The Trade Secret Strategy Summit – East
In today’s fiercely competitive and innovation-driven landscape, trade secrets have become invaluable assets—yet they are more vulnerable than ever. As businesses navigate evolving legal frameworks, increasing workforce mobility, and the complexities of protecting proprietary information across borders, developing a robust trade secret strategy is no longer optional—it’s imperative.
The Trade Secret Strategy Summit – East convenes top in-house counsel, IP and HR professionals, cybersecurity leaders, and industry experts to share cutting-edge strategies for protecting, managing, and defending trade secrets. Attendees will gain actionable insights into balancing patents and trade secrets, preventing misappropriation, addressing employment law challenges, and mitigating litigation risks.
With expert-led panels, real-world case studies, and interactive discussions, this summit empowers professionals with the tools and knowledge to safeguard their organization’s trade secrets while driving innovation and collaboration.
Don’t miss this unparalleled opportunity to connect with leaders shaping the future of trade secret strategy. Enhance your expertise, expand your network, and gain practical takeaways to strengthen your organization’s trade secret protection framework.
+ CLE Pending Approval NY, PA, CT State
- Strategic Choices in Innovation: Patent vs. Trade Secret
- Trade Secrets and the Workforce: Collaborating with HR in Today’s Employment Law Landscape
- Defending Your Company Against Trade Secrets Claims: Strategic and Tactical Insights
- Prevention: Building a Strong Trade Secret Protection Framework
- The Global Reach of Trade Secrets: Opportunities and Challenges in Enforcement
- Navigating Joint Development Agreements: Safeguarding Trade Secrets and IP in Collaborative Partnerships
- Chief IP Counsel
- Chief Information Security Officer
- General Counsel
- Employment & Labor Counsel
- Chief Human Resource Officer
- Compliance Officers
- Legal Risk Managers
- Data Privacy Counsel
- VP/Director of Human Resources
- VP of R&D
- Product Security or Innovation Counsel
- Trade Secret Officers
Agenda
One-to-One Meetings Begin. If interested in participating, email info@centerforceusa.com
In the ever-evolving intellectual property landscape, companies must make crucial decisions about whether to patent their innovations or maintain them as trade secrets. While patents provide legal protection and public recognition, trade secrets offer confidentiality and longevity—but at the risk of misappropriation. This session brings together IP leaders and corporate counsel to dissect the strategic, financial, and legal considerations behind these choices, ensuring that businesses can protect their competitive edge while fostering innovation.
This panel will discuss:
- Key factors in the patent vs. trade secret debate, including reverse engineering risks, cost-benefit analysis, and protection longevity
- When patents offer stronger market positioning versus when trade secrets better shield competitive advantages
- Legal and operational challenges, including inadvertent disclosure, enforcement issues, and evolving regulatory landscapes
- Case studies on industries leveraging trade secrets versus patents for maximum impact
Joe is the Assistant General Counsel for Litigation and Intellectual Property at Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc. where he advises clients about handling disputes and litigation, compliance, and intellectual property. Before joining Mitsubishi Chemical, Joe was a Senior Associate in Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP’s Intellectual Property Group where he focused his practice on patent and trademark litigation. Joe is a 2006 graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a 2000 graduate of Columbia College where he graduated with a degree in Biochemistry. He lives in New York with his wife, daughter, and son.
Steven Fineman focuses his practice on intellectual property and commercial litigation.
He has experience litigating complex disputes in all of Delaware’s state and federal courts, including appeals to the Delaware Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Steve has substantial experience in Hatch-Waxman litigation. His clients have included large pharmaceutical companies as well as technology and communications companies. Steve co-authored a chapter in ANDA Litigation: Strategies and Tactics for Pharmaceutical Patent Litigators.
PRACTICES
Intellectual Property
Commercial Litigation
Education
Tulane University Law School, J.D., cum laude, 2000
Ursinus College, B.A., 1996
Vidya Atre Mirmira is Co-Chair of the firm’s Employment Litigation practice group. She has extensive experience in complex corporate litigation; employment, whistleblower, and ERISA litigation; whistleblower issues and investigations; and legal ethics. Illustrative of her practice, Vidya has represented global corporations in employment and whistleblower litigation; corporations and individuals in a number of employment-related disputes; and leading law firms and their attorneys in professional liability litigation and in proceedings before the District of Columbia Office of Bar Counsel. Vidya also advises on whistleblower issues and conducts related internal investigations. In 2020 and 2021, Benchmark Litigation named Vidya a “Labor and Employment Star.”
As workforce mobility increases and employment laws evolve, businesses must take a proactive approach to safeguarding trade secrets. Beyond legal protections, effective collaboration between legal teams and HR is essential to mitigating risk during hiring, managing, and transitioning employees. This session provides expert insights into aligning corporate policies with employment laws, preventing insider threats, and ensuring compliance while fostering a culture of confidentiality.
This panel will discuss:
- Current employment law trends impacting trade secrets, including the rise of non-compete bans and employee rights initiatives
- Best practices for onboarding, exit processes, and employee training to reinforce trade secret protection
- Strategies for mitigating insider threats, securing digital assets, and minimizing litigation risk when hiring from competitors
- Solutions for monitoring and safeguarding proprietary information
A trade secret misappropriation claim can put an organization’s reputation, finances, and business strategy at risk. Whether arising from a key hire, a joint venture, or competitive intelligence gathering, these allegations require swift and strategic action. This panel will equip legal and compliance professionals with the tools to assess claims, build an effective defense, and mitigate financial and reputational damage.
This panel will discuss:
- Best practices for evaluating trade secret claims and assessing legal risk
- Immediate steps to take following an allegation, including evidence preservation and internal investigations
- Strategies for mounting a robust defense, collaborating with internal departments, and leveraging outside counsel
- Mitigating damages through settlement negotiations and alternative dispute resolution
William Coppola has been an accomplished patent attorney amassing a tremendous amount of experience in the legal biotech and pharma space. He has secured and defended world-wide patent protection for chemical, biotechnology and device inventions, litigation of chemical, biotechnology and device patents in the US and globally (including Hatch-Waxman litigations in the US, and PMNOC litigations in Canada).
Mr. Coppola holds a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law. He received a graduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of South Florida, and an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Delaware. He is a registered patent attorney who is admitted to practice law in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and the District of Columbia. He is also a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor society and an Eagle Scout.
Steve Klocinski has more than 30 years of experience in intellectual property cutting across the private and public sectors. He has worked successfully with a broad range of technologies including computer software, payments technologies, electronics, advanced business processes, telecommunications, semiconductors and acoustics. Steve’s specialties include intellectual property strategy (with an emphasis on patent portfolio building and management), intellectual property risk mitigation and dispute resolution and treatment of intellectual property in commercial agreements.
Prior to joining MasterCard in March 2012, Steve was Vice-President and Managing Assistant General Counsel at CA, Inc. for six years. And previously was Assistant General Counsel at Capital One Financial. In both roles, Steve was responsible for the company’s patent portfolio. At CA, Steve was also responsible for the company’s trademark portfolio.
Steve holds a J.D. from Georgetown Law School and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State University. He began his career as an Examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Joe Walsh is a Principal at Harness IP. Joe began his legal career as in-house counsel to a European-based refiner/petrochemical company. Since then, he has served as a trusted advisor to a variety of multinational clients — frequently setting up office within his client’s facilities and working side-by-side with in-house counsel. Joe strives to see matters and legal issues through the eyes of his clients, specifically taking into account their objectives and resources. Joe is committed to providing his clients with sound legal advice grounded in good business judgment.
Joe develops and executes large and small-scale IP strategies alike in virtually every part of the industrialized world. He facilitates these projects utilizing carefully selected, high-caliber and reliable foreign counsel — all of whom he has worked with personally. Joe negotiates and drafts a full array of IP agreements, including joint-development, research/technology-transfer and licensing agreements. And, he delivers legal and business solutions to complicated patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and related litigation and licensing matters. Joe has particular experience in merger, acquisition and divestiture transactions, and he has a reputation for conducting IP due diligence investigations on-time and in-budget.
Wendy R. Stein focuses on intellectual property litigation, litigating patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and other commercial litigation matters in the software, real estate, and life sciences fields. For over twenty-two years, she has litigated intellectual property and related commercial disputes in federal and state courts throughout the United States.
On the plaintiff side, Wendy has repeatedly secured emergent relief on behalf of trade secret owners to protect their rights under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) and related state laws to prevent the imminent dissemination or use of trade secrets. On the defense side, Wendy is regularly called upon to represent individual and corporate defendants accused of misappropriating alleged trade secrets in both arbitration and federal and state court proceedings.
Since 2020 alone, she has secured early dismissals or early exits for 16 different individual and corporate defendants accused of trade secret misappropriation in the real estate, life science, software, sustainability, and transfer pricing industries under the federal DTSA and related trade secret laws of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington state, and California.
In addition to her trade secret litigation experience, Wendy litigates patent and trademark infringement matters on both the plaintiff and defense side. Her patent litigation experience includes both defending patents from attack and invalidating patents in district courts and the Federal Circuit. Her commercial litigation practice further includes litigating claims under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) alleging the unauthorized access of computers and trafficking in computer passwords.
Scheduled One-to-One Meetings. If interested in participating, email info@centerforceusa.com
In an era of heightened cybersecurity threats, safeguarding trade secrets requires more than a reactive approach—it demands a robust, proactive protection framework. This session will explore key strategies for identifying, securing, and managing trade secrets across all facets of an organization. Experts will share best practices to ensure companies are not only protecting their assets but also litigation-ready if disputes arise.
This panel will discuss:
- Conducting thorough trade secret audits to classify and prioritize sensitive information
- Establishing clear documentation and governance practices to strengthen legal protection
- Physical and digital security measures to control access and prevent unauthorized disclosures
- Ensuring compliance with trade secret laws while balancing collaboration and innovation
Nicholas Clifford handles intellectual property, commercial, and product liability litigation in state, federal, and appellate courts throughout the United States.
An accomplished trial lawyer, Nick has first-chair experience in numerous jury and bench trials and other proceedings. He prosecutes and defends litigation and counsels clients in patent, copyright, and trademark infringement matters, as well as trade secret misappropriation, along with advising clients on non-infringement and invalidity opinions, patentability, licensing, registration, and other due-diligence issues. Nick also regularly handles complex commercial litigation matters involving contract and business tort claims and defends manufacturers in product liability claims.
Nick’s strategic, value-driven counsel benefits clients in dozens of technologies, such as automotive service products, biomass pretreatment, cable video on-demand, computer middleware and memory devices, diagnostic and educational software, electronic voting machines, financial trading platforms, LED warning signal lights, pharmaceutical packaging, retinal surgical devices, and telecommunication systems.
When he is not reading patents or taking depositions, Nick likes golf and paddle tennis, working out, cycling, trout fishing, and seeing live music.
Trade secrets transcend borders, but the legal protections governing them vary widely across jurisdictions. This panel examines the critical challenges and opportunities in the global enforcement of trade secrets. Unlike other forms of intellectual property, trade secrets enable enforcement actions internationally, even when misappropriation occurs outside a company’s home jurisdiction. The session will explore the unique, borderless nature of trade secrets, the extraterritorial application of U.S. trade secret law, and effective strategies for protecting sensitive information on a global scale. Attendees will gain actionable insights into leveraging international trade secret frameworks, overcoming jurisdictional hurdles, and implementing best practices for cross-border security and enforcement.
This panel will discuss:
- Leveraging U.S. trade secret laws for extraterritorial protection and navigating WTO vs. non-WTO trade secret frameworks
- Best practices for crafting global trade secret policies that align with diverse legal frameworks
- Weighing the benefits and risks of U.S. litigation versus local enforcement mechanisms
- Overcoming hurdles in cross-border disputes, from jurisdictional challenges to enforcing foreign judgments
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.
Kim Jessum is Chief IP Counsel, Associate General Counsel, and Secretary at Heraeus Incorporated in Yardley, Pennsylvania and VP, Legal at Heraeus Medevio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Heraeus is a Fortune Global 500 portfolio company specializing in precious metals, materials, sensors, biomaterials, and medical products, as well as quartz glass and specialty light sources. Kim is responsible for providing intellectual property and general legal advice for various business units in the United States and worldwide. She received her bachelors degree in chemical engineering and applied science from Lehigh University and her masters degree in biopharmaceuticals from the University of Pennsylvania. Kim was awarded her law degree and Certificate in Intellectual Property Law from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Illinois and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She served as the Chair of the ABA Intellectual Property Law Section 2021-22 and is currently Chair of the ABA Section Officers Conference
Scheduled One-to-One Meetings. If interested in participating, email info@centerforceusa.com
Joint Development Agreements (JDAs) are powerful tools for fostering innovation, but they also pose significant risks to trade secrets and intellectual property. Without clear agreements in place, collaborations can lead to disputes over ownership, misappropriation claims, and costly litigation. This panel will provide best practices for structuring JDAs to ensure both parties benefit while minimizing trade secret risks.
This panel will discuss:
- Key steps to avoid disputes over IP ownership and trade secret misappropriation in collaborative projects
- Best practices for drafting robust confidentiality clauses and ensuring compliance with trade secret laws
- Managing trade secrets throughout the lifecycle of a partnership, including dispute resolution strategies
- Protecting proprietary information when collaborations dissolve to prevent costly litigation
Jeffrey is a seasoned litigator with a national practice that focuses on resolving business disputes with an emphasis on trade secret, supply agreement, UCC Article 2 warranty, and agricultural litigation.
Jeffrey co-chairs Fredrikson’s Commercial Law group. He understands that success in commercial litigation demands controlling costs, assessing risk and providing practical solutions.
Jeffrey has successfully resolved numerous disputes through arbitration or trial. He has litigated in twenty-four different states. He was invited to teach trial practice at both Louisiana State University and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. He has also supervised Fredrikson’s litigation associate training for five years.
Most litigation is resolved through written advocacy, and Jeffrey has won numerous summary judgments and has prevailed at the appellate level. Jeffrey is a prolific writer on trade-secret and UCC Article 2 issues and presented numerous times on these issues at state bar events and national conferences. The Minnesota State Bar gave him its author of the year award in 2006.
Jeffrey proactively advises clients on trade-secret and UCC issues based on his hard-earned knowledge of what factors are decisive with arbitrators, judges and juries. Jeffrey’s advice allows clients to make the difficult decision prior to incurring significant fees about whether to compromise or litigate based on his twenty plus years of experience.
The size and scope of his clients have ranged from start-up companies, to agribusiness market leaders, to large publicly-held companies. His pro bono activities include having served as a volunteer conciliation court referee in Scott County, Minnesota, and he was part of a team that won the Minnesota First Judicial District Amicus Curiae Award.
Scheduled One-to-One Meetings. If interested in participating, email info@centerforceusa.com
Rotating, 20-minute discussions hosted by a topic expert.
Roundtable 1: Title Coming Soon!
Presented by: Travis Hunter, Director, Richards, Layton & Finger
Roundtable 2: Title Coming Soon!
Presented by: Vidya Atre Mirmira, Partner, Williams & Connolly
Travis is an accomplished trial attorney who has successfully handled significant cases in all of Delaware’s state and federal courts. He has particular expertise in handling large commercial disputes in the Delaware Superior Court’s Complex Commercial Litigation Division (CCLD), serving as trial counsel in some of the largest cases ever filed in that division.
Highly regarded by clients and peers alike, Travis “is a brilliant attorney who has an ability to see right to the core of issues, and he provides intelligent insight on how best to keep the case focused” (Chambers USA). He routinely litigates complex disputes involving
- intellectual property and trade secrets,
- cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Ethereum,
- business contracts,
- mergers and acquisitions,
- insurance coverage, and
- products liability.
Travis has also acted as trial counsel in large arbitrations filed with the American Arbitration Association.
Travis serves on the Delaware Superior Court’s Rules Committee and the CCLD Rules Committee, and is active in the American Bar Association’s Section of Commercial and Business Litigation. He has also completed the Federal Trial Practice Seminar sponsored by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
Vidya Atre Mirmira is Co-Chair of the firm’s Employment Litigation practice group. She has extensive experience in complex corporate litigation; employment, whistleblower, and ERISA litigation; whistleblower issues and investigations; and legal ethics. Illustrative of her practice, Vidya has represented global corporations in employment and whistleblower litigation; corporations and individuals in a number of employment-related disputes; and leading law firms and their attorneys in professional liability litigation and in proceedings before the District of Columbia Office of Bar Counsel. Vidya also advises on whistleblower issues and conducts related internal investigations. In 2020 and 2021, Benchmark Litigation named Vidya a “Labor and Employment Star.”
Scheduled One-to-One Meetings. If interested in participating, email info@centerforceusa.com
Speakers
Joe is the Assistant General Counsel for Litigation and Intellectual Property at Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc. where he advises clients about handling disputes and litigation, compliance, and intellectual property. Before joining Mitsubishi Chemical, Joe was a Senior Associate in Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP’s Intellectual Property Group where he focused his practice on patent and trademark litigation. Joe is a 2006 graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a 2000 graduate of Columbia College where he graduated with a degree in Biochemistry. He lives in New York with his wife, daughter, and son.
William Coppola has been an accomplished patent attorney amassing a tremendous amount of experience in the legal biotech and pharma space. He has secured and defended world-wide patent protection for chemical, biotechnology and device inventions, litigation of chemical, biotechnology and device patents in the US and globally (including Hatch-Waxman litigations in the US, and PMNOC litigations in Canada).
Mr. Coppola holds a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law. He received a graduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of South Florida, and an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Delaware. He is a registered patent attorney who is admitted to practice law in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and the District of Columbia. He is also a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor society and an Eagle Scout.
Steve Klocinski has more than 30 years of experience in intellectual property cutting across the private and public sectors. He has worked successfully with a broad range of technologies including computer software, payments technologies, electronics, advanced business processes, telecommunications, semiconductors and acoustics. Steve’s specialties include intellectual property strategy (with an emphasis on patent portfolio building and management), intellectual property risk mitigation and dispute resolution and treatment of intellectual property in commercial agreements.
Prior to joining MasterCard in March 2012, Steve was Vice-President and Managing Assistant General Counsel at CA, Inc. for six years. And previously was Assistant General Counsel at Capital One Financial. In both roles, Steve was responsible for the company’s patent portfolio. At CA, Steve was also responsible for the company’s trademark portfolio.
Steve holds a J.D. from Georgetown Law School and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State University. He began his career as an Examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
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.
Joe Walsh is a Principal at Harness IP. Joe began his legal career as in-house counsel to a European-based refiner/petrochemical company. Since then, he has served as a trusted advisor to a variety of multinational clients — frequently setting up office within his client’s facilities and working side-by-side with in-house counsel. Joe strives to see matters and legal issues through the eyes of his clients, specifically taking into account their objectives and resources. Joe is committed to providing his clients with sound legal advice grounded in good business judgment.
Joe develops and executes large and small-scale IP strategies alike in virtually every part of the industrialized world. He facilitates these projects utilizing carefully selected, high-caliber and reliable foreign counsel — all of whom he has worked with personally. Joe negotiates and drafts a full array of IP agreements, including joint-development, research/technology-transfer and licensing agreements. And, he delivers legal and business solutions to complicated patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and related litigation and licensing matters. Joe has particular experience in merger, acquisition and divestiture transactions, and he has a reputation for conducting IP due diligence investigations on-time and in-budget.
Wendy R. Stein focuses on intellectual property litigation, litigating patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and other commercial litigation matters in the software, real estate, and life sciences fields. For over twenty-two years, she has litigated intellectual property and related commercial disputes in federal and state courts throughout the United States.
On the plaintiff side, Wendy has repeatedly secured emergent relief on behalf of trade secret owners to protect their rights under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) and related state laws to prevent the imminent dissemination or use of trade secrets. On the defense side, Wendy is regularly called upon to represent individual and corporate defendants accused of misappropriating alleged trade secrets in both arbitration and federal and state court proceedings.
Since 2020 alone, she has secured early dismissals or early exits for 16 different individual and corporate defendants accused of trade secret misappropriation in the real estate, life science, software, sustainability, and transfer pricing industries under the federal DTSA and related trade secret laws of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington state, and California.
In addition to her trade secret litigation experience, Wendy litigates patent and trademark infringement matters on both the plaintiff and defense side. Her patent litigation experience includes both defending patents from attack and invalidating patents in district courts and the Federal Circuit. Her commercial litigation practice further includes litigating claims under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) alleging the unauthorized access of computers and trafficking in computer passwords.
Kim Jessum is Chief IP Counsel, Associate General Counsel, and Secretary at Heraeus Incorporated in Yardley, Pennsylvania and VP, Legal at Heraeus Medevio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Heraeus is a Fortune Global 500 portfolio company specializing in precious metals, materials, sensors, biomaterials, and medical products, as well as quartz glass and specialty light sources. Kim is responsible for providing intellectual property and general legal advice for various business units in the United States and worldwide. She received her bachelors degree in chemical engineering and applied science from Lehigh University and her masters degree in biopharmaceuticals from the University of Pennsylvania. Kim was awarded her law degree and Certificate in Intellectual Property Law from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Illinois and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She served as the Chair of the ABA Intellectual Property Law Section 2021-22 and is currently Chair of the ABA Section Officers Conference
Steven Fineman focuses his practice on intellectual property and commercial litigation.
He has experience litigating complex disputes in all of Delaware’s state and federal courts, including appeals to the Delaware Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Steve has substantial experience in Hatch-Waxman litigation. His clients have included large pharmaceutical companies as well as technology and communications companies. Steve co-authored a chapter in ANDA Litigation: Strategies and Tactics for Pharmaceutical Patent Litigators.
PRACTICES
Intellectual Property
Commercial Litigation
Education
Tulane University Law School, J.D., cum laude, 2000
Ursinus College, B.A., 1996
Travis is an accomplished trial attorney who has successfully handled significant cases in all of Delaware’s state and federal courts. He has particular expertise in handling large commercial disputes in the Delaware Superior Court’s Complex Commercial Litigation Division (CCLD), serving as trial counsel in some of the largest cases ever filed in that division.
Highly regarded by clients and peers alike, Travis “is a brilliant attorney who has an ability to see right to the core of issues, and he provides intelligent insight on how best to keep the case focused” (Chambers USA). He routinely litigates complex disputes involving
- intellectual property and trade secrets,
- cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Ethereum,
- business contracts,
- mergers and acquisitions,
- insurance coverage, and
- products liability.
Travis has also acted as trial counsel in large arbitrations filed with the American Arbitration Association.
Travis serves on the Delaware Superior Court’s Rules Committee and the CCLD Rules Committee, and is active in the American Bar Association’s Section of Commercial and Business Litigation. He has also completed the Federal Trial Practice Seminar sponsored by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
Nicholas Clifford handles intellectual property, commercial, and product liability litigation in state, federal, and appellate courts throughout the United States.
An accomplished trial lawyer, Nick has first-chair experience in numerous jury and bench trials and other proceedings. He prosecutes and defends litigation and counsels clients in patent, copyright, and trademark infringement matters, as well as trade secret misappropriation, along with advising clients on non-infringement and invalidity opinions, patentability, licensing, registration, and other due-diligence issues. Nick also regularly handles complex commercial litigation matters involving contract and business tort claims and defends manufacturers in product liability claims.
Nick’s strategic, value-driven counsel benefits clients in dozens of technologies, such as automotive service products, biomass pretreatment, cable video on-demand, computer middleware and memory devices, diagnostic and educational software, electronic voting machines, financial trading platforms, LED warning signal lights, pharmaceutical packaging, retinal surgical devices, and telecommunication systems.
When he is not reading patents or taking depositions, Nick likes golf and paddle tennis, working out, cycling, trout fishing, and seeing live music.
Jeffrey is a seasoned litigator with a national practice that focuses on resolving business disputes with an emphasis on trade secret, supply agreement, UCC Article 2 warranty, and agricultural litigation.
Jeffrey co-chairs Fredrikson’s Commercial Law group. He understands that success in commercial litigation demands controlling costs, assessing risk and providing practical solutions.
Jeffrey has successfully resolved numerous disputes through arbitration or trial. He has litigated in twenty-four different states. He was invited to teach trial practice at both Louisiana State University and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. He has also supervised Fredrikson’s litigation associate training for five years.
Most litigation is resolved through written advocacy, and Jeffrey has won numerous summary judgments and has prevailed at the appellate level. Jeffrey is a prolific writer on trade-secret and UCC Article 2 issues and presented numerous times on these issues at state bar events and national conferences. The Minnesota State Bar gave him its author of the year award in 2006.
Jeffrey proactively advises clients on trade-secret and UCC issues based on his hard-earned knowledge of what factors are decisive with arbitrators, judges and juries. Jeffrey’s advice allows clients to make the difficult decision prior to incurring significant fees about whether to compromise or litigate based on his twenty plus years of experience.
The size and scope of his clients have ranged from start-up companies, to agribusiness market leaders, to large publicly-held companies. His pro bono activities include having served as a volunteer conciliation court referee in Scott County, Minnesota, and he was part of a team that won the Minnesota First Judicial District Amicus Curiae Award.
Vidya Atre Mirmira is Co-Chair of the firm’s Employment Litigation practice group. She has extensive experience in complex corporate litigation; employment, whistleblower, and ERISA litigation; whistleblower issues and investigations; and legal ethics. Illustrative of her practice, Vidya has represented global corporations in employment and whistleblower litigation; corporations and individuals in a number of employment-related disputes; and leading law firms and their attorneys in professional liability litigation and in proceedings before the District of Columbia Office of Bar Counsel. Vidya also advises on whistleblower issues and conducts related internal investigations. In 2020 and 2021, Benchmark Litigation named Vidya a “Labor and Employment Star.”
Sponsors
Ballard Spahr
Ballard Spahr provides strategic legal services and business solutions of the highest quality, delivered with uncommon efficiency.
With more than 750 lawyers in 18 U.S. offices, we bring industry knowledge augmented by tenacity, initiative, and a drive for results—creating an outsized advantage for clients in litigation, transactions, and regulatory compliance.
Harness IP
Harness IP is a prominent intellectual property (IP) law firm headquartered in the United States. With a rich history dating back to 1921, the firm has established itself as a leader in the field of IP law, offering a comprehensive range of services to clients worldwide. Harness IP specializes in various aspects of intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and IP litigation. The firm’s team of experienced attorneys provides strategic counsel and legal representation to assist clients in protecting, managing, and enforcing their intellectual property rights effectively. Known for their expertise, dedication, and commitment to client success, Harness IP attorneys are trusted advisors to businesses, inventors, and innovators seeking to safeguard their intellectual assets in today’s competitive market landscape.
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP has been in business since 1992. The Firm’s senior founding partners are Douglas S. Ellenoff, Barry I. Grossman and Allen Schole. Doug, Barry and Allen brought together three different but important professional disciplines: Corporate/Securities, Taxation and Real Estate. Over the course of the next three decades, the Firm brought in additional lateral partners, as well as, internally trained associates who have become partners. The Firm has added a range of additional practice groups: Litigation, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Bankruptcy and Immigration. The Firm currently has over 125 lawyers based primarily in New York City, although the Firm services clients from around the world. The Firm also has a presence in Irvine, California, where our Securities Litigation department has an office, and in Los Angeles, California, where we have additional Labor and Employment attorneys – expanding the firm’s capacity to advise and represent employers in California’s challenging regulatory environment. And also adding to the firm’s workplace investigation and corporate business litigation capacities in California.
The Firm started off in offices of 3,700 square feet and currently occupies 60,000 square feet at 1345 Avenue of the Americas.
Richards, Layton & Finger
Defining Delaware law since 1899, Richards, Layton & Finger helps clients navigate complex issues and the intricacies of Delaware law. The firm has participated in groundbreaking cases defining Delaware corporate law, and its lawyers have long played crucial roles in drafting and amending the state’s influential business statutes. Richards Layton advises global companies, business partnerships, financial institutions, local businesses, and individuals across a wide range of practices, including corporate law, alternative entities, commercial law, bankruptcy and restructuring, commercial real estate, tax, trusts and estates, and litigation. In addition, Richards Layton is nationally recognized for tackling some of the most difficult, large-scale intellectual property matters that emerge in the Delaware District Court, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex patent infringement, trade secret, and trademark cases.
Tucker Ellis LLP
Tucker Ellis LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 200 attorneys practicing nationwide with offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and St. Louis. The firm is proud to service a Fortune 250 list of sophisticated national litigation and business clients for whom we individually tailor our client service teams.
Fredrikson & Byron
At Fredrikson, we’ve built a reputation as the firm “where law and business meet” by bringing business acumen and entrepreneurial thinking to our work with clients, and by operating as business advisors and strategic partners as well as legal counselors.
A proactive, problem-solving mindset runs throughout our service areas, from our traditional legal areas of support like litigation, real estate, and intellectual property to our more consultative practices like government relations. It’s a mindset that enables us to understand and keep client objectives firmly in mind, and to anticipate and address problems before they arise.
Our lawyers blend a common sense approach with in-the-field experience, and we utilize our firm’s strong reputation and our lawyers’ broad networks of business and industry contacts to get things done for clients.
Clients have relied on us since 1948 for great solutions that help them minimize legal risks and maximize business benefits. We look forward to an opportunity to show you what it is like where law and business meet.
Williams & Connolly LLP
Williams & Connolly is recognized as one of the world’s premier litigation firms. Our lawyers successfully handle significant civil and criminal matters in courts across the country and forums around the world. We bring a unique blend of talent, tenacity and teamwork to every case we handle in the relentless pursuit of the best possible outcomes for our clients.
Venue
Midtown Manhattan
NYC, NY
Pricing
| Register By | In House Counsel | Law Firms & Vendors |
|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2025 | $0.00 | Contact info@centerforceusa.com |
| May 22, 2025 | $0.00 | Contact info@centerforceusa.com |
| June 5, 2025 | $0.00 | Contact info@centerforceusa.com |
- Payment is due in full at the time of registration and includes lunches, refreshments and detailed conference materials.
- Your registration will not be confirmed until payment is received and may be subject to cancellation.
- You may substitute delegates at any time. CenterForce does not provide refunds for cancellations.
- For cancellations received in writing more than seven (7) days prior to the conference you will receive a 100% credit to be used at another CenterForce conference for up to one year from the date of issuance.
- For cancellations received seven (7) days or less prior to an event (including day 7), no credit will be issued. In the event that CenterForce cancels an event, delegate payments at the date of cancellation will be credited to a future CenterForce event. This credit will be available for up to one year from the date of issuance.
- In the event that CenterForce postpones an event, delegate payments at the postponement date will be credited towards the rescheduled date. If the delegate is unable to attend the rescheduled event, the delegate will receive a 100% credit representing payments made towards a future CenterForce event. This credit will be available for up to one year from the date of issuance. No refunds will be available for cancellations or postponements.
- CenterForce is not responsible for any loss or damage as a result of a substitution, alteration or cancellation/postponement of an event. CenterForce shall assume no liability whatsoever in the event this conference is cancelled, rescheduled or postponed due to a fortuitous event, Act of God, unforeseen occurrence or any other event that renders performance of this conference impracticable or impossible. For purposes of this clause, a fortuitous event shall include, but not be limited to: war, fire, labor strike, extreme weather or other emergency.
- Please note that speakers and topics were confirmed at the time of publishing, however, circumstances beyond the control of the organizers may necessitate substitutions, alterations or cancellations of the speakers and/or topics. As such, CenterForce reserves the right to alter or modify the advertised speakers and/or topics if necessary. Any substitutions or alterations will be updated on our web page as soon as possible.
- All discounts must require payment at time of registration and before the cut-off date in order to receive any discount.
- Any discounts offered whether by CenterForce (including team discounts) must also require payment at the time of registration.
- All discount offers cannot be combined with any other offer.