INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Akron Law Intellectual Property Advisory Council is a body of experts from around the world that assists Akron Law students and the law school via advice and guidance. The Council is comprised of over 50 IP professionals seeking to advance Akron Law’s IP Center and programming, foster relationships with businesses, law firms, and governments, and assist students with career planning.
While many council members are close to the law school in Northeast Ohio, we have multiple members based around the country and outside the United States: Washington D.C.; California; Georgia; Florida; Oregon; Illinois; Canada; and South Korea.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Toni Polson Ashton |
Partner, Sim Ashton & McKay LLP
Toni P. Ashton earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto in 1970. She received her Juris Doctorate from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1973. She is currently a partner at Sim & McBurney and Sim Ashton & McKay LLP with a legal practice counseling clients in the selection and availability of trademarks, portfolio management, prosecution, policing of trade-marks, opposition and related licensing and packaging issues. Toni’s commitment to trade-mark law has led to serving as Chair of the National Intellectual Property Section of the Canadian Bar Association, and on the International Trade-mark Association. She has been included in Best Lawyers in Canada.
The Honorable Alice Batchelder |
Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The Honorable Alice Batchelder serves as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She previously served as a Judge on the United States bankruptcy court in Cleveland for the Northern District of Ohio and as a judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She served as Chief Judge of the Sixth Circuit form 2009 to 2014. Judge Batchelder received her Bachelor's degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and received her Juris Doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law. She also received an L.L.M. from University of Virginia School of Law.
Alicia M. Choi |
Partner, NSIP Law
Ms. Choi is a partner at NSIP Law in Washington D.C. Ms. Choi advises clients on IP portfolio development and protection strategies in electrical and computer arts including: telecommunications; wireless technologies; hardware and software systems; information; medical devices; semi conductors; digital circuitry; and mechanical technologies. She has previous held positions as partner at Squire Sanders & Dempsey, as a patent attorney at Staas & Halsey LLP, as an associate patent attorney at Tarolli Sundheim Covell & Tummio LLP, and as Lead Control Systems Engineer at Rockwell. Ms. Choi received her law degree from the University of Akron and obtained a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University.
Noel M. Cook |
Principal, Owen, Wickersham & Erickson
Noel Cook is a principal at Owen, Wickersham & Erickson ("OWE"), an IP boutique of long standing in San Francisco, where he has worked for almost 30 years in the areas of trademark and copyright protection, strategy, enforcement and litigation. Mr. Cook works with clients in a variety of fields, including the retail and outdoor industries, product and furniture design, apparel, character merchandising, and software/Internet. Mr. Cook also has an active mediation practice focusing on trademark and copyright disputes. Before joining OWE, Mr. Cook practiced general business litigation. He has spoken on a variety of topics at the intersection of trademark and copyright law including, most recently, international copyright protection for logos at the May 2017 International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting in Barcelona, Spain, and before that on recent copyright developments at the 2017 Akron Law IP Symposium. Mr. Cook is a long-time member and current chair of the Intellectual Property Advisory Council at the University of Akron Law School. He is an active participant in INTA, where he is currently vice-chair of the Copyright Committee, and is a member of the INTA Panel of Mediators. He is a past executive committee member and trustee of the Copyright Society of the USA.
Edward Crooks |
Vice President and Executive Counsel of Intellectual Property, Diebold Nixdorf
Edward Crooks received his B.S. from the Ohio State University in 1994, and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Akron School of Law in 2002. He was formerly an attorney with Hahn Loeser & Parks, and was Assistant General Counsel at Electrolux for four years before joining Diebold Nixdorf, a leading ATM and financial services company. Edward is now Vice President and Executive Counsel, Intellectual Property at Diebold Nixdorf, where he oversees the companies' global IP activities.
John Demarco |
Shareholder, Young, Basile, Hanlon & MacFarlane, P.C.
John Demarco is a shareholder of Young Basile Hanlon & MacFarlane P.C. in its Houston, Texas office. He has practiced as a patent attorney in Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, and Houston to help companies acquire and develop technology and intellectual property, enforce/license intellectual property, design around patents, defend against patent assertions, and structure international commercial activity to minimize infringement exposure. John received his. J.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1995 and B.S. degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Engineering Physics and German in 1989. John's technical experience is in electronics, software, optics, mechanics and chemicals, including: medical devices and imaging; robotics; automotive components; pharmaceuticals; petrochemicals; oil and gas drilling and flow systems; distributed computing; semiconductor component fabrication; and digital reading, storage, display, printing and camera devices.
Malisheia Douglas |
Patent Attorney, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP
Malisheia Douglas received her Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1996 and her JD from the University of Akron in 2008. She is currently a patent attorney practicing with Calfee, Halter, & Griswold LLP. She is licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Before attaining her law degree, Malisheia worked as a polymer process research engineer at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and as a finishing process engineer at Buckeye Cellulose Corporation.
Kevin M. Dunn |
Chief Counsel of Intellectual Property, The Lincoln Electric Company
Kevin M. Dunn serves as Chief Counsel, Intellectual Property for The Lincoln Electric Company, directing the procurement and enforcement of the company's intellectual property portfolio. Mr. Dunn manages a worldwide team of attorneys and other professionals to protect Lincoln's innovation and branding, engage in dispute resolution, and forge business relationships. Prior to joining Lincoln, Mr. Dunn advised clients including Microsoft, Xerox, General Electric, Advanced Micro Devices and Rockwell Automation on various intellectual property matters. He earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University in 1996 and his Juris Doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law in 2005.
Michael R. Dzwonczyk |
Partner, Sughrue Mion, LLP
Michael R. Dzwonczyk is a partner at Sughrue Mion LLP, in Washington, DC. For 27 years, he has successfully represented multinational companies as lead counsel in trials and appeals of patent cases in District Courts and at the Federal Circuit, as well as Section 337 cases at the International Trade Commission. He received his undergraduate degree in chemistry (Temple University, 1984) and his JD from Dickinson Law School in 1990. Prior to joining Sughrue, he was a partner at both the Morgan Lewis and Pillsbury firms. He concentrates his practice in pharmaceuticals, and regularly represents companies in Hatch-Waxman litigation, as well as at the PTAB in ex parte and inter partes matters. He is an adjunct professor of law at George Washington University's National Law Center, serves on the Board of Directors of the Naples Roundtable, and has served on FCBA's Board of Directors, as well as chaired AIPLA's Chemical Practice Committee.
Roger D. Emerson |
Managing Partner, Emerson Thomson Bennet, LLC
Roger Emerson graduated from the University of Akron with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1981, cum laude and with a Juris Doctor in 1987. His career included ten years at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in the roles of engineer and in-house patent attorney, five years at a Cleveland intellectual property boutique, five years as practice group chair at a general practice law firm, and twenty-five years as the managing partner of Emerson Thomson Bennett, an intellectual property boutique law firm in Akron, Ohio.
Eryn Ace Fuhrer |
Senior Intellectual Property Counsel, Lubrizol Corporation
Eryn Ace Fuhrer is currently Senior Intellectual Property Counsel for The Lubrizol Corporation where she advises corporate clients in all areas of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, and copyrights as well as related transactions and disputes. Prior to her position at Lubrizol, she was IP Counsel at The Sherwin-Williams Company and an associate attorney/patent agent at Oldham & Oldham and Hahn Loeser & Parks. She earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Chemistry from John Carroll University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Akron School of Law in 2000.
Stephanie J. Felicetty |
Senior Intellectual Property Counsel, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
Stephanie Felicetty is a University of Akron School of Law alumna. She graduated in 2003 summa cum laude, and earned her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering in 1996 from Youngstown State University, summa cum laude. She spent seven years as intellectual property counsel at Brinks, Hofer, Gilson, & Lione in Chicago and five years at BP, during which she spent 6 months on assignment in the UK as a commercial attorney. Stephanie is currently Senior Intellectual Property Counsel at the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Her expertise spans a variety of technical disciplines and includes patent litigation, prosecution, patentability and non-infringement opinions, and transactional matters.
Richard J. Gilbey |
Founding Partner, Gilbey Legal
Richard Gilbey is a founding partner of the Paris law firm Gilbey Legal, which specializes in intellectual and industrial property law. The practice includes representing French and foreign clients before the Community trademarks and designs registry, including representation up to the EU Courts of Justice. He graduated in law from the Queen's College, Oxford. After studying comparative law in France, he qualified as a solicitor in the UK where he practiced for three years. He then obtained postgraduate degrees in European Community law and industrial property law from Strasbourg University. After seven years heading the trademarks and designs departments of life sciences companies Synthelabo and Sanofi, he set up Gilbey Legal in December 1992. He is a lecturer at the CEIPI Intellectual Property Centre of the University of Strasbourg. He is a frequent speaker at French and international trademark conferences (APRAM, INTA, PTMG, ECTA).
Partner, Arent Fox, LLP
Michael A. Grow is a partner at the Washington DC office of Arent Fox LLP. He focuses on trademark and copyright litigation and transactional work. His practice also includes foreign and domestic enforcement, prosecution licensing, technology transfer, right of publicity, advertising and privacy law. Michael is listed as a top tier litigator and leading trademark lawyer in the United States by Chambers USA, the Legal 500, and the World Trademark Reporter. He has conducted numerous trials throughout the United States and more than a thousand proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. He graduated from the George Washington University Law School and Weber State University.
Associate General Counsel of Intellectual Property, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Mr. Hendricks is currently the Associate General Counsel of Intellectual Property at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company where he is responsible for managing a professional staff of attorneys and support personnel for carrying out the world-wide patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret activities of Goodyear. These activities include obtaining, maintaining, and enforcing the intellectual property rights of Goodyear and defending Goodyear against the intellectual property rights of others, as well as licensing such intellectual property rights. Previously Mr. Hendricks held positions as Senior Patent Attorney at Goodyear, Associate at Bernard, Rothwell, & Brown, and as a Patent Attorney at Goodyear. Mr. Hendricks received his Bachelors of Chemistry from West Virginia Wesleyan College, and his Juris Doctorate of Law from Capital University Law School.
Assistant General Counsel of Intellectual Property, PolyOne Corporation
John Hornickel is the Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property, of PolyOne Corporation. Previously, he held IP counsel positions with Bridgestone/Firestone as Chief from 1999 until 2002, 3M as Senior from 1989 until 1999, Figgie International as Corporate from 1981 until1989, and Oldham, Oldham, Hudak, and Weber from 1978 until 1981. He graduated from Davidson in 1975, B.S., cum laude and Special Attainments in Chemistry and Wake Forest in 1978, J.D., cum laude. He is an attorney in Ohio and Virginia (Inactive) and at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He is now, or has been, active with, among others: American Intellectual Property Law Association; Cleveland Intellectual Property Law Association; European Patent Office - USA Patent Bar Liaison Council; Intellectual Property Owners Association; Patent Strategy & Management Newsletter; and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Chief Legal Office and Secretary, Sbarro Holdings, Inc.
Mr. Inzetta is currently the Chief Legal Officer and Secretary for Sbarro Holdings, Inc., the owner, operator and franchisor of the Sbarro pizza and Cucinova pizza brands world-wide. He has held this title since 2013. Prior to joining Sbarro Mr. Inzetta was Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Chief Corporate Compliance Officer for The Wendy's Company. Mr. Inzetta was with The Wendy's Company for 30 years during which time it owned, operated and franchised the Wendy's, Tim Horton's, Baja Fresh, Café Express and Pasta Pomodoro brands world-wide. Mr. Inzetta received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with a major in accounting, summa cum laude in 1977 from the University of Cincinnati, and his J. D. from the University of Akron School of Law in 1980, with a class rank of 5th.
Partner, Sughrue Mion, LLP
Mr. Iyer is currently a partner at the Sughrue Mion firm in Washington D.C. His practice includes patent litigation and prosecution in complex, technical areas in the electrical and computer arts. His representative cases include multi-patent litigation in the field of semiconductor memories and AI software. He has also been involved in patent infringement cases pertaining to electrical motor control systems and chemical software. Mr. Iyer attended Georgetown University Law Center from 1993-1997. Prior to Georgetown, Mr. Iyer attended the University of Tennessee Space Institute focusing in computer science, the University of Akron focusing in chemical engineering, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, focusing in chemical engineering.
Professor, The University of Akron School of Law
Bob Kahrl is a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence and Senior Lecturer in the Center for Intellectual Property Law and Technology at the University of Akron School of Law, where he teaches courses in patent claim construction, complex commercial litigation, and intellectual property licensing. Bob is a retired partner of Jones Day, having served as leader of the Firm's intellectual property practice and Managing Partner on legal ethics. He specialized in litigation of cases involving issues of technological complexity, principally in the fields of semiconductors, electronic systems, and medical devices. After retiring from Jones Day, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary, and is a licensed clinical counselor, specializing. He also clerked for Circuit Judge Paul C. Weick of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He is author of the treatise, Patent Claim Construction (Aspen Law & Business 2001, supplemented annually), and co-author of the Thesaurus of Claim Construction (Oxford 2011) with Stuart Soffer of Stanford University. Bob received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and received both an M.B.A. and a J.D. degree from The Ohio State University, where he was managing editor of the Ohio State Law Journal.
Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, Eaton Corporation
John Kastelic heads the Intellectual Property Practice Group at Eaton, comprising 15 IP attorneys in the Law Department located in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific. He has been with Eaton over 20 years, having started in the Law Department as an entry-level patent attorney. John holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame (1983) and a Law Degree from the Ohio State University (1990). He spent four years working as an electrical engineer/ project manager between undergrad and law school. Locally, John has served as President of the Cleveland Intellectual Property Law Association and currently sits on the Akron Law School Intellectual Property Advisory Council.
Young Kim |
Senior Partner, Kim & Chang - Seoul, South Korea
Ms. Kim received her JD from Franklin Pierce Law Center (1992) and BS from the Pharmacy College at Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea (1977). She was admitted to the Korean Patent Bar (1979), the PA bar (1994), and Washington D.C. bar (1996). Ms. Kim is a senior partner at Kim & Chang, the largest law firm in Korea. Her practice is focused on patent litigation and she handled numerous landmark patent cases. She published a number of articles in law journals, including BNA's World Intellectual Property Report. She was named as a leading individual in IP by Chambers Global (2014-2017) and Chambers Asia-Pacific (2014-2018) and as IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property (2014).
The Honorable Robert L. Kinder |
Dr. Peter Klusmann |
Jeannette L. Knudsen |
The Honorable Paul R. Michel |
Scott M. Oldham |
Ken Preston |
The Honorable Thomas C. Sawyer |
Ari Sherwin |
Nicole Stakleff |
John M. Vasuta |
Philip Warrick |
W. Mack Webner |
Administrative Patent Judge, Patent Trial and Appeal Board at the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Robert Kinder is currently serving as an Administrative Patent Judge on the Patent Trial and Appeal Board at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Judge Kinder is a 2003 graduate of Akron Law and a 1996 engineering graduate of Ohio Northern University. Immediately upon graduation from Akron Law, Judge Kinder served as a law clerk to Chief Judge H. Robert Mayer on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Prior to his appointment as a judge on the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, Judge Kinder was an attorney and patent litigator at Hunton and Williams and another large D.C. law firm. Judge Kinder previously served as an officer in the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Patent Attorney, German and European
Dr. Peter Klusmann is a German and European patent attorney. Dr. Klusmann's main area of work concerns patents in the chemical and pharmaceutical fields, primarily opposition and appeal proceedings before the European and German Patent Offices and the Federal Patent Court, opinion work, patent prosecution and litigation, both cross-border and national, as well as employed inventor's law. He has various publications on questions of patent law and employed inventor's law. He is a European correspondent of "Patents & Licensing". He studied chemistry at Rheinisch Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (1986-1990) and received a diploma and doctoral theses at the Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung Mülheim an der Ruhr (1991-1993). He has worked as a German and European Patent Attorney since 1998 and co-leader of the chemistry group since 2009.
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Intellectual Property, The J.M. Smucker Company
Jeannette Knudsen is the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for The J. M. Smucker Company. Ms. Knudsen is a member of the Company's executive leadership team and has extensive experience in leading complex business transactions, including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, joint development and licensing arrangements, commercial agreements, and dispute resolutions. In addition, Ms. Knudsen works closely with the Company's Board of Directors and its committees to develop and implement corporate governance programs and ensure compliance with Securities and Exchange Commission and New York Stock Exchange regulations. She also leads the Company's Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management programs. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Knudsen was an associate with the law firm of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP in Akron, Ohio, focusing on corporate transactions and intellectual property. Ms. Knudsen serves on the Intellectual Property Advisory Council for The University of Akron School of Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from The University of Akron and a Juris Doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law.
Chief Judge, retired, United States Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit
The Honorable Paul Michel is a retired United States Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, where he served more than 22 years. He is also a former Chief Judge of that court. Prior to his appointment on the bench, Judge Michel was an assistant district attorney in the Office of the Deputy District Attorney for Investigators in Philadelphia. He also served as Second Lieutenant for in the United States Army Reserve. He has previously served as Assistant Watergate Special Prosecutor and was later assistant counsel to the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He has served as adjunct faculty at George Washington University Law School, and John Marshall College of Law. Judge Michel has received numerous awards including the Kefferson Medal, the Frederico Award, the Katz-Kiley Prize, the Eli Whitney Prize, the Sedona Conference® Lifetime Achievement Award, and awards by the ABA Section of Intellectual Property, AIPLA, IPO, the Linn Intellectual Property American Inn of Court. He has been named as one of the top 50 most influential leaders in intellectual property in the world by Managing Intellectual Property magazine. He frequently speaks on IP subjects and he has also served as a Special Advisor to the Patent Reform Task Force. Judge Michel received his Bachelor's Degree from Williams College in 1963 and earned his Juris Doctorate at the University of Virginia in 1966.
Partner and Co-chair of Intellectual Property Group, Hahn Loeser & Parks
Scott Oldham was an original member of the Intellectual Property Advisory Council (IPAC) created in 2001. He then served as Chairman of IPAC for a number of years, and later as an Adjunct Professor to grow Akron Law's IP curriculum. Beginning at Oldham & Oldham, an IP boutique, the firm then joined the Hahn Loeser firm. As a former Patent Examiner, Scott continues his practice in enforcement and procurement of patent rights in a wide variety of technology areas, as well as providing counsel on business agreements including license agreements, joint development agreements and technology agreements. His practice includes the formulation of company strategies for the procurement and protection of intellectual property rights, as well as in relation to competitor activities. He develops company policies and procedures for management of intellectual property, and also develops and manages systems for evaluation of intellectual property rights and due diligence regarding intellectual property rights acquired or divested in mergers and acquisitions. Scott received his Bachelor's degree from Colorado School of Mines in 1983 and his Juris Doctorate from Akron Law in 1991.
Executive Director, The University of Akron Research Foundation
Ken Preston has a background in engineering from Princeton and The Ohio State University and law degree from George Washington. He was an Examiner in the US Patent Office, advisor to the Office of Naval Research in Washington, and special weapons at Sandia. He then worked for 25 years in industry including Eaton and TRW where he served as Vice President & Senior Counsel in charge of the intellectual property, international, anti-trust and product liability law functions. He then spent a decade at the University of South Florida as Associate Vice President for Research, Director of Technology Transfer, and Executive Director of the USF Research Foundation. Since 2001, He has held the same roles at the University of Akron Research Foundation.
United States Congressman, Retired, House of Representatives
The Honorable Tom C. Sawyer previously served in the United States Congress and in the Ohio House of Representatives. His hometown is Akron, Ohio, where he served as Mayor of Akron prior to his term in Congress. He received His Bachelor's Degree and his Masters of Arts at The University of Akron.
Dr. Rochelle K. Seide |
Vice President of Legal and Intellectual Property, HLS Therapeutics Inc.
Dr. Seide is a highly experienced senior life sciences lawyer and business executive, with over 30 years in private and corporate practice, who has specialized in intellectual property matters. She has significant business development, transactional, portfolio management, and litigation experience. Dr. Seide received her B.S. (Biology) from Syracuse University in 1968; her M.S. (Immunology) from Long Island University in 1974 and her Ph.D. (Human Genetics) from City University of New York (Mount Sinai School of Medicine) in 1977. She received her J.D. from University of Akron in 1984, while she was on the faculty of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM) (1977-1985). Dr. Seide began her law career in New York in 1985. She has been a partner in Brumbaugh, Graves, Donohue & Raymond, BakerBotts, and Arent Fox. Dr. Seide was Vice President for Intellectual Property at Biovail Corporation from 2009-2011 (through its merger with Valeant Pharmaceuticals) and, from 2011-present, has consulted on IP and business. Since 2015, Dr. Seide is Vice President, Legal and Intellectual Property, at HLS Therapeutics Inc.
Corporate Counsel of Intellectual Property, The Sherwin Williams Company
Ari Sherwin is corporate counsel of IP at The Sherwin-Williams Company. Prior to transitioning to corporate practice, Mr. Sherwin litigated medical malpractice, product liability and toxic tort matters for the insurance defense industry. He founded the anti-drug and health awareness presentation "Drugs In Sports … A Deadly Game," which has been presented to over 300,000 people, and is the recipient of a Presidential Commendation for his nationwide drug education efforts. He is published, lectures on numerous legal topics, and has been interviewed on several media outlets throughout the United States and Europe. He earned his BS from Ohio State University, MS in Anatomical Studies from Case Western Reserve University, and JD from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
Partner, Pepper Hamilton LLP
N. Nicole Stakleff is a partner with Pepper Hamilton LLP, resident in the Pittsburgh office and member of the Health Sciences Department. Ms. Stakleff also is a member of the firm's Executive Committee. A registered patent attorney since 2002, she concentrates her practice in intellectual property law, including developing product exclusivity strategies, strategic patent prosecution and counseling, due diligence and transactional support in the pharmaceutical, biologic, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, medical device, and other health and life sciences fields. She conducts IP due diligence and counsels on transaction documents involving IP, such as license agreements and collaboration agreements. She also advises such clients on the interplay of FDA and patent law on pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, dietary health supplement and medical device products. Ms. Stakleff received her JD magna cum laude from the University of Akron School of Law and her BS in Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University.
Bridgestone Firestone
Mr. Vasuta has worked with Bridgestone Americas since 2014 and has held a variety of positions including most recently President of Commercial Stores. Mr. Vasuta has received Executive Education credits from Vanderbilt University, Ohio State University, and the University of North Carolina. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law as well as his Master of Business in Finance. He also attended the University of Akron for undergrad earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical & Electrical Engineering.
Associate Solicitor, United States Patent & Trademark Office
Philip Warrick is an Associate Solicitor at the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia, where he serves as legal counsel to the USPTO on intellectual property matters and represents the agency in federal court. Previously, he worked in private practice at the Kirkland & Ellis and Klarquist law firms, where he focused on patent litigation and appeals. He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Richard Linn at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Philip attended The George Washington University Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of The George Washington Law Review and earned a J.D. with high honors in 2006. He also holds a B.A. in Philosophy and a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Akron, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2001.
Professor Wayne Watkins |
Administrator & Associate Vice President for Research,
The University of Akron Technology Transfer Office
The University of Akron Research Foundation promotes, encourages and provides assistance to the research activities of University of Akron faculty, staff and students. The non-profit foundation provides a bridge between industry and the University, facilitating the transfer of inventions, discoveries, processes and work products developed at the University to private industry. UARF also provides intellectual property, commercialization and enterprise creation support to faculty, staff, students and Akron-based small businesses.
Senior Counsel, Sughrue Mion PLLC
Mack Webner received his undergraduate degree from the University of Akron in Business Administration in1964, his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Akron in 1968, and his LL.M. degree from New York University in1976. He is admitted to the State Bars of Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington D.C. He is also admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the United States, and the Appellate Courts in the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Circuits, The Federal Circuit and The District of Columbia Court of Appeals. He spent ten years as corporate Trademark Counsel for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company; International Harvester Company; and the GAF Corporation. He is currently retired from private practice after 32 years with several private firms including ten years with his own firm and ending with the Intellectual Property firm of Sughrue Mion PLLC. Some of his major clients include: Estate of Elvis Presley; CPC International, Inc.; Trump Casino Properties; Under Armour, Inc.; Kampgrounds of America; and Tropicana Hotels and Casinos. He is also Chair of the University of Akron School of Law Intellectual Property Council 2001-2006.
Harold C. Wegner |
Independent Patent Consultant
Professor Harold C. Wegner is the former Director of the intellectual property law program at the George Washington University Law School and is President Emeritus of The Naples Roundtable, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation dedicated to "finding ways to strengthen and improve the patent system." Professor Wegner is an independent patent consultant for complex issues relating to procurement strategies and opinions as well as strategies for appeals to the Federal Circuit. His latest work is FIRST TO FILE PATENT DRAFTING: A PRACTITIONER'S GUIDE (Thomson Reuters 2017).
Brandon White |
Patent Litigation Partner, Perkins Coie, LLP
Brandon White is a patent litigation partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Perkins Coie LLP. Brandon previously worked in the Washington, D.C. offices of Paul Hastings and Sughrue Mion. His practice focuses on patent litigation and post-issue proceedings in the PTO, with a particular emphasis on litigating pharmaceutical patent cases arising under the Hatch-Waxman Act and the regulatory litigation that often accompanies those cases. He frequently assists his clients with international litigation, and he has extensive experience in the courts of India, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and other EU countries. Brandon received his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University in 1998 and his law degree from the University of Akron School of Law in 2002.
Daniel J. Whitman |
Chief Patent Counsel, Parker-Hannifin Corporation
Daniel J. Whitman graduated with a JD from the University of Akron School of Law in May of 2000 (completing course work in December 1999) and with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in May of 1992. Following law school, Dan worked at a boutique intellectual property law firm in Cleveland, Ohio, eventually making partner. Dan has been the Chief Patent Counsel at Parker-Hannifin Corporation ("Parker," a Fortune 250 company) since January of 2009. From 2011 to 2014, Dan worked as an expatriate near Geneva, Switzerland heading Parker's Europe, Middle East & Africa legal department. He is currently V.P. Law, Deputy General Counsel & Assistant Secretary for Parker leading a team of lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants to perform the legal work in support of Parker's global commercial, compliance, and intellectual property efforts. He also is responsible for all of Parker's legal work outside the United States.
Barry Winkler |
Intellectual Property Counsel, John Deere
Mr. Winkler is Intellectual Property Counsel at John Deer. He has previously held positions as an Associate Patent Attorney at Brouse McDowell, LPA, as Senior Business Analyst at Charles Schwab, and as a Patent Attorney at Emerson, Thomson & Bennet. Mr. Winkler received his JD in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Akron School of Law and his BSME in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Akron.
Jon Wood |
Executive Director of Innovation, Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Mr. Wood is the Executive Director of Innovation and Collaboration at Bridgestone Americas, Inc. He is responsible for organizing, developing, and fostering innovation in Bridgestone Americas, identifying and defining opportunities, creating and implementing a process for considering, developing, and implementing opportunities, facilitating collaboration both internally and externally and bringing new innovation to market. Mr. Wood has also held positions as Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at Bridgestone Americas and has been a board member for Street Law, Inc. Mr. Wood is a current board member for the National Inventors Hall of Fame and for the Education Foundation Board for the Intellectual Property Owners Association. Mr. Wood received his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, his Masters of Science in Organic Chemistry from the University of Alabama, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Harding University.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ADVISORY COUNCIL ACADEMICS
Professor Daniel H. Brean |
Professor, The University of Akron School of Law
Daniel H. Brean joined The University of Akron School of Law in 2016. Professor Brean currently teaches the Patent Law & Policy, Patent Office Litigation, International Intellectual Property Law, and Intellectual Property Licensing courses. Prior to joining Akron Law, Professor Brean was a shareholder at The Webb Law Firm in Pittsburgh, PA, where his practice focused on patent litigation in district courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Professor Brean has regularly appeared and argued cases before the Federal Circuit, and he remains Of Counsel to The Webb Law Firm to continue advising and assisting in patent appeals. Professor Brean is also a former law clerk to the Honorable Jimmie V. Reyna of the Federal Circuit. From 2014-2016, Professor Brean served as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, teaching the Patent Law and Advanced Topics in Patent Law courses. Professor Brean received his JD cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he served as the lead articles editor for the Pittsburgh Journal of Technology Law & Policy, and where he was given the faculty award for excellence in legal scholarship. He received his BS in physics from Carnegie Mellon University.
Professor Ray Gehani |
Associate Professor, The University of Akron,
Department of Management
Mr. Gehani previously served as a professor at the University of Akron, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the City University of New York. He taught courses in Strategy & Business Policy with a focus in International Management, Productions & Operations Management, and Total Quality Management focusing on managerial and organizational behavior. Mr. Gehani has held professional positions as consultant at the Mitsui Trading Company and Toray Industries, as a Researcher at the Tory Research Center for Toray Industries, Inc. (Japan's leadings chemical/materials company, and as General Manager - Corporate Development for a General Tires subsidiary. Mr. Gahani's education includes a Ph.D. from the City University of New York in Business-Strategic Management, a Master of Philosophy from the City University of New York, a Graduate Business Diploma in International Management from the International Management Institute (N. Delhi), and a Doctor of Engineering in Polymer Science and Technology from the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Professor Ryan T. Holte |
Professor, The University of Akron School of Law
Professor Holte joined The University of Akron School of Law in 2017 and serves as the David L. Brennan Associate Professor of Law and Director, Center for Intellectual Property Law and Technology. He teaches: Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Law, Patent Law, Copyright Law, and Property Law. Prior to joining Akron Law, Professor Holte served as a law professor at Southern Illinois University School of Law for four years. He is also an accomplished former engineer and co-inventor of US Patent 9,523,773 Systems and Methods for Countering Satellite-Navigated Munitions (Army Secrecy Order lifted June 2016; allowance Aug. 2016; 472 day patent term extension). Prior to entering academia, Professor Holte practiced as a litigation attorney at the United States Federal Trade Commission, an associate in the Intellectual Property Practice Group at the Jones Day law firm, and a patent prosecutor at the Finnegan law firm. Prior to practice, he served as a law clerk to Judge Stanley F. Birch, Jr. on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and as a law clerk to Judge Loren A. Smith on the United States Court of Federal Claims. Before law school, Professor Holte worked as an engineer for Agilent Technologies/Hewlett Packard in Sonoma County, California. Professor Holte received his JD from the University of California Davis School of Law where he served as a staff editor of the UC Davis Business Law Journal. He received his BS, magna cum laude, in engineering from the California Maritime Academy where he was a First Class graduate of the California Maritime Academy Corps of Cadets Third Engineering Division and Editor of the campus newspaper, The Binnacle.
Professor Camilla Hrdy |
Professor, University of Akron School of Law
Professor Camilla A. Hrdy is an Assistant Professor of Law at The University of Akron School of Law. Her primary teaching areas are Intellectual Property Law, Trade Secret Law, Trademark Law, Patent Law, and State and Local Government Law, Civil Procedure (Due Process and Federalism). Before coming to Akron Law she was a resident fellow at the Yale Law School Information Society Project and a teaching fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Law School Center for Innovation, Technology & Competition. Professor Hrdy's research focuses on the law and policy issues that arise in regional innovation economies, the role of federal, state, and local governments in promoting innovation and economic development, and the relationship between innovation governance and the private sector. Professor Hrdy holds a J.D. from Berkeley Law, a B.A. from Harvard University, and an M. Phil. from the University of Cambridge, Department of History & Philosophy of Science.
Professor A. Samuel Oddi |
Professor, The University of Akron School of Law
A. Samuel Oddi joined The University of Akron School of Law faculty as the Giles Sutherland Rich Professor in Intellectual Property in 2000. He received his B.S. in electrical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, and LL.M. from George Washington University. Professor Oddi teaches patent law and policy, torts, jurisprudence, and international intellectual property law. Prior to joining the Akron Law faculty, Professor Oddi was a professor at Northern Illinois University College of Law. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of California (Davis) College of Law, The Ohio State University School of Law, and the University of Pittsburgh School of law. His professional experience includes working as a patent attorney at Westinghouse Electric Corporation and as patent counsel at Rockwell International Corporation, both located in Pittsburgh, Pa. He also served as a senior legal officer in the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. He has been admitted to practice in Illinois and Pennsylvania, and before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has published numerous articles in the fields of intellectual property and torts. His recent articles include "The Regeneration of American Patent Law: Patentable Subject Matter," 46 IDEA 491-560 (2006) and "Patent Attorney Malpractice: An Oxymoron No More," 2004 U. Ill. J. L., Tech. & Pol'y 1-72 (2004).
Professor Wolfgang Pelz |
Professor, The University of Akron School of Law, Retired
Professor Pelz received a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 1971. Postgraduate degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute followed in 1973 (MS, Statistics), 1977 (PhD, Statistics) and 1984 (MS, Computer Science). He taught at The University of Akron for 32 years in Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, achieving the rank of Professor and also serving as the Chair of the Department of Computer Science for 8 years. He retired in June 2010. His association with IPAC resulted from an interest in intellectual property that started with the look and feel legal cases in the late 1980s and has extended more recently to privacy and computer security concerns.
Professor John P. Sahl |
Professor, The University of Akron School of Law
John (Jack) P. Sahl is a Professor of Law and Director of The Joseph G. Miller and William C. Becker Center for Professional Responsibility at The University of Akron School of Law. Professor Sahl is an "IP Expert" with the Intellectual Property Law Center and a member of its Advisory Council. His research interests include: professional ethics, legal malpractice, lawyer discipline, judicial ethics and administration, cinema and the legal profession, and sports and entertainment law. He served as senior counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights. Professor Sahl also clerked for the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, The Honorable William J. Holloway, Jr., and managed the business and legal affairs for Ambience, Inc. Professor Sahl is Chair of the Publications Board of Editors for the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility and serves on the Center's Michael Franck Professional Responsibility Award Selection Committee. He was also a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Professional Discipline and was appointed to the ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 Inbound Foreign Lawyer Working Group and its Uniformity, Choice of Law and Conflicts of Interest Working Group. Professor Sahl has also served as Chair of the American Association of Law Schools Professional Responsibility Section. By appointment of the Ohio Supreme Court, Professor Sahl served a three-year term on the Commission for the Unauthorized Practice of Law. He also has served as a member of the Ohio Bar Association's Future of the Legal Profession Advisory Committee.
Professor Jeff Samuels |
Professor, The University of Akron School of Law
Mr. Samuels is a Professor Emeritus at The University of Akron School of Law. From August 1998 to June 2014, he served as the David L. Brennan Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law and Technology at The University of Akron School of Law. He currently serves as an arbitrator/mediator in trademark-related litigation, as an expert witness and consultant in trademark matters, and as a panelist under various domain name dispute procedures. From November 1987 until January 1993, he served as an Assistant Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, head of the trademark division of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). After leaving the PTO, he joined an intellectual property law firm in Washington, D.C. and later engaged in his own practice of law. He is the editor of the compilation "Patent, Trademark and Copyright Laws," which is published by Bloomberg/BNA, and has authored or co-authored numerous articles in the field of intellectual property law. He also chaired or co-chaired numerous trademark-related committees and subcommittees of the American Bar Association's Section of Intellectual Property Law and of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. He chaired the Trademark Public Advisory Committee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office from July 2003 to March 2008.