Highlights and changes to intellectual property law will be the subject of a daylong conference presented by DuPont and Widener Law on October 11.The event will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington and will include David Kappos, director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as the featured speaker. Mr. Kappos is also Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, and advises President Obama, the Secretary of Commerce and the administration on intellectual property matters. He is widely credited with making changes at the USPTO to improve efficiency and speed the patent review process, all with a focus on supporting American business. He views the USPTO as an important component to the country’s economic development and will expand on those views during his event remarks.The annual intellectual property seminar is widely recognized for featuring leaders who are among the nation’s premier authorities on the topic. Last year, more than 200 attorneys and legal professionals attended. This year’s program will feature issues such as trademarks in social media, practical advice on conducting deals in China and lessons from recent trade secret cases.Additional speakers include:
Thomas Irving, Washington, D.C.-based partner at Finnegan, one of the world’s largest intellectual property law firms, speaking about practice tips for post grant proceedings.
Gale R. “Pete” Peterson, shareholder based in the San Antonio, Texas office of Cox Smith, a nationally recognized intellectual property practitioner who will address patent highlights.
Professor David Hricik of Mercer University School of Law on professional ethics.
Grace Pan, partner in the New York office of Kaye Scholer, and Philip Yu of DuPont-Asia Pacific on international intellectual property litigation.
DuPont counsel Eileen Gill and Kurt Van Thomme on licensing.
Attorneys from Pennsylvania and Delaware who attend the conference will be eligible for seven continuing legal education credits, including one ethics credit. Other states will be announced. Cost for the event is $600 and includes course materials, lunch, continental breakfast and refreshment breaks. To register, visit http://www.seeuthere.com/DuPontWidenerIPCLE2012.Continental breakfast and registration check-in will begin at 7 a.m. The seminar runs through 5 p.m. and is followed by a DuPont executive legal leadership reception with officials including Tom Sager, DuPont senior vice president and general counsel and Michael Walker, DuPont vice president and chief intellectual property counsel.To view a full schedule for the day, click here.