The IP Strategy Summit: NYC

Jason Sobel is a partner in the Firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation, Trademark, Copyright & Advertising, and Technology Practice Groups. His practice spans a wide range of areas of intellectual property law, including litigation, transactions, prosecution, and other strategic matters. Jason provides intellectual property and litigation counsel to clients in numerous industries and technological disciplines, including software and internet companies; manufacturing of mechanical and electrical devices and materials; financial services; chemicals; food products and ingredients; medical devices; life sciences; semi-conductors; and consumer products.

Erik Milch is a partner in the Litigation Department, co-head of the Patent Law practice and a member of the Intellectual Property and Trials group.

As a first-chair trial lawyer, Erik brings more than 25 years of experience litigating in key jurisdictions across the U.S., as well as before the International Trade Commission and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Erik litigates complex matters involving medical devices, life sciences instrumentation, pharmaceuticals, electrical and computer technology, and consumer products. He regularly counsels clients in a range of industries in connection with patent procurement, development of patent portfolios, patent licensing, valuation of patent portfolios in business transactions and transactional diligence.

Joe Drayton is a partner in the Litigation Department, co-head of the Patent law practice and a member of the Intellectual Property and Trials groups.

Joe is a first-chair trial lawyer with over two decades of experience representing some of the nation’s most prominent companies in high-stakes intellectual property (IP) and complex commercial litigation. He has successfully handled matters across a broad range of industries before state and federal courts, the International Trade Commission and arbitration tribunals including the American Arbitration Association. Joe’s practice spans all areas of IP law—patent, trade secrets, copyright, trademark, trade dress and false advertising—both domestically and internationally. He also advises clients on IP acquisition, transfer, protection and enforcement strategies.

Puja Detjen is a partner at Patterson + Sheridan LLP who serves on the firm’s management committee. Her practice focuses on patent preparation and prosecution of both domestic and international patents, global brand protection, and IP due diligence.
Puja is able to parlay her knowledge of clients’ technology and business into a comprehensive IP strategy focused on developing and protecting their innovations and brands.
Prior to her legal career, Puja was an engineer for GE Energy supporting corporate strategy objectives across manufacturing, operations, and supply chain management. Today, she leverages her diverse industry experience to lead the way for clients seeking to align their IP efforts with a strategic plan.

Ajay A. Jagtiani possesses 27 years of experience in all phases of patent prosecution, including patentability, validity and infringement opinions, procurement of international patents, client counseling, licensing, agreement negotiations, and mergers/acquisitions.

Ajay supports numerous clients in biotechnology, including diagnostics, genomics, immunotherapy, proteomics, pharmaceuticals and other microbiology techniques. He has extensive experience in the academic world, providing assistance in intellectual property matters and technology transfer to educational institutions around the globe.

In the state arena, he has advised the Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding intellectual property matters, and he has drafted proposed intellectual property legislation.

At the federal level, Ajay has advised such government agencies and laboratories as the Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Mines, Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Naval Command and Control Center, NASA, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, and the Naval Research Laboratory.

Philip L. Hirschhorn focuses his practice on patent litigation and counseling. He prides himself on working with clients to understand their businesses thoroughly, including the ways in which intellectual property litigation affects their business objectives. Clients can rest assured that Phil will go the extra mile, both on his own and as part of a team, to help clients solve their legal challenges.

Phil’s extensive experience, spanning more than 30 years, includes bench trials, jury trials, and arbitrations. He has represented clients in traditional infringement/validity litigations as well as Hatch-Waxman (Paragraph IV) litigations. Phil also has experience handling copyright, trademark/trade dress, and trade secret litigation. Phil advises clients on commercial patent licensing agreements. The subject matter of these engagements is diverse, including chemical, pharmaceutical, consumer products, medical devices, graphics, visualization technologies, apparel, and radiotherapy software and devices.

In addition to his patent litigation experience, Phil counsels clients on the interplay between the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and district court actions. He has extensive PTAB litigation experience, having assisted both patent owners and petitioners.

Phil’s prowess in intellectual property law has earned him many accolades over the years. Managing Intellectual Property has named him an IP Star nearly every year since 2013, and he has been named among IAM’s Patent 1000 list several times. He also has been named a New York Super Lawyer in the practice area of patent litigation.

Phil earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia College and his law degree from Fordham University School of Law, where he also served as Associate Editor of the Fordham Law Review and Editor of the Fordham Environmental Law Report.

Phil is a frequent speaker on IP litigation topics such as recent developments in Paragraph IV litigation, patent damages, and trade secret litigation. He is a current Co-Chair of the PTAB/TTAB committee of the Federal Circuit Bar Association and the immediate past chair of the Patents Committee of the New York City Bar Association.

Nancy Del Pizzo is a member of Rivkin Radler’s Commercial Litigation; Intellectual Property; and Privacy, Data & Cyber Law Practice Groups. She resolves commercial disputes, including intellectual property matters such as trademark, trade dress, copyright and patent infringement, restrictive covenants and domain name disputes, misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition, false advertising, defamation and trade libel.

Michelle has built an impressive track-record practicing in trademark, copyright, patent, unfair competition/false advertising, anti-counterfeiting/anti-piracy, internet, and fashion and wearable technology law.

Michelle’s clients span a broad range of industries including fashion and retail, food and beverage, computer software and hardware, educational services, financial and consulting services, pharmaceutical, and media and entertainment. Michelle is distinguished not only by the victories she has achieved for her clients but also for the wider influence and interest her cases have generated. She represents clients in state and federal courts, at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and before the International Trade Commission. She has also successfully obtained preliminary injunctions and ex parte seizure orders on behalf of her clients, and works closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and law enforcement in coordinated anti-counterfeiting efforts. She has argued and won numerous federal and state court appeals, including the Second Circuit’s seminal famous marks case of ITC Ltd v. Punchgini, Inc. Michelle has also successfully represented numerous companies in connection with design patent disputes in industries ranging from consumer products to industrial products.

Complementing her litigation work, Michelle’s practice also includes counseling and opinions, trademark and trade dress prosecution, devising cost-effective brand protection programs, negotiating licenses, IP acquisitions, and cobranding agreements on behalf of clients, and counseling clients on the use of social media and other online platforms to market and sell their goods and services.

Lance Hochhauser is Senior Intellectual Property Counsel at Prove Identity, Inc., overseeing all facets of Prove’s intellectual property. He is also managing Prove’s AI policy and has stood up a model risk management program to standardize responses Prove provides to clients.

Prior to his time at Prove, Lance was Associate General Counsel at SWIM USA; Intellectual Property Counsel at IQVIA; and Patent Attorney – Team Lead at IBM.

Lance earned his J.D. from Emory University School of Law and his bachelor degree in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University. Lance is admitted to practice law in New York and is also admitted to practice before the USPTO.

David Joyal is VP, Legal – Patents at Coty Inc., where he created and continue to build Coty’s patent legal function, focusing on maximizing freedom to operate, developing IP strategies that deliver incremental growth and a competitive edge, and elevating the IP culture creatively and cross-functionally. Prior to his time at Coty David was Lead Patent and R&D counsel at Avon Products, Inc. and was previously in private practice for 9 years. David is a graduate of Skidmore College and Emory Law School.

Ms. Ksenia Takhistova is an experienced IP litigator and technology attorney who counsels clients on US intellectual property law issues across a wide variety of modern and emerging technologies. She has substantial experience in all aspects of litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in patent cases, including Hatch-Waxman litigations, before the Federal District Courts, at the International Trade Commission, in post-grant proceedings at the US Patent and Trademark Office, and in appeals from these proceedings.

She has also handled other IP-related disputes, including trade secret, false advertising, and antitrust issues, in both Federal and State Courts. Ksenia represents clients in transactions, such as settlement negotiations and IP licensing discussions, and performs due diligence and opinion work, including freedom-to-operate, patentability, infringement and validity analyses. Drawing on her extensive educational and research background in the mechanical and chemical engineering arts, she is able to effectively handle disputes in technical fields, such as mechanical and medical devices, electrical and computer technology, life sciences, chemical, materials, and consumer products.

Over the course of her over twenty-year career, Erin M. Dunston’s practice has been a purposeful mix of patent prosecution and litigation. Having handled many patent litigations, Erin recognizes how every word in prosecution may ultimately be analyzed by the fact-finder and thus strives for efficient, law- and science-driven prosecution. Her extensive prosecution experience, in turn, is invaluable when analyzing prosecution documents and issues as part of a litigation. With a background in biochemistry, she concentrates her practice primarily in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and associated computer technology. 

In terms of patent prosecution, counseling, and strategy, Erin learns her clients’ businesses and how a given project will advance the client’s business objectives, from both offensive and defensive standpoints. Erin also works closely with clients to satisfy budget constraints and assist in leveraging and monetizing patent assets. 

To date, Erin has handled more than 20 district court litigations and more than 25 inter partes reviews (IPRs) and more than 40 interferences before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (P.T.A.B). Assisting both patent owners and putative infringers/petitioners, this experience ranges from pre-filing analyses all the way through appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 

Her deep experience in patent law has been recognized by several leading IP organizations and awards programs. Erin has been selected for inclusion among The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2018. She also has been recognized in IAM’s Patent 1000 list – a best-in-class listing of patent prosecution, licensing, and litigation practitioners. For several years, including for 2021, she has been named an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property and a Leading Intellectual Property Lawyer by Chambers USA. Erin also received Lawyer Monthly’s Women in Law 2016 Award for her contributions to the practice of biotechnology law. 

Erin is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Post-Grant Group.

Carina Harrison is a distinguished brand developer and strategic leader with over a decade of experience in managing globally recognized brands. Her expertise lies in media and talent-led brands, particularly excelling in large-scale Direct-to-Retail programs for major retailers such as Target, Walmart, Amazon, Ulta, American Eagle, and Kohl’s.

Currently, as the Vice President and Head of Licensing & Partnerships at Hello Sunshine, Carina is responsible for building and implementing strategies to amplify the brand’s mission to center women in storytelling through strategic partnerships, brand collaborations, and licensed consumer products. Before advancement, she held Vice President, Commercial Operations for The Home Edit, where she led their organizing services, drove new revenue streams, and optimized retailer relationships.

Carina’s previous experience as Vice President of Brand Management at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) involved leading the growth and execution of consumer product programs for high-profile clients, including Draper James, Drew Barrymore, Lil Wayne, and Netflix’s licensing programs for popular series such as Stranger Things, Bridgerton, and Squid Game.

Her career began at Tesco, the largest retailer in the UK, as an apparel buyer, following her graduation with top honors in Buying Management. In 2017, she relocated to New York City to focus on developing Drew Barrymore’s Flower brand portfolio into a cross-category Home DTR with Walmart.

Renowned for her ability to build high-performing teams and holistic management approach, Carina combines her expertise in licensing, retail management, and brand development with exceptional communication skills. This has solidified her reputation as a trusted leader in the industry, with a proven track record of driving brand expansion and sustainable growth for her clients.

Daniel S. Block is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Electronics Practice Group. Dan’s practice primarily focuses on patent and anti-counterfeiting litigation at the International Trade Commission and in Federal district court. Dan has been integral in designing and implementing anti-counterfeiting measures for numerous international brands, with a focus on cost-neutral enforcement strategies. He has also served as counsel in over 110 post-grant proceedings at the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board. His technical expertise covers many areas of computing including: computer graphics, networking communications, web services, complex computer architectures, and storage systems.

Dan’s brand enforcement work includes obtaining judgments against hundreds of defendants selling counterfeit products of major consumer brands. He has obtained judgments totaling over 50 million dollars, and seized or stopped the sales of tens of thousands of counterfeit items over the Internet. Dan has served as an advisor to associates participating in the PTAB’s Legal Experience and Advancement Program (LEAP), which provides associates with training and development opportunities in PTAB proceedings, including oral argument.

Dania Nasser is the Senior Associate General Counsel at Canon Business Process Services. Prior to working in this role she was the Business Operations and Compliance Counsel at Ralph Lauren. Dania acquired her law degree from Yale University.

Richard (“Rick”) M. Bemben is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Electronics Practice Group and a Co-Chair of the firm’s PTAB Practice. He is a recognized leader in post-grant proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Over the last decade, Rick has been counsel in over 130 PTAB proceedings—including inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, and covered business method reviews. He has also been counsel in more than a dozen related Federal Circuit appeals. In 2023, Patexia ranked Rick as one of the most active and best performing PTAB attorneys over the five-year period from July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2023. Notably, he was ranked as the 2nd Best Performing PTAB Attorney Representing Patent Owners, and within the Top 50 Best Performing PTAB Attorneys Overall (representing Petitioners or Patent Owners) during this five-year period. Rick often speaks and publishes on patent- and PTAB-related topics. For example, he served as Co-Editor of Sterne Kessler’s “2023 PTAB Year in Review: Analysis & Trends” report, which synthesizes key events and decisions that occurred at the PTAB and provides detailed analysis to serve as a helpful reference for those who practice before or adjacent to the PTAB. He is also contributing author of Patent Office Litigation, Second Edition, which published in 2017.

Leon Medzhibovsky is a highly regarded litigator focusing on intellectual property, trade secret, software and technology related commercial disputes. He helps clients solve their most challenging business problems arising from sophisticated business and commercial matters.

The subject matter of these disputes has ranged widely across the field of complex litigation, and includes software and computer systems, systems integration, consumer products, healthcare, aviation, FinTech, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and numerous types of general business-to-business technology related litigation.

Clients also turn to Leon for his extensive experience with complex domestic and multi-jurisdictional commercial technology disputes, seeking his counsel on high-stakes transactions involving intellectual property assets and cutting-edge technologies, in such areas as joint ventures, strategic alliances, collaborations, licensing, software development and systems integration agreements.

Leon is a board observer and member of the strategy steering committee for several technology, data/machine learning and software companies. From protecting intellectual property and technology to strategic risk assessment, Leon focuses on the whole picture and provides concise, practical and business-oriented advice.

Imtiaz Khan is a Director at Houlihan Lokey, where he leads the firm’s Intellectual Property (IP) Valuation & Advisory Services practice. With over a decade of experience in valuation, modeling, and strategic consulting, he helps clients quantify, monetize, and optimize the value of IP and other intangible assets across dynamic sectors including fintech, software, semiconductors, digital assets, life sciences, and industrials.

Operating within a leading global investment bank, Mr. Khan’s work uniquely bridges technical IP valuation with capital markets, M&A, and financing strategy. His expertise spans IP valuation, strategy, licensing, and IP-backed financing. His work transforms complex IP assets into business-critical levers for growth and competitive advantage.

Before joining Houlihan Lokey, Mr. Khan was a Senior Director at Aon’s IP Solutions practice, where he led valuation efforts for several IP-backed financings and played a key role in supporting companies, insurers, and investors with IP portfolio valuations and risk analyses.

Melissa Klein is Senior IP Counsel at Danone, a leading food and beverage company, with brands such as Dannon, OIKOS, Silk, International Delight and SToK. Melissa oversees the company’s brand portfolio in North America, including prosecuting trademark applications; enforcement; licensing opportunities and advising the marketing teams on “right time engagement” and media campaigns. Prior to working at Danone, she was IP Counsel at David Yurman.

Lindsay’s practice focuses on trademark, trade dress, copyright, right of publicity, and art market litigation, prosecution, and transactions. She represents and counsels clients ranging from Fortune 10 companies to individuals and family businesses across a wide array of industries, including: fashion, beauty & retail; art, media, publishing, music & entertainment; food, alcoholic beverage & health; architecture, interior design & real estate; and technology, among others.

In the litigation space, Lindsay represents clients in connection with trademark, copyright, and design patent infringement, defamation, breach of contract, and other related claims in federal and state court. She also works closely with foreign counsel to oversee her clients’ foreign disputes and to coordinate claims and defenses when those disputes span around the world.

In the prosecution space, Lindsay helps clients obtain trademark and copyright registrations and manages worldwide IP portfolios in an array of fields, including for one of the largest companies in the world. She also provides day-to-day counseling and advice on issues including trademark, copyright, moral rights, and right of publicity protection and enforceability, in addition to performing high-volume global trademark clearances for names, logos, and designs.

In the transactional space, Lindsay has extensive experience drafting and negotiating a wide array of agreements across industries. She also advises artists, creative professionals, property owners, and real estate developers on the applicability of and compliance with the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA), 17 U.S.C. § 106(a), including in connection with site-specific artwork.

Kate focuses on litigation in a variety of areas, including intellectual property, products liability, trade secrets, and complex commercial disputes in Delaware’s state and federal courts. She has also served as counsel in significant contractual disputes filed with the American Arbitration Association and has advised on real estate litigation disputes, including a successful tax assessment appeal.

Kate has assisted the District Court of Delaware with implementing its High School Fellowship Program, which provides an opportunity for students to work in chambers with District Court judges. She was chosen for and completed the Delaware District Court’s Federal Trial Practice Seminar, a program that provides exceptional opportunities for younger lawyers in Delaware to learn and practice trial skills and to learn from mentors on the Delaware bench and other prominent jurists. Kate is also active in the Federal Bar Association and the Rodney Inns of Court.

Prior to RLF, Kate clerked for the Honorable Joseph R. Slights III in the Delaware Superior Court. In law school, Kate served as an intern for the civil division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Glenn Forbis is a Chambers®-rated litigator and the leader of Harness IP’s Litigation Practice Group. With more than 200 intellectual property cases handled across the country—including 18 Federal Circuit appeals (15 favorable results) and 9 cases to verdict—he is known for developing focused strategies and delivering persuasive presentations in court. Glenn has secured numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for clients in patent, trademark, and copyright matters, including a string of favorable jury verdicts in recent years. He is regularly recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Managing Intellectual Property, and AIM as one of the nation’s leading IP litigators.

Rachelle Laroche is Vice President, Chief Commercial and IP Counsel at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Inc., where she leads commercial and intellectual property strategy for the company’s U.S. operations.

Previously, she spent a decade at Johnson & Johnson as Assistant General Counsel – Trademarks and Board Attorney for the Vogue Haircare Franchise. Earlier in her career, she served as Associate Counsel – Intellectual Property at Burberry, focusing on anti-counterfeiting initiatives, and was an associate in the False Advertising and Trademark group at Proskauer Rose.

She is a co-founder and board member of the Unlocked Foundation and serves on the Board of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Within LVMH, she co-chairs the Northeast Chapter of EllesVMH, the company’s gender equity employee resource group.

Clement “Clem” Naples is a partner in Cleary Gottlieb’s New York office and a nationally recognized first-chair trial lawyer specializing in patent and trade secret litigation in federal and state courts as well as the International Trade Commission. Widely sought for “bet-the-company” cases, his most recent matter—a multibillion-dollar dispute over semiconductor manufacturing secrets—has been described as “one of the most complex trade secret battles in the semiconductor industry.” With a background as a lead optical engineer at Silicon Valley Group Lithography Systems (now ASML), Clem brings deep technical insight into semiconductor manufacturing, optical systems, and modeling tools. He has litigated a broad range of cases—spanning cybersecurity, wireless communications, automotive technology, and video tech—and is frequently consulted by business leaders on IP strategy, including in Global Finance Magazine’s “Pricing and Protecting Patents.” He joined Cleary as a partner in 2025 after an 18-year tenure at another international law firm

Daniel Ilan’s practice focuses on intellectual property, cybersecurity and privacy, as well as artificial intelligence. He has significant experience in representing leading technology companies and other multinational corporations and private equity firms in technology-related issues, including AI, arising in transactional contexts, particularly transactions involving licensing or acquisition of or investment in cutting-edge technologies. He also regularly advises companies on diverse AI, IP, privacy and cybersecurity issues, both for strategic planning and day-to-day compliance. Daniel is an industry thought leader and regularly writes and speaks about AI issues and the IP, privacy and data security implications of generative AI. He is a member of the Advisory Board of The Federmann Cyber Security Research Center – Cyber-Law Program at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Robin Davis is a Director in the Intellectual Property Finance Group at Fortress, where she is responsible for the growing portfolio of litigation funding investments in IP litigations.  Fortress’s IP Group specializes in providing bespoke capital solutions to patent owners, including through private equity, credit, and litigation funding investments. Robin works closely with patentholders and their litigation counsel to structure appropriate litigation finance deals and oversees the portfolio of funded investments.

Prior to transitioning into litigation finance, Robin spent 10 years as a patent litigator, including at Quinn Emanuel and as a partner at Radulescu LLP.  Her litigation experience involved complicated matters for both plaintiffs and defendants in district court, the ITC and PTAB, and concerned technology ranging from optical networking components to smartphone software features.

Robin spent five years at Woodsford Group, a London-based litigation funder.  She served as the Chief Investment Officer responsible for Woodsford’s US investment portfolio and a member of their board of directors.

Just prior to joining Fortress, Robin was Senior Vice President – M&A, Contingent Liability for Ethos Specialty Insurance Services, where she acted as an underwriter for contingent and litigation risk insurance products.

Kimiya Shams is an executive lawyer with several years of work experience in international intellectual property law, new technologies and corporate transactions. Ms Shams has worked at international law firms and companies across Sweden, France, and the US. Ms. Shams holds two Master of Laws (LLM) degrees from Stockholm University and Stanford Law School, specialising in law, science, and technology. She has also studied intellectual property law and economics at Harvard and Oxford. With extensive experience advising global companies – from start-ups to public firms – on intellectual property strategy and technology transactions, she is passionate about the intersection of law, technology, luxury goods, and business. Alongside her legal career, Ms Shams has published numerous articles on intellectual property in leading outlets like Forbes and The Business of Fashion. She is also a guest lecturer at Columbia Law School, HEC Paris, EDHEC Paris, and ESCP Paris.

Andrew G. Haberman is a Partner at Edell, Shapiro & Finnan, has been a Member of the firm since 2019, and has been practicing intellectual property law since 2011. With a degree in mechanical engineering, Andrew focuses his practice on patent portfolio development, portfolio management, counseling, freedom-to-operate, invalidity, and infringement analysis and opinions, and related matters.  Andrew’s counseling has assisted with multiple high-stakes M&A deals and Andrew’s advocacy has resulted in successful outcomes before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Prior to joining Edell, Shapiro & Finnan, Andrew prosecuted patents at an IP firm in Alexandria.  Additionally, while in law school, Andrew worked at the U.S. District Court of Maryland, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of IP.

Edward is Vice President and Senior Counsel for Intellectual Property at MasterCard. He has over a decade of legal experience. Prior to MasterCard Edward held associate positions at bother Baker Botts LLP and Petterson Belknap Web & Tyler LLP. Edward earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and his J.D. from Cornell Law School.

Smrithi Mohan is the General Counsel at Awes.me, Inc., d/b/a Awesome, the parent company of SmugMug, Flickr, and This Week In Photo. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she steers all legal efforts at the company, in addition to providing governance, compliance, as well as strategic operational input. At Awesome, Smrithi is developing the company’s very first innovation and intellectual property program. Prior to joining as General Counsel at Awesome, Smrithi was a Managing Attorney at Dun & Bradstreet, Inc., serving as both the Head of Legal and Compliance for Dun & Bradstreet India, and as the Head of the Global Corporate Innovation and Intellectual Property Strategy and Practice at Dun & Bradstreet, Inc., where she built and developed Dun & Bradstreet’s first intellectual property program and corporate IP strategy. She has delivered numerous presentations and spoken at national and international conferences covering a range of general legal and intellectual property-related subjects. She has also been featured in both Attorney At Law Magazine and Modern Counsel, and is also recognized as an international Top IP Leader by the IPR Gorilla. Though she earned her J.D. degree and has been a practicing attorney for many years, Smrithi also earned a Master’s degree in the field of Management from Harvard University in May 2023, achieving the Dean’s List Academic Achievement Award.

Sarah Tsou is the global head of Omni Bridgeway’s award-winning intellectual property business, overseeing Omni Bridgeway’s IP portfolio and team of dedicated IP professionals.

Chambers has repeatedly recognized Sarah in Band 1 for Litigation Funding (Intellectual Property), noting that she is “quite simply, brilliant…she is a big picture, game changing thinker” who is “a huge asset to Omni’s overall business” and “one of the genuine superstars in the litigation finance industry.” Omni’s IP business is also ranked by Chambers in Band 1 for Intellectual Property. Sarah is described as an “unparalleled leader in the world of litigation finance” by IAM, which has included her in its most prestigious rankings, and has repeatedly been named a Thought Leader by Who’s Who Legal. Sarah is also identified as a key leader within Legal 500’s 2025 Tier 1 ranking of Omni Bridgeway’s U.S. business noting the strength of the company’s global IP service.

Sarah has been invited to speak on litigation funding issues by prominent industry organizations such as the International Legal Finance Association, Federal Circuit Bar Association, Delaware Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Intellectual Property Owners Association, International Intellectual Property Society, IPWatchdog, and New York City Bar Association. Additionally, she is quoted frequently in publications such as Law360, Bloomberg Law, and Managing IP. She also sits on the Steering Committee of Women of Litigation Finance (WOLF).

Prior to joining the company’s New York office in 2019, Sarah was a partner in the intellectual property practice group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, focusing on patent litigation. In addition to handling patent disputes spanning a broad range of technologies and industries, she also led trade secret and trademark litigation teams and counseled clients in corporate acquisitions, licensing matters, and other transactions.

Sarah approaches litigation funding deal evaluation and diligence with the expertise of a litigator who has spent over a dozen years representing clients in all aspects of complex litigation from inception to trial. She has advised clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies on risk, cost analysis, IP portfolio and market analysis, and strategy, and she understands the factors that companies and law firms weigh when deciding whether to engage in litigation. Her substantial case evaluation and trial experience inform her ability to structure funding deals that allow alignment of risk between all parties to the deal. Having secured significant verdicts and resolutions for clients in industries including computer software, electronics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology, and oilfield services, she offers valuable insights to Omni Bridgeway’s funded clients and their counsel when they need strategic advice during the course of litigation.

Sarah earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in both Biology and Psychology and graduating summa cum laude with Highest Honors.

EVAN H. LANGDON is a Partner at Fabricant LLP in Washington, DC.  Mr. Langdon is the Chair of Fabricant LLP’s International Trade Commission (ITC) practice. His work focuses on Section 337 investigations before the ITC, intellectual property litigation in U.S. District Courts, and appeals before the Federal Circuit. He is adept at navigating the unique and complex procedural and technical issues of Section 337 investigations, and the rigorous economic analyses required for domestic industry and public interest. Recognized among the nation’s top ITC Section 337 practitioners by Chambers USA, Managing IP, and Business Today, Mr. Langdon has represented clients in more than forty Section 337 investigations in all phases of litigation.  Mr. Langdon graduated, magna cum laude, from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

Patrick Finnan has been ESF’s managing partner since 2002 and has been involved in the IP field since 1992.  With an advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Patrick brings a wealth of experience to counseling clients on a wide range of IP matters, representing clients in AIA post-grant proceedings, developing and implementing international portfolio management strategies, conducting FTO analyses, preparing invalidity and non-infringement opinions, performing IP due diligence for M&A transactions, and negotiating and drafting IP agreements.

Before embarking on a career in IP, Patrick gained several years of practical engineering experience in the defense sector as a systems engineer for Westinghouse Electric Corporation, now Northrop Grumman Corporation. After serving as a Patent Examiner, Patrick began practicing law at a large IP firm before joining ESF.

David Lamb is a Partner in Gish PLLC’s New York office and leads the Firm’s Soft IP Practice.  David concentrates primarily on complex litigation involving trademark, copyright, false advertising, unfair competition, and consumer protection/fraud, as well as regulatory and compliance matters before the FTC and FCC.  He also advises clients on issues concerning rights of personality and publicity, sports law, cybersecurity, privacy, cryptocurrency, and video gaming.

David’s litigation experience spans a diverse and wide-ranging set of clients and industries, including consumer goods, television, advertising, sports, and manufacturing.  In addition, David has a robust pro bono practice, which has included matters relating to artists’ rights, asylum, unemployment benefits, and commercial contract disputes.

David joined Gish PLLC after nearly a decade in the Intellectual Property and Litigation Group at Skadden Arps. He is also a member of the International Trademark Association, where currently serves on the ICANN Engagement Subcommittee of the Internet Committee.

Ed Tulin is a partner in Gish PLLC’s New York office.  Ed concentrates his practice on complex litigation, arbitration, and administrative matters involving patents, patent licenses, copyrights, and trade secrets in the fields of biochemical products and processes, medical devices, electrical engineering, computer engineering and software, mechanical engineering.

Ed represents a diverse set of litigants in high-stakes matters in federal courts, at the International Trade Commission, and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Ed also has extensive experience with IP licensing and diligence matters, including patent portfolio analyses, freedom-to-operate opinions, and contract drafting.

Ed joined Gish PLLC after spending nearly 15 years in the Intellectual Property Litigation Group at Skadden Arps.  He is also a member of the LGBTQ+ Bar Association and NYIPLA.

Intellectual Property pattern and co-chair Jonathan S. Caplan represents clients in patent litigation, counseling and prosecution, as well as in general corporate matters involving the acquisition, sale or licensing of intellectual property rights.

Jonathan litigates patent infringement actions in federal district courts across the country, in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and in state courts, both representing patent owners seeking to enforce their rights and defending companies against allegations of infringement.

Shelly is an accomplished attorney and business executive with over 30 years of experience in the gaming, consumer products and entertainment industries. She is currently the General Counsel and Global Head of Licensing for Mob Entertainment, Inc. Prior to Mob, she was General Counsel of Big Fish Games. Shelly began her career in the console gaming industry, holding key roles at Sega of America and the PlayStation division of Sony. Shelly transitioned to mobile gaming as the Vice President of Business Development and Legal at GSN Games. Shelly is well versed in console, mobile, PC and Roblox platforms.

Nishat Ruiter is General Counsel of TED conferences, a nonprofit organization that believes passionately
in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. Through creativity, and a deep
respect for TED’s mission, Nishat’s work is centered on ensuring that TED’s legal requirements are met
through a combination of practical and creative solutions that meets its needs, while still retaining the
authentic TED voice across every area where possible. She manages the legal issues with respect to
TED’s licensing, partnerships, TM, brand protection, TED’s code of conduct, data privacy, copyright,
transactions, and all corporate legal matters. Prior to TED, she worked for over 15 years as in house
counsel, and in private practice including working as Associate General Counsel at CA Technologies, a
Fortune 500 software technology company in a variety of roles including managing the North American
legal department of 25 lawyers and contract managers, managing all integration issues for 7 companies
as lead counsel and advising on regulatory compliance issues for government sales, marketing,
advertising, and social media.
Nishat serves as a member of the Board for International School Services, a not for profit providing
international schools and teachers global and education support, including diversity and leadership
frameworks, on the editorial board of the London-based International In-house Counsel Journal and a
founding member of One Hillsborough, a grassroots not for profit created to support oneness of humanity
in her community through education, advocacy and programming with other like minded organizations
and stakeholders in her town. Nishat holds a BA in Political Science from Rutgers University, a JD from
Delaware Law School (formerly Widener) and international certificates of practice in the Netherlands .

Greg leads the Product Counseling function at SimpliSafe, a Boston-based home security company. In this role, he partners with technical and business leaders to navigate the legal and compliance issues that arise throughout the development, launch, and sustainment of SimpliSafe’s hardware, software, and service offerings. His responsibilities span technology, intellectual property, and supply chain matters—covering product development and commercialization, supplier relationships, and operational compliance—with a focus on delivering clear, practical guidance that drives efficient and balanced outcomes.

Before joining SimpliSafe, Greg practiced law in the Boston offices of several international firms, advising clients on strategic patent and trademark portfolio development, IP litigation, and technology transactions. He brings a blend of deep intellectual property expertise and pragmatic judgment to help teams innovate confidently while managing risk responsibly.

Megan Doughty is a Member at Oliff PLC. Her practice focuses on patent preparation and prosecution involving a wide range of technologies, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, polymers, semiconductors, and medical devices. Megan has considerable experience in all aspects of U.S. and foreign patent prosecution, and she has successfully briefed and argued many appeals at the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Megan also counsels clients in developing and managing their patent portfolios, and routinely conducts Freedom To Operate, non-infringement, and invalidity opinions.

Ee Ming is a Member at Oliff PLC and is the head of the firm’s trademark department.  She also leads attorney teams responsible for patent preparation and prosecution for several major clients.

Ee Ming advises on all aspects of trademark law, including clearance, domestic and international prosecution, maintenance, filing strategies, and global portfolio management. She focuses much of her trademark practice in assisting clients with enforcement strategies, with experience in all aspects of TTAB opposition and cancellation proceedings as well as litigation in U.S. district courts. She also assists clients with pursuing effective anti-counterfeiting solutions and negotiating licenses and co-existence agreements worldwide.

Ee Ming also has extensive patent prosecution experience in a wide range of technologies, including various automotive technologies, medical devices, power tools, gas turbine engines, and optical devices.

Alexandra Ewing clerked for the Honorable Vivian L. Medinilla of the Delaware Superior Court.

Alexandra (“Ally”) focuses on commercial and intellectual property litigation in Delaware’s state and federal courts. Her practice involves breach of contract, fraud, noncompete, and trade secret claims in the Delaware Superior Court’s Complex Commercial Litigation Division and the Court of Chancery, as well as patent and trademark infringement claims in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.

Ally earned a certificate in Trial Advocacy & Litigation from the Temple University Beasley School of Law.  She also received the Harry R. Kozart Memorial Prize in Food & Drug Law, the Harry & Esther Brown Foundation Scholarship for outstanding achievement in Health & Disability Law, and the Law Faculty Scholarship. Ally is a fellow in the Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society.

Brad Lawrence focuses his practice on intellectual property counseling including the protection of clients’ inventions through carefully planned patent procurement. His practice also includes analysis of the IP and product positions of others and the development of licensing strategies as well as performing product clearances in the form of non-infringement and/or invalidity opinions. He also has significant prior litigation experience that includes many aspects of patent, trademark, and trade secret litigation as well as licensing and other extrajudicial resolution of IP disputes

Ben Mok is the Vice President of Brand & Content Protection at Corsearch, where he leads strategies to safeguard intellectual property across digital and physical markets. With over a decade of experience, Ben has developed and implemented comprehensive global brand protection and anti-piracy programs for IP owners, helping them combat infringement, protect revenue, and strengthen consumer trust. Before transitioning into brand protection, Ben spent ten years in financial analytics, bringing a data-driven approach to his strategic and operational decision-making.

Svetlana is the Director of Solution Engineering at Corsearch, advising global brands on IP enforcement and brand protection strategies. With over ten years of experience, she has designed and led programs across industries including luxury, FMCG, entertainment, and technology. Combining market insights, data, and innovation, Svetlana helps brands safeguard and strengthen their IP enforcement in an evolving digital landscape.

Michael serves as lead or Delaware counsel in District of Delaware litigation across diverse industries, with emphasis on web technologies, networking, biotechnology, and consumer products. He has represented more than 275 intellectual property matters involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, trade dress, unfair competition, and antitrust issues. His clients include major companies such as Cisco, Discovery Communications, Gillette, Peloton, Roku, Symantec, Thermo Fisher Scientific, UCB, and United Therapeutics.

Recognized by Chambers USA for Delaware Intellectual Property since 2016, Michael is also ranked by IAM Patent 1000 and has been included in Lawdragon’s lists of 100 Leading AI & Legal Tech Advisors and 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers. In 2022, Chief Judge Connolly appointed him to the Lawyer Advisory Committee for the District of Delaware. He contributes to pro bono matters and serves on Morris Nichols’ Diversity and Recruiting Committees.

Before law school, Michael worked in public policy and legislative advocacy focused on technology, environmental issues, and strategic development. He also hosted a public-affairs radio program and appeared regularly on radio and television news.

An entrepreneur as well, Michael has owned and managed several businesses, including an Internet applications firm that developed web solutions for Fortune 500 companies, regional banks, and national retailers, giving him hands-on experience with customer-retention technologies and online–offline integration.