George Romanik, Principal, O'Shea Getz P.C., Former Intellectual Property Counsel, Pratt & Whitney, USA

George Romanik is a principal in O'Shea Getz P.C.. George leads Pratt & Whitney’s IP team of attorneys. He manages IP litigation, including patent interference, patent infringement, and trade secret litigation. He also leads the IP freedom to operate studies (both patent and trade secret) and IP protection activities. He is responsible for creating and implementing strategies, policies, and procedures to ensure protection of P&W’s IP assets.

He has counseled clients on a wide range of issues, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, proprietary information, domain names, intellectual property licensing, software licensing, commercial and government transactions, e-business team, P&W Aftermarket Services, Chemical Systems Division (solid rocket motors), business development group (joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions), and other business units on e-business, licensing (including software licensing), intellectual property protection, Federal Aviation Regulations, anti-trust and other issues related to HS’s businesses. Prior to Pratt & Whitney George worked at Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation as an IP Counsel. George has also managed outside counsels in the preparation and prosecution of patent applications.

George received a law degree from The University of Connecticut School of Law with highest honors and bachelor of science from Lehigh University. His publication includes Federal Common Law Alive and Well Fifty Years After Erie: Boyle v. United Technologies Corp. and the Government Contractor's Defense, 22 CONN. L. REV. 239 (1989). (Available on WESTLAW)

Monica Winghart, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Article One Partners, USA

Monica Winghart is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Article One Partners in Palo Alto, CA where she brings more than 15 years of experience in Intellectual Property and as a member of the executive leadership team is responsible for oversight of all legal, risk management and compliance functions and is involved in corporate strategy, public policy, business development and a variety of other matters.

Prior to joining Article One, Monica was Senior Corporate Counsel for The Clorox Company, where she was Director of IP litigation, responsible for patent clearance and portfolio management, lead counsel for the three of the company's largest business units, and a part of Clorox’s M&A, licensing and transactions teams. Earlier in her legal career, Monica was an IP attorney advising on IP litigation, patent and trademark prosecution, and licensing and technology acquisitions with the firm of Brown Raysman in Los Angeles and the Thomas Kayden and Sutherland firms in Atlanta. Before attending law school, Monica worked as an engineer with Procter & Gamble and was the principle in an engineering consulting firm.

She currently serves as the Chair of the Intellectual Property Committee of The Association of Corporate Counsel for 2012-2013 and is involved with several community service and pro bono projects in the San Francisco Bay area. Monica has been recognized as a leader in management and in the field of Intellectual Property.

Monica earned her JD from Tulane Law School in 1998 and received a BS in Chemical Engineering and a BS in Pulp and Paper Technology from NC State University in 1993.

Andrew Berger, Counsel, Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP, USA

The broad scope of the Internet now impacts us all. Andrew Berger uses his extensive experience to guide his clients in dealing with legal issues raised by the Internet and new technology. He is counsel to the New York law firm of Tannenbaum Helpern where he represents a broad variety of clients, including a 2010 Academy Award winner, who create and monetize intellectual property. He also helps clients obtain compensation when others have used his client’s copyrighted works without permission. For example this past December he won a highly favorable settlement from an international publisher for infringing his client’s illustrations. Andrew graduated from Cornell University and its law school and is the past president of the Cornell Law Association, the alumni body representing the 9,000 graduates of that school.

Andrew is a trustee and serves on the executive committee of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A and is the co-chair of the Copyright Subcommittee of the IP Litigation Committee of the ABA. Andrew is also an avid Twitter user and writes an IP blog called IP In Brief at www.ipinbrief.com that comments on new developments in copyright and trademark law, which he invites you all to visit. He frequently talks about new developments in intellectual property before bar and trade groups and law schools.

Jane Lambert, Head of Chamber, NIPC Law, UK

Jane is a specialist Intellectual Property and Technology Law Counsel and Arbitrator and Mediator of IP and Technology disputes. Her mission is to bring high quality professional services within reach of those who usually need them most but can often afford them least. She is the author of "Enforcing Intellectual Property Rights: A Concise Guide for Businesses and Innovative and creative Individuals" published by Gower in March 2009

Specialties

Advising and assisting start-ups and other small businesses on legal protection of brands, designs, technology and creative works.

Dirk Thomas, Principal, McKool Smith, USA

Dirk Thomas is a principal in McKool Smith’s Washington, DC office. McKool Smith has more than 100 attorneys in Dallas, Austin, Marshall, New York, and Washington D.C., handling commercial, intellectual property and white collar litigation for national and international clients. The firm is recognized as one of the premier trial law firms in the United States, having earned significant courtroom victories for clients such as American Airlines, Ericsson, Electronic Data Systems, Medtronic Inc., and Sony Ericsson.

Dirk practice focuses on intellectual property litigation, with an emphasis on cases involving computer technology, telephony and communications systems, refinery and manufacturing products and processes, and medical devices and procedures. In addition to his impressive trial record, Dirk also represents clients in appellate matters before the Federal Circuit. Prior to joining McKool Smith he was co-chair of Dewey & LeBoeuf's Intellectual Property Litigation Group. Dirk also served as lead trial counsel in a patent case against technology giant Dell on behalf of a small European computer company, Tulip Computers. That case, tried to a jury in the District of Delaware, resulted in a .5 million recovery for Tulip on a patent that was no longer practiced by either party.

Dirk received his bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Maryland and J.D. from George Washington University Law School. In addition to his responsibilities for McKool Smith, Dirk serves as an active member in various bar associations: American Bar Association, District of Columbia Bar Association, American Intellectual Property Law Association and Licensing Executives Society.