Annual Meeting of Members

Board of Directors Meeting
This event is by invitation only.

Workshop—Building Your Brand: Finding, Establishing, and Growing Your Network
Presented by the Professional Development Committee

Join us and learn how to create your own authentic brand and proactively build your network as part of your daily routine.

Hybrid working and reduced budgets make it harder to find the time and opportunity to focus on our own paths, making professional development a challenge. This Building Your Brand workshop will give attendees a fresh perspective from a professional coach who understands the demands of working in the legal field. This highly practical workshop, suitable for all experience levels, applies to in-house counsel, law firm members, and government lawyers.

Attendees will walk away with immediately actionable strategies to help them showcase their true selves and attract a network of people they can rely on over the years to help navigate their professional careers.

Moderator:
Rudy Gaines, Creative Business Growth (USA)

Pre-registration and an additional fee is required. To register for this event, please click here.

Are you an existing 2023 Leadership Meeting registrant? To add this session:

• Visit your INTA profile, and list of registered events, here.
• For your 2023 Leadership Meeting registration, click “Details.”
• Under order details, click the blue +Add Session button and continue through the registration wizard to add desired session(s).
• Need more help? Contact us!

Welcome and Awards Ceremony

Welcome and Awards Reception
Join us in celebrating the INTA award winners and take the opportunity to network with colleagues over a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres before heading out to explore the vibrant city of Houston.

Continental Breakfast
Open to all registrants not participating in breakfast committee meetings.

Leadership Lab: Training Sessions for 2024‌–2025 Committee Leadership
Presented by the Leadership Development Committee

Join this interactive session to candidly talk with fellow committee leaders about how to successfully kick-off your new committee term. Hear tips and share best practices on leadership expectations, resources for committee and objectives management, and how to sustain the engagement of your committee members throughout the committee term.

Open to 2024–2025 Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs.

Finance for Non-Finance Legal Professionals Program—Part 1
Join us for live instruction on the newly launched INTA’s Finance for Non-Finance Certificate Program. Students will be guided through the first three chapters of the program at no additional cost.

In Part 1 of the Program, covering the first chapter of the program, students will learn the basics of Excel.

Part 2, which will take place on Thursday, November 16, covering Chapters 2 and 3, will help you put your newly acquired skills to understanding and analyzing financial statements. You are welcome to attend one or both.

Capacity is limited to 75 registrants. Completing the first two chapters of INTA’s Finance for Non-Finance Certificate Program will give you a good foundation to actively participate but is not required.

Pre-registration is required.

LEAD Keynote Speaker
Leadership Development Committee

Join us for a captivating capsule keynote with Janis Burke, the first woman to become CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority (HCHSA) since its inception in 1997. Under her visionary leadership, the HCHSA has secured bids for prestigious sporting events to be held in Houston, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Olympic trials, college football championships, NCAA Men’s Final Four, AAU Junior Olympics and various national and world championships.

Don’t miss out on this session as Janis shares inspiring leadership stories about how sports can unite the world, being a woman leader in this male-dominated field, and more.

Speaker:
Janis Burke, CEO, Harris County-Houston Sports Authority (USA)

General Session—Intellectual Property in the New Digital Ecosystem
Join us to review what is going on at Trademark Offices and the political levels in the new digital ecosystems, like NFTs and blockchain, and learn how INTA members can contribute to advancing trademark law in these areas. We will explore these policy issues with testimonials from the entertainment and consumer goods industry.

Moderator:
Catherine Mateu, Partner, Amengaud Guerlain (France)

Leadership Lab—Wrap-Up for 2022—2023 Committee Leadership
Presented by the Leadership Development Committee

Join this interactive session for candid conversations with fellow committee leaders on how to best manage, support, and guide the wrap-up of your committee term. Share best practices on how to ensure a smooth transition, including reporting accomplishments, acknowledging volunteer contributions, and sharing your recommendations for next steps for your committee.

Open to 2022—2023 Committee Chairs, Vice Chairs, and Subcommittee Chairs.

General Session—IP Enforcement and New Technologies: Opportunities and Complexities
This session will tackle new technological developments in blockchain, NFTs, metaverse, and AI. We will address the opportunities these technologies present in making IP enforcement easier and counterfeiting harder and the complexities these new technologies create in terms of new types of infringements and ambiguity of rightful ownership.

Moderator:
Bassel El Turk, Managing Partner of Middle East & Africa, Rouse (UAE)

Speakers:
Gerald “Jerry” Ferguson, Partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP (USA)
Shwetasree Majumder, Managing Partner, Fidus Law Chambers (India)

Lunch
Open to all registrants not participating in lunch committee meetings.

Workshop—A Peek Behind the Curtain
Organized by the Management Subcommittee of the Law Firm Committee

Regardless of their size or location, two topics always affect law firms—and their partners: compensation and retention.

How do law firms compensate their partners? Is one system better than others? For example, is your firm an open book, where each equity partner knows what everyone makes, or is it closed, so that only you know your compensation? Is your firm lockstep? Pure Formula? Subjective? Objective? The list goes on. We will discuss (without revealing actual numbers) the various ways partners are paid and the pros and cons of each.  There is no right answer here, but rather the question is what is best for your firm and its partners.

How does your firm retain attorneys beyond financial compensation?  What makes your office special enough that attorneys won’t want to leave to go elsewhere? We will discuss law firm cultures and other topics that go beyond compensation to help attract and keep talent.

The idea is to freely share with your INTA colleagues and learn from each other, so you can return to your own firms with new ideas and concepts to discuss and test.

Leadership Bootcamp
From the Leadership Development Committee

More information is coming soon.

General Session—Navigating the Nexus: Exploring the Interplay Between Trade Secrets and Artificial Intelligence
In the dynamic landscape of technological innovation, the convergence of trade secrets and artificial intelligence (AI) has given rise to complex legal, ethical, and strategic challenges. Through insightful discussion and real-world examples, our session’s panelists will delve into topics including the challenges of maintaining trade secret confidentiality in an AI-driven world, the legal implications of AI-generated trade secrets, and the delicate balance between fostering innovation and safeguarding proprietary information.

Moderator:
Scott Mayhew, Chief Patent Counsel, Zoetis (USA)

Speakers:
Audrey Avenier, Brand Protection and Enforcement Manager, WD-40 (USA)
Maria Baratta, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend (USA)
Elisabeth Kasznar Fekete, Senior Partner, Attorney at Law, Kasznar Leonardos (Brazil)
Maysa Razavi, Director of Global Brand Protection and Supply Chain Security, Moderna (USA)

General Session—Naming, Image, and Likeness Rights: A Mock License Negotiation
The panel will present a mock licensing negotiation of the the Naming, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Rights of a professional athlete and a licensee gaming company that wants to use the athlete’s NIL in a game it is developing that is intended to be the next global sensation. Each party will be represented by their brand licensing counsel in various territories, who will discuss the implications of key contract clauses with their clients.  

Moderator:
Barbara Berdou, Founder, Berdou Attorneys (South Africa)

Speakers:
Christina Gensler, Senior Corporate Counsel, Caterpillar Inc. (USA)
Barry Werbin, Counsel, Herrick (USA)
Malaika Underwood, Assistant Coach, United States Women’s National Baseball Team (USA)

Current and Former Board Member Reception
This event is by invitation only.

INTA Political Action Committee (PAC) Reception
Open only to non-corporate registrants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Join us and show your support for the International Trademark Association Political Action Committee (PAC)!

A contribution for this event will be used to support the campaigns of U.S. federal candidates identified by the INTA PAC Board as having shared interests with the trademark community. INTA accepts both personal checks and those drafted from non-corporate INTA member firm accounts, as well as all major credit cards. Donations can also be made online before the reception. Only non-corporate, non-reimbursed contributions to INTA PAC will be accepted. Contributions to INTA PAC are not deductible for income tax purposes.

Continental Breakfast
Open to all registrants not participating in breakfast committee meetings.

INTA PAC Capitol Club Breakfast
This event is by invitation only.

Finance for Non-Finance Legal Professionals Program—Part 2
Join us for live instruction for the newly launched INTA’s Finance for Non-Finance Certificate Program. Students will be guided on  of the program at no additional cost.

In Part 2 of the Program, students can apply the Excel skills they acquired in Part 1 to learn how to analyze financial statements. For those who are experts in MS Excel, you are not required to attend Part 1 of the Program. However, if you would like a refresher, you are welcome to do so. As such, you can attend one or both days (see the listing above for Part 1 on November 15).

Capacity is limited to 75 registrants. Completing the first two chapters of INTA’s Finance for Non-Finance Certificate Program will give you a good foundation to actively participate, but is not required.

Pre-registration is required.

Capsule Keynote
Join us for an inspiring Capsule Keynote by Jarvis Sam, President and CEO of Rainbow Disruption, a multi-services diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) firm, about his journey in implementing successful DEI initiatives in various organizations. A fireside chat with our 2023 Leadership Meeting Co-Chairs Deborah Flores Garza and Melissa LaBauve and Jarvis Sam on fostering and optimizing a more inclusive and equitable workplace will immediately follow. Discover the transformative strategies and best practices that have propelled many organizations toward greater diversity and equity, leading to enhanced innovation, employee satisfaction, and business success. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the triumphs of others and gain valuable knowledge to drive positive change within your own organization.

Speaker:
Jarvis Sam, President and CEO, Rainbow Disruption (USA)

Interviewers:
Deborah Flores Garza, IP Global Director, TelevisaUnivision (Mexico)
Melissa LaBauve, Partner; Munck, Wilson, Mandala, LLP (USA)

General Session—The Barbie Brand and DEI
Barbie is one of the most iconic toy brands of our time, and the 2023 film Barbie brought this brand to the screen in one of the most significant cultural moments of the year. Not only does the film bring the brand to life, but it highlights many of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues facing our current society. Through the following, this panel will explore the Barbie brand—and blockbuster—through the DEI lens:

• History of the Barbie brand and its evolution from the late 1950s to the present, including the brand’s ongoing commitment to DEI;
• Discussion of how the Barbie brand has stayed relevant through several generations, particularly in an increasingly digital age;
• Mattel’s considerations for developing and marketing the 2023 Barbie film, particularly for ensuring a universal, global, fully inclusive, all-ages appeal;
• The role of the brand legal practitioner in supporting these initiatives; and
• What’s next for the Barbie brand in 2024 and beyond, including future DEI initiatives.

Moderator:
Brian J. Winterfeldt, Founder, Winterfeldt IP Group, PLLC (USA)

Speaker:
Michael Moore, Head of Intellectual Property—Content & Brands, Mattel, Inc. (USA)

Leadership Lab—Wrap Up for 2022–2023 Committee Leadership
Leadership Development Committee

Join this interactive session to have candid conversations with fellow committee leaders on how to best manage, support, and guide the conclusion of your committee term. Share best practices on how to ensure a smooth transition, including reporting accomplishments, acknowledging volunteer contributions, and sharing your recommendations for next steps for your committee.

Open to 2022–2023 committee chairs, vice chairs, and subcommittee chairs.

General Session—The Front Lines of Sustainability
Hear from a diverse panel discussing a variety of initiatives and innovations currently happening on the ground in Houston and around the globe. From smaller start-ups to Fortune 20 companies, you will get a broad perspective on the areas where companies are leading the charge to help make the world a more sustainable place to live and provide consumers with alternative fuel choices. We promise you’ll have a different view after hearing from industry-leading experts in the fields of EV charging, plastics and sustainable liquid fuels. You’ll also learn about the challenges and benefits experienced by these leaders when address branding and promotion of these products and services to consumers

Moderator:
Craig Stone, Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property & Data Protection, Phillips 66 (USA)

Speakers:
Ron Abbott, Vice President of Chemical Recycling, New Energy Division, Vopak (Netherlands)
Stacy Carraway, Senior Business Development Executive, Freewire Technologies (USA)
Tatiana Chavanelle, Program and Strategy Manager, Emerging Energy, Phillips 66 (USA)

Idea Exchange—Mission Driven IP Professionals: The Role of the IP Professional in Corporate CSR Strategy
Presented by the Brands for a Better Society Committee

The Brands for a Better Society Committee will present its white paper on corporate CSR strategy and the role of the IP professional in developing and implementing this strategy, and is looking to discuss its work product and share experiences and best practices with members from both the corporate and the private practice perspectives.   

Leadership Lab—Training Sessions for 2024–2025 Committee Leadership
Presented by the Leadership Development Committee

Join this interactive session to candidly talk with fellow committee leaders about how to successfully kick-off your new committee term. Hear tips and share best practices on leadership expectations, resources for committee and objectives management, and how to sustain the engagement of your committee members throughout the committee term.

Open to 2024–2025 committee chairs and vice chairs.

Workshop—How to Build and Future-Proof Your Team Through Times of Change
Presented by The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative

Everything from social and geopolitical changes to the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the challenges posed by the pandemic are shaping how we hire, structure teams, and retain talent. The transformative effects of these disruptors have ushered in a wave of challenges and opportunities in various professions, including the IP legal profession. Amidst these changes, however, concerns have surfaced about the unequal impact on different segments of the work ecosystem, particularly women in professional roles.

Projections indicate that broadening economic disruptors at times of impact will extend to approximately two-thirds of all jobs, leaving a potential mark on almost 300 million employment positions across the globe. A noteworthy aspect of this impact is its potential to affect women disproportionately, especially those in white-collar jobs. Statistics reveal that around 80 percent of women in the workforce are active in roles that are susceptible to disruption by AI, in contrast to 60 percent of their male counterparts. So, how do we future-proof our teams, and what laws should be passed to prevent these losses?

This discrepancy raises essential questions about its underlying reasons. Exploring the factors contributing to this phenomenon and delving into the ethical dimensions surrounding the development and deployment of functional algorithms becomes necessary. Has the entrepreneurial space taken on a new shape to investing in women? What leadership roles are encountered in this self-empowering phenomenon? What can leaders do to hire and retain talent, particularly women?

Hear from industry experts on what steps you can take to future-proof your team!

The first part of this workshop will be a panel discussion. The second part will be a focus group related to a gender study that INTA is conducting. The study authors will share some preliminary results with the workshop participants and use the opportunity to gain initial reactions to the survey findings and address any gaps in the research. The focus groups will allow for frank but confidential conversations around some of the most pressing gender issues shaping the experience of trademark practitioners in the workplace.

Moderator:
Ty Lord, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP (USA)

Speakers:
Amanda Garcia-Williams, Chief Diversity Officer, Husch Blackwell LLP (USA)
Megan Martin, Head of IP, Middle-earth Enterprises LLC (USA)

This program has limited capacity. Pre-registration and an additional registration fee are required. To register for this event, please click here.

Are you an existing 2023 Leadership Meeting registrant? To add this session:

• Visit your INTA profile, and list of registered events, here.
• For your 2023 Leadership Meeting registration, click “Details.”
• Under order details, click the blue +Add Session button and continue through the registration wizard to add desired session(s).
• Need more help? Contact us!

Lunch
Open to all registrants not participating in lunch committee meetings.

General Session—Can You Always Get What You Want? Challenges in the Latin America and Caribbean Region
Join us for an informative panel discussion on legal updates in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on:

• The declaration of fame and notoriety;
• Different forms of protection for non-traditional trademarks;
• Watch-outs when considering service marks in the Caribbean jurisdictions.

This session will bring together legal experts and industry professionals to discuss the latest developments and challenges in these areas. Gain valuable insights on these topics, their impact on trademark protection, and the legal framework surrounding them in a region with more than 30 jurisdictions and 370 local languages.

Moderator:
Margarita Romero, Partner, Perez Bustamante & Ponce (Ecuador)

Speakers:
Paula Bezerra de Menezes, Partner, Soerensen Garcia (Brazil)
Katherine Hely, Founding Member, Caribbean IP (USA)
Matías Noetinger, Partner, Noetinger & Armando Abogados (Mexico)

Leadership Bootcamp
Presented by the Leadership Development Committee

More information coming soon.

General Session—Don’t Tell Me What to Do! How Brands Can Navigate the Choppy Waters of Brand Restrictions Around the World
Get an update on brand restrictions worldwide with a deep dive into the cannabis industry. While still a patchwork of legislation around the globe, brand restrictions continue to permeate the legislative landscape of many countries and are now expanding into the cannabis industry. Could a newspaper lose its postal permit for advertising cannabis products where they are illegal? Can a magazine be sued for advertising cannabis products where they are illegal? Join us in learning which industries are being affected, what INTA is doing to combat the proliferation of such restrictions and best practices for brand owners to keep brand restrictions at bay.

Moderator:
Caroline Chicoine, Of Counsel, Husch Blackwell LLP (USA)

Speaker
Natalie Rizkalla-Kamel, Partner, Gowling WLG (Canada)

INTA Foundation Barbie-Themed Fundraiser
You are cordially invited to the INTA Foundation Barbie-Themed Fundraiser on November 16, 2023, at 5:00 pm, as we bring you an enchanting evening dedicated to a great cause, celebrating both the magic of Barbie and the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion! The INTA Foundation is thrilled to present a special Barbie-themed fundraiser that promises to be an unforgettable experience for all.

Register today and help us spread the word! Let’s come together to support the INTA Foundation’s mission of empowerment and social change and make this fundraiser an absolute success.

A minimum contribution of $50 is kindly requested to secure your spot. Your generosity will directly benefit the INTA Foundation Fellowship Program and contribute to future initiatives by the INTA Foundation.

To register for this event, please click here.

Continental Breakfast
Open to all registrants not participating in breakfast committee meetings.

Capsule Keynote—International Intellectual Property, Sustainability, and Global Challenges
The session will preview the 2024 World Intellectual Property Day theme: “IP and SDGs: Building our Common Future with Innovation and Creativity.” In addition, the session will provide a quick recap of other pressing challenges faced in today’s IP system and describe some of WIPO’s activities in leading the international community’s attempts to help resolve such global challenges, including the challenge of IP and climate change; the challenge of IP and global health; and the challenge of IP and the protection of traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, and access to genetic resources. 

Interviewer
Lorna Mbatia, Partner, CFL Advocates (Kenya)

Speakers
Edward Kwakwa, Assistant Director General, World Intellectual Property Organization (Switzerland)
Heather Steinmeyer, Chief Policy Officer, International Trademark Association (USA)

Is Data an IP Right? Best Practices and Risk Mitigation to Protect this Valuable Asset
Join us for this panel discussion as we explore whether data is an IP asset in the expanding data economy—focusing on the issues of the ownership vs. control of data, touching upon various policy and legal frameworks, and suggesting best practices and risk mitigation for data collection and use when drafting contracts, licensing agreements, settlement agreements, and website terms and conditions.

Moderator:
Monique Couture, Partner, Gowling WLG (Canada)

Lunch
Open to all registrants not participating in lunch committee meetings.

General Session—Using Data to Support In-House Objectives
In-house trademark teams have the ability to collect copious data from their daily activities that they potentially can leverage to advance department goals. But the link between what data to use and how to most effectively use it is not always clear. This session will explore common and creative types of data available to trademark teams, methods for collecting data, and opportunities to use data, such as reporting, supporting headcount and growth, managing department budgets, and allocating resources.

Moderator:
Matthew Kuykendall, Director, Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (USA)

Speakers:
Paul W. Mussell, SVP & Senior Lead Counsel of Intellectual Property, Wells Fargo (USA)
Diane Lau, Lead Paralegal & Paralegal Manager, Brands & Marketing Legal, Meta (USA)
Melody L. Schottle, Attorney, Law Office of Melody L. Schottle, PLLC (USA)
Katie Sullivan, Senior Counsel, Whirlpool Corporation (USA)

Family Event—Playtime Party
Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of family fun at our Playtime Party!

The afternoon will be filled with games, food, laughter, and cherished memories. Our Playtime Party is designed to bring families together in a blissful atmosphere, with activities and entertainment for all ages.

Mark your calendars and gather your loved ones for an afternoon of laughter, play, and connection. Let’s create unforgettable memories that will be cherished by both parents and children alike.

RSVP today to secure your spot in this unforgettable family extravaganza. We can’t wait to celebrate with you at the Playtime Party!

To register for this event, please click here.

General Session—Industrial Design Protection: A Comparative Look at the Standards for Eligibility
As with formal requirements such as written descriptions and drawings, the criteria for eligibility for the protection of an industrial design are equally un-harmonized. This session will compare the eligibility standards for the protection of an industrial design in various key jurisdictions around the globe (the USA, EU, Japan, Brazil, and India).

Moderator:
Tracy-Gene G. Durkin, Director, Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC (USA)

Speakers:
Ashwani Balayan, Partner, ALG India Law Offices LLP (India)
Jose Carlos e Dias, Senior Partner, Vaz e Dias Advogados & Associados (Brazil)
Katja Middlehoff, Counsel, CMS (Germany)
Richard Stockton, Partner, Banner & Witcoff (USA)

Closing Cocktails
Join us to celebrate a successful meeting! Take advantage of one last chance to network and spend time with colleagues while having a cocktail and enjoying hors d’oeuvres before heading off to experience the Houston nightlife.