TechTainment™ 2024
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
ASU California Center, Los Angeles, CA
Welcome to our tenth annual TechTainment™ 2024, the cutting-edge conference focusing on the dynamic intersection of technology, entertainment, and law. Our mission is to explore the latest technological advancements in the entertainment industry and delve into their profound legal and business implications. TechTainment’s motto is “Technology + Entertainment + Law” and what better place to hold the conference than in Los Angeles, the Entertainment capital of the world.
Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA), The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University (ASU Law), and The McCarthy Institute at ASU Law have partnered to produce TechTainment™ 2024. See ASU/LAIPLA press release announcing partnership for TechTainment™ 2024.
We are excited to announce that the esteemed Hollywood titan, Jeff Berg, will be our keynote speaker at the conference! With his extensive experience leading ICM (International Creative Management), one of the three top Mega-Hollywood Agencies (along with CAA and William Morris Agency), Berg and his team represented the top tier in Television and Film from the 1980s until the last decade, completely rewriting Hollywood dealmaking, and paving the way for today’s digital global market.
Join us as we delve into essential topics for legal professionals, including the ramifications of the global CrowdStrike outage on information security; the legal complexities surrounding NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) for athletes; federal regulations on artificial intelligence currently under consideration in Congress, the Copyright Office and the USPTO; the legal implications of the SAG-WGA strikes on the future of AI in Hollywood and pressing copyright and patent issues in the video game industry.
TechTainment™ 2024 will take place at ASU’s downtown location originally constructed in 1914 for William Randolph Hearst, formerly known as the Herald Examiner Building, an Art Deco building, located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and the center of the world’s creative industries. The event will kick off with a continental breakfast, followed by lunch, and end with a reception, featuring over 5.5 MCLE hours. There will be dedicated networking breaks, fostering face-to-face interactions with our speakers and fellow industry professionals. We have additional surprises planned for our tenth annual conference.
We invite you to join us at this year’s TechTainment™ 2024 conference, where you will gain invaluable legal insights into the forefront of technology in the entertainment sector and equip yourself to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving landscape of technological innovation.
**Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (provider # 2083) certifies that this activity has been approved for MCLE credit by the State Bar of California in the amount of 5.5 hours.
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS
Early Bird Registrations will end on Friday, November 1, 2024
PRICING
LAIPLA Corporate In-House Members: Early Bird $175; Registration $225
LAIPLA Members: Early Bird $250; Registration $320
Non-Members: Early Bird $300; Registration $390
LAIPLA Students and Professors: Any Student or Professor can join LAIPLA for free. Early Bird: $100; Registration: $125
CANCELLATION POLICY
In order to receive a refund, notice of cancellation must be received by Wednesday, November 6, 2024, to office@laipla.net. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations received after November 6, 2024.
PARKING
Visitor parking is available in surface parking lots and garages near the ASU California Center located at 1111 S. Broadway, Los Angeles. Visitor parking options are through independent operators. Please visit TechTainment™ ASU Parking for more options.
SCHEDULE
(All times in PST)
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration/Continental Breakfast
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM: Opening Remarks: Mark Treitel, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, TechTainment™ Founder and Co-Chair; Xinlin Li Morrow, Morrow Ni, LAIPLA President; Dean Stacy Leeds, Willard H. Pedrick Dean and Regents Professor, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM: Game Time: An In-House Look at the Evolution of NIL Advising
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM: Networking Break
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Chat GPT Goes to Washington: The Future of AI Regulations in Congress, Copyright Office and the USPTO
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM Lunch
12:15 PM -12:50 PM: Keynote with Hollywood Mega-Agent Jeff Berg. Fireside chat with Konrad Trope, Trope Law Group, P.C.
12:50 PM – 1:00 PM: Networking Break
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: The Next Level: Video Game Developer and Designers’ New Legal Fight
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM: Networking Break
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM: Crash Course: Navigating the CrowdStrike Update
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM: Networking Break
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Fallout: One year after Strike-A-Geddon, The future of Hollywood AI after the WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes
4:30 PM: Concluding Remarks
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Reception/Appetizers & Drinks
DATE AND TIME
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
LOCATION
ASU California Center
1111 S Broadway Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90015
view map
QUESTIONS?
Contact the LAIPLA office at office@laipla.net or call 323-285-1654.
Game Time: An In-House Look at the Evolution of NIL Advising
In the rapidly evolving landscape of regulation in athletics, in-house counsel plays a critical role in advising athletes on Name, Image, and Likeness (“NIL”) matters. This has led directly to significant transformations within athletic departments. This panel will explore the challenges and opportunities of this shift in contract negotiations, athlete-revenue management, licensing and sponsorship agreements, and the operational adjustments required to thrive in this new landscape, moderated by Aaron Hernandez, Executive Director of the Allan Bud Selig Sports Law and Business Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law with Debbie Spander, Founder of Insight Sports Advisors; Ed Stewart, Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director of the University of Southern California; Conner Schenk, Founder and NIL Consultant of Knights Table Collective; and Thomas Speiss, Partner at Snell & Wilmer.
Chat GPT Goes to Washington: The Future of AI Regulations in Congress, Copyright Office and the USPTO
Last year, the Copyright Office issued proposed regulations for the legal standards of copyright registration where AI was employed by the human author. Numerous court cases followed, and the Copyright Office’s stance seems to have become embodied in case law. Then the Copyright Office this past July issued a report to Congress warning about the increasing and deceptive use of deepfakes and the urgent need for legislation. Meanwhile, the USPTO issued its own set of proposed regulations, which have undergone their own saga of scrutiny and comment. This expert panel of agency and Government Affairs representatives from the private sector debate the growing call for more AI regulation. Moderated by Konrad Trope, Trope Law Group, P.C., with Jeff Martin, Office of Policy and International Affairs, USPTO, with Andrew Foglia, Deputy Director of Policy and International Affairs for the U.S. Copyright Office; Jenni Katzman, Esq., Senior Director of Government Affairs at Microsoft; Linda Quigley, Senior Copyright Advisor for the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the USPTO; and Joshua Simmons, a long-seasoned IP litigator with Kirkland & Ellis’s New York Office.
The Next Level: Video Game Developer and Designers’ New Legal Fight
In a rapidly evolving gaming landscape, developers and designers are battling not only to captivate players but also to navigate the complex terrain of cultural relevance without stepping into legal pitfalls. This panel will explore the difficulties of integrating cultural relevance with video games as seen in many recent cases, moderated by Prof. Tyson Winarski, Intellectual Property professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU; Dan Gibson, Partner, Knobbe Martens; with David Hecht, partner at Hecht Partners; Heidi Keefe, partner at Cooley; and Bobby Ghajar, partner at Cooley.
Crash Course: Navigating the CrowdStrike Update
Over the summer, CrowdStrike deployed an update that caused millions of computers to crash, resulting in disruptions for airlines, emergency services, TV networks, and other businesses across the world. Our panel of experts will discuss what happened, what the legal and practical ramifications could be, and what the software security industry and customers can do to better protect themselves in the future. Join Moderator Spencer Persson, partner at Davis Wright Tremaine; Scott Ferber, partner at Raj Ferber, PLLC and former Counsel for Cyber Investigations in DOJ’s National Security Division; Wynter Deagle, partner at Sheppard Mullin; and Mark Ray, PWC’s Managing Director, Head of Digital Investigations & Cyber Defense and former Special Agent of the FBI’s Cyber division as they discuss one of the largest and most expensive software outages ever to have occurred.
Fallout: One year after Strike-A-Geddon
The future of Hollywood AI after the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strikes
It’s been over a year since the SAG and WGA since new tentative collective bargaining agreements were reached with each union. Both labor disputes centered primarily around the ever-increasing use of AI by studios and platforms. Is Hollywood any better off or worse off? Are there more employment opportunities for actors and writers or is the feared industry exodus coming true? How does Scarlett Johanssen’s dispute with ChatGPT impact the current landscape? Does Bette Midler’s 1988 Federal court victory over Ford Motor Company protecting her voice and likeness have any vitality in this debate? Join us for a lively panel discussion with Nedeen Nasser of Nasser Legal as she moderates a wide spectrum of industry professionals including Craig Wagner, General Counsel and Executive Vice-President for Business Affairs at Paradigm Talent Agency; Nick Huskins, Senior Corporate Counsel for IP at Amazon Studios, Marc Bruder, President and CEO of Bruder Releasing, Inc., and Tracey Freed of Freed Law, P.C.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Jeffrey Berg, Chairman and Founder, Northside Services, LLC
Jeffrey Berg is the Chairman of Northside Services, LLC, founded in 2014, which provides advisory services for entertainment and media companies; secures financing and distribution for film, television, and other entertainment projects; and advises literary estates, writers, producers and directors across the span of the entertainment industry. Northside Services also furnishes research, market analysis and business intelligence for investors, advertisers, and owners of film, literary and music catalogues.
Mr. Berg joined Creative Management Associates (CMA) in 1969 as a literary agent in its Los Angeles office focusing on film projects and the sale of literary material. He later ran the literary and motion picture departments, representing leading writers, directors and production companies. In 1980, he became the president and chief operating officer of International Creative Management (ICM), one of the leading theatrical and talent agencies in the world. In 1985, he was appointed chairman and chief executive officer of the agency and served on its Board of Directors until 2012.
Mr. Berg has a deep background in film finance and the formation of production-distribution agreements. He has negotiated contracts and provided career guidance for dozens of award-winning artists and companies in film, television, theater, music and publishing. While at ICM and afterwards, he advised a number of companies on marketing and investments that pertained to the entertainment and media industry including Apple, Samsung, Mercedes-Benz, Capital Films, Dreamworks, PolyGram, Telecom Italia, StudioCanal, Eagle Films, Golden Harvest Films, Trinity Broadcasting Network and Lantern Capital Partners. During his term at ICM, the agency had an international network of six agencies that were owned and operated or affiliated with ICM. In 1991, he was awarded the Cavaliere del Lavoro by the Republic of Italy.
Mr. Berg is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and received a Master of Liberal Arts from the University of Southern California. He served as the president of the Executive Board of the College of Letters & Science at UC Berkeley; on the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of the Arts and Pomona College; the Board of Visitors at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management; and the Court of Governors of the London School of Economics. He has lectured on finance and the arts at the London School of Economics, Stanford University, and Columbia University. Mr. Berg was also on the California Information Technology Council and the California Entertainment Commission.
Mr. Berg is a director of Oracle Corporation and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
Marc Bruder, President and CEO, Bruder Releasing, Inc.
Marc Bruder is the President and CEO of Bruder Releasing, Inc. (BRI). BRI was founded in 1988 as a facilitator for distribution of independent productions of all categories and genres, including series, specials, and cutting edge content to the cable and broadcast markets.
BRI has represented to the pay-per-view and various broadcast platforms clients such as Sony Wonder, Miramax, Samuel Goldwin Company, RKO, 21st Century. Cannon Pictures, The Episcopal Media Center,Venevision and other high profile studios and individual producers with their broadcast distribution needs.
Currently BRI enjoys program supply arrangements with the major satellite cable, lodging, DTH backyard dish,MMDS, Internet, mobile-cellular, hand- held-device, IPTV and TV networks, stations, channels, platfo1ms and venues in the US, Latin America, Europe and pa1ts of Asia with programming content covering everyconceivable type of product.
BRI licensees have included HBO, Showtime, Starz Encore, Time Warner Cable, Cox Cable, Cablevision,Comcast, DirecTV, Echostar Dish Networks, NBC Universal, iN Demand, TVN, Sci Fi Channel, USANetwork, TBS and other broadcast outlets as well as the lodging industry, cruise ships, airlines, Internetsystems, mobile carriers, IPTV networks and new technology delivery methods developing around the world with an enormous producer client list.
In recent years, Mr. Bruder has expanded his expertise to include music recordings and concert productions. He just recently served as executive producer for the Kingston Trio’s two nights of concerts at the iconic Greek Theater.
Wynter Deagle, Partner, Sheppard Mullin
Wynter is a trusted advisor in the boardroom and a fierce advocate in the courtroom when businesses face issues found at the intersection of law, technology, and innovation. Clients depend on her ability to combine thoughtful legal analysis and strategy with an aggressive but practical “big picture” approach to litigation and compliance matters.
Wynter is an experienced trial lawyer who specializes in defending individual and class actions relating to privacy, consumer protection, cybersecurity, false advertising and unfair business practices, and data collection, use and storage practices (including breach-related litigation).
Scott Ferber, Partner, Raj Ferber, PLLC
Scott Ferber is a Partner at Raj Ferber, PLLC, and former Counsel for Cyber Investigations in DOJ’s National Security Division. Scott leverages his extensive experience as a former federal cybercrime prosecutor, in senior leadership at the US Department of Justice, and as a former AmLaw 25 law firm partner to advise clients across industries on the full range of security issues created by global data collection and usage. This includes responding to cyber incidents and managing complex cyber risk assessments. Scott often defends clients in regulatory investigations by the Federal Trade Commission, State Attorneys General and other federal, state and local regulators and criminal authorities.
Andrew Foglia, Deputy Director of Policy and International Affairs, US Copyright Office
Andrew Foglia is the deputy director of policy and international affairs for the United States Copyright Office. He was appointed to the position effective January 17, 2023.
Foglia assists the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Policy and International Affairs with the critical policy functions of the Office, including domestic and international policy analyses, legislative support, and trade negotiations. The Office of Policy and International Affairs provides support and technical advice to Congress and represents the Copyright Office at meetings of government officials concerned with the international aspects of copyright protection and enforcement.
Foglia earned a JD from Duke University School of Law, where he was an R.C. Mordecai Scholar and member of the Order of the Coif, and a BA from Davidson College.
Tracey L. Freed, Founder, Freed Law, P.C.
Tracey Freed is Founder of Freed Law, P.C., a boutique law firm specializing in digital media, entertainment and technology transactions. Freed has been recognized as a Trailblazer by The American Lawyer Magazine, a Top Cyber/Artificial Intelligence Lawyer by the Daily Journal, Thriving by the L.A. Business Journal, and a Rising Star and SuperLawyer by Los Angeles Magazine. Freed advises emerging growth companies, Hollywood studios, and Fortune 100 companies at the intersection of media, technology, advertising and innovation, including structuring and negotiating commercial transactions related to content creation, distribution and monetization, technology commercialization, branded content & influencer marketing, AR/VR & social gaming, artificial intelligence, big data and ad tech. Prior to founding Freed Law, P.C., Freed was Assistant General Counsel, Digital Networks at Sony Pictures. Freed was also an Adjunct Professor at Loyola Law School for almost 10 years where she taught “Digital Media & the Law” and “Artificial Intelligence & the Law,” two first of their kind courses that she created. Freed is an inaugural member of the TechTainment planning team, and is an alumnus of Loyola Law School.
Bobby Ghajar, Partner, Cooley LLP
Bobby is an intellectual property trial attorney with a practice across the US. Although he represents companies across a wide range of complex commercial litigation issues, his practice is primarily focused on advising companies in trademark, trade dress, copyright, right of publicity and false advertising litigation. He has handled dozens of high-stakes litigation and appellate matters for global brands, celebrities, and unicorn companies. Many of his cases have helped to shape and create legal precedent.
Bobby has successfully tried cases to jury and litigated on behalf of clients in temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction proceedings and at summary judgment, and handled appeals before various appellate courts across the US. He also is experienced in all aspects of practice within the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and has argued before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Complementing his litigation practice, Bobby has significant experience providing clients with creative and results-oriented counseling – ranging from clearance and prosecution in nearly 200 jurisdictions worldwide to the creation of brand guidelines and enforcement strategies. He brings unique experience in international trademark matters, having managed some of the largest international trademark portfolios, worked on litigations in dozens of countries, filed hundreds of trademark applications for his clients and settled numerous multi-jurisdictional disputes.
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.
Aaron Hernandez, Executive Director, Allan Bud Selig Sports Law and Business Program, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
In Summer 2023, the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law named Aaron Hernandez the Assistant Dean and Executive Director of the Allan “Bud” Selig Sports Law and Business Program at Arizona State University. As Executive Director, Aaron is responsible for supervising the Sports Law and Business (SLB) Program and ensuring its continued success. Aaron oversees the following aspects of the SLB Program: operational efficiency, admissions, curriculum development, academic and career advising, recruiting, donor and alumni relations, stakeholder relations, and student engagement. Aaron also is responsible for long-term strategic vision and growth of the SLB Program. In addition to overseeing the SLB Program, Aaron is also responsible for teaching class at the law school.
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.
Nick Huskins, Senior Corporate Counsel for IP, Amazon Studios
Nick Huskins is Senior Corporate Counsel, Intellectual Property (IP) at Amazon. He joined Amazon in 2017 and supports several of Amazon’s media and entertainment divisions, including Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video, Amazon Music, Wondery, Twitch, and Amazon Games. His practice involves counseling his business, legal, and public policy partners on a wide range of IP-related issues covering copyright, trademark, right of publicity, defamation, content protection, and artificial intelligence. Nick also represents Amazon in its participation with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, the world’s leading entertainment anti-piracy coalition, and regularly volunteers with both the Washington Lawyers for the Arts and California Lawyers for the Arts to provide pro-bono client counseling.
Prior to joining Amazon, Nick was an intellectual property litigation associate in the Los Angeles office of the California-based law firm Glaser Weil, where he handled federal copyright and trademark litigation matters for corporate and entertainment clients. He received his law degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and his undergraduate degree from the University of San Diego.
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.
Heidi Keefe, Partner, Cooley LLP
Heidi is a partner at Cooley LLP and a member of the firm’s board of directors. She is a first chair trial lawyer with two decades of experience representing some of the hottest tech companies in the world in complex patent litigation. A former astrophysicist and registered patent attorney, Heidi easily understands a variety of technical disciplines, from software to medical devices.
Heidi has 260+ patent cases under her belt and regularly leads Markman hearings and trials in district courts across the US, as well as briefings and oral hearings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). She is recognized as one of the top lawyers at the PTAB by Docket Navigator. Heidi also represents clients before the Federal Circuit and the International Trade Commission. She has handled 50+ Federal Circuit patent appeals in recent years – the majority as appellee – and played a lead role in securing winning jury verdicts in each of Facebook’s two patent trials to date. Her clients include Absolute Software, Box, CoolIT Systems, Meta Platforms, Niantic and Snap.
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.
Nedeen Nasser, Principal, Nasser Law
Nedeen Nasser is the Principal at Nasser Law which is dedicated to helping small and medium sized business develop brand, taxation, and contractual strategies.
Ms. Nasser provides legal guidance to her clients on intellectual property transactions, prosecutes trademarks, and has appeared in complex inter partes proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She is increasingly interested in ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence and how they relate to the practice of law.
Before opening her practice, Ms. Nasser honed her experience in IP by working as General Counsel for DPx Gear, Inc. in San Diego. During her tenure, she played a key role in developing the company’s trademark and patent portfolios both domestically and abroad. Most recently, Ms. Nasser sat as a Panelist on the USPTO’s Roundtable for the Study on Non-fungible Tokens and Related Intellectual Property Law Issues in January 2023 and is the current Co-Chair of LAIPLA’s small firm committee.
She earned a JD from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
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.
Linda Quigley, Senior Level Attorney Advisor, OPIA, USPTO
Linda Quigley is the Senior-Level Attorney and Team Lead of the Copyright Team in the Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) where she works on a variety of copyright policy and legal matters, including issues related to Artificial Intelligence. Prior to joining OPIA, Linda has held a variety of positions in the federal government, including on the Innovation and Intellectual Property team at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Before entering government, Linda worked in private practice focusing on intellectual property and technology issues. Additionally, Linda taught as an adjunct professor of law at William & Mary Law School and worked in the law school’s Center for Legal and Court Technology and Institute of Bill of Rights Law. She received her J.D. from William & Mary Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame.
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.
Conner Schenk, Founder and NIL Consultant – Knights Table Collective (Southern Virginia University)
Conner Schenk is the General Manager of the Knights Table Collective, the NIL Collective for Southern Virginia University. Conner is also the founder and President of Constant Sports, a full-service sports marketing and valuation agency. Through Constant Sports, Conner provides NIL Collective Management services, weekly sports-related newsletters, and sponsorship services. He is a seasoned professional in the sports business sector who brings a unique blend of strategic insight and analytical expertise to every partnership. Conner has a proven track record of securing and optimizing marketing deals, business valuation, and entertainment. He is passionate about helping athletes and businesses maximize their brand potential and achieve long-term success. Conner holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Utah Valley University and a Master’s in Sports Law and Business from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
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.
Debbie Spander, Founder of Insight Sports Advisors
Debbie Spander is founder and CEO of Insight Sports Advisors, a boutique agency focused on media, coaches, executives, influencers and NIL athletes. Debbie’s experience and deep connections throughout the sports world provide an unparalleled platform to help clients build their personal brands and maximize their careers. Debbie is a fierce advocate for her clients and is passionate about getting them the best deals possible.
Debbie was previously an agent at Wasserman Media Group, where she rose to Senior Vice President of its Broadcasting and Coaching Division representing high profile talent, coaches and executives. Through her understanding of the rapid changes in the sports industry Debbie positioned clients to benefit from the convergence of media and technology. She was a founding member of Wasserman’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council.
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.
Ed Stewart, Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director, University of Southern California
Edward Stewart, a veteran intercollegiate athletics administrator with 27 years of experience, enters his third season as the Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Southern California. In this role, Stewart is a member of the executive staff, serves as a sport administrator, and leads strategic initiatives for the athletic department.
Stewart is recognized for his proficiency in guiding large institutions and conferences through complex transitions and alignments. His experience in this area was instrumental in USC’s transition to the Big Ten Conference. This builds upon his previous work at the Big 12, where he played a key role in conference realignment efforts.
Konrad Trope
, Managing Shareholder, Trope Law Group, P.C.
Konrad Trope is the Managing Shareholder of Trope Law Group, PC. The firm specializes in federal court litigation involving patents, trademarks, entertainment properties, and copyrights, as well as protecting trade secrets and prosecuting cybersecurity data breaches. Mr. Trope also represents clients in a variety of new technologies, including Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Smart Phone Internet Application, and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.
For the past 30 years, Mr. Trope has successfully litigated many cases involving design patents, mechanical patents, motion picture distribution rights, music licenses, and copyrights for interactive websites, along with defending trademarks for entertainment industry clients. He has appeared before Federal Courts across the country, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the United States Trademark Trial and Appeals Board and U.S. Court of Federal Claims, where Mr. Trope has consistently obtained successful verdicts and favorable settlements.
Craig Wagner, General Counsel, Executive Vice-President, Business Affairs, Paradigm Talent Agency
Craig Wagner serves as Executive Vice President, Business Affairs and General Counsel for the Paradigm Talent Agency. Paradigm represents over 2,000 clients in motion pictures, television, theater, books, film sales and branding.
Craig joined Paradigm in 2005 and has overseen the motion picture and television business affairs department since that time. During his tenure at Paradigm, Craig has negotiated countless agreements for motion pictures and episodic series on behalf of screenwriters, directors, producers, actors and authors, and has been involved as a negotiator in numerous projects including The Masked Singer on FBC, Stranger Things on Netflix, NCIS on CBS, Black-ish on ABC and many other film and television projects.
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
Nadia Tseng, SVP, Open World (brand arm of Loaded), former Baseball Agent at CAA
Nguyen Vu, Deputy General Counsel, Bolt FinancialPREVIOUSLY AT TECHTAINMENT™
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ABOUT LAIPLA
The Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA) is one of the nation’s premier intellectual property law associations. Since 1934, LAIPLA has been educating and connecting members of the local intellectual property legal community.
As a non-profit organization with more than 1,000 members, and 30+ Member Firms and Companies, LAIPLA represents a mix of in-house, large and small firm, and government attorneys; solo practitioners; and law students and professors who specialize in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and entertainment and technology law.
ABOUT THE SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR COLLEGE OF LAW AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is a leading institution at the forefront of legal education, research and service. Located in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., ASU Law provides a dynamic learning environment enriched by its proximity to legal, governmental and business communities. With a commitment to innovation and inclusivity, ASU Law offers a diverse range of degree programs, including the Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, Master of Legal Studies, and Master of Sports, Law and Business. ASU Law is dedicated to creating the next generation of legal professionals. Honoring the legacy of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and charged with upholding her namesake, graduates are well-prepared to shape all aspects of the legal field from public service to private practice, to fields that work in and around the law. For more information, visit law.asu.edu.
ABOUT THE MCCARTHY INSTITUTE
The McCarthy Institute is named after J. Thomas McCarthy, its Founding Director and world-renowned author of the multi-volume treatise, McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition Law, which has been cited in over 7,000 judicial opinions. Over the past decade, The McCarthy Institute has grown into a community of IP and branding professionals focused on the latest developments in trademark law, the technologies powering brand development, and the consumer behaviors that make up brand perception. The McCarthy Institute strives to develop a better understanding of the way that culturally transformative business trends shape the law and vice-versa.
The McCarthy Institute pursues original research, publishes peer-reviewed scholarship, sponsors industry events, and hosts an annual symposium that draws hundreds of the world’s top legal and branding professionals.
In 2021, The McCarthy Institute joined Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in Phoenix, Arizona.