The IP Strategy & AI Governance Summit: West
AI and emerging technologies are forcing legal teams to rethink how innovation is created, governed, owned, protected, enforced, commercialized, and challenged. The old separation between IP strategy, enterprise AI governance, data risk, technology transactions, and innovation management is breaking down.
Patent portfolios, trade secrets, proprietary data, AI governance frameworks, vendor contracts, ownership rights, privacy controls, enforcement strategy, and litigation readiness are now part of one connected legal and business conversation.
The IP Strategy & AI Governance Summit brings together senior in-house counsel, chief IP counsel, patent leaders, privacy and compliance professionals, technology counsel, and innovation executives for a two-track program built around that reality.
The IP Strategy Track examines how companies are managing and monetizing technology assets in the AI era, including patent quality, offensive patent strategy, PTAB and defensive tactics, trade secrets, AI-assisted invention, ownership, litigation readiness, and emerging-tech patent strategy.
The AI Governance & Strategy Track focuses on the enterprise governance challenges created by AI adoption, including cross-functional oversight, vendor risk, data protection, agentic AI, ethical risk, defensible governance frameworks, and litigation and investigation readiness.
Together, the tracks give attendees a practical view of how leading organizations are managing emerging technology risk while strengthening the IP, data, governance, and innovation strategies that create long-term business value
IP Track
- Patent quality, PTAB, and litigation readiness
- Offensive patent strategy, licensing, and enforcement
- Trade secrets, source code, models, and talent mobility
- Defensive patent strategy, reexamination, and NPE risk
- AI patent disputes and infringement exposure
- AI-assisted invention and ownership
- Emerging-technology portfolio strategy
AI Governance Track
-
- Data, privacy, and proprietary AI assets
- Cross-functional AI governance
- Agentic AI and legal accountability
- Contracts, vendor risk, and liability
- AI ethics, transparency, and reputational risk
- Defensible governance frameworks and operational controls
- Litigation, investigations, and evidence readiness
Agenda
In a market built on technical expertise, rapid innovation, and constant change, the qualities that often define exceptional leaders are the ones least discussed: communication, adaptability, emotional intelligence, judgment, and the ability to influence across functions. As AI, emerging technologies, and innovation strategy reshape the role of legal and business leaders, professionals must balance technical depth with team development, stakeholder management, and organizational credibility. Drawing from her experience leading within a global technology organization, Diane Gabl Kratz will explore the human skills that help leaders grow their careers, build stronger teams, and create lasting impact in Silicon Valley and beyond.
This keynote will explore:
- The leadership traits that matter most in complex technology organizations
- Building trust, credibility, and influence across legal, technical, and business teams
- Navigating career growth and leadership transitions in emerging technology environments
- Developing resilient, engaged, and high-performing teams
Diane Gabl Kratz is an award-winning Silicon Valley-based IP executive and registered patent attorney who leads an 18-person global team at Dolby. She specializes in IP strategy, portfolio development, managing litigation, and empowering high-performing teams. Her role includes development of U.S. and international patent portfolios; she also heads trademarks, leading to World Trademark Review honoring Dolby as 2025’s “Technology & Consumer Electronics Team of the Year.”
A 7-time IAM Strategy 300 World’s Leading IP Strategist and 2024 ACC Global Top 10 30-Somethings Award winner, Diane is a nationally-recognized speaker and regular faculty member for PLI. She has guest lectured at Stanford and UC-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and is regularly quoted in leading legal publications including Law360, American Lawyer/Law.com, IAM, and Managing IP. Prior to Dolby, she served as Senior IP Counsel at a Fortune 500 tech company. A four-time Super Lawyers Rising Star, Diane began as an IP litigator at international law firms Morrison & Foerster and Sidley Austin. She holds a J.D. from the University of Chicago, a Physics degree from Cornell University, and IAPP privacy certifications (CIPP/E, CIPP/US).
As patent portfolios face greater scrutiny from courts, PTAB proceedings, investors, and potential acquirers, quality matters more than quantity. Organizations must assess whether patents can withstand validity challenges, support enforcement, and create lasting business value. In the AI era, drafting, prosecution, and portfolio decisions increasingly determine long-term defensibility and commercial relevance.
This panel will explore:
- Characteristics of high-quality patents in AI and emerging technologies
- Common weaknesses exposed through PTAB and litigation challenges
- Portfolio assessment strategies for transactions, investment, and enforcement
- Aligning patent prosecution with long-term business objectives
Thomas is a senior patent counsel at Align Technology, where he manages a diverse portfolio of medical device and software technologies related to products like the Invisalign clear aligner. Prior to Align Technology, he worked as an IP lawyer at several companies and large law firms.
For years, many organizations focused primarily on defensive patent strategies, viewing portfolios as protection against litigation rather than business assets. Today, increasing investment in AI and emerging technologies is driving renewed interest in monetization, licensing, and strategic enforcement. As competition intensifies and technology investments grow, companies are reevaluating how intellectual property can be used to create leverage, generate value, and support broader business objectives.
This panel will explore:
- When offensive patent strategies make business sense
- Balancing enforcement opportunities with litigation and reputational risk
- Leveraging licensing programs to unlock portfolio value
- Aligning patent strategy with competitive and commercial goals
Trade secret protection is becoming increasingly complex as organizations rely on AI models, proprietary datasets, source code, and highly mobile technical talent to maintain competitive advantage. Traditional approaches to trade secret management are being tested by remote work, collaborative development environments, and evolving technologies. Legal leaders must balance innovation and accessibility with the safeguards necessary to protect some of their most valuable assets.
This panel will explore:
- Protecting source code, models, algorithms, and proprietary datasets
- Managing risks associated with employee mobility and departing talent
- Strengthening trade secret governance, monitoring, and enforcement practices
- Lessons from recent trade secret disputes involving emerging technologies
Osama Hussain is the Chief Legal Officer at Menlo Security, bringing over 20 years of strategic legal leadership to the technology sector. He directs global legal operations and M&A initiatives to drive enterprise growth. Previously, Osama guided international and complex transactions as General Counsel at Irdeto, and advised on deal structuring for venture capital investments at Acuity Ventures. A U.S. Patent Attorney recognized in the IAM Strategy 300 and Legal500 GC Powerlist, he specializes in developing high-value IP strategies that optimize business outcomes.
Shrut Kirti currently serves as Director, Intellectual Property, at Applied Materials, a world-leading semiconductor and display equipment company. In his role, Shrut provides IP risk counseling, advises on pre-litigation IP disputes, and leads internal IP investigations. Prior to Applied Materials, Shrut served as the interim Head of Patents at Twitter (now X). He started his career at the international law firm Ropes & Gray, where his practice primarily focused on IP litigation and patent prosecution.
Patent disputes are becoming more sophisticated as patent holders, non-practicing entities, and litigation funders continue to adapt their strategies. Companies defending against patent assertions must evaluate a growing range of tools, including PTAB proceedings, reexaminations, venue challenges, and settlement strategies. Success increasingly depends on understanding how these mechanisms interact and how to deploy them effectively as part of a broader defense strategy.
This panel will explore:
- Strategic use of PTAB proceedings and reexaminations
- The evolving role of litigation funding and NPE activity
- Venue selection and procedural considerations in patent disputes
- Creating leverage through coordinated defense and settlement strategies
Peter Jovanovic is a Legal Director, IP at Dell Technologies, providing support for several business units. At Dell, he is responsible for patent portfolio development, patent litigation, open source management, and license drafting and negotiation. Before joining Dell, he was an associate patent attorney providing prosecution, litigation, 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. He is registered to practice before the USPTO and is a member of the California Bar.
Peter has taught as an adjunct law professor, instructing on the primary legal and procedural requirements for preparing and prosecuting patent applications under US federal law.
As artificial intelligence becomes a foundational technology across industries, companies are facing growing uncertainty around patent enforcement, infringement claims, and emerging litigation theories. Questions surrounding model architectures, training methods, hardware innovation, and AI-enabled products are creating new risks for organizations that may find themselves both asserting and defending patents. Legal teams must evaluate their exposure, strengthen internal readiness, and develop strategies for managing disputes in a rapidly evolving landscape where legal precedent is still being established.
This panel will explore:
- Emerging AI patent litigation trends and where disputes are likely to arise
- Building litigation readiness before claims materialize
- Managing infringement risk across products, models, and third-party technologies
- Strategic considerations for enforcement, defense, and early dispute resolution
Jason Kang is Assistant Director of Patents at Intel, where he leads global patent strategy and portfolio management for the company’s graphics processing and accelerated computing technologies, including GPUs, AI accelerators and high-performance computing systems.
Jason is a recognized IP strategist with nearly two decades of in-house experience and deep expertise across the full patent lifecycle — from invention harvesting, drafting and prosecution to appeals, inter partes review and other post-grant proceedings before the USPTO. He has been at the forefront of adopting AI‑powered tools in IP practice, leveraging them to enhance portfolio analytics, uncover competitive whitespace and drive data-driven decision-making across high-value licensing and litigation strategies.
Prior to his legal career, Jason was a semiconductor engineer at Infineon Technologies in Munich and Singapore, and at STMicroelectronics in Singapore, where he led test development for complex mixed-signal devices and managed chip lifecycle programs from design through production. He is a named inventor on US Patent 7,408,362, and this hands-on engineering background provides a distinctive technical foundation for his work in developing IP strategies for advanced computing architectures.
Jason plays a central role in shaping offensive and defensive IP strategies spanning GPU architectures, AI training and inference hardware, and performance optimization innovations. He has built and managed a large, globally distributed patent portfolio aligned with multi-generational product roadmaps and contributed to complex multi-jurisdictional licensing, assertion and portfolio optimization initiatives that maximize Intel’s intellectual property value.
A frequent speaker and thought contributor, Jason has presented at leading industry forums, including IPBC Global and the LES Silicon Valley Chapter 22nd Annual Conference, sharing perspectives on AI adoption in IP operations and patent strategy in semiconductors and the digital economy. He is also an LCLD Fellow, reflecting his commitment to leadership development.
He holds a BEng (Hons), MSc and LLB (Hons), and is admitted in California and Singapore, with CIPP/A and CIPP/E certifications.
Innovation is increasingly occurring through cross-functional teams, external partnerships, and AI-assisted development processes that challenge traditional concepts of inventorship and ownership. As organizations incorporate generative AI into research and product development workflows, legal teams must establish clear processes to identify inventors, preserve rights, and avoid future disputes over ownership. The ability to document innovation effectively is becoming just as important as the innovation itself.
This panel will explore:
- Inventorship and ownership considerations in AI-assisted development
- Managing IP rights across collaborative and multi-party innovation efforts
- Documentation and governance practices that support defensible ownership claims
- Contractual and organizational approaches to reducing ownership disputes
Osama Hussain is the Chief Legal Officer at Menlo Security, bringing over 20 years of strategic legal leadership to the technology sector. He directs global legal operations and M&A initiatives to drive enterprise growth. Previously, Osama guided international and complex transactions as General Counsel at Irdeto, and advised on deal structuring for venture capital investments at Acuity Ventures. A U.S. Patent Attorney recognized in the IAM Strategy 300 and Legal500 GC Powerlist, he specializes in developing high-value IP strategies that optimize business outcomes.
Organizations developing AI, quantum computing, advanced semiconductors, robotics, autonomous systems, and other emerging technologies face unique intellectual property challenges. Legal teams must make critical decisions before market standards, competitive landscapes, and legal frameworks fully mature. Effective patent strategies require balancing uncertainty with the need to secure meaningful protection that supports future business goals.
This panel will explore:
- Patent strategy considerations for rapidly evolving technologies
- Balancing broad protection with changing technical and legal standards
- Coordinating patent investments with product and commercialization roadmaps
- Building portfolios that remain valuable as markets mature and competition increases
Rotating, 20-minute discussions hosted by a topic expert
Roundtable 1: AI Patent Litigation Readiness: What Keeps IP Leaders Up at Night?
Roundtable 2: PTAB Strategies That Are Actually Working
Roundtable 3: Licensing AI Innovation: Opportunities and Pitfalls
In a market built on technical expertise, rapid innovation, and constant change, the qualities that often define exceptional leaders are the ones least discussed: communication, adaptability, emotional intelligence, judgment, and the ability to influence across functions. As AI, emerging technologies, and innovation strategy reshape the role of legal and business leaders, professionals must balance technical depth with team development, stakeholder management, and organizational credibility. Drawing from her experience leading within a global technology organization, Diane Gabl Kratz will explore the human skills that help leaders grow their careers, build stronger teams, and create lasting impact in Silicon Valley and beyond.
This keynote will explore:
- The leadership traits that matter most in complex technology organizations
- Building trust, credibility, and influence across legal, technical, and business teams
- Navigating career growth and leadership transitions in emerging technology environments
- Developing resilient, engaged, and high-performing teams
Diane Gabl Kratz is an award-winning Silicon Valley-based IP executive and registered patent attorney who leads an 18-person global team at Dolby. She specializes in IP strategy, portfolio development, managing litigation, and empowering high-performing teams. Her role includes development of U.S. and international patent portfolios; she also heads trademarks, leading to World Trademark Review honoring Dolby as 2025’s “Technology & Consumer Electronics Team of the Year.”
A 7-time IAM Strategy 300 World’s Leading IP Strategist and 2024 ACC Global Top 10 30-Somethings Award winner, Diane is a nationally-recognized speaker and regular faculty member for PLI. She has guest lectured at Stanford and UC-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and is regularly quoted in leading legal publications including Law360, American Lawyer/Law.com, IAM, and Managing IP. Prior to Dolby, she served as Senior IP Counsel at a Fortune 500 tech company. A four-time Super Lawyers Rising Star, Diane began as an IP litigator at international law firms Morrison & Foerster and Sidley Austin. She holds a J.D. from the University of Chicago, a Physics degree from Cornell University, and IAPP privacy certifications (CIPP/E, CIPP/US).
Data is the lifeblood of AI and the primary source of risk. As organizations leverage data to train models and automate decisions, privacy, security, and intellectual property concerns multiply. Protecting sensitive assets and maintaining trust has become a strategic imperative for every business using AI.
This session will explore:
- How organizations ensure lawful data use, provenance, and training transparency
- Methods for protecting trade secrets, IP, and proprietary datasets in AI systems
- Best practices for embedding privacy and security controls across the AI lifecycle
- Case studies of effective data governance programs that balance utility and protection
Embedding ethics into AI development and deployment is no longer just good practice; it is good business. As public awareness and regulatory scrutiny increase, organizations must ensure their innovation aligns with values of fairness, transparency, and accountability. Strong ethical governance can both mitigate reputational risk and drive sustainable, trusted innovation.
This session will explore:
- Practical strategies for integrating ethical principles into AI program design
- Managing reputational risk and public trust in high-profile or sensitive use cases
- The role of cross-functional review committees and governance boards
- How transparency and stakeholder engagement can mitigate emerging risks
Lindsay Harris, SHRM-CP, serves as Director of Human Resources at Interstate Equities Corporation, where she leads HR strategy, talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, and regulatory compliance. With more than 15 years of senior HR experience, including scaling an organization from 500 to 1,600 employees, Lindsay brings an analytically rigorous, compliance-minded lens to questions of AI governance and workforce transformation. Known for functioning as a true strategic partner to the business, she aligns people strategy with organizational performance through systematic, data-informed decision-making. As AI reshapes how organizations hire, develop, and manage talent, Lindsay’s work sits at the crossroads of business strategy and responsible technology adoption, offering a grounded perspective on what ethical, effective AI integration looks like from inside HR.
Phil Strauss is a technology legal executive specializing in product counseling, data protection, cybersecurity, AI governance and regulatory compliance for software, cybersecurity, gaming, digital health and e-commerce companies.
He currently serves as Director of Privacy & AI Governance at cybersecurity company Fortinet, where he advises product, engineering, security and executive leadership teams on AI governance, cybersecurity incident response, privacy, product counseling and regulatory risk management.
Previously, Phil held senior legal, privacy and compliance leadership roles at Sony PlayStation, StockX, Rakuten and other Silicon Valley technology companies. Earlier in his career, Phil served as general counsel of two public business intelligence enterprise software companies, product counsel at Adobe, Director in the forensic advisory practice at KPMG, and an associate at Shearman & Sterling and Jones Day.
He holds a B.A. from Emory University, a J.D. from Duke University School of Law and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, where he has also served as adjunct faculty teaching business law. He is admitted to practice in California and holds multiple privacy and AI governance certifications, including AIGP, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, FIP and PLS. Phil is a regular speaker and moderator on privacy, AI governance, cybersecurity and technology law topics.
Phil lives in San Francisco with his family and dogs and, outside work, can usually be found playing guitar in classic rock cover bands, reading thriller novels or pretending he still enjoys tennis, weightlifting, and his Peloton.
AI systems capable of independent reasoning and decision-making are redefining accountability in real time. These agentic technologies blur the line between tool and actor, challenging existing legal and governance frameworks. As autonomy grows, oversight, explainability, and documentation are becoming essential safeguards for organizations.
This session will explore:
- The unique risks and accountability gaps posed by autonomous AI systems
- Frameworks for oversight, auditability, and human-in-the-loop assurance
- Legal and regulatory developments defining responsibility in agentic AI use
- Practical strategies to ensure traceability and control in self-directed systems
Anisha is a technology attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area with experience in privacy, product, and commercial transactions. She is currently an Assistant General Counsel at Intuit — the global financial technology platform that makes TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp – where she supports innovation from a product, privacy, and AI lens. Previously, Anisha worked at organizations like Zendesk, Tipalti, the Wikimedia Foundation, and the Minnesota Judicial Branch. She has also served as a board member of the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, and a fellow and mentor with the Internet Law and Policy Foundry.
As AI systems become embedded in every business function, questions around contractual responsibility, indemnity, and shared risk have intensified. The legal frameworks governing AI vendors are still evolving, leaving many companies exposed to uncertainty. Organizations must now find practical ways to manage liability while enabling innovation and scalability.
This session will explore:
- Common gaps and risk allocation challenges in AI vendor and partner agreements
- Practical approaches to liability, indemnity, and service-level terms for AI products
- How to structure defensible vendor ecosystems that align with compliance expectations
- Strategies for future-proofing contracts as AI regulation advances
Belinda Luu is a Senior Counsel at Kaiser Permanente. Ms. Luu has been a strategic Leader of AI and data management and governance with over 20 years of experience in AI, data, digital transformation, complex technology transactions, and intellectual property. Belinda leads the AI Regulatory & Analysis Team at Kaiser Permanente, and sits on the State of California Data Exchange Framework Policy and Procedures Committee. She received two American Bar Association Outstanding Leadership Awards for leading the American Bar Association’s Copyrights, AI, & Emerging Technology Committee and she was nominated for the “Women To Watch” Award From Business Insurance by Kaiser Permanente’s Chief Data Officer. Belinda is a Board Member of Asian Health Services, a community healthcare service provider, and was Co-Chair of the Women’s Committee on the Asian American Bar Association. Belinda is a frequent speaker on the topics of AI, Big Data, digital transformation, and health care innovation.
Embedding ethics into AI development and deployment is no longer just good practice; it is good business. As public awareness and regulatory scrutiny increase, organizations must ensure their innovation aligns with values of fairness, transparency, and accountability. Strong ethical governance can both mitigate reputational risk and drive sustainable, trusted innovation.
This session will explore:
- Practical strategies for integrating ethical principles into AI program design
- Managing reputational risk and public trust in high-profile or sensitive use cases
- The role of cross-functional review committees and governance boards
- How transparency and stakeholder engagement can mitigate emerging risks
As AI adoption accelerates, organizations are challenged to move beyond policies written on paper to frameworks that work in practice. Governance must now be demonstrable, defensible, and integrated into daily decision-making. Companies across industries are redefining accountability, transparency, and oversight as core components of their AI strategy.
This session will explore:
- How companies are structuring AI governance internally and reporting to executive leadership
- Benchmarking frameworks and oversight models across industries
- Actionable steps for turning AI governance policies into real operational workflows
- Building defensible programs that can adapt to evolving regulation and technology
As AI systems move from pilots to enterprise deployment, governance programs are increasingly likely to be examined in litigation, regulatory investigations, employment claims, privacy disputes, vendor conflicts, consumer protection matters, and IP-related disputes. Policies alone will not be enough. Legal teams must be able to show how AI use was approved, tested, monitored, documented, escalated, and corrected when risks emerged.
This session will explore:
- How AI governance records become evidence in litigation and investigations
- What plaintiffs, regulators, customers, employees, and business partners may ask for when AI systems cause harm or disputed outcomes
- The role of approvals, risk assessments, audit trails, model documentation, testing, monitoring, and human oversight
- How vendor contracts, indemnity, data rights, and liability allocation connect to governance
- How legal teams can build defensible AI governance before a dispute occurs
Roundtable 1: Operationalizing AI in Legal Practice
Roundtable 2: Mitigating Legal Risk in AI
Roundtable 3: Third-Party AI Risk: Compliance and Governance Strategies
Speakers
Diane Gabl Kratz is an award-winning Silicon Valley-based IP executive and registered patent attorney who leads an 18-person global team at Dolby. She specializes in IP strategy, portfolio development, managing litigation, and empowering high-performing teams. Her role includes development of U.S. and international patent portfolios; she also heads trademarks, leading to World Trademark Review honoring Dolby as 2025’s “Technology & Consumer Electronics Team of the Year.”
A 7-time IAM Strategy 300 World’s Leading IP Strategist and 2024 ACC Global Top 10 30-Somethings Award winner, Diane is a nationally-recognized speaker and regular faculty member for PLI. She has guest lectured at Stanford and UC-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and is regularly quoted in leading legal publications including Law360, American Lawyer/Law.com, IAM, and Managing IP. Prior to Dolby, she served as Senior IP Counsel at a Fortune 500 tech company. A four-time Super Lawyers Rising Star, Diane began as an IP litigator at international law firms Morrison & Foerster and Sidley Austin. She holds a J.D. from the University of Chicago, a Physics degree from Cornell University, and IAPP privacy certifications (CIPP/E, CIPP/US).
Jason Kang is Assistant Director of Patents at Intel, where he leads global patent strategy and portfolio management for the company’s graphics processing and accelerated computing technologies, including GPUs, AI accelerators and high-performance computing systems.
Jason is a recognized IP strategist with nearly two decades of in-house experience and deep expertise across the full patent lifecycle — from invention harvesting, drafting and prosecution to appeals, inter partes review and other post-grant proceedings before the USPTO. He has been at the forefront of adopting AI‑powered tools in IP practice, leveraging them to enhance portfolio analytics, uncover competitive whitespace and drive data-driven decision-making across high-value licensing and litigation strategies.
Prior to his legal career, Jason was a semiconductor engineer at Infineon Technologies in Munich and Singapore, and at STMicroelectronics in Singapore, where he led test development for complex mixed-signal devices and managed chip lifecycle programs from design through production. He is a named inventor on US Patent 7,408,362, and this hands-on engineering background provides a distinctive technical foundation for his work in developing IP strategies for advanced computing architectures.
Jason plays a central role in shaping offensive and defensive IP strategies spanning GPU architectures, AI training and inference hardware, and performance optimization innovations. He has built and managed a large, globally distributed patent portfolio aligned with multi-generational product roadmaps and contributed to complex multi-jurisdictional licensing, assertion and portfolio optimization initiatives that maximize Intel’s intellectual property value.
A frequent speaker and thought contributor, Jason has presented at leading industry forums, including IPBC Global and the LES Silicon Valley Chapter 22nd Annual Conference, sharing perspectives on AI adoption in IP operations and patent strategy in semiconductors and the digital economy. He is also an LCLD Fellow, reflecting his commitment to leadership development.
He holds a BEng (Hons), MSc and LLB (Hons), and is admitted in California and Singapore, with CIPP/A and CIPP/E certifications.
Peter Jovanovic is a Legal Director, IP at Dell Technologies, providing support for several business units. At Dell, he is responsible for patent portfolio development, patent litigation, open source management, and license drafting and negotiation. Before joining Dell, he was an associate patent attorney providing prosecution, litigation, 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. He is registered to practice before the USPTO and is a member of the California Bar.
Peter has taught as an adjunct law professor, instructing on the primary legal and procedural requirements for preparing and prosecuting patent applications under US federal law.
Thomas is a senior patent counsel at Align Technology, where he manages a diverse portfolio of medical device and software technologies related to products like the Invisalign clear aligner. Prior to Align Technology, he worked as an IP lawyer at several companies and large law firms.
Osama Hussain is the Chief Legal Officer at Menlo Security, bringing over 20 years of strategic legal leadership to the technology sector. He directs global legal operations and M&A initiatives to drive enterprise growth. Previously, Osama guided international and complex transactions as General Counsel at Irdeto, and advised on deal structuring for venture capital investments at Acuity Ventures. A U.S. Patent Attorney recognized in the IAM Strategy 300 and Legal500 GC Powerlist, he specializes in developing high-value IP strategies that optimize business outcomes.
Lindsay Harris, SHRM-CP, serves as Director of Human Resources at Interstate Equities Corporation, where she leads HR strategy, talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, and regulatory compliance. With more than 15 years of senior HR experience, including scaling an organization from 500 to 1,600 employees, Lindsay brings an analytically rigorous, compliance-minded lens to questions of AI governance and workforce transformation. Known for functioning as a true strategic partner to the business, she aligns people strategy with organizational performance through systematic, data-informed decision-making. As AI reshapes how organizations hire, develop, and manage talent, Lindsay’s work sits at the crossroads of business strategy and responsible technology adoption, offering a grounded perspective on what ethical, effective AI integration looks like from inside HR.
Phil Strauss is a technology legal executive specializing in product counseling, data protection, cybersecurity, AI governance and regulatory compliance for software, cybersecurity, gaming, digital health and e-commerce companies.
He currently serves as Director of Privacy & AI Governance at cybersecurity company Fortinet, where he advises product, engineering, security and executive leadership teams on AI governance, cybersecurity incident response, privacy, product counseling and regulatory risk management.
Previously, Phil held senior legal, privacy and compliance leadership roles at Sony PlayStation, StockX, Rakuten and other Silicon Valley technology companies. Earlier in his career, Phil served as general counsel of two public business intelligence enterprise software companies, product counsel at Adobe, Director in the forensic advisory practice at KPMG, and an associate at Shearman & Sterling and Jones Day.
He holds a B.A. from Emory University, a J.D. from Duke University School of Law and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, where he has also served as adjunct faculty teaching business law. He is admitted to practice in California and holds multiple privacy and AI governance certifications, including AIGP, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, FIP and PLS. Phil is a regular speaker and moderator on privacy, AI governance, cybersecurity and technology law topics.
Phil lives in San Francisco with his family and dogs and, outside work, can usually be found playing guitar in classic rock cover bands, reading thriller novels or pretending he still enjoys tennis, weightlifting, and his Peloton.
Anisha is a technology attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area with experience in privacy, product, and commercial transactions. She is currently an Assistant General Counsel at Intuit — the global financial technology platform that makes TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp – where she supports innovation from a product, privacy, and AI lens. Previously, Anisha worked at organizations like Zendesk, Tipalti, the Wikimedia Foundation, and the Minnesota Judicial Branch. She has also served as a board member of the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, and a fellow and mentor with the Internet Law and Policy Foundry.
Belinda Luu is a Senior Counsel at Kaiser Permanente. Ms. Luu has been a strategic Leader of AI and data management and governance with over 20 years of experience in AI, data, digital transformation, complex technology transactions, and intellectual property. Belinda leads the AI Regulatory & Analysis Team at Kaiser Permanente, and sits on the State of California Data Exchange Framework Policy and Procedures Committee. She received two American Bar Association Outstanding Leadership Awards for leading the American Bar Association’s Copyrights, AI, & Emerging Technology Committee and she was nominated for the “Women To Watch” Award From Business Insurance by Kaiser Permanente’s Chief Data Officer. Belinda is a Board Member of Asian Health Services, a community healthcare service provider, and was Co-Chair of the Women’s Committee on the Asian American Bar Association. Belinda is a frequent speaker on the topics of AI, Big Data, digital transformation, and health care innovation.
Shrut Kirti currently serves as Director, Intellectual Property, at Applied Materials, a world-leading semiconductor and display equipment company. In his role, Shrut provides IP risk counseling, advises on pre-litigation IP disputes, and leads internal IP investigations. Prior to Applied Materials, Shrut served as the interim Head of Patents at Twitter (now X). He started his career at the international law firm Ropes & Gray, where his practice primarily focused on IP litigation and patent prosecution.
Sponsors
Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox
Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox is an intellectual property law firm of more than 175 professionals devoted to providing high value patent and trademark legal services. For 40 years, we have helped companies build, defend, and enforce worldwide IP portfolios from Washington, DC. Sterne Kessler’s service model is built on the unrivaled technical depth of its professionals, who hold over 50 Ph.D.’s and over 100 advanced technical degrees.
Patterson + Sheridan
Patterson + Sheridan LLP is a boutique IP firm with eight offices nationwide. Our firm’s broad and deep technical expertise sets us apart with 80+ attorneys, patent agents, and technical advisors spanning disciplines in engineering, physics, computer science, biology, materials science, and chemistry. P+S combines technical expertise with an in-depth understanding of intellectual property law and our clients’ business objectives to provide a pragmatic, efficient approach to support licensing and litigation efforts.
With a focus on patent preparation and prosecution since our beginning, P+S has formed decades-long partnerships with companies working seamlessly together to build, leverage, and protect their IP assets. P+S also works with some of the world’s best-known brands, providing cost-effective IP strategies and protection for a range of assets.
Harness IP
Harness IP is a prominent intellectual property (IP) law firm headquartered in the United States. With a rich history dating back to 1921, the firm has established itself as a leader in the field of IP law, offering a comprehensive range of services to clients worldwide. Harness IP specializes in various aspects of intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and IP litigation. The firm’s team of experienced attorneys provides strategic counsel and legal representation to assist clients in protecting, managing, and enforcing their intellectual property rights effectively. Known for their expertise, dedication, and commitment to client success, Harness IP attorneys are trusted advisors to businesses, inventors, and innovators seeking to safeguard their intellectual assets in today’s competitive market landscape.
GISH PLLC
https://www.gishpllc.com/
Miles & Stockbridge
Miles & Stockbridge helps businesses worldwide maximize the strategic value of their innovations in all areas of technology and science while adding value to their balance sheet. The team litigates clients’ most important disputes, manages global portfolios and handles complex transactions that have significant outcomes for many of the most recognized brands.
Our IP team at Miles & Stockbridge is experienced in procuring, managing, and maximizing intellectual property (IP) value through prosecution and transactions. These include trade secrets, patents, trademarks, and copyright, as well as those involving the Internet, e-commerce, corporate and secured transactions, computer law, technology transfer, licensing and related services. Our lawyers understand and work with complex technologies in all disciplines, and we have extensive experience with the procedures and requirements of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Most importantly, we take a practical business approach to IP that transcends the details of products and processes and recognizes the use of IP as a business tool. We are skilled at helping companies maximize the value of their intellectual assets by partnering with them in transactions and helping them develop effective business practices that integrate innovation and IP management as a core discipline. Learn more at www.mslaw.com
Venable LLP
Venable is a firm of trusted advisors serving businesses, organizations, and individuals in many of the most important aspects of their work. With more than 850 professionals delivering services globally, we help clients connect quickly and effectively to the experience and insights key to achieving their most pressing objectives.
Pricing
| Register By | In House Counsel | Law Firms & Vendors |
|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2026 | Qualified In-House: Complimentary | Please contact info@centerforceusa.com |
- Payment is due in full at the time of registration and includes lunches, refreshments and detailed conference materials.
- Your registration will not be confirmed until payment is received and may be subject to cancellation.
- You may substitute delegates at any time. CenterForce does not provide refunds for cancellations.
- For cancellations received in writing more than seven (7) days prior to the conference you will receive a 100% credit to be used at another CenterForce conference for up to one year from the date of issuance.
- For cancellations received seven (7) days or less prior to an event (including day 7), no credit will be issued. In the event that CenterForce cancels an event, delegate payments at the date of cancellation will be credited to a future CenterForce event. This credit will be available for up to one year from the date of issuance.
- In the event that CenterForce postpones an event, delegate payments at the postponement date will be credited towards the rescheduled date. If the delegate is unable to attend the rescheduled event, the delegate will receive a 100% credit representing payments made towards a future CenterForce event. This credit will be available for up to one year from the date of issuance. No refunds will be available for cancellations or postponements.
- CenterForce is not responsible for any loss or damage as a result of a substitution, alteration or cancellation/postponement of an event. CenterForce shall assume no liability whatsoever in the event this conference is cancelled, rescheduled or postponed due to a fortuitous event, Act of God, unforeseen occurrence or any other event that renders performance of this conference impracticable or impossible. For purposes of this clause, a fortuitous event shall include, but not be limited to: war, fire, labor strike, extreme weather or other emergency.
- Please note that speakers and topics were confirmed at the time of publishing, however, circumstances beyond the control of the organizers may necessitate substitutions, alterations or cancellations of the speakers and/or topics. As such, CenterForce reserves the right to alter or modify the advertised speakers and/or topics if necessary. Any substitutions or alterations will be updated on our web page as soon as possible.
- All discounts must require payment at time of registration and before the cut-off date in order to receive any discount.
- Any discounts offered whether by CenterForce (including team discounts) must also require payment at the time of registration.
- All discount offers cannot be combined with any other offer.