Letter from the Chair

Dear Friends of Grammar and Justice,

It is with great pride and carbonated humility that I address you in my new role as Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section. The rudder has been passed to me from our tremendous Immediate Past Chair Jonathan Lurie, whose long-term and comprehensive dedication to the Section, as well as his patient guidance through my officership, have left a Sasquatch-sized footprint on the path ahead.

I have had the pleasure of working with the Section for a bit over five years now, and I must say that when I first got involved, I did not yet know how much being an active member of a trade organization could both augment my professional career and expand my social circle. Since I joined, I have had the honor of meeting and developing relationships with esteemed practitioners, illustrious academics, and government officials at the forefront of shaping IP law. I also now have a Rolodex of contacts from whom I can ask for tips and tricks about new areas of law and procedures that I have not yet encountered, referrals for legal issues and speaking events, and advice on what to wear to a Sneaker Ball (well not really a Rolodex, but I do still enjoy making indentations on an object called “paper” with a device called a “pencil”). I have also learned a lot about aspects of IP that I didn’t realize would later become more directly pertinent to a case of mine, and nuances outside my practice that I did not know I would find so interesting. In addition, I am able to frequently interact with a group of highly intelligent individuals who are handling the rapidly changing legal field and world stage with grace, humor, and creativity.

And the Section aims to bring all of you these same opportunities: to learn, network, and contribute. In keeping with those goals, we have an exciting array of programming and events to bring you this Fall.

Through the month of October we present to you our EPO month, which is a four-part webinar series that will feature distinguished speakers from the European Patent Office, the Boards of Appeal, and the Unified Patent Court, who will explore recent developments in European patent law and practice.  Register for the first (October 2^nd) session here.

We also have the half-day virtual California Trademark Spotlight Conference, on October 16^th, during which speakers from the USPTO and private practice will update you on the latest with the USPTO, TTAB, and trademark case law and surveys.

After you get your Trademark fix, feel free to brand some pins and strike out your competition at a bowling alley from 6:00PM-8:00PM for our multi-city mixer taking place in Beverly Hills (Lucky Strike), San Jose (Bowlero), San Marcos (Lucky Strike), and San Francisco (Lucky Strike)!

November 6^th will be our IP in Entertainment and Media Conference, at the Hyatt Centric Delfina in Santa Monica, with fascinating panels such as “Copyright Infringement in the Music Industry Post-Blurred Lines,” “AI and Copyright in the Entertainment Industry,” “Comic Books & Graphic Novels: A Lawyer’s Guide to the Journey to Screen,” and “Merchandising and Partnerships in Entertainment,” followed by a cocktail reception.  Please register today and join the fun.

In addition, mark your calendars for our flagship 49^th IP Institute, which will occur at the Clift Royal Sonesta San Francisco March 20, 2026-March 21, 2026—more details to follow in the coming weeks.

We also have a number of stimulating webinars coming up, and we will be scheduling more soon.  To stay current with Section events (and especially our upcoming webinars and webinar series) follow our new LinkedIn page.

In addition, our excellent monthly Interest Group Zoom calls present a chance for members to engage with current and impactful cases, hear practitioners offer opinions and takeaways about new legal issues, and occasionally air grievances about the state of things. Our Patent and Copyright IGs meet, respectively, at noon on the first Tuesday and the first Wednesday of each month, our AI IG on the second Tuesday, and Licensing on the second Friday. Starting in November, our International IG will meet on the first Thursday of every month.

And don’t forget—if you like to see your name in lights (or rather, as a byline), New Matter is always looking for new authors and article contributions, so reach out to us if you have ideas and would like to be published.

Please also contact us any time to alert us to topics of interest and programming you would like to see and join any or all of our interest groups to find out about the latest in your field or offer to be part of an event planning committee.

My fellow officers, Jeff Smyth (Vice Chair) and Thomas Dover (Secretary/Treasurer), and I look forward to getting to know all of you, and hearing your varied and creative thoughts about how we can improve the Section and bring you both the content and networking opportunities that you desire. We hope your holiday season is filled with warmth and community and that you keep what may or may not be the words of the great Oscar Wilde at the forefront of your minds: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

One Leaf at a time,

Leaf Williams
IP Section Chair