Speaker Bios
T.J. is general counsel with fifteen years of in-house and law firm experience. Currently he is General Counsel at Digital Control Incorporated. Prior to that, he worked for Intellectual Ventures as Senior Counsel. His law firm experience includes 8 years at Fenwick & West LLP, a Silicon Valley-based firm, representing publicly traded and privately held technology companies (including Cisco Systems and Symantec). He holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BS in Electrical Engineering from University of Washington.
Justin is a patent attoney, director and IP Counsel at NuScale Power. Accomplished patent attorney known for securing patents with both broad and targeted claims for a number of high-technology clients.
He specializes in the software and electrical fields. Recently his experience has involved: microprocessor architecture and design, cloud computing, software-as-a-service, enterprise management software, operating systems, wireless/cellular communications, optical, networking devices, and mechanical.
Jana Harris, J.D., Ph.D. is Patent Counsel at Seattle Genetics, an innovative biotechnology company dedicated to improving the lives of people with cancer through novel antibody-based therapies. Prior to joining Seattle Genetics, Jana was an intellectual property attorney for six years at a general practice law firm supporting a variety of clients on all aspects of intellectual property prosecution, litigation, and licensing. At Seattle Genetics, her legal practice encompasses building global intellectual property portfolios through strategic procurement, management, and defense. Additionally, she renders legal opinions with respect to patentability, validity and freedom to operate, as well as provides counsel during drug research and development on patent portfolio enforcement and lifecycle management.
Sana is Enterprise Ptent Portfolio Manager at Boeing. She has extensive experience in negotiation and strategy development for complex, multi-national corporate IP licensing. Known for strategic portfolio development and management maximizing monetization and litigation efforts efficiency. Uniquely positioned - through a broad range of skills, experience and a PhD in EE - to harmonize the business, legal and technical sides of IP. Recognized for sleek, revolutionary and innovative thinking, depth and breadth of knowledge.
Sana is also fluent in English, French, and Arabic. Beginner: Mandarin
Stephen is currently Senior Corporate Counsel in T-Mobile’s Litigation Group. At T-Mobile, he manages patent and other intellectual property litigation and provides strategic counseling on various intellectual property matters. Prior to joining T-Mobile, Stephen served as Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft Corporation where he managed U.S. and international patent litigation in Microsoft’s Litigation Group dating back to 2001, and later handled various patent counseling, dispute resolution, and licensing related issues as part of Microsoft’s Innovation and Intellectual Property Group. As the second patent litigator hired at Microsoft, Stephen has been responsible for many large-scale and high stakes patent litigation matters, including the Lucent v. Microsoft series of cases that are cited to frequently in the context of patent damages reform. Prior to Microsoft, Stephen practiced at Latham & Watkins in Silicon Valley, California, where he also focused on patent litigation and other intellectual property disputes. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and the UCLA School of Law.
Bill Harmon is a Director of IP & Trademarks at Uber Technologies. His practice includes all areas of intellectual property with a focus on inbound and outbound patent licensing related to both commercial deals and IP disputes. Prior to joining Uber, Bill was a partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon representing clients on matters related to intellectual property and cyber security. Bill also worked at Microsoft for over a decade where he served as Assistant General Counsel in Microsoft’s Patent Litigation Group, Assistant General Counsel for Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit, and General Manager for Microsoft’s Global Standards Team. Bill graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1995 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Santa Clara University. Bill spent 4 years as an adjunct law professor at Seattle University teaching IP Licensing.
Darcy L. Jones is a member of Kasowitz’s Intellectual Property group, where she practices in the areas of patent and trade secret litigation. She represents clients in diverse and complex matters in all phases of litigation in state and federal courts, from pre-filing investigation through post-trial briefing and appeal.
Darcy has considerable lead counsel and trial experience in patent infringement litigation involving telecommunications, computer hardware and software, medical devices, electrical and mechanical technologies, and pharmaceuticals. She frequently litigates high-stakes matters for some of the largest telecommunications and technology companies in the world, including Verizon, Google, LG, Samsung, ASUS and Motorola. Darcy regularly appears in federal courts around the country, including the Eastern District of Texas, Delaware, and the Northern and Central Districts of California.
Craig is senior litigation counsel at HP. He coordinates and oversees intellectual property and other litigation matters. He has previous counsel experience at WilmerHale where he handled intellectual property litigation matters for technology clients. Vsquez Benisek & Lindgren with a focus on patent infringement and general business disputes for clients in the technology sector as well as Morgan Miller and Blair where handled a range of litigation involving technology, patent, real estate, and general business disputes.
He's earned a B.A. in English from the Unviersity of Michigan and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School
Ken Parker is a first-chair trial lawyer who has tried patent, trademark and business cases to verdict, including International Trade Commission Section 337 patent litigation proceedings. He focuses on patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secrets litigation. Ken previously served as the chair of Haynes and Boone's Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group.
Ken is AV Peer Review Rated Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, is included in the Southern California Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2012-2019, was rated as a Patent and Trademark Star in 2017, as well as an IP Star, by Managing IP Magazine, Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, and has been selected as a leading California trademark litigator by World Trademark Review, Globe Business Publishing Ltd., 2013-2019. He was also recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., for Litigation – Intellectual Property and Trademark Law in 2017-2020, as well as Orange County’s lawyer of the year in Trademark Law.
Ken's work spans across industries, ranging from semiconductors and medical devices to consumer products. Ken prides himself on leading or working with teams to best serve clients, making complex issues understandable for clients, judges, and juries, and obtaining superior results for clients. In addition to litigating in his home state of California, Ken handles cases in courts throughout the country, including patent, trademark, copyright and trade secrets cases.
When Ken is not litigating for clients, he enjoys speaking on issues related to trial tactics and approaches, substantive patent and trademark issues, and providing pro bono work for clients recommended by Orange County's Public Law Center.
Ken is proud to have been a judicial clerk for Chief Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit from 1994 to 1995.
David Killough is an Assistant General Counsel in the Litigation, Competition and Compliance Group of Microsoft’s Legal and Corporate Affairs department. Killough’s principal responsibility is management of Microsoft patent litigation matters in the U.S. and internationally. Before joining Microsoft in 2008, Killough was a partner of the firm Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. in Austin, Texas, where he co-headed the Intellectual Property & Technical Litigation Section, and before that was a partner of the firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP in California. He received his B.A. degree from North Texas State University in 1977 and his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in 1983. While in private practice, Killough was listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in Texas Super Lawyers.
Brenna Legaard, a registered patent attorney, helps established and emerging technology companies in the medical, software, high-tech manufacturing and sporting goods industries create holistic intellectual property strategies that support long-term business goals. She divides her practice between litigation and transactional work in addition to leading Schwabe’s Technology industry group. Whether through protecting innovations, licensing or acquiring technology, Brenna assists clients in developing strong intellectual property positions.
A seasoned intellectual property litigator, Brenna approaches cases with intellectual rigor. She has a unique ability to view her clients’ situations through a comprehensive lens, connecting dots and seeing patterns that were previously hidden.
Brenna’s strategic approach to working with clients hinges on a proven methodology and creative problem solving. She is skilled at diving deep into each client’s specific business model, technology and market landscape and then circling the wagons internally to align patent strategy with competitive advantage. She is relentless in her focus on doing what is in her clients’ best interest.
In addition to solid credentials and expertise, Brenna’s collaborative personality, energy and contagious enthusiasm make her easy to work with, and as a result, she maintains long-term relationships with her clients.
Cristin Wagner helps innovative companies protect and develop their intellectual property portfolios. She takes the time to understand her clients’ needs and align legal strategies with their goals to achieve optimal results. She is regarded for her practical approach and expertise in the areas of patent litigation and patent portfolio management.
Throughout her career, Cristin has handled complex litigation matters for a broad client base ranging from leading pharmaceutical companies to individual inventors. She has experience with cross-border enforcement of intellectual property rights and, in particular, developing worldwide enforcement strategies. In addition to her litigation practice, Cristin provides advice and conducts due diligence for patent acquisitions and negotiates and drafts patent licenses.
Prior to joining Schwabe, Cristin was in-house counsel at a publicly held patent licensing company, where she managed worldwide licensing and enforcement programs. Her first-hand experience finding cost-efficient representation helps her develop efficient strategies and budgeting for litigation matters.
Cristin spent the first part of her career as a patent litigator with a large international law firm in Canada. There she managed all phases of complex multimillion-dollar pharmaceutical patent infringement cases and applications under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations. This experience provided her with a thorough understanding of the various regulatory and business issues facing the pharmaceutical industry, including generic competition and the importance of patent and regulatory exclusivities for innovative drug products.
Admitted to practice only in California, the Law Society of Upper Canada, and the USPTO. Supervised by shareholders in the Portland office.
Mr. Levitt’s 30 years of legal experience centers in the corporate sector where he has been at the forefront of intellectual property changes. As Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at Dow Corning Corporation, Mr. Levitt led a global team of more than 25 employees to advance and protect Dow Corning’s diverse technologies and markets. Previously, Mr. Levitt served as corporate counsel at DuPont and General Counsel of Solae, LLC, a joint venture by DuPont and Bunge.
Sanjesh Sharma is Senior IP Counsel at Johnson & Johnson Vision, where she manages all aspects of intellectual property for the company’s Refractive Surgery and Laser Cataract Surgery product lines, including managing domestic and international patent portfolios, litigation support, opposition practice, product clearances, due diligence for asset acquisitions and licensing, as well as copyright and trademark compliance. Before moving in-house, she worked at various national and global law firms, focusing mainly on patent and trademark litigation, licensing, due diligence, and counseling involving a wide range of technologies, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer electronics.
Sanjesh received her undergraduate degree in Microbiology from University of California, San Diego, and her law degree from Loyola Law School. She currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Patent Interest Group for the IP Section of the California State Bar. She regularly speaks on patents and in-house practice, and has been named Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Super Lawyers.
Business, technology and IP executive with proven success in technology and product development and commercialization; intellectual property creation, portfolio strategies, management and commercialization; IP landscape and whitespace analysis; patentability search; patentability and freedom to operate analysis and opinions; IP due diligence; patent validity and infringement analyses; IP assets evaluation, acquisition, and licensing; technology transfer; IP strategy, patent portfolio development and trademark strategy for startups; inventors training, development, and management; patent preparation and prosecution in the fields of chemistry, pharmaceutics, therapeutic methods, biotechnology, medical devices, polymers, material sciences, and nanotechnology; design patent preparation and prosecution; client counseling and case management; trademark searches and availability opinions; trademark registrations, oppositions, and cancellations; and limited amount of copyright work.
Specialties: Intellectual property practice in chemistry, materials, pharmaceutics, and biotechnology.
Christa Anderson handles complex and high-stakes business litigation for some of the country’s top corporations, including Google, SanDisk, Broadcom, American Honda, and Sutter Health. She has extensive experience in the areas of intellectual property (patent, copyright and trademark), breach of contract, antitrust, business torts and class actions.
Ms. Anderson has litigated, mediated and tried cases in federal courts around the country (including California, Texas, and Virginia), as well as in California state court.
