Review of the Joint Annual Meeting for the IP and SEL Sections
By On Friday, April 5, 2019, the Intellectual Property Law and the Sports & Entertainment Law sections of the NCBA combined forces for a special joint Annual Meeting. With parallel and overlapping tracks of law, the meeting covered the latest developments in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secrets, and sports and entertainment law. The attendees were able to gain insight from both in-house and outside counsel on issues related to IP Law, Sports and Entertainment Law, and the intersection of the different practice areas.
Along with each section’s Annual Meeting, the day included sessions on the following topics:
- Who is to Blame for the 101 Morass: SCOTUS or the CAFC? Hosted by Gene Quinn, a leading commentator on patent law and president of IPWatchdog, Inc.
- The Intellectual Property Year in Review: Copyrights/Sports & Entertainment, Trade Secrets, Patents and Trademarks
- Navigating the Attorney-Client Relationship Between In-House Counsel and Outside Counsel
- Practice Tips on Anticipating and Successfully Responding to Trademark Office Actions
- Patent Term Adjustments
- A Discussion on the Implementation and Developments of the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016
- Sports Betting and Changes in the Industry
- Using Mindfulness to Improve Your Legal Practice
I thoroughly enjoyed this year’s Joint Intellectual Property Law and Sports and Entertainment Law Section Annual Meeting. It was jam packed with knowledge and skills that I did not previously have. Because I’m still learning so much in both areas, I felt like a bright-eyed, 10-year-old on Christmas morning. The Year in Review panel is really what kicked off everything for me. Andrew Adams did a phenomenal job breaking down the new additions to the Music Modernization Act and gave an excellent analysis on the new Sports and Entertainment law cases that are on the horizon. The Navigating the Attorney-Client Relationship Between In-House and Outside Counsel panel showed me how each side can work together and learn from one another while providing superb representation for the client.
The Responding to Office Actions panel was probably my favorite because I am currently learning how to respond to them effectively, so the panel was right on time. Jayne Hunter and Allison Ricketts shared practical knowledge and skills, which, to me, is most important when learning how to do something new and foreign. The Mindfulness panel was unexpectedly pleasant. The breathing exercise, which was done at the end, definitely ended the annual meeting with a calm atmosphere. I can’t wait to see what each section has in store for next year!