Dan Gibson, Partner, Knobbe Martens

Dan Gibson provides intellectual property counseling in various technologies. His technical experience includes computer software and hardware, video games, augmented and virtual reality, computer graphics processing, cloud computing architectures, e-commerce, medical devices, robotics, electromechanical and automotive technologies. He advises on patent prosecution and portfolio management, infringement and invalidity analyses, patent risk management, and IP due diligence and searches.

David Hecht, Partner, Hecht Partners 

David L. Hecht is the founder and co-managing partner of Hecht Partners. He is a fierce litigator representing individuals, companies, and nationwide classes in high-stakes commercial disputes. He was recognized as a “Legal Lion” by Law360 following his successful argument before the Ninth Circuit in connection with a copyright infringement case against Epic Games. The case, which redefined the limits of protection for choreography in the era of “short form” media, was also recognized by Law360 as one of the biggest copyright rulings of 2023.

Jenni Katzman, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Microsoft

Jenni Katzman is a lawyer and policy expert who currently serves as a Senior Director at Microsoft where she leads the U.S. Government Affairs policy efforts on intellectual property and digital safety, as well as on issues related to reducing the risks posed by synthetic content. Prior to joining Microsoft, she served as General Counsel and Chief of Domestic Policy for Senator Ron Wyden. She was previously the Director of Policy and Program at the American Constitution Society. She also served in the Obama administration at the Department of Justice, White House Domestic Policy Council, and the Department of Education. Before that, she was the National Voter Protection Counsel for Obama for America, and practiced law at Steptoe & Johnson and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Jenni clerked for the Honorable Brian M. Cogan in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She graduated magna cum laude from Cornell Law School, and earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University. 

Jeff Martin, Intellectual Property Director at The Office Of The United States Trade Representative

Jeff Martin joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2021 as an attorney in the Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA). Prior to OPIA, Jeff was a Director of IP and Innovation at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), building on 13 years in Europe working as in-house IP counsel for a major luxury goods group as well as one of the world’s leading spirits companies. Jeff has degrees in physics and engineering, is a registered U.S. patent attorney, and was an IP associate in the New York office of White and Case.

Spencer Persson, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine 

Spencer Persson, CIPP/US, is an experienced litigator with the firm’s privacy, security, and technology group where he represents clients in data privacy matters and consumer class actions. Throughout his career as a litigator, Spencer has regularly secured verdicts and favorable settlements for his clients, which include technology companies, retailers, manufacturers, entertainment companies, insurers, healthcare providers, and financial service providers, among others. 

Spencer focuses on litigation defense relating to data breaches, phishing scams, or other losses of sensitive personally identifying information and personal health information. Working in concert with the client and forensic analysts, he has successfully obtained early resolution of common law claims or claims under state law privacy statutes such as California’s Customer Records Act and Confidentiality of Medical Information Act. 

Mark Ray, PWC’s Managing Director, Head of Digital Investigations & Cyber Defense, Former Special Agent of the FBI’s Cyber Division

Mark Ray is an accomplished Cybersecurity professional and former FBI Special Agent with over 20 years of law enforcement and technology industry experience who helps clients investigate and recover from major cyber incidents and fraud events. He also develops strategies and programs designed to help clients proactively defend against advanced cyber threats.

Joshua L. Simmons, Esq., Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP 

Joshua Simmons is a nationally recognized appellate and trial court litigator, who has been lauded as an “exceptional,” “forceful,” and “creative” “brainiac” (Chambers), “Top Attorney” (Law360), and “big-picture thought leader” (WTR).  This “Intellectual Property Superhero” (CLS) is one of Lawdragon’s “500 leading litigators in America” for wins in every kind of IP litigation and related commercial disputes, which have resulted in over $1.6 billion in combined plaintiff-side verdicts and complete dismissals in defense-side cases before and at trial.  As a “Power Lawyer” (THR), “Trailblazer” (NLJ), and one of IAM’s Strategy 300 Global Leaders, he is sought after for complex cases and those of first impression; IP counseling; strategic portfolio management; and regulatory and legislative policy advice.  His eye-catching litigations involve a range of media and technologies.  In the field of artificial intelligence, Josh has been recognized as a “Leading AI & Legal Tech Advisor” (Lawdragon) for his work both in the courtroom and outside of it.  In 2021, he won a $30 million trade secret and unfair competition verdict in a case in which the jury found that the defendant used the technology of its competitor to train its AI models.  He also has litigated multiple copyright cases concerning whether an AI’s use of content is fair use, and frequently counsels clients and lectures on the intellectual property implications of AI.  In addition, Josh vice-chairs the Intellectual Property Owners Association’s Artificial Intelligence, Data & New Emerging Technologies Committee and is a member of its Artificial Intelligence Task Force, is a member of the ABA Section of Intellectual Property’s Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Task Force, and chaired the Artificial Intelligence Subcommittee for the Second Circuit Judicial Conference’s 2022 Program Planning Committee.

Thomas Speiss, Partner, Snell & Wilmer LLP

Tom Speiss is a partner of the Intellectual Property group and a member of the firm’s Hospitality, and Sports and Entertainment practice groups. Tom utilizes the skills that he has developed as an attorney, through his MBA from University of Southern California (USC), and as a former news reporter for the Los Angeles Times to advise and work with his clients to strategically create and implement their domestic and global vision. 

Tom began his legal career as a trademark litigator. Over the past 25 years, his practice has grown to focus on developing global IP strategies and managing IP portfolios  ̶  including trademarks, copyrights and patents, and URL matters, which closely overlaps with trademarks. Tom focuses in trademark branding and advertising, licensing, counterfeiting investigations and working with Federal and state law enforcement to blunt such counterfeiting activities. Tom further quarterbacks IP due diligence efforts both on the sell-side for his clients and on the buy-side for institutional investors.

Prof. Tyson Winarski, Intellectual Property professor, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law 

Tyson Winarski is an Intellectual Property Law Professor and Patent Attorney with the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law with Arizona State University. Tyson is also a technologist (BSME, MSEE) and inventor with over 51 patents in Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, renewable energy, graphene optic fibers, nanotechnology, and social networking devices. At ASU, Tyson teaches courses on Patent Law, Patent Licensing and Monetization, IP Licensing, and Appeals to the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeals Board. Tyson is also adjunct faculty on IP Law at the University of San Francisco School of Law. Tyson’s law practice has specialized in patent licensing, patent portfolio strategic development, and patent prosecution in Silicon Valley and Washington D.C.

Jake Johnson, USA Team Handball Athlete, Law Student, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

Jake is a law student at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law concurrently pursuing a Master of Sports Law and Business and Juris Doctor degrees. Along with his studies, Jake represents the United States in international competition as an athlete for the Men’s Senior Beach Handball National Team, where most recently he was able to travel to Brazil and compete in the IHF Global Beach Tour. Jake has experience both playing and working at all levels of sport, including work for the University of Arizona’s Athletics Compliance department, where he was able to gain insight on the interplay between NIL Collectives and Universities. Jake is passionate about the intersection of sport, business, and the law, and brings a unique perspective to the table as someone who has experience on both the athlete and professional side. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Financial Planning from San Diego State University and will complete his studies for the two forthcoming degrees in May of 2025.