WASHINGTON IN THE WEST
2026
About
Join us for Washington in the West 2026, a full-day conference designed specifically for patent and trademark practitioners. This annual event offers exceptional programming with a dedicated patent track and a dedicated trademark track, as well as outstanding opportunities to connect with leaders shaping the future of intellectual property law.
This year we are excited to welcome Director John A. Squires of the United States Patent and Trademark Office as our keynote speaker. Director Squires will cover new developments in PTO policy, including emerging technologies like AI, patent eligibility, IPR institutions, and more in a keynote luncheon discussion moderated by Susan Natland of BakerHostetler.
We are also honored to welcome Kalyan Deshpande, Acting Chief Judge for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, Jason Lott, Managing Attorney for Trademarks Customer Outreach, and Christopher Larkin, Administrative Trademark Judge at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, as other featured PTO speakers.
The 2026 conference will be held on January 29, 2026, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, continuing our tradition of first-class education and networking.
Don’t miss your opportunity to attend—explore the schedule of featured programs and speakers and join us for Washington in the West 2026!
Washington in the West is an MCLE-accredited event (up to 5.5 hours) featuring unparalleled programs for patent and trademark attorneys with world-class speakers and top IP professionals.
Patent Track
Time
Panel Topic
Panelists
9:00 AM
Developments in IPR Trials at the PTAB
- Judge Kalyan Deshpande; Acting Chief Judge for Patent Trial and Appeal Board
- Peter Jovanovic; Legal Director, IP at Dell
- Sasha Sokhis; VP, Head of Client Relations and Business Development, Unified Patents
- Patrick Maloney; Partner, Cork Maloney
- Jacob Peterson; Partner, Morgan Lewis
10:00 AM
Protecting Innovation and Managing Global Portfolios
- Graham Cole; Director, IP, Office of Technology Licensing, City of Hope
- Silvia Dondi; Partner, Bugnion S.p.A.
- Donald Bollella; Chief Patent Counsel, Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
- Jennifer Pascua; Vice President, Global Intellectual Property, Illumina
11:00 AM
Recalibrating Section 101: Administrative Developments and the New Era of Patent Eligibility
- Jessica Hudak; Vice President, Corporate Counsel, Edwards Lifesciences
- Simon Ford; Senior Lead IP Legal Counsel, Dexcom
- David Meyer, Associate Director, Global Intellectual Property, Illumina
- Ashe Puri; Partner, Nixon Peabody
- Sepp Zanganeh; Partner, Patterson + Sheridan
2:00 PM
Patent Damages Trends from Trial to Appeal
- Hans Meyer; Partner, Knobbe Martens
- Brian Horne; Partner, Knobbe Martens
- Arka Chatterjee; Director & Principal IP Counsel, Natera
- Christian Tregillis; Partner, Hemming Morse
- Charlotte Wen; Partner, Irell & Manella
3:00 PM
AI in Private Practice: AI Governance and Best Practices
- Nicholas Fung; Partner, Morrison Foerster
- Melinda Michalerya; IP Counsel, Advanced Bionics
- Jennifer Chiang; IP Counsel, Stripe
- Eric Lin; Patlytics
Trademark Track
Time
Panel Topic
Panelists
9:00 AM
Beyond Confusion: When Trademarks Fail to Function, Surname Refusals, and Other Challenges
- Jonathan Hyman; Partner, Knobbe Martens
- Jason Lott, Managing Attorney for Trademarks Customer Outreach, USPTO
- Rebecca Liebowitz; Partner, Venable
- John Sommer, Sommer Law
10:00 AM
Game On! Winning Strategies for Navigating Sports Sponsorships and Ambush Marketing
- Theresa Conduah; Partner, Alston & Bird
- Alidu Salifu; Counsel, Sponsorships & Licensing, US Soccer
- Miranda Salazar; Counsel, Intellectual Property, LA28
11:00 AM
Advanced Practice at the TTAB
- Judge Christopher Larkin; Administrative Trademark Judge at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
- Raffi Zerounian; Partner, Hanson Bridgett
- Mary Beth Myles; Of Counsel, Greenberg Traurig
- Sarah Brooks; Partner, Venable
2:00 PM
Trademark Litigation
- Erica Van Loon; Partner, Nixon Peabody
- Cynthia Cohen; Survey expert, Verdict Success
3:00 PM
In House Perspective on How to Navigate Trademark Challenges in Product Launches and
Trademark Enforcement
- Daniel Latimer; Sales and Product Counsel, Honda
- Michael McCue; Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Helen Omapas; Global Head of Trademarks, Design Patents, Brand Enforcement & Marketing, Harman International
- Arka Chatterjee; Director & Principal IP Counsel, Natera
Lincoln Sponsors
Jefferson Sponsors
Diamond Sponsors
