2016 Annual Meeting

The AIPF 2016 Annual Meeting was held on September 14 to September 16 at the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston, MA. The conference, entitled "The Challenge to Change: IP Firms in the 21st Century," provided attendees with a well-rounded conference focused on the latest legal and business management topics.

Topics Included:

Singing Different Tunes: Voices From Industry on Specific IP Challenges and Solutions

• MJ Edwards, Gilead Sciences, United States
• Vince Egolf, Perrigo Company, United States
• Sam Korte, Garmin International, United States
• Brenda Leeds Binder, Suncor Energy, Canada
• Ken Porter, Innovate Calgary, Canada
• Moderator: Jeremy Lawson, Robic, Canada

Post-Grant Procedures - Where do Things Stand for Patentees and Petitioners

• Andrew Crain, Thomas Horstemeyer, United States
• Jason Mudd, Erise IP, United States
• Moderator: Brett Lunn, FB Rice, Australia

Recent Developments in Patent Eligibility

• Diallo Crenshaw, Sughrue Mion, United States
• Gene Quinn, IPWatchdog, Inc., United States
• Moderator: Howard Bernstein, Sughrue Mion Ret., United States

Better, Faster, Cheaper: How Internet Surveys are Changing IP Litigation Strategy

• Robert L. Klein, Applied Marketing Science, United States
• Moderator: Robert Thornburg, Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist, United States

The Australian Experience of Publicly Listed IP Attorney Businesses

• Brett Lunn, FB Rice, Australia

Vention - Star Wars Collection Published

• Vince Egolf, Perrigo Company, United States

It Ain't Over Till It's Over - A Guide to Continuation Patent Practice Around the World

• Chris Agrawal,  Bookoff McAndrews, United States
• Alexander Ortlieb, Maiwald Patentanwalts, Germany
• Stephen Yang, Chofn IP, China
• Moderator: Carlos Olarte, OlarteMoure, Colombia

Ethics: Conflict Resolution in the Patent Arena

• David Hricik, Mercer Law School, United States
• Moderator: Robert Thornburg, Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist, United States

Trademark Session: Contributory Trademark Infringement

• Jasmine Abdel-Khalik, University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law, United States
• Moderator: Cheryl Burbach, Hovey Williams, United States

Multi-Party Infringement of Method Claims

• Robert Frank, Choate Hall & Stewart, United States
• Felix Klopmeier, Lang & Rahmann, Germany
• Moderator: Allan Colquhoun, Elan IP, Canada

IP Aspects of the TPP (and Other Trade Agreements)

• Brett Lunn, FB Rice, Australia
• Thomas Kurys, Dimock Stratton, Canada
• Tatsuya Sawada, Sugimura International, Japan
• Moderator: Jonathan Rangel, Dumont Bergman Bider & Co., Mexico

This year's schedule also included an afternoon, interactive workshop that is part of the AIPF's Brand of Excellence program. The topics focused on the management, development and marketing of specialized IP law firms.

Brand of Excellence

The New IP: Intelligent Pricing

• Patrick Johansen, Patrick on Pricing, United States
• Moderator: Eric Marzluf, Caesar Rivise, United States