenovo’s IP group, providing advice and leadership on a diverse set of IP and litigation issues. Lenovo is both an IP generator and implementer, with a global footprint, and that keeps its docket full of challenging legal issues across the various geographies where Lenovo does business. Matt’s legal career started in the Silicon Valley office of a global law firm where he led teams providing legal services to innovation-focused clients, large and small. Matt moved in-house first with Intel where he managed IP-focused legal matters of all sorts, before leaving to join a highly visible, rapidly growing start up, Juul Labs. He grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley, obtained his undergraduate degree in biology at UCLA and his JD from UC College of the Law, SF (formerly, Hastings).
Nathan Morris is a graduate of Brown University. He holds a J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law and is admitted to practice law in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Raymond is a Senior Director on the Analytics and Business Operations team at RPX Corporation, where she develops strategic intelligence and market insights focused on intellectual property (IP) finance and policy. She has previously held roles on RPX’s Litigation Intelligence and Acquisitions teams, providing her with a multidisciplinary perspective on the patent ecosystem.
Ms. Raymond is a frequent speaker on IP finance and policy, presenting on topics including third-party litigation funding, its regulation and market impact, and the growing role of IP-backed debt financing and insurance in patent monetization strategies. Her work focuses on the intersection of IP, capital markets, and the policy and regulatory frameworks that shape US innovation.
Ms. Raymond holds a BA in Philosophy from New York University and is currently studying Government at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC.
Dan Steen serves at Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Justice, a national organization focused on U.S. civil litigation rules advocacy. LCJ is based in Arlington, Virginia. Dan leads LCJ advocacy efforts and manages its business activities. LCJ’s membership includes many of America’s leading companies and preeminent law firms.
Previously Dan served the American Property Casualty Insurance Association as Vice President, Liability. In this role, Dan supported the industry’s proactive thought leadership and strategy on key policyholder issues. APCIA is the nation’s leading property and casualty insurer association.
Before that Dan served as Vice President of Government Affairs for global packaging manufacturer Owens-Illinois, where he worked closely with national, state and local organizations to promote recycling and re-use of packaging materials.
Dan received his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, Virginia). He is a member of the District of Columbia and Virginia Bars.
Gene is an experienced lead counsel who is known for his thoughtful work and dedication to clients.
Gene Lee is an IP litigator who works on disputes involving patents, trade secrets, technology agreements, trademarks, and copyrights in federal courts, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). He also advises clients on licensing, patent portfolio analysis, and the IP aspects of corporate transactions.
Gene’s work has covered a wide range of technologies, including computer systems and software, telecommunications and wireless communications, medical devices, blockchain and cryptocurrency, solar energy, video games, pharmaceuticals, financial services, chemistry, semiconductors, and geoscience. He is regularly engaged by major U.S. and Asian companies in high-stakes disputes. Gene recently represented a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) in the first patent lawsuit against a DAO, and also represented through trial the world’s largest alcoholic beverages company in the first investigation in the ITC pilot program for potential early disposition of cases. He also represented Taiwan’s first innovator drug company in a major licensing dispute.
Recognized for excellence by Chambers Global, IAM Patent 1000, and Managing IP, Gene regularly speaks, publishes, and offers commentary on recent trends and important issues in patent law and IP litigation.
Maria Čulić Anderson excels in developing robust patent and trademark portfolios while guiding clients through the complexities of intellectual property law and litigation. She brings three decades of experience in the field to DWT, where she represents a broad range of IP stakeholders—from individual innovators to the top Fortune 500 companies—in industries from software and electronics to medical devices to food + beverage. Trained in computer science, Maria also understands many technical aspects of her clients’ innovations, with particular expertise in cloud computing and AI.
Named one of the “World’s Leading Patent Professionals” by Intellectual Asset Management and recognized by The Legal 500 and others for her IP work, Maria counsels clients on all challenges and opportunities throughout the IP lifecycle. She strategically grows and develops patent portfolios both domestically and internationally, including supporting the expansion of one company’s global patent portfolio from under 100 issued patents to 30,000+ over the course of a decade. In addition, she develops strategies for U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) litigation before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) for defensive purposes, focusing on inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review (PGR). Maria also has a keen eye for brand protection and has helped numerous clients establish and defend their trademarks in competitive markets. With over 30 years of experience to draw from, Maria expertly manages multimillion-dollar legal budgets to provide a full spectrum of IP support for large clients and maximizes the value of modest budgets for individuals and startups.
Beyond client work, Maria is an active participant in professional organizations and a frequent speaker at industry conferences, where she shares her insights on IP law trends and best practices. Before joining DWT, Maria worked at a U.S.-based IP law firm and co-founded its Seattle office. She also mentors up-and-coming attorneys from diverse backgrounds.
rlevine@kirkland.com
312-862-2466 (o)
847-828-8240 (m)
Russell is a Partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP where he has spent his entire 40+ year career. He focuses his trial (jury, bench, and ITC), appellate (Federal Circuit), and alternative dispute resolution practice on patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation matters, and disputes involving and related to technology transfer and patent license agreements. His technology transfer and licensing practice includes structuring and negotiating both licensing-in and licensing-out transactions.
Throughout his career, Russell has been and remains active in bar associations, industry organizations, and his community. He is a past member of the Board of LES International. He is a Past-President of LES (USA and Canada); a past-chair of the By-Laws Committee of the US Tennis Association’s Midwest Section; a past-member of the American Heart Association, Chicago Board; and a past-chair of the President’s Council at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.
Russell also is an author and frequent speaker on IP issues. He is co-editor of International Licensing and Technology Transfer: Practice and the Law. His “Top 10 Court Decisions of the Year” workshop has been presented at the annual meetings of numerous IP organizations, including LES, AUTM, FLC, and the LOT Network.
Russell holds a B.S. in Engineering and a B.S. in Economics, both degrees from the University of Michigan, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago. He is on WIPO’s List of Mediators and Arbitrators, and he is a member of the WIPO Mediation and Arbitration Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, and he is registered to practice before the USPTO. He also is a Certified Licensing Professional.
Russell is an avid runner. He is one of less than 400 athletes worldwide to have earned two Six Star Medals for twice running the original six World Marathon Majors (Boston, Chicago, New York, Tokyo, London, and Berlin). He has completed 27 career marathons.
Michael D. Specht is a director and chair of Sterne Kessler’s Electronics Practice Group.
He has a unique combination of over twenty-five years of telecommunications, electronics and Internet-related technical, legal, and business development experiences. His practice spans high value patent prosecution and inter partes matters, including Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”), district court, and International Trade Commission (“ITC”) litigation. His extensive patent prosecution and technical experiences provide a formidable advantage in inter partes proceedings. Additionally, he counsels clients on the development and implementation of intellectual asset management plans to maximize the economic potential of their intellectual property through portfolio development, licensing, and litigation strategies.
Mike has long been a leader in post grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, such as ex parte reexaminations, inter partes reexaminations, inter partes reviews (“IPR”), covered business method reviews (“CBM”), and post grant reviews (“PGR”). He was the co-creator and editor of the award-winning website, www.reexaminationcenter.com, which was the most sought out industry source for reexamination decisions and analysis. He subsequently was a contributing author to the seminal treatise, Patent Office Litigation and is also a contributing author to Patent Litigation Strategies Handbook Third Edition 2014 Cumulative Supplement, “Patentability Challenges at the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office.” Mike has served as counsel in nearly 100 IPRs, CBMs, and PGRs, with more than 50 representations on behalf of petitioners, and more than 40 appearances on behalf of patent owners. Whether challenging or defending patents before the PTAB, Mike’s lead counsel track record is superior to the PTAB averages on the basis of challenged claims instituted and instituted claims cancelled at final written decision.
Mike has served as an advisor to associates participating in the PTAB’s Legal Experience and Advancement Program (LEAP), which provides associates with training and development opportunities in PTAB proceedings, including oral argument.
Mike’s primary areas of technical experience include telecommunications networks, broadband communication systems, wireless communications, GPS location-based services, Signaling System 7 (“SS7”), VoIP, communications protocols, e-commerce and Internet applications, graphic processors, and automotive technologies.
Roger Denning is a trial lawyer specializing in complex litigation, including patent infringement and other technology-related cases. As lead counsel, Roger has helped some of the world’s best-known companies win their most important cases.
Roger has tried patent cases to verdict throughout the country, particularly in the patent-heavy dockets in U.S. District Courts in California, Texas, and Delaware, as well as at the U.S. International Trade Commission. Roger also has tried to verdict a number of complex commercial cases, including in the areas of products liability, unfair competition, and the False Claims Act. Roger also has advised clients in inter partes review proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
Agenda: Thursday, October 1, 2026
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast opens |
| 9:15AM | Check-in |
| 9:45 AM | Remarks from the CEO (Ken Seddon, CEO, LOT Network) |
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10:00 AM
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Patent validity challenges in 2026: the latest developments and strategic considerations (Ashurst Perkins Coie)
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10:45 AM
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Networking break
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11:15 AM
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Elevating IP: Strategies that move IP leaders into the boardroom (Sterne Kessler)
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12:00 PM
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Lunch
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1:00 PM
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At the table: Negotiating IP in AI platform deals (Davis Wright Tremaine)
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1:45 PM
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Networking break
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2:15 PM
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Show me the money: Pushing for disclosure of third-party funders (Fish & Richardson)
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| 3:05 PM | Top 10 cases affecting licensing (Kirkland & Ellis)
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3:50 PM
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ADAPT
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4:05 PM
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Networking break
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4:40 PM
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Keynote Presentation: A Directors’ Fireside Chat with John Squires and David Kappos
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5:35 PM
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Closing remarks/Networking reception |
*Sessions and details are subject to change.