Archive for Law Practice

February 2023 Meeting – Perspective on IP Litigation at the ITC and District Court

The Inn’s February meeting dove into the world of the United States International Trade Commission with a panel discussion. The panel focused on considerations, strategy, and other issues related to intellectual property litigation before the ITC, as well as in federal district court. Jim Coughlan, a partner at Perkins Coie presented a primary on litigation before the ITC, and joined the panel along with Chief Administrative Law Judge Clark S. Cheney and the Honorable James L. Robart of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Jonathan McFarland, Director of Litigation, Enforcement, and Product Clearance at Nintendo of America Inc. moderated the panel. The Inn greatly appreciates the valuable insight offered by Judge Robart and Chief ALJ Cheney on the similarities and differences of litigating before the ITC and in district court.

January 2023 Meeting – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Intellectual Property Litigation and Practice

The Seattle IP Inn kicked off the new year with an important presentation on diversity, inclusion, and equity issues in the legal profession. Mark Walters, a partner at Lowe Graham Jones gave a presentation on efforts to eradicate racism and prejudice in our legal system, including Batson challenges, General Rule 37 in Washington, and Henderson v. Thompson (WA Supreme Court Case No. 97672-4, Oct. 20, 2022). Kate Geyer, an associate at Kilpatrick Townsend, also gave a presentation on gender, equality, diversity, and intellectual property (shown below). The night wrapped up with a panel discussion with U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Michelle Peterson of the Western District of Washington and Ms. Teri Nguyen, Visiting Professor at Seattle University School of Law. The panel was moderated by Suellen Siqueira-Fisher, Legal Counsel at RealNetworks, who facilitated a captivating discussion on diversity, inclusion, and equity in the practice of intellectual property law, including past and proposed efforts to reduce prejudice in our profession.

April 28, 2022 Meeting- Zoom Trials: Presentation and Pointers

This Month, the presenting group provided mock direct and cross-examinations, various tips and tricks, and the Inn heard from a special guest lecturer, Hon. Matthew Williams, King County Superior Court; offering his insights into online trials.

Seattle IP Inn of Court Virtual Mixer – May 19, 2020

The Seattle IP Inn of Court held a virtual mixer for its May 19, 2020 meeting. The attendees began the meeting by briefly discussing Inn matters. The discussion moved on to practicing law remotely, taking depositions through Zoom, conducting trials through Zoom, and keeping kids occupied during the summer while parents continue to work from home. The conversation was informative, but also casual. Thank you to all the participants!

Seattle IP Inn of Court Virtual Mixer – April 23, 2020

The Seattle IP Inn of Court held its April 23, 2020 meeting in a virtual mixer format. Members joined the meeting from locations and with beverages of their choice. The attendees first discussed Inn business, then opened up the discussion to other topics, such as how members are staying connected to their firms, working from home adjustments attorneys, staff and clients are making, children schooling from home and changes they plan to make in their work lives after Washington’s stay at home order is lifted. Thank you to all the participants!

Motions in Limine Strategy in IP Cases – November 21, 2019

The November meeting took place in our usual meeting location at the University of Washington Club on the UW campus. Group 2 presented on Motions in Limine Strategy in IP Cases. Thank you for your presentation, Group 2!

Annual Joint Inn Meeting – October 8, 2019

The William L. Dwyer Inn of Court hosted the Robert J. Bryan Inn of Court and the Seattle IP Inn of Court for the Joint Inn Meeting on October 8, 2019. The meeting began with a welcome by Dean Annette Clark, Seattle University School of Law. Following Dean Clark’s welcome, there was a special recognition of Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst, recipient of the 2019 Ninth Circuit’s Inn of Court Professionalism Award. Chief Justice Fairhurst spoke of her career in public service. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson was the Keynote Speaker for the evening. Attorney General Ferguson, an internationally rated chess master, provided insights into the Attorney General’s Office through chess analogies. Thank you, Dean Clark, Chief Justice Fairhurst and Attorney General Ferguson for sharing your wisdom with us. Thank you, Dwyer Inn of Court, for hosting and for arranging for such stellar speakers to address us.

Fireside Chat with Federal Circuit Judge Todd Hughes and Western District of Washington Judge Robert Lasnik – September 19, 2019

Our IP Inn of Court year began with a special treat! Federal Circuit Judge Todd Hughes spoke in question and answer format, moderated by Western District of Washington Judge Robert Lasnik. The venue was special, too – the Holland America Line Room at the Seattle World Trade Center, with a 180 degree view of the Puget Sound. Thank you, Group 1, for arranging for Judge Hughes and Judge Lasnik to speak! We also welcomed our new Inn members to the Seattle IP Inn of Court with an orientation. We look forward to an exciting year!

Key Statistics Revealing Trends in IP: A tour of IP law in numbers – April 18, 2019

Group 6 created a competition as part of its presentation of Key Statistics Revealing Trends in IP: A tour of IP law in numbers. The presenters engaged the audience by discussing various IP law statistics and asking the audience multiple choice questions about the statistics. The prizes ranged from small, lower quality chocolate prizes to bigger, higher quality chocolate prizes. Thank you, Group 6, for making statistics entertaining!