The IP Strategy Summit: Chicago

Richard Brophy has a proven track record of trying and winning complex intellectual property cases across the United States. His practice encompasses many areas of complex civil litigation, but he focuses primarily on disputes involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, and antitrust violations. Drawing on his expansive background as an aerospace engineer and computer scientist, Richard stands out by distilling complex technical and legal issues in ways that judges and juries can easily understand. In addition to providing strategic defense to clients who become litigation targets, Richard has demonstrated a talent for accomplishing the challenging task of enforcing his clients’ intellectual property.

Andrew Turner serves as Co-Chair of Brooks Kushman’s Post-Grant Proceedings practice and has represented parties in over 55 post-grant proceedings and over 25 post-grant related appeals to the Federal Circuit. He is a registered patent attorney with over 17 years of patent experience and holds degrees in both electrical and mechanical engineering. Andrew’s practice focuses on post-grant proceedings, patent prosecution, and patent portfolio management for clients in diverse technical areas including automotive systems, audio and lighting systems, exercise equipment, and children’s toys. Prior to his legal career, Andrew was an engineer in the automotive industry.

Christine Falaschetti is an experienced intellectual property professional serving as Associate Director of Intellectual Property at Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on therapies for neurological conditions. In her role, she leads and supports patent strategy, patent prosecution, and portfolio management to protect innovation and enable the company’s research and development objectives.

Falaschetti brings more than 11 years of experience in patent prosecution and IP counseling across technology and science-driven sectors. She has a strong foundation in developing IP strategies that align with business goals and provides legal and technical guidance across the innovation lifecycle.

She earned her degree from Northwestern University, where she developed her technical and analytical expertise—skills that underpin her approach to managing complex intellectual property challenges in the pharmaceutical and life sciences space.

Based in the U.S., Falaschetti’s work helps safeguard Amylyx’s intellectual assets and supports the company’s mission to advance treatments through strategic protection of scientific discoveries.

Rebecca Aumann serves as Intellectual Property Counsel at The Jackson Laboratory, a nonprofit biomedical research institution focused on genetics and genomics. In this role, she provides strategic legal support on patent strategy, trademark matters, licensing, and other aspects of intellectual property that protect and enable the laboratory’s scientific and technological innovations.

Her work involves collaborating with research and business teams to manage IP risks, support technology transfer, and align the intellectual property portfolio with institutional research and commercialization goals. Prior to this role, Aumann’s professional path includes work intersecting science, technology, and legal strategy, as evidenced by her involvement in patent filings in scientific and technical domains.

Anthoula Pomrening is Group Technology Counsel at Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW), where she leads intellectual property strategy, including patent portfolio management, prosecution, and enforcement across diverse technologies critical to the company’s global industrial innovation. In this role, Pomrening partners with technologists and business leaders to protect and leverage IP assets that support ITW’s competitive position.

Pomrening has deep experience in patent and trademark practice, spanning procurement, protection, and litigation matters across a broad range of technical fields. Prior to her current position, she built a strong foundation in private practice and in-house IP roles, advising on complex patent strategy and managing portfolios for technology-driven businesses.

She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology (1989) and a J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (1999). Pomrening remains active in professional circles and has served on advisory committees within the intellectual property community, reflecting her commitment to both legal excellence and mentorship.

Zhaoying (Dorothy) Du is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Power Solutions International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSIX), a leader in advanced, emission-certified engines, power systems, and accessories. PSI provides integrated solutions to global original equipment manufacturers and end users across the power systems, industrial, and transportation markets, and develops products and packages supporting the rapidly growing data center sector.

Previously, Dorothy led the global supply chain legal team at Lenovo, supporting procurement operations across more than 30 manufacturing sites in 11 markets serving 180 countries. She advised senior leaders on supply chain resilience, cross-border procurement, international trade compliance, regulatory risk, and contract negotiations, helping the company navigate evolving geopolitical challenges and implement responsible sourcing strategies.

Before that, Dorothy was global head of legal at Motorola Mobility, a Lenovo company, overseeing a broad range of legal matters including AI, global R&D, intellectual property, compliance, privacy, corporate governance, government relations, and litigation. With 20 years of legal experience, she also served as General Counsel for the China operations of a U.S.-based international insurance company and co-chaired the Asian-Pacific Practice Group at a global law firm.

Prior to March 2025, Dorothy led the global legal team of Motorola Mobility, a Lenovo company, and was responsible for overseeing and advising on various legal matters across the organization. Her vast scope includes AI, global product R&D, hardware and software matters, intellectual property, compliance, data privacy and security, sales and marketing, corporate governance, government relations and the overall supervision of litigation matters with support from Motorola’s global legal team.

Dorothy has 20 years of experience in providing legal advice to international companies. Before joining Motorola, she led the compliance and risk management functions of a US-based international insurance company and served as general counsel of that company’s China operation. Before that, she was co-chair of the Asian-Pacific Practice Group of a renowned law firm. In this role, she advised companies on international transactions, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, financing, securities, private equity, startups, subsidiary and joint-venture operations, and compliance.

Michael Rispin is Senior Director and Associate General Counsel at Sprout Social, Inc., where he leads legal support for key corporate functions including corporate governance, securities, M&A, intellectual property, marketing, and compliance for the publicly traded social media management software company. In this role he advises on strategic transactions, regulatory matters, and legal risk in support of Sprout’s growth and global operations.

Rispin brings more than 10 years of experience advising public and private technology companies on corporate, securities, commercial, and IP legal issues. Before joining Sprout Social, he served in legal roles including Manager of Corporate Counsel at Harley-Davidson and Corporate & Securities Counsel at Tecogen, where he was involved in IPO and M&A activities. His early career included work with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he gained exposure to investigations and litigation.

He holds a Juris Doctor from New England Law | Boston and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Suffolk University, grounding his practice in both legal analysis and business-oriented counsel. Rispin also participates in industry forums and advisory boards focused on legal leadership and innovation.

Amol Parikh is a trusted advisor and courtroom advocate focused on intellectual property litigation, counseling, and procurement. Known for his ability to translate complex technical issues into winning legal strategies, Amol combines deep engineering knowledge with extensive trial and appellate experience to deliver results that align with his clients’ business goals. His work has earned consistent recognition, including the International Law Office’s prestigious “Client Choice Award” for Intellectual Property in Illinois— an honor based solely on nominations from corporate counsel for exceptional client service and measurable business impact. Amol represents leading technology companies in high-stakes patent and trade secret disputes across US district courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Beyond litigation and prosecution, Amol advises clients on comprehensive intellectual property asset management, including trade secret protection strategies and internal safeguards.

Ethan Baumfeld is the Chief Legal Officer at H/L Ventures, where he leads legal strategy, governance, and compliance for the venture and investment business. In this role he provides counsel on corporate transactions, regulatory matters, risk management, and commercial agreements to support H/L Ventures’ strategic objectives and portfolio growth.

Baumfeld brings deep legal and corporate experience spanning technology, healthcare, and regulated industries. Prior to joining H/L Ventures, he served as Chief Legal Officer & Secretary at CareCentrix, where he oversaw legal and governance functions for the home-based care company. His professional background also includes senior counsel and advisory roles across corporate legal departments, blending legal acumen with business insight.

Erwin Cruz is an executive leader with specific focus on intellectual property strategy and management at W. W. Grainger, Inc. In this global role, Erwin is responsible for leading and managing a subsidiary, an intellectual property holding company through the development of robust intellectual property practices and asset creation that aligns and protects the intellectual capital of the organization’s strategic initiatives ensuring overall alignment to emerging trends and corporate strategies. In this global role, Erwin is responsible for coverage in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe.

Erwin has over 25 years of MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) industry experience and has held a variety of leadership roles at W. W. Grainger, Inc. which includes; sales, customer service, supply chain, information technology, ecommerce, business development, strategy, innovation, research & development, product development, human capital management, and in his current role of intellectual property strategy and management. Erwin earned multiple graduate degrees in business, technology, and law.

Erwin is passionate about the rapid pace of technologies and the emergence of new business models where the intersection of business-technology-law is becoming more profound and critical to an organization’s strategic advantage. Erwin’s professional experience and educational background has given him the opportunity to lead many industry initiatives from conception to commercialization allowing him to align emerging trends into organizational execution effectively.

Amy Keenan is Senior Corporate Counsel at Camping World Holdings, Inc., where she leads legal support in trademark, regulatory, marketing, and related intellectual property matters for one of the leading outdoor lifestyle and RV retail companies. In her role, she advises on brand protection, marketing compliance, commercial contracts, and risk mitigation to support Camping World’s business and growth initiatives.

Keenan brings deep experience in trademark and regulatory law, having previously served as Senior Legal Counsel at Elevance Health (formerly part of Anthem, Inc.), where she focused on trademark and related legal issues for many years. She has also been active in professional legal organizations, including leadership roles with the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Chicago Chapter and participation on committees of the International Trademark Association (INTA).

She earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Butler University, grounding her practice in both analytical rigor and practical business orientation. Keenan is licensed to practice law in Illinois and based in Chicago.

Steve Fisher-Stawinski is the Program Manager for Patent Strategy & Defense and IP External Submissions at IBM.  His portfolio includes steering patent portfolio strategy for the enterprise, guiding the inventor program, and pre-litigation patent in-licensing.  Previously, Steve developed out-license and assignment deals in IBM’s patent monetization organization.  Before coming to licensing nearly a decade ago, Steve was an in-house patent prosecutor at IBM and before that in a small law firm setting.  Steve holds a JD from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago and a BA in Computer Science from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Steve is based in Chicago’s northwest suburbs where he lives with his wife, two teenage children, and two toy poodles.  His hobbies include DIY home improvement, cocktail mixology, and tabletop roleplaying games.

Ian Soule is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Mechanical & Design Practice Group. His work includes the strategic preparation and prosecution of high-value patent applications for various mechanical, electromechanical, software-based, and biomedical technologies for a variety of clients. His current area of focus is in managing complex global portfolios in need of development to get them ready for monetization efforts—while PTAB-proofing the issuing claims. His experience on both sides of enforcement/PTAB actions brings a unique and valued perspective to both global prosecution strategy development and client counselling as a burgeoning trusted business advisor.

Scott Garnick is Global Head of Legal Transformation — General Transactions at HERE Technologies, a leading global location-technology company. In this role, he leads initiatives to modernize legal operations, drive strategic process improvements, and integrate emerging technologies into legal workflows. He also negotiates complex commercial and technology agreements, including global licensing transactions, and serves as a trusted advisor within HERE’s leadership team.

Garnick plays a key role in shaping the company’s approach to legal risk and innovation, including participation on HERE’s internal AI strategy team, where he collaborates with product, privacy, and trust stakeholders to develop governance frameworks and “guardrails” for AI-related matters.

Before joining HERE Technologies, Garnick held legal roles at Accenture, where he negotiated technology and consulting agreements, and at Centene Corporation, where he worked on healthcare regulatory compliance matters.

As the CEO and co-founder of Tradespace, Alec Sorensen sets our company vision and sells it to our clients and employees. Alec came to the world of IP by way of M&A consulting. Eventually, he turned that work into managing the IP commercialization practice at leading aerospace and defense consulting firm Avascent. There, he generated over $250M in IP monetization deals for Fortune 500 companies like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, IBM, and others. Alec’s greatest hope for Tradespace is that it helps IP and its professionals find more of the recognition they deserve.

Justin’s focus at Tradespace is on helping us scale sustainably. Prior to this role, he was in-house IP and patent counsel for KPMG, LLP and also co-founded KPMG’s externally-focused IP Consulting practice. Justin blends 20+ years of experience across law firm, in-house, corporate strategy, and growth roles. A multi- year member of the IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists list, he has a BA, JD and MS, Technology Entrepreneurship (ABT), all from Case Western Reserve University. Justin lives near Washington, D.C. and is an avid photographer.