The IP Strategy Summit 2026: Texas

Jennifer A. Carnahan is an intellectual property attorney serving as IP Expert Counsel at The Dow Chemical Company, where she provides strategic legal counsel on patent, trademark, trade secret, and broader IP matters for global materials science and chemical innovations. In this role, she collaborates with technical and business teams to align IP strategy with corporate objectives, support innovation protection, and manage complex portfolio and risk considerations.

Carnahan is based in the Pearland/Lake Jackson area and is licensed to practice law in Texas. She earned her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and has developed deep expertise in intellectual property through both in-house corporate practice and participation in continuing education and professional forums focused on IP strategy.

She is a frequent participant and speaker in IP professional events, contributing insights on trade secret protection, patent strategy, and portfolio management.

Christian Grofcsik is the Associate General Counsel and Data Protection Officer of NEXT Insurance, a leading technology-first Property & Casualty insurer focusing on the specific needs of U.S. small business owners. Through its proprietary technology stack and its digital underwriting platform, the company offers simple digital insurance coverage. In July 2025, NEXT became part of ERGO Group, a subsidiary of Munich Re.

Christian is an accomplished corporate attorney who provides counsel and manages litigation, data protection, contracts, insurance, reinsurance, intellectual property, artificial intelligence, marketing and functions as product counsel for the development, deployment and monitoring of internal projects, products and compliance processes and data protection liaison to the ERGO International Group.

Previously, Christian was a trial attorney with multiple jury trials taken to verdict and a fractional general counsel for private equity backed early-stage tech start-ups. Christian has appeared before State, Federal, and Appellate Courts in multiple jurisdictions, licensed in Louisiana, Texas, and Colorado and admitted before the United States District Courts for the Middle and Eastern Districts of Louisiana.

Ann Valdivia is Associate General Counsel for Intellectual Property at USAA, where she leads legal strategy and counsel on patent, trademark, and broader IP matters for one of the nation’s largest financial services organizations. In this role, Valdivia shapes competitive-intelligence efforts, directs due diligence and risk mitigation across the enterprise, and partners with cross-functional business, engineering, and product teams to protect and maximize the value of USAA’s intellectual property assets.

Valdivia is a seasoned intellectual property attorney with nearly two decades of experience (practicing since approximately 2002), reflecting a deep commitment to both legal excellence and strategic business impact. Outside of her corporate responsibilities, she actively contributes to the legal community—for example, through board and advisory roles and participation in professional events and panels focused on IP strategy and leadership.

Prior to her legal career, she earned a foundation in engineering and later completed her law degree, equipping her with a unique blend of technical insight and legal acumen that strengthens her counsel on complex intellectual property issues spanning innovation, commercialization, and brand protection.

Christine Demana is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Dallas office. Her practice focuses on high-stakes trade secrets, restrictive covenant, and commercial litigation matters for clients in the tech, gaming, biotech, and professional services industries. She excels in fast-paced litigation for these clients nationwide—including for matters involving preliminary and expedited relief.

Christine also has broad experience prosecuting and defending complex business claims and class actions involving breach of contract, securities and other frauds, consumer product defects, antitrust violations, and employment issues. She has a winning record both in trial courts and on appeal for such matters.

Christine routinely advises clients on trade secrets policies, trainings, agreements, and best practices, as well, and she has unique expertise working with consultants and clients to develop media strategies for public matters.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Christine served as a law clerk to the Honorable David C. Godbey, currently the Chief District Judge for the Northern District of Texas. She received her Juris Doctor in 2011 from Harvard Law School, where she was both a student attorney and on the Board of Directors as the Vice President for Practice Standards for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

Matt Acosta is a complex commercial and Intellectual Property litigator and adviser experienced in a variety of matters, including those involving patent, trademark, and copyright litigation, breaches of contract, trade secret and unfair competition, breach of warranty, banking, and insurance. His litigation practice includes counseling clients at every stage of the trial process, including developing cost-effective litigation strategies, reducing the burdens of discovery, negotiating favorable settlements, and representing clients at trial. Matt has litigated cases throughout the country, including in Illinois, Washington, Florida, Utah, Delaware, Georgia, California, and Texas. Matt has also practiced before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Federal Circuits.

In addition to his trial practice, Matt assists clients in developing intellectual property strategies and protection. This includes navigating the costs and benefits of trademark, trade secret and patent protection, trademark prosecution before the USPTO, performing infringement and liability analyses, and providing general IP counseling. Matt has represented and advised a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, in the consumer electronics, biomedical, internet and technology services, mobile application, and telecommunication technology spaces.

Following law school, Matt clerked for the Honorable Leonard Davis, Eastern District of Texas. While in law school, Matt interned for the Hon. Walter Smith Jr., Western District of Texas, Waco Division, as well as the Hon. Robert Pemberton, Texas Third Court of Appeals – Austin.

Samantha-Anne Nadolny is General Counsel and Vice President of Legal & Compliance at Primary Arms, where she leads the company’s legal and compliance functions, providing strategic oversight on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, and transactional matters to support the company’s growth and operational integrity. In this role, she ensures legal alignment with business priorities and ethical standards across the organization.

Nadolny brings extensive in-house legal and compliance experience from both public and private sectors. Prior to joining Primary Arms, she served in senior legal leadership positions, including as Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Select Water Solutions and as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Citelum US, an EDF Groupe company. Her career reflects deep expertise in corporate law, governance, compliance strategy, and enterprise risk management.

She is also actively involved in the legal community and local nonprofit leadership—serving as Immediate Past Chair of the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation and participating in bar association initiatives focused on legal education and professionalism.

Nadolny holds a Juris Doctor and undergraduate degree in History and Political Science, underpinning a career built on legal acumen, thoughtful leadership, and commitment to mentorship and community engagement.

James Sellers is Managing Intellectual Property Counsel at 8 Rivers, where he leads the company’s intellectual property strategy, including portfolio management, patent drafting and prosecution oversight, contract negotiation, privacy and M&A-related support, and risk mitigation aligned with business goals. In this role, Sellers partners with technical, engineering, and commercial teams to integrate IP considerations into technology development and strategic transactions.

He brings more than 25 years of legal experience spanning global IP portfolio stewardship, counseling on complex patent and technology matters, and advising across industries. Prior to joining 8 Rivers in early 2024, Sellers served in senior legal positions including Of Counsel at Patterson + Sheridan, Senior Counsel at Osha Bergman Watanabe & Burton, and Counsel roles at Saudi Aramco, where he provided IP and commercial legal support. Earlier in his career, he practiced with major law firms and served as an intellectual property attorney at Dow Chemical, enriching his technical and legal foundation.

Sellers’s background uniquely blends technical insight and legal strategy, equipping him to oversee comprehensive IP programs that protect innovation while enabling strategic leverage in competitive and evolving markets.

Malgorzata “Gosia” Kulczycka is an experienced attorney in the firm’s San Jose office with a broad-based IP law practice. With more than 15 years of legal experience, Gosia works to protect and support her client’s intellectual property through patent preparation and prosecution and by employing trademark and brand protection strategies for and against infringement claims.

Inventor herself, Gosia practices in various IP areas and technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, communication technologies, complex software, and more.

Gosia also has extensive experience in computer graphics and computer networks. She has procured and managed large IP client accounts in computer graphics and AI.

Garry Brown is an intellectual property attorney known for translating complex science into strategic IP assets. As a key member of Technip (T.EN)’s intellectual property division in Houston, he leads the protection and stewardship of a global patent portfolio, negotiates high-stakes agreements, and partners closely with engineers to safeguard breakthrough technologies at the forefront of innovation.

Brown’s practice is grounded in deep scientific training and rigorous legal experience. He earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of Mississippi and completed postdoctoral research at the City University of New York, where his work examined the global environmental and health impacts of pollutants, with a focus on heavy metals. He later earned his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, complementing his legal education with hands-on experience as a patent examiner in Electrochemistry at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Equally central to Brown’s career is his commitment to expanding access and opportunity in STEM and intellectual property law. A proud graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana—an HBCU renowned for producing leaders in science and medicine—he is deeply invested in mentorship, representation, and building pathways for underrepresented students to thrive in technical and legal professions.

James Hooper is a Principal Attorney at Conley Rose, P.C. in Houston, where he specializes in intellectual property law with a focus on patent and trademark preparation, prosecution, and counseling across a wide range of technologies and industries. Drawing on his background as a mechanical engineer and his technical expertise in systems design, medical devices, electromechanical inventions, and energy-related technologies, James helps clients navigate complex IP processes with strategic guidance and practical insight.

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.

Jason is a leader in Vorys intellectual property (IP) group with a national practice.  He co-chairs the firm’s trademark and copyright teams, and is a lead trial lawyer for clients involved in patent, copyright, branding and corporate confidential information cases, including trade secret and technology matters.

For two decades, Jason has counseled clients on a wide array of IP matters including federal court litigation, appellate litigation, and international protection and enforcement.  He routinely provides guidance and counseling on all aspects of trademark and copyright prosecution and the IP aspects of commercial transactions.  Jason has also represented clients in proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a registered patent attorney.

Kyril Talanov serves as Senior IP Strategy Counsel at Topsoe, where he shapes and advances the company’s intellectual property strategy. In this role, he partners with legal, technical, and business teams to protect and leverage Topsoe’s innovation portfolio, support commercialization and risk mitigation efforts, and align IP planning with broader corporate goals in global energy and technology markets.

Based in Houston, Texas, Talanov brings extensive legal experience spanning intellectual property counseling, patent strategy, litigation, and commercial legal support. He joined Topsoe in 2024 following in-house and law firm roles, including senior positions at Spencer Fane LLP, where he provided broad IP legal services, and prior litigation and associate roles in intellectual property practices.

Talanov combines legal expertise with a foundation in engineering and science, enabling pragmatic counsel on complex technology and IP issues. He earned his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and a B.S. from Texas Tech University, and is licensed to practice law in Texas.

His career reflects a commitment to thoughtful IP strategy supporting innovation, commercialization, and enterprise value in technology-intensive industries.

Abby Parsons is a first chair trial lawyer, strategist, and trusted advisor to her clients. As a former college athlete, Abby thrives in court and other high-pressure situations. Jurors in her last winning trial called Abby “relatable” and “sincere.” Through creativity, leadership, and hard work, Abby delivers business-focused results.

Abby has particular expertise supporting pharmaceutical and medical device companies and collaborating with regulatory counsel to provide full-service outcomes for her clients. Abby also litigates cases relating to software, oil and gas, financial services, and manufacturing, and handles IP claims, including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and false advertising. Abby supports her clients in IP transactions, investments in IP, and crafting settlement agreements to resolve litigation.

In addition to her IP trial practice, Abby is passionate about pro bono work and has represented transgender prisoners, veterans, and families in need of assistance.

John Lynn co-leads Kirkland’s Technology & IP Transactions Practice and heads the practice on the West Coast out of the Bay Area office and in Texas out of the Austin office. John is on the forefront of understanding the complex relationships between intellectual property and technology, on the one hand, and business matters and risk, on the other hand.

John works on a wide variety of matters in which technology, data protection, and artificial intelligence play a key role, including private equity matters and other mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures (particularly in the software and high technology fields); financings, secured lending matters, and liability management transactions; and bankruptcies and restructurings. In addition, John assists clients in connection with joint ventures and strategic alliances; intellectual property and technology transfers, licenses, and development agreements; royalty buy-outs; data transfer and license arrangements; and other commercial contracts (such as supply, distribution, and service agreements).

Emma heads the London Technology & IP Transactions team. Emma’s practice is focused on complex intellectual property and technology-related transactions, carve-outs and business separations and EU data protection.

Emma works closely with the firm wide Corporate Practice on a variety of transactions in which intellectual property, information technology and data privacy play a key role, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, private equity investments, financings and secured lending, bankruptcies and restructurings. Emma also assists clients in connection with joint ventures and strategic alliances; intellectual property and technology transfers and licences; service agreements (including transitional service arrangements); development and collaboration agreements; data transfer and sharing arrangements; and other commercial contracts (such as supply and distribution agreements). Emma’s practice is varied and her experience covers the full spectrum of intellectual property and technology related work, from patents, data and designs, to trade marks, copyright and software, most notably in complex, high-value M&A transactions and private equity investments.

In addition, Emma counsels clients on data protection compliance (including with regard to the EU General Data Protection Regulation) and brings EU experience to Kirkland’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Practice. Prior to joining Kirkland, Emma was a lawyer at Clifford Chance LLP, London, where she also trained.

Daisy Darvall is a technology & IP transactions partner in the New York and Austin offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She advises leading global private equity firms and strategic clients on a wide variety of commercial transactions involving intellectual property and technology, and has acted as a key advisor on some of the largest global technology deals in recent years. Daisy is highly experienced in a broad range of issues that arise in general corporate transactions, including private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity and debt financing transactions and commercial agreements.

Daisy has particular interest in software, AI, open source, privacy and data security, and IP protection issues, the latter arising from her background in media and entertainment. She has counseled global clients on IP protection and ownership issues in the context of collaborations and joint-ventures, and is recognized as a thought leader in the intersection of technology, ESG and AI. In addition to technology and software, Daisy’s advisory experience extends to a significant array of industries, including media, music, entertainment, fashion, advertising, sports and education. Daisy is qualified to practice in New York, Texas and Australia.

Brian Hinman is a seasoned intellectual property executive with over 30 years’ experience in the field of intellectual property, having held senior positions at some of the world’s leading companies, including Aon, Philips, IBM and others. He was inducted in 2023 to the IP Hall of Fame and was also the initial recipient of the Q. Todd Dickinson Award for Lifetime Achievement in Intellectual Property.

He is currently the Chief IP Officer for Cote Global, which invests IP capital into growth-stage tech operating companies with strong IP portfolios. Prior to this, he was Chief Commercial Officer for Aon IP Solutions, where he was part an executive team that led the efforts to seize the generational opportunity to establish market-accepted standards for assessing and valuing the IP asset class for businesses and investors and led to securing over $2B in more than 30 IP-backed loans backed by insurance.

Previously, Brian served as Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Philips and CEO of Philips Intellectual Property and Standards, based in the Netherlands. In this capacity he led a worldwide team of over 400 intellectual property professionals in 9 different countries, formulating and executing a robust IP strategy for each of Philips’ business units. This included managing Philips’ IP portfolio, directing all IP litigation matters (both offensive and defensive), actively participating in the development of industry standards, and conducting all forms of IP monetization including patent, technology and brand licensing and formation of various IP Ventures. Prior to Philips, Brian was co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Unified Patents Inc. He was also Senior Vice President of IP and Licensing at IBM, Verizon and InterDigital, as well as the founding CEO of Allied Security Trust.

Brian has been extensively published on IP topics, is a frequent lecturer and conference presenter, and serves on a variety of industry advisory boards.

Brian holds degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Pittsburgh.

Erik Perez is Vice President of Intellectual Property at Shell USA, where he leads the company’s global IP strategy and patent operations in support of innovation, R&D, and business growth. He oversees enterprise-wide IP processes, legal operations, and technology-driven optimization initiatives.

With a background in analytical chemistry, Erik brings a rare blend of scientific and legal operations expertise to IP leadership. He holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from The University of Alabama and an Executive MBA from Saint Joseph’s University, and is a frequent speaker on legal operations, IP strategy, and leadership.

Gil Espinoza is the Senior Technical Attorney at Axiom Space, Inc. Axiom Space is the leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure. Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station while developing its successor, Axiom Station, and building next-generation spacesuits (AxEMU) for low-Earth orbit, the Moon and beyond.

As a registered patent attorney, Gil counsels scientists and engineers on all forms of intellectual property as they develop innovative technologies to build the Axiom Station and AxEMU. Before joining Axiom, he was a partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP where he was a member of the IP and Litigation practice groups focusing on patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.

Tammy is a tenured IP litigator and registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with more than 21 years’ experience as a trial lawyer. Her practice includes IP litigation and dispute resolution representing companies on the cutting edge of technology in a variety of industries and disciplines.

Malgorzata “Gosia” Kulczycka is an experienced attorney in the firm’s San Jose office with a broad-based IP law practice. With more than 15 years of legal experience, Gosia works to protect and support her client’s intellectual property through patent preparation and prosecution and by employing trademark and brand protection strategies for and against infringement claims.

Inventor herself, Gosia practices in various IP areas and technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, communication technologies, complex software, and more.

Gosia also has extensive experience in computer graphics and computer networks. She has procured and managed large IP client accounts in computer graphics and AI.

Torie Reinhart is Global Intellectual Property Counsel at Viridien, where she leads strategic management of the company’s global intellectual property portfolio and advises on brand protection, transactional IP matters, enforcement strategy, and risk mitigation. With a multidisciplinary background that bridges technology and law, she partners with business and legal teams to align Viridien’s IP strategy with broader corporate objectives in a fast-moving data and technology landscape.

Reinhart entered the field with a strong technical foundation as a process engineer before transitioning to IP law, and has more than two decades of experience spanning patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio management, pre-litigation analysis, due diligence, and opinion preparation. This blend of technical and legal expertise informs her practical counsel on complex IP challenges, licensing, and strategic protection of innovations.

She is active in the professional IP community and has participated in industry forums and panels focused on intellectual property strategy, transactions, and enforcement trends, speaking alongside peers on effective approaches to managing and leveraging IP assets.

Melodie Craft is General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary at P10 Inc., a private markets investment solutions provider. In this multi-faceted leadership role, she oversees the company’s legal function and provides strategic guidance on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, and key transactional matters that support P10’s growth and operational excellence.

With more than 20 years of experience as a seasoned attorney and business advisor, Craft has a wide background counseling both public and private companies across industries including private equity, hedge funds, and financial services. Prior to joining P10, she served in senior legal and compliance roles—most recently as General Counsel, Vice President of Legal Affairs & Risk Management, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer for a publicly traded company, where she led legal strategy, governance, and enterprise-wide compliance programs.

Craft’s practice blends deep legal insight with pragmatic business judgment, enabling her to tackle complex governance and regulatory challenges while advancing organizational objectives and safeguarding enterprise integrity.

Shelby Angel is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at RSG Group, the parent company of global lifestyle and fitness brands including Gold’s Gym, JOHN REED, and HEIMAT. In this role, she oversees legal strategy and execution across a broad range of areas including corporate governance, commercial contracts, intellectual property, risk management, and compliance—supporting RSG’s strategic growth in highly competitive global markets.

Angel brings extensive in-house and private practice experience to her leadership role. Before joining RSG Group in 2020, she served as Senior Corporate Counsel at Match Group and held progressive legal roles at Gold’s Gym, including Vice President and Senior Counsel. Earlier in her career, Angel practiced in commercial litigation and corporate law with major firms, honing her skills in contract negotiation, dispute resolution, and strategic counseling.

She holds a Juris Doctor from SMU Dedman School of Law and a B.A. in International Business and Spanish from San Diego State University. Based in the Dallas area, Angel’s legal leadership supports RSG’s dynamic, innovation-driven business across North America and beyond.

James Hooper is a Principal Attorney at Conley Rose, P.C. in Houston, where he specializes in intellectual property law with a focus on patent and trademark preparation, prosecution, and counseling across a wide range of technologies and industries. Drawing on his background as a mechanical engineer and his technical expertise in systems design, medical devices, electromechanical inventions, and energy-related technologies, James helps clients navigate complex IP processes with strategic guidance and practical insight.

Malgorzata “Gosia” Kulczycka is an experienced attorney in the firm’s San Jose office with a broad-based IP law practice. With more than 15 years of legal experience, Gosia works to protect and support her client’s intellectual property through patent preparation and prosecution and by employing trademark and brand protection strategies for and against infringement claims.

Inventor herself, Gosia practices in various IP areas and technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, communication technologies, complex software, and more.

Gosia also has extensive experience in computer graphics and computer networks. She has procured and managed large IP client accounts in computer graphics and AI.

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.