Welcome from the Conference Chairs

On behalf of the IP Conference Planning Committee, we invite you to join us in fabulous Washington, DC, on September 15-16, 2016, for ALA’s Intellectual Property Conference for Legal Professionals. Come early or stay the weekend and enjoy some down time in our nation’s capital. We will be meeting in the Capital Hilton, only two blocks from the White House. From there you may visit the Washington Monument and just a few minutes farther out you will see the sights and sounds of downtown or the National Mall.

The best part, of course, will be our IP conference where you will participate in thought-provoking presentations and activities designed to elevate you in your career and also to strengthen your ties with ALA and members of our IP community. Opportunities for networking, establishing new business relationships and learning concepts for conducting your IP business in North America and around the world are the focus of this year’s conference. 

Here are just a few of the educational features this year:

  • International etiquette for business among people of diverse cultures. Whether you are traveling or sitting at your desk communicating with colleagues across the hall or foreign associates around the world, this session has relevance in our ever-shrinking world.
  • The USPTO will show you the use and features of their Global Dossier tool, inform you of the status and final implementation of the eMod project, and introduce the Patent Center Beta Program.
  • You will glean relevant ideas and hone your skills for driving efficiency, value and a competitive advantage using Legal Lean Sigma® and project management for IP law.

You won’t find a better opportunity to share your experience, compare notes with your industry peers and reconnect.
We want to see you in Washington, DC and urge you to register today!

Joyce Patrick-Bai, CLM 
Director of Administration 
Schmeiser, Olsen & Watts LLP 
18 E. University Dr. 
Suite 101 
Mesa, AZ 85201 

Barbara A. Foley, CLM 
Chief Operating Officer 
RatnerPrestia 
1090 Vermont Ave. NW 
Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20005

Mary M. Munro
IP Operations Manager
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
World Exchange Plaza
100 Queen St., Suite 1300
Ottawa, ON, Canada K1P1J9