22nd Annual Symposium on IP Law and Policy

A Midwestern IP conference leader for over 20 years

Monday March 9, 2020

Location | The University of Akron

Keynote Speaker | The Honorable Alice Batchelder, former Chief Judge of the Sixth Circuit

Description | The University of Akron School of Law hosted its 22nd Annual Symposium on Intellectual Property Law and Policy. It was attended by hundreds of IP attorneys from Northeast Ohio and throughout the country, as well as students and faculty. Leading attorneys from across the country spoke about emerging issues in intellectual property licensing, patent eligibility after Mayo, Myriad, and Alice, PTAB practice, effective advocacy in IP litigation, litigation finance in IP cases, IP ethics and the duties of non-lawyers involved in law practice, and enforcing and protecting IP rights in novel settings such as online marketplaces.

The highlight of the Symposium was the keynote address from the Honorable Alice Batchelder, former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, who discussed effective advocacy in IP litigation. Judge Batchelder fielded questions from her former clerk and current Jones Day IP Counsel, Sue Gerber. She provided the judge's perspective on lawyers' behavior and advocacy before the court, providing insights into how best to present complex and technical subject matter and how lawyers' behavior impacts their effectiveness. Of special note to Akron Law, Judge Batchelder told the audience that she was a proud Akron Law alum, describing how the school provided excellent preparation for her career.

The IP Symposium was attended by over 200 IP professionals. Participants were not only able to receive a full-day of CLE credit but given the opportunity to network with fellow IP professionals and corporate counsel from Northeast Ohio and elsewhere.