1 Hour MCLE

Nicole A. Katsin

Nicole Katsin focuses her practice on intellectual property, technology, and cannabis matters, including trademark and copyright prosecution, enforcement, and developing global portfolio strategies. She also represents clients before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy panels.Nicole serves as an Executive Board member of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Intellectual Property Section and is also an active member of the International Cannabis Bar Association.
 
Nicole enjoys writing about a diverse range of legal topics pertaining to intellectual property, cybertechnology, and cannabis. Her comment entitled “Five Stages of Patent Grief to Achieve 3D Printing Acceptance,” was published in Volume 49 of the USF Law Review and has been cited by multiple scholars from top academic institutions.

Russ Jacobs

Russell Jacobs leads the global Intellectual Property practice at Starbucks Coffee Company.  He returned to Starbucks following three years as the General Counsel for the National CASA/GAL Association for Children, the leading organization promoting volunteer best-interest advocacy in dependency proceedings for children who have experienced abuse or neglect.  In that role, he established and led the legal function and managed public policy work. 

In his prior tenure at Starbucks Corporation, he oversaw intellectual property clearance, prosecution, disputes, and transactions, led the global anti-counterfeiting program, and counseled on technology, litigation, commercial, and marketing law matters.  He started his legal practice at the New York office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed before moving to Seattle and working at Focal Law PLLC.  After earning his A.B. from the University of Michigan he received his J.D. from Columbia University.

David Philip Branfman

Dave has been practicing law in San Diego County for over forty years. His practice focuses on IP and entertainment law, including trademarks, domain names, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, motion pictures & TV, and music. Since 2010 he has specialized in the intersection between IP law and the legal cannabis industry. He is Chair of the Cannabis Interest Group of the IP Section of the California Lawyers Association and is an IP law instructor at the University of California, San Diego Executive Perspective for Scientists & Engineers program. Dave has spoken multiple times at NORML Legal Committee conferences, the International Cannabis Business Conference, and several California law schools about IP law and cannabis. He is also a regular speaker at Comic-Con. He was a member of the Board of Directors from 1998 – 2007. David is recognized by his peers and has been selected to Southern California Super Lawyers for intellectual property law 10 out of the last 13 years and for the last 6 years consecutively.