Publicity in an Age of Individuality: The Rise of Name, Image and Likeness

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Eastern

11:00 am - 12:00 pm Central

10:00 am - 11:00 am Mountain

9:00 am - 10:00 am Pacific

Program:  
The importance of protection of the names, images and likenesses of sports figures, celebrities and others has grown considerably.  In addition to protective measures proposed by the USPTO, various legislation has been proposed in this area.  Kira Alvarez is at the forefront of these current issues and will provide an Update on the Rights of Publicity, particularly recent cases and legislation concerning rights to individuals' names, images, and likeness and how the free speech of those who employ them is protected.

Speakers:

Kira Alvarez, Vice President of Government Relations at Paramount Skydance Kira Alvarez is Vice President of Government Relations at Paramount Skydance.  In this role she provides legislative advocacy and strategic guidance on issues affecting the company including artificial intelligence, intellectual property rights, tax, antitrust, international trade, and privacy.  Before joining Paramount, Ms. Alvarez served as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Intellectual Property (IP) and Chief Negotiator for IP Enforcement, in the Obama Administration, responsible for bilateral IP negotiations between the US and China and served as the U.S. co-chair of the IP Committee of the US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT).  She negotiated the IP chapters of several US Free Trade Agreements, including those with Chile, Central America (CAFTA) and Morocco.  Ms. Alvarez’s work in the private sector includes representing the American Bar Association’s Section of Intellectual Property Rights, and she has also worked for AbbVie, Time Warner and Eli Lilly.  Ms. Alvarez was born and raised in Miami. She has a Juris Doctor and Master of Science in Foreign Service (JD/MSFS) from Georgetown University and Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College, where she was Editor in Chief of the Harvard International Review.

LES Members Price: FREE

(LES International Members please contact info@les.org for a code)

Non-Members: $69

Want to view this and all LES webinars (recorded and LIVE) for free  - Join LES Today!

Email Consent:  By registering for this event, you permit LES to use your email address to communicate with you regarding LES events and their other services. You will have the ability to unsubscribe from these communications going forward.

SV Chapter In-Person Event
Explore Nature and Network with LES-Silicon Valley Chapter

Wednesday, August 19, 2026
4:30-5:30pm Hiking
5:30-7:00pm Networking

Program:
Join LES-SVC on a fun hike in Palo Alto's Arastradero Preserve. Then move to Rossotti’s Alpine Inn in Portola Valley for a social get-together. We will be meeting at the Arastradero Preserve parking lot at 1530 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto (see link below).  Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat!  You can register for FREE for either the hike/social event or the social event only.

Hike participants will be required to sign a waiver in order to participate, so please print, sign and bring with you on the day of the event:

CLICK TO PRINT WAIVER

HIKING
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
(meeting at parking lot at 4:15 pm, leaving promptly at 4:30pm)
Palo Alto's Arastradero Preserve Hike

Arastradero Preserve - Link to Parking Lot

Calling all hikers! Take a break from the office and lace up your hiking boots or tennis shoes to explore the beautiful Arastradero Preserve trails.

NETWORKING & SOCIAL GET-TOGETHER
5:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
Rossotti’s Alpine Inn
3915 Alpine Rd, at Arastradero Rd., Portola Valley, CA
(Parking – see below)

See you at Rossotti's Alpine Inn – whether you're coming straight from a scenic hike or joining us after work for networking and socializing in a beautiful setting (some of our SVC Board members will be in attendance and tables will have signs).  Please note, attendees are responsible for their own food and beverage expenses.

Even though the event is free, we request that you register so that we can get an idea of how many hikers (approximately) and how many will be joining us for the networking time.

A Bit of History – Rossotti's Alpine Inn has been in operation for over 167 years. In 2018, after the property had been put up for sale once again, the Portola Valley community became rightfully worried about its fate. In a joint purchase by three local PV families and a partnership with Greg St Claire and the Avenir Restaurant Group it was restored and reopened in 2019.

PARKING: Rossotti’s encourages guests to carpool, utilize ride share, horseback ride in, or bike in. All guests who arrive in a full car with 4+ adults will either receive front-row parking or a coupon for a free pitcher of beer if the front-row parking is full. The parking lot is staffed with attendants. Be mindful of parking on public roads. Please do not park vehicle in any way that blocks bikers and other vehicles. Cars parked over the white line on public roads can be ticketed and/or towed.

Thank you to our Chapter Sponsors:

Email Consent:  By registering for this event, you permit LES to use your email address to communicate with you regarding LES events and their other services. You will have the ability to unsubscribe from these communications going forward.

Navigating Right to Repair in the Circular Economy

Thursday, August 20, 2026

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Central

11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mountain

10:00 am - 11:00 am Pacific

Program: 
Building a Sustainable Future: Understanding Permissible Repair vs. Impermissible Reconstruction in Support of a Circular Economy:

Discover the latest legal updates shaping repair rights and intellectual property strategies. This email breaks down critical developments and implications for businesses leveraging the circular economy. Key takeaways include:

• Landmark U.S. court decisions like Impression Products v. Lexmark International and their impact on repair rights.
• Differentiating permissible repair from impermissible reconstruction in both U.S. and EU legal frameworks.
• The EU's Directive 2024/1799 promoting repair and sustainability across industries.
• Federal and state-level U.S. legislation influencing consumer access to repair resources.
• The role of intellectual property in fostering sustainable innovation and extended product lifespans.

Speakers:

	Karthika Perumal, PhD, Office Managing Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson LLP Karthika Perumal, Ph.D. is a technology transactions attorney and the Houston Office Managing Partner of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP. She advises companies, research institutions, and innovative businesses on protecting, commercializing, and maximizing the value of intellectual property assets across the full innovation lifecycle. Her practice spans patent strategy, technology licensing, commercialization, freedom-to-operate, IP diligence, and complex technology-driven transactions, with extensive experience in the life sciences, energy, healthcare, and technology sectors. Combining scientific training, business acumen, and legal experience, Karthika brings a practical perspective to the opportunities and challenges surrounding intellectual property rights, innovation, and technology commercialization. She regularly advises clients on patent portfolio development, strategic collaborations, joint ventures, licensing arrangements, and other transactions involving valuable intellectual property assets. Karthika is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP). A recognized leader in the IP community, she is a Past President and Past Chair of the Licensing Executives Society (LES) USA & Canada and has been recognized in the IAM Patent 1000, in the Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, and by U.S. News in the Best Lawyers in America® 2026 edition for her work in patent, technology, and trade secret law.
	Aaron Massuda, Associate, Womble Bond Dickinson LLP Aaron practices in the dynamic field of technology transactions, encompassing trademarks, copyrights, and related negotiations. He provides counsel to clients at various stages of growth, from startups to well-established public firms, zeroing in on intricate commercial and technological deals. His areas of experience include intellectual property licensing, agreements for software and platform-as-a-service, e-commerce, joint intellectual property development, joint venture agreements, product and platform development and integration, commercialization, distribution and reseller agreements, and professional service agreements. In addition, Aaron guides clients on the intellectual property components of mergers and acquisitions, asset sales, and financing transactions. His responsibilities in this sphere include negotiating intellectual property clauses and secondary license and service agreements, as well as assessing the intellectual property portfolios of corporations. Aaron's collaborations span a variety of sectors, working with companies, entrepreneurs, venture capital investors, and strategic corporate investors and acquirers. These sectors cover enterprise software, software and cloud infrastructure, cloud computing, fintech, financial services, data analytics, cybersecurity, e-commerce, hardware, government services, artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, consumer goods, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, and supply chain management.
	Shiju Thomas, FCIPS Shiju Thomas, FCIPS, is a highly accomplished procurement and supply chain professional with more than 25 years of international experience spanning manufacturing, telecommunications, energy, and oil & gas industries. Throughout his career, Shiju has built a reputation for transforming procurement functions into strategic business enablers. His expertise includes establishing and leading procurement departments, developing procurement policies and governance frameworks, implementing ERP and procurement systems, supplier relationship management, strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, and organizational transformation. He has successfully delivered procurement and commercial initiatives across diverse sectors, helping organizations enhance efficiency, reduce costs, mitigate risk, and create sustainable value. He was the first professional in Kuwait to achieve Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) membership status in 2008 and subsequently earned the prestigious FCIPS (Fellow) designation, the highest professional grade awarded by CIPS.  Currently serving in senior leadership roles within the energy sector, Shiju combines deep commercial acumen with a passion for innovation and continuous improvement. His work has focused on integrating technology into procurement processes, advancing ESG and sustainability objectives, and positioning procurement as a key contributor to business strategy and organizational performance.

LES Members Price: FREE

(LES International Members please contact info@les.org for a code)

Non-Members: $69

Want to view this and all LES webinars (recorded and LIVE) for free  - Join LES Today!

Email Consent:  By registering for this event, you permit LES to use your email address to communicate with you regarding LES events and their other services. You will have the ability to unsubscribe from these communications going forward.

September 22, 2026

Hosted by the Washington, DC Chapter & Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC

Tuesday, September 22  - 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm EASTERN

Networking Reception 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

LICENSING 301

CLP Training

• Domain 2 
  

Level: Advanced - More experience required, typically >3 years.

Description:

 Managing Intellectual Property (IP) rights for an organization requires attention to a range of issues, not just stewardship of IP assets.  This course will survey and propose best practices for all aspects of IP management, using as our base case a developing life science company.  We will provide a roadmap and manual for those new to leading the IP function as well as for legal and business professionals who aspire to become leaders.  This course will provide the skills and perspectives leaders need to communicate with the C suite and across a wide range of business functions. 

Modules:

• IP in the context of business strategy
• Asset Portfolios
• Managing Risks
• Value Extraction
• Interacting with the Business
• Resources, Strategy, and Planning

You will learn the following:

• Wholistic approach to economically meaningful IP rights
• Cost effective stewardship of IP assets
• A framework for calibrating and managing IP risks
• How to deploy IP assets to generate value for the business
• Best practices for communications with employees and business leaders
• How to structure an IP Strategy and its implementation through an IP Plan

Recommended LES courses to take in advance or equivalent experience:

• Mechanics of a License
• LES CLP Exam Review

Recommended LES courses to take after:

• Mechanics of a License

Course Creators & Contributors:

Thank you to our course chair, who has developed this new course:

• Gillian Fenton, CLP, Course Chair

Pricing

Member Rate - $499.00
Non-Member Rate - $599.00
Student Rate - $499.00

Group rates available for parties of 3 or more. Contact education@les.org for information. 

Faculty

Gillian M. Fenton, Esq., CLP, Executive Director, LST Strategies LLC

Gillian M. Fenton, Esq., CLP has been a member of the Licensing Executives Society (LES, USA & Canada) since 1992, and served as the society President in 2020-2021.  Gillian’s contributions to LES and to the field of licensing were recognized with the society’s Frank Barnes Award in October 2022 and with listing in the IAM 300 in October 2023.  She presently serves as U.S. Counsel to LESI and is a member of the LES USA & Canada Public Policy Committee and Course Chair for IP Licensing Basics.
Gillian is the founder and executive director of LST Strategies LLC, a solo law practice dedicated to life science transactions.  For the prior 8 years, she was GSK Vaccines Special Counsel for Innovation and Government Collaborations.  At GSK, she supported a wide variety of business development transactions, R&D collaborations and U.S. Government Contracts including agreements with NIH/NIAID, BARDA, DARPA, CARB-X and NIIMBL.  Before joining GSK, Gillian was VP, Associate General Counsel & Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at Emergent BioSolutions Inc., where she founded the IP department and supported all IP aspects of the company’s IPO and subsequent 9 years of growth through M&A in the vaccines, biodefense, and global health fields.  Gillian also spent over ten years in private practice at law firms in Boston, MA and Washington, DC. 
Education: J.D. cum laude, Suffolk University Law School; B.Sc. Biochemistry, Trinity College. 
Admissions: MA, MD, DC.  Registered U.S. Patent Attorney.

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Nirav Desai, CLP, Director, Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

Nirav N. Desai is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Trial & Appellate and Electronics Practice Groups. He specializes in simplifying complex matters—inside the courtroom and out—and solving problems in the process. Nirav is experienced in a full range of intellectual property issues, with a particular focus on patent litigation and counseling clients in global intellectual property strategy.

An accomplished litigator, Nirav has served as lead counsel in district court litigation matters around the country and has been involved in matters before district courts, appellate courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) in Section 337 actions. Nirav also routinely counsels clients in IP transactions and is a certified licensing professional (CLP). 

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CANCELLATION and REFUND POLICY:

No refunds will be granted for this education session.

LES regrets that refunds will not be given for no-shows.

A transfer of your full registration to another individual is permitted prior to the course by submitting written request to education@les.org. The individual submitting the transfer request is responsible for all financial obligations (any balance due) associated with that substitution. Funds from this program cannot be transferred to another education session without prior management approval.

EMAIL CONSENT:

By registering for this event, you permit LES to use your email address to communicate with you regarding LES events and their other services. You will have the ability to unsubscribe from these communications going forward.

PHOTOGRAPHY CONSENT:

By registering for this event, you permit LES to use photographs of you with or without your name and for any lawful purpose, including for example such purposes as publicity, illustration, advertising, and web content.