Location: Ritz-Carlton, Washington DC Hotel Lobby
Join the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Ambassadors for an informal walk around the nearby historic Washington DC Monuments. All are welcome to join in! We will depart from the Ritz-Carlton hotel lobby promptly at 5:30 pm ET.
Location: Ritz-Carlton Ballroom Foyer
Location: Salon IIIA
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: The Roosevelt
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: The Jefferson
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: Salon IIIB
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: Salon IIIA
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: The Jefferson
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: Salon IIIB
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: The Roosevelt
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: Salon IIIA
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: Salon IIIB
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: The Roosevelt
All committee meetings are open to all attendees! If you are interested in one of these areas, we encourage you to attend! Following the meeting, we encourage you to join as an ITechLaw member to stay connected with the committee throughout the year.
Location: Plaza Ballroom
ITechLaw welcomes all new attendees! Meet the ITechLaw leadership and ambassadors in addition to other new attendees!
Location: Plaza Ballroom
Locations: Various Locations – Sign-Up Required
Your hosts, members of the Planning Committee, and ITechLaw Ambassadors have curated various restaurants to select from. The Dine Around Night offers an opportunity to network with peers over a fabulous meal. All attendees participating in the Dine Around Night are expected to pay for their own meal, they are not complimentary.
Sign-up information will be emailed to all attendees.
Location: Clubhouse: Beer, Billiards & Cocktails Georgetown
All young lawyers (aged 45 and under) are invited to join other young lawyers for a networking drinks reception. This is the perfect place to mix and mingle before the conference begins.
Hosted by the Young Lawyers’ Committee.
Location: Salon II
Location: Ritz-Carlton, Ballroom Foyer
Location: Salon I
Join Laura Liguori, ITechLaw President as she kicks off the 2024 World Technology Law Conference!
Location: Salon I
Global thought leader and the Ann R. and Andrew H. Tisch Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Brooking Institute, Cam Kerry explores the key drivers that will shape the debates over privacy and AI. A central figure in the dialogue over national privacy legislation, Cam will provide insights on possible developments, while addressing the larger issues of AI regulation, standards, and research and development.
Keynote Speaker:
Cam Kerry, Ann R. & Andrew H. Tisch Distinguished Visiting Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Center for Technology & Innovation, United States
Cameron Kerry is a global thought leader on privacy, artificial intelligence, and cross-border challenges in information technology. He joined Governance Studies and the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings in December 2013 as the first Ann R. and Andrew H. Tisch Distinguished Visiting Fellow. He leads two projects: The Privacy Debate, which engages policymakers and stakeholders on the national legislative debate on privacy, and the Forum for Cooperation on AI, a series of roundtables bringing together officials and experts from several countries to identify avenues of cooperation on AI regulation, standards, and research and development.
Previously, Kerry served as general counsel and acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he was a leader on a wide of range of issues including technology, trade, and economic growth and security. He continues to speak and write on these issues, focusing primarily on privacy, artificial intelligence, and international data flows, along with other digital economy issues. During his time as acting secretary, Kerry served as chief executive of this Cabinet agency and its 43,000 employees around the world as well as an adviser to then President Barack Obama. His tenure marked the first time in U.S. history two siblings have served in the president’s Cabinet at the same time.
As general counsel, he was the principal legal adviser to the several Secretaries of Commerce and Commerce agency heads. Kerry spearheaded development of the White House blueprint on consumer privacy, “Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting Privacy and Promoting Innovation in the Global Digital Economy”. He then led the administration’s implementation of the blueprint, drafting privacy legislation and engaging with international partners, including the European Union. He also was a leader in the Obama administration’s successful effort to pass the America Invents Act, the most significant overhaul of the patent system in more than 150 years. He helped establish and lead the Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force, and was the department’s voice on cybersecurity issues and similar issues in the White House “Deputies Committee.” Kerry also played a significant role on intellectual property policy and litigation, cybersecurity, international bribery, trade relations and rule of law development in China, the Gulf Oil spill litigation, and other challenges facing a large, diverse federal agency. He traveled to the People’s Republic of China on numerous occasions to co-lead the Transparency Dialogue with China as well as the U.S.-China Legal Exchange and exchanges on anti-corruption.
In addition to his Brookings affiliation, Kerry is a visiting scholar at the MIT Media Lab. He also served as senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP in Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., where his practice involved privacy, security, and international trade issues. Before Kerry’s appointment to the Obama administration in 2009, he practiced law at the Mintz Levin firm in Boston and Washington and taught telecommunications law as an adjunct professor at Suffolk University Law School. Kerry has also been actively engaged in politics and community service throughout his adult life. During the 2004 presidential campaign, he was a close adviser and national surrogate for Democratic nominee John Kerry, traveling to 29 States and even Israel. He has served on the boards of nonprofits, and is currently on the board of the National Archives Foundation.
The Ann R. and Andrew H. Tisch Distinguished Visiting Fellows in Governance Studies are individuals of particularly noteworthy distinction. The fellowship is designed to bring distinguished visitors from government, business, journalism, and academia to Brookings to write about challenges facing the country. Kerry is the first to be named to this prestigious fellowship.
Location: Salon I
The highly interactive roundtable session will kick off the conference! The topics below will each have an assigned table and discussion leads to conduct a brief speed networking and overview of the topic. Attendees will have two chances to participate in 40-minute engaging discussions on these topics. This is a session you won’t want to miss!
Roundtable Topics:
Location: Ritz-Carlton Ballroom Foyer
Location: Salon IIIA/B
In this session, our speakers will look at some of the latest hot topics in the field of data protection and privacy. Stay ahead of the curve and learn more about the trends that are happening right now and what might be coming next.
Speakers:
Lisa Ruth Lifshitz, Torkin Manes, Canada – Moderator
Lisa is a partner in Torkin Manes’ Business Law Group and Chair of its Technology and Privacy & Data Management Groups. She has particular expertise in preparing, negotiating and advising on technology agreements, including cloud computing, AI, fintech and blockchain contracts. Lisa also practises in the areas of privacy/cybersecurity, advising on trans-border data transfers, breach management and CASL compliance. Lisa has earned numerous accolades and rankings with Chambers Global, Chambers Canada, LEXPERT, The Best Lawyers in Canada, Who’s Who Legal (as a Global Elite Thought Leader) and LEXPERT/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada. Lisa is a well-known author and speaker, contributing to such publications as Business Law Today. She is the co-author of Cloud 3.0 – Drafting and Negotiating Effective Cloud Computing Agreements (May 2019). Lisa is currently the Content Officer and Chair of the Content Board of the Business Law Section (BLS) of the ABA and is Co-Chair of the BLS Robotics and AI Subcommittee, Cyberspace Committee and a member of the ABA’s Standing Committee on Technology and Information Systems. Lisa is an Ambassador for ITechLaw and also a Director/past President of the Canadian Technology Law Association and is the Co-Chair of its Privacy/Cybersecurity Committee.
Paul Lanois, Fieldfisher, United States
Paul is a Director at the law firm Fieldfisher based in Palo Alto, California, and is an Adjunct Faculty at UC College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly known as UC Hastings, where he teaches a course on privacy compliance. Paul advises companies on data privacy and cybersecurity matters, having lived and worked in the United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Hong Kong and the United States. Paul is also a member of the Executive Committee of the California Lawyers Association’s Privacy Law Section. Paul has previously worked on technology transactions at large international law firms London (UK), France and Luxembourg, was an Associate Professor at the University of Cergy-Pontoise Law School in France, and was Vice President and senior legal counsel at a leading international bank, Credit Suisse, at its headquarters in Switzerland as well as its Hong Kong office.
Location: Plaza I
This session explores the latest updates in US and EU regulations on AI. How do the regulations compare: are standards being harmonized or are they diverging? And what are the implications? Join this session where we will take a comparative look at the regulatory standards between the US and the EU.
Speakers:
Alan Friel, Squire Patton Boggs, United States – Moderator
Alan L. Friel is chair of the firm’s Data Privacy, Cybersecurity & Digital Assets Practice. In 2022, BTI Consulting Group named Alan a Client Service All-Star, recognizing lawyers who stand above all others in delivering the absolute best in client service. Alan is a thought leader in digital media, intellectual property, data privacy and protection, and consumer protection law, with three decades of relevant experience to address the intersection of law and technology.
Odia Kagan, Fox Rothschild LLP, United States
Odia Kagan is a Partner and Chair of GDPR Compliance & International Privacy Practice at Fox Rothschild LLP, a US national law firm. Odia has advised more than 300 companies of varying industries and sizes on compliance with data related regulation including: AI and biometrics regulation, GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other US data protection laws. With an emphasis on assessing future trends and a pragmatic, risk based approach, Odia provides clients with practical advice on how to design and implement their products and services in a compliant manner. Odia holds 3 law degrees, 5 bar admissions and 7 privacy certifications (CIPP/US/E, CIPM, CDPO, C-GDPR/P, FIP, PLS)
Marieke Luise Merkle-Roson, Noerr, Germany
Marieke Merkle specialises in providing legal advice in the area of AI (generative AI, LLMs) and data economy (in particular cloud computing, data use agreements) as well as legal advice in matters related to digitalisation projects of national and international clients (in particular automation of business processes, IT projects, IT outsourcings) and software copyright (including open source software). Marieke Merkle is a lecturer in IT law at the LMU Munich. Marieke regularly publishes in journals and speaks at conferences. Marieke also acts as an expert in the field of AI, for example before the Bundestag Committee on Culture and the Media.
Location: The Jefferson
Reserved for In-House Counsels only.
The technology industry is now a regulated industry. We all must adapt to this new environment. That means more transparency, better governance, and tighter engagement with regulators. We all should lean into this new environment and learn from others. We have the opportunity to build our profession and create new disciplines, all to benefit the responsible development and deployment of technology.
Keynote Speaker:
Geff Brown, Microsoft, United States
Geff Brown is the Associate General Counsel in Microsoft’s Privacy, Safety & Regulatory Affairs group leading the company’s worldwide privacy and data protection legal team. Geff has counseled all aspects of Microsoft businesses on privacy and data protection issues. Prior to law school, Geff was a software development engineer at Microsoft, where he worked on Microsoft Exchange.
Location: Salon IIIA/B
The second edition of the Startup Legal Playbook covers key legal concerns for startups in countries across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, covering over 60 jurisdictions. The workshop will provide an overview of the most important insights from this comprehensive overview and discuss current trends.
Speakers:
Axel Andrel, DORDA Rechtsanwälte, Austria
Axel Anderl, managing partner of DORDA, Vienna, is heading its IT/IP and data protection team and the multidisciplinary Digital Industries Group offering holistic legal advice in a digital world. Axel is author of a vast number of publications such as a commentary on the Austrian implementation of the NIS directive, blockchain or cybersecurity. He is also lecturer at Universities. Axel has received the ILO Client Choice award eleven times from 2012 to 2023. He is ranked as leading individual in IT, IP and data protection with legal500 and Chambers and member of the legal500 Hall of Fame for TMT.
Michael Reid, DLA Piper, Canada
Mike Reid is a corporate law generalist with a technology focus, often working with entrepreneurs, founders and other executives in startup and growth-stage companies. Mike works with companies in a wide variety of sectors, from software to e-commerce, gaming to productivity tools, artificial intelligence to VR/AR, healthtech, fintech, consumer goods, food and beverage, life sciences and everything in between, at all stages of a company’s life cycle from startup, through growth, to exit. Mike is a trusted legal advisor, helping guide clients through their various corporate process and business issues. Specifically, he advises clients on corporate/commercial law including: company formations, such as structuring, shareholders agreements, and governance considerations; IP creation and commercialization; staffing concerns, such as employment and contractor matters; B2B and B2C contracting concerns; financing matters whether pre-seed, seed, series raises, private equity, venture capital or other strategic investments; and joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions. Prior to practising law, Mike had a career in marketing and communications working for a wide range of clients. He brings to his legal practice a practical understanding of what is takes to grow successful business ventures in the modern economic landscape. Mike has particular expertise advising startup companies and has written a number of articles providing tips, tools and programs for entrepreneurs and their startup ventures.
Location: Plaza I
Generative AI will develop much faster than the legal regimes that purport to regulate it. This panel will explore the tension between the development of AI technology and the law and offer insights on the potential for responsible development of AI.
Speakers:
Emily Barwell, Osborne Clarke, United States – Moderator
Emily is a senior associate in the US team who specialises in data protection and technology contracts. Emily originally joined Osborne Clarke as an associate in the commercial team in Bristol in November 2019, but now works as part of our US team providing in-time-zone UK legal support to global and expanding companies. She has previously worked on international projects providing data protection advice and supported a number of IP and corporate transactions. Emily’s experience includes advising a wide range of companies, from international global organisations to SMEs on a range of commercial, intellectual property and data protection issues. She has worked closely with companies in the software, gaming, entertainment, automotive and energy industries. She also has specialist experience on advising on alternative data sharing arrangements and on legal issues surrounding artificial intelligence. As part of Emily’s work on artificial intelligence, she has contributed to the published IEEE Standard for Transparency of Autonomous Systems. Emily has previously spoken at a number of conferences and webinars including speaking at the Information Law and Policy Centre’s annual conference and at the Society for Computers and Law.
Laila Paszti, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, United States
Laila Paszti is a technology & IP transactions partner in the Bay Area office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Laila leverages her significant experience in technology, IP, and privacy to help clients navigate risk and protect their commercial interests in the course of multinational mergers and acquisitions, patent purchases and sales, and IP licensing transactions. She is sought out for her guidance on artificial intelligence and commercialization, including on patent strategy. Laila had graduate degrees in chemical and systems engineering, with a focus on process optimization using neural networks. Prior to law, she worked as a machine learning engineer.
Location: Plaza II
EU law is boldly attempting to regulate the sea of data pouring from IoT devices. This panel will assess the potential for effective regulation of IoT Data from the perspectives of several EU experts.
Speakers:
Arved Waltemathe, Waltemathe Anwaltskanzlei, Germany
Dr. Arved Waltemathe, LL.M. (LSE) is a German attorney-at-law, who started his career with Lovells more than 20 years ago and founded his own law firm in 2006. The intersection of software law, data law, trade secrets law and competition law forms core of his practice. Above all, he advises on agreements and dispute resolution re. IT projects and technology transfers. His clients are mainly multinational corporations in the health care, software, medical devices and automotive industry, respectively. Since more than 15 years he is bar-certified specialist for intellectual property law.
Annarita Nicoletto, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
Annarita is the in-house legal counsel for the Swiss top-ranked, simulation neuroscience center “Blue Brain” (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne/EPFL). Passionate for science and technology, Annarita has professionally developed advising innovative tech projects in diverse industries (medtech, software, telecom, online industry). Originally focused on business and IP/IT law, she has drawn her professional remit to data at the early stages of Web 2.0’s data-driven business models. At Blue Brain she has expanded her knowledge to the intersection of neuroscience, big data, neural networks, and supercomputing. Qualified lawyer, university studies in US and UK, graduated at the Univ. of Padova (IT), LL.M. in IP Law (Univ. of Edinburgh) and a LL.M. In International Business Law (Univ. of Zurich).
Location: Salon IIIA/B
The second edition of the Startup Legal Playbook covers key legal concerns for startups in countries across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, covering over 60 jurisdictions. The workshop will provide an overview of the most important insights from this comprehensive overview and discuss current trends.
Speakers:
Axel Andrel, DORDA Rechtsanwälte, Austria
Axel Anderl, managing partner of DORDA, Vienna, is heading its IT/IP and data protection team and the multidisciplinary Digital Industries Group offering holistic legal advice in a digital world. Axel is author of a vast number of publications such as a commentary on the Austrian implementation of the NIS directive, blockchain or cybersecurity. He is also lecturer at Universities. Axel has received the ILO Client Choice award eleven times from 2012 to 2023. He is ranked as leading individual in IT, IP and data protection with legal500 and Chambers and member of the legal500 Hall of Fame for TMT.
Michael Reid, DLA Piper, Canada
Mike Reid is a corporate law generalist with a technology focus, often working with entrepreneurs, founders and other executives in startup and growth-stage companies. Mike works with companies in a wide variety of sectors, from software to e-commerce, gaming to productivity tools, artificial intelligence to VR/AR, healthtech, fintech, consumer goods, food and beverage, life sciences and everything in between, at all stages of a company’s life cycle from startup, through growth, to exit. Mike is a trusted legal advisor, helping guide clients through their various corporate process and business issues. Specifically, he advises clients on corporate/commercial law including: company formations, such as structuring, shareholders agreements, and governance considerations; IP creation and commercialization; staffing concerns, such as employment and contractor matters; B2B and B2C contracting concerns; financing matters whether pre-seed, seed, series raises, private equity, venture capital or other strategic investments; and joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions. Prior to practising law, Mike had a career in marketing and communications working for a wide range of clients. He brings to his legal practice a practical understanding of what is takes to grow successful business ventures in the modern economic landscape. Mike has particular expertise advising startup companies and has written a number of articles providing tips, tools and programs for entrepreneurs and their startup ventures.
Location: Plaza I
Generative AI will develop much faster than the legal regimes that purport to regulate it. This panel will explore the tension between the development of AI technology and the law and offer insights on the potential for responsible development of AI.
Speakers:
Emily Barwell, Osborne Clarke, United States – Moderator
Emily is a senior associate in the US team who specialises in data protection and technology contracts. Emily originally joined Osborne Clarke as an associate in the commercial team in Bristol in November 2019, but now works as part of our US team providing in-time-zone UK legal support to global and expanding companies. She has previously worked on international projects providing data protection advice and supported a number of IP and corporate transactions. Emily’s experience includes advising a wide range of companies, from international global organisations to SMEs on a range of commercial, intellectual property and data protection issues. She has worked closely with companies in the software, gaming, entertainment, automotive and energy industries. She also has specialist experience on advising on alternative data sharing arrangements and on legal issues surrounding artificial intelligence. As part of Emily’s work on artificial intelligence, she has contributed to the published IEEE Standard for Transparency of Autonomous Systems. Emily has previously spoken at a number of conferences and webinars including speaking at the Information Law and Policy Centre’s annual conference and at the Society for Computers and Law.
Laila Paszti, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, United States
Laila Paszti is a technology & IP transactions partner in the Bay Area office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Laila leverages her significant experience in technology, IP, and privacy to help clients navigate risk and protect their commercial interests in the course of multinational mergers and acquisitions, patent purchases and sales, and IP licensing transactions. She is sought out for her guidance on artificial intelligence and commercialization, including on patent strategy. Laila had graduate degrees in chemical and systems engineering, with a focus on process optimization using neural networks. Prior to law, she worked as a machine learning engineer.
Location: Plaza II
EU law is boldly attempting to regulate the sea of data pouring from IoT devices. This panel will assess the potential for effective regulation of IoT Data from the perspectives of several EU experts.
Speakers:
Arved Waltemathe, Waltemathe Anwaltskanzlei, Germany
Dr. Arved Waltemathe, LL.M. (LSE) is a German attorney-at-law, who started his career with Lovells more than 20 years ago and founded his own law firm in 2006. The intersection of software law, data law, trade secrets law and competition law forms core of his practice. Above all, he advises on agreements and dispute resolution re. IT projects and technology transfers. His clients are mainly multinational corporations in the health care, software, medical devices and automotive industry, respectively. Since more than 15 years he is bar-certified specialist for intellectual property law.
Annarita Nicoletto, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
Annarita is the in-house legal counsel for the Swiss top-ranked, simulation neuroscience center “Blue Brain” (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne/EPFL). Passionate for science and technology, Annarita has professionally developed advising innovative tech projects in diverse industries (medtech, software, telecom, online industry). Originally focused on business and IP/IT law, she has drawn her professional remit to data at the early stages of Web 2.0’s data-driven business models. At Blue Brain she has expanded her knowledge to the intersection of neuroscience, big data, neural networks, and supercomputing. Qualified lawyer, university studies in US and UK, graduated at the Univ. of Padova (IT), LL.M. in IP Law (Univ. of Edinburgh) and a LL.M. In International Business Law (Univ. of Zurich).
Location: Ritz-Carlton Ballroom Foyer
Location: Salon IIIA/B
Reinvigorated cryptocurrencies are booming once again. This panel will explore the future of cryptocurrencies, DAOs and decentralized financial innovation.
Speakers:
Katarzyna Szczudlik, Schoenherr Halwa sp.k., Poland
Katarzyna Szczudlik, attorney, partner in the IP/TMT practice and head of the FinTech practice of the Warsaw office of Schoenherr law firm. Her professional experience focuses on new technologies, with particular emphasis on blockchain and artificial intelligence – both in terms of legal advice for entities from this industry and the application of these technologies in the law firm’s activities. Regularly recognized in the Legal 500 (data protection) and Chambers (FinTech) rankings, winner of a special award in the Rising Stars Lawyers – Leaders of Tomorrow 2022 competition and recognized by Forbes Women on the list of 25 Best Lawyers in Business 2022. Mentor in mentoring programs for young women lawyers, author of several dozen articles and studies in the field of new technology law, regular speaker at Polish and international legal and industry conferences.
Julia Pazos, Cescon Barrieu, Brazil
Specialist in the intersection between Law, Technology and Innovation, Julia Pazos stands out as a reference in Intellectual Property in the Brazilian legal scenario. Partner of Cescon Barrieu, her career spanning more than two decades is marked by excellence and commitment to defending the intellectual assets of its clients. Julia not only built a solid academic base, but also a practical one, specializing in negotiations of trademarks, patents and technologies. Her abilities to conduct complex projects involving agreements and licensing are widely recognized, a fact proven by her presence in several national and international rankings. In the world of technology, especially in the context of blockchain and Artificial Intelligence, Julia is considered one of the greatest authorities in the country, a distinction that only reiterates her importance and influence in the legal universe of Intellectual Property, Technology and Innovation. Julia is a guest professor and speaker at several national and international courses and events on Web3, NFTs, metaverse, blockchain, intellectual property and technology negotiation.
Jonathan Bench, Harris Sliwoski LLP, United States
Jonathan is chair of Harris Sliwoski’s corporate practice group. He works in the firm’s Salt Lake City, Utah office, where he helps entrepreneurs, companies, and venture capital and private equity funds with international and domestic business transactions involving supply chains and emerging technology. Jonathan has worked and consulted in the U.S., Asia, and South America and is fluent in Chinese and Cantonese. His clientele stretches across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. He has worked on wide-ranging international web3 projects involving various DAO communities, NFT artists and studios, layer-2 dApps, gaming, the metaverse, and celebrity brand influencers.
Location: Plaza I
Dispute resolution is rapidily evolving to keep pace with technological change. This panel explores how new technologies will help resolve disputes faster, cheaper, and perhaps even better.
Speakers:
Thomas Ventrone, International Centre for Dispute Resolution, United States – Moderator
Thomas Ventrone is responsible for the management and oversight of the administration and management of all international arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution cases filed within the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), a division of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). This includes the direct supervision of a multi-lingual team, comprised primarily of attorneys, including those from foreign jurisdictions, who provide high quality case management services on high-value disputes, to parties, counsel, and arbitrators/mediators who participate in the process. The ICDR presently manages over 800 new cases annually involving parties from over 100 different countries. His responsibility includes providing support to the ICDR-AAA roster of arbitrators, prominent members of the international arbitration community and the ICDR team. In addition to his role as the manager of the Centre activities, Tom maintains a leadership position as a member of the ICDR management team, working with fellow vice presidents and senior management to develop, refine, and promote the outreach, educational and service missions of the ICDR along with development of offerings for both the ICDR and the AAA. He also serves as a staff facilitator for the ICDR Arbitrator Symposium training sessions and is a trained mediator. Prior to joining the ICDR Tom served as the Vice President of the AAA’s New Jersey State Insurance Case Management Center where he led a team that managed AAA Insurance, Commercial, Construction, Employment and Labor arbitration caseloads. Mr. Ventrone also spent many years serving the public in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey. He served as the manager of several departments within the Essex County (Newark, New Jersey) Family Court, including the oversight and management of several Complimentary Dispute Resolution (Court-annexed) programs such as the Family Mediation Program and Child Support/Domestic Violence Hearing Officer Program.
Sofia Kilmar, TozziniFreire, Brazil
TozziniFreire’s partner in the Litigation practice, Sofia has extensive experience in Tech Litigation, having assisted some of the most relevant tech companies in matters related to the Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet and the General Data Protection Law. Her work comprises all strategic litigation, from civil investigations and public civil actions to leading cases at different national courts. Sofia holds both a PhD and a Master of Laws academic degrees in Commercial Law, before the University of Sao Paulo.
Jason Haas, Ervin Cohen Jessup LLP, United States
Jason Haas is a Partner in the Litigation Department. Jason has spent over twenty years litigating a wide variety of complex business disputes for his clients in federal and state courts and in private arbitration. Jason focuses his practice on domestic and international litigation at the intersection of law, business and technology. Jason brings a pragmatic approach to resolving each dispute. Investing time early in a case to understand the facts and craft an effective strategy is a key part of his approach. Jason also carefully selects which issues to fight, and when, in order to maximize the impact of his client’s investment and avoid wasting resources on unnecessary legal battles that do not advantage his clients. Jason is also active in the International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw) having served as both chair of its Dispute Resolution Committee and as a co-chair for the ITechLaw World Technology Law Conference hosted in Toronto, Canada in May 2023.
Location: Plaza II
Cybersecurity is an ever-increasing concern for our clients and our firms. This panel will walk you through the cyber threat environment and where the law and regulations stand, discuss considerations for mitigating ransomware exposure in cloud relationships, and provide a contextual attack-by-attack review of cyber liability insurance.
Speakers:
Olalekan (Wole) Akinremi, Deeth Williams Wall LLP, Canada
Wole is a partner in the Technology Group at Deeth Williams Wall LLP. Wole’s practice covers a variety of technology and privacy law matters, including advising clients on privacy, data security management, software implementation, outsourcing, and licensing agreements. In his previous roles, Wole worked in-house as legal counsel for two Fortune 500 insurance companies. Most recently, Wole was legal counsel at a Big Four professional services firm, where he was responsible for drafting and negotiating various commercial contracts, with an emphasis on technology-related agreements. In 2022, Wole earned the Certified Information Privacy Professional/Canada (CIPP/C) credential.
Location: Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Location: Salon II
Location: Ritz-Carlton Ballroom Foyer
Location: The Roosevelt
In this session, we will meet Krysten Jenci, Senior Government Affairs Manager at Cisco and former Director of the Office of Digital Services Industries at the Internation Trade Administration, where she was directly involved in the negotiations of the EU-US Privacy Shield and other cutting-edge digital trade issues. Krysten will be focusing on the challenges and opportunities that she faced transitioning from the public to private sector in the technology field. She will also share her thoughts on leadership and emotional intelligence based on her experience volunteering as a coach and mentor while working at the International Trade Administration.
Speaker:
Krysten Jenci, Cisco, United States
Krysten accelerates Cisco’s policy and government engagements on important digital trade issues including global privacy, data flows, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies. Prior to joining Cisco, Krysten served as the Director of the Office of Digital Services Industries (ODSI) at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA). During her tenure at ODSI, she worked on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum, and digital work in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) discussions. Krysten has won several awards for her work as well as served on the Commerce Department’s Privacy Policy Coordinating Committee and as co-chair of the Digital Attaché Steering Committee. She received her graduate degree in international relations from Georgetown University.
Location: Salon IIIA/B
Evolving blockchain and other digital technologies will bring new advances from an evolving metaverse, to a potential revival of NFTs and a new regime for digital rights. This panel will offer expert views on what the future will hold.
Speakers:
Katharina Lasota Heller, LEXcellence AG, Switzerland – Moderator
Dr. Katharina Lasota Heller has over 20 years of experience in IT, IP and FinTech law. Female Founder, Managing Partner of LEXcellence –Swiss Law Firm in Baar (Zug). President of Swiss-Polish Blockchain Association, Co-Chair Regulatory Working Group – Crypto Valley Association, Chair of FinTech Committee at ITechLaw. Dr. Lasota deals with issues related to Blockchain, FinTech, NFTs and Metaverse on daily basis. As a lecturer at Kozminski University in Warsaw and HSLU in Lucerne she lectures on FinTech Blockchain, IP, and Technology Law; an attorney at law admitted to practice in Switzerland and in Poland. Katharina received a doctoral degree in 2003 from Ludwig Maximilian University; as a scholar at the Max-Planck Institute in Munich. She is an alumnus of McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento California, where she finished her LL.M. Studies in 2004. Over the years, she has worked for several large law firms in Munich, Warsaw, and Vienna. Between 2010 and 2015 led a global compliance program of Naspers and PayU and was President of EDiMA. Katharina is passionate about FinTech economic disruption and the data-driven economy. Devoted to supporting of female business and leadership. Board Member in various companies. Wife, and mother of a teenage daughter, loves hiking in the Swiss Alpes, and occasionally plays golf.
Cody Carbone, The Digital Chamber, United States
Cody Carbone serves as Chief Policy Officer for The Chamber where he leads the Association’s policy and government affairs efforts. Prior to joining, Cody spent six years in the office of public policy at Ernst & Young (EY), where he led federal government engagement and advocacy efforts on issues related to financial services and technology. Cody has also spent time serving as legislative staff in the US House of Representatives and US Senate, working directly for his hometown Representative Leonard Lance from New Jersey. Cody received his Juris Doctorate (JD) and Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from Syracuse University where he served as President of the Student Bar Association. Cody also received his BS from the State University of New York at Cortland, where he was a member of the varsity men’s soccer team. Cody is admitted to the New York State Bar and currently resides in Washington, DC.
Location: Plaza I
The EU’s “Digital Decade” set out a long-term strategy for the digital transformation of Europe. Our panel will discuss the EU’s progress in its digital aspirations, including AI, technology and cybersecurity regulations, the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act.
Speakers:
Caroline Sundberg, Hannes Snellman Advokatbyrå AB, Sweden – Moderator
Caroline specialises in the law related to the IT-, technology and media sector, with a particular focus on commercial agreements and data privacy (GDPR). She regularly advises her clients on a wide variety of arrangements, including outsourcing, cloud services, the creation and licensing of rights in software and procurement of technology and related services. Her practice includes drafting, interpreting, negotiating and disputing commercial agreements. In her practice she has obtained considerable experience of matters related to new technologies such as green tech, e-health, open source, IoT and e-commerce. She also has vast experience of providing advice to financial institutions and government agencies on procurement of cloud services and outsourcing services.
Philip Koehler, Taylor Wessing, Germany
Philipp is a German bar-certified specialist lawyer for copyright/media law and for IT law. He advises national/international technology and media companies on legal issues and questions relating to copyright, e-commerce, IT and data protection law. A focus of his expertise is on platform regulation, the drafting/negotiation of complex IP/IT agreements and advise on business models under aspects of e-commerce, data protection and distance selling law. In this context, he also represents his clients in respective disputes before the courts. Further, Philipp is a lecturer for IP/IT law at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich.
Location: Ritz-Carlton Ballroom Foyer
Location: Salon IIIA/B
While much of the attention on AI regulation has been focused on the EU’s AI Act and the Executive Order in the US, other regions have been watching and learning from those proposals, to find appropriate approaches for their needs. In this session, we will look at how the regulatory environment is shaping up in Latin America and Africa.
Speakers:
Rodrigo Azevedo, Silveiro Advogados, Brazil
Member of the first generation of lawyers to specialize in the interaction between Internet and Law in Brazil, Rodrigo Azevedo is a partner at the full service lawfirm Silveiro Advogados. Azevedo currently heads the recently launched Digital Law Dispute Resolution Chamber of the Brazilian Intellectual Property Association (ABPI) – the first with this focus in the country – and the Technology and Fashion Law section of the São Paulo Intellectual Property Association (ASPI). He is a member of the Advisory Board of ABPI and of the Mercosur Biennial of Arts. Rodrigo has been acting in the IT Law segment for over 25 years, having led more than 100 data protection compliance programs and coordinated a nationally prized social initiative that qualified more than 1,000 unemployed people to work as Data Protection Officers (DPOs). He also usually acts as a panelist in domain name dispute resolution proceedings at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and ABPI, having already decided more than 200 cases, including the very first “.br” dispute. His professional and academic background includes the United States (Cyber-incidents and Crisis Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT; Intellectual Property at the Franklin Pierce Law Centre/University of New Hampshire); Italy (LL.M. in Intellectual Property at the University of Turin); the Netherlands (certified DPO at the European Institute of Public Administration); Switzerland (WIPO); and Argentina (Copyright Law at the University of Buenos Aires). In Brazil, he has specialized in International Law at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and in Economic and Business Law at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation.
Sahara Bejarano Tovar, Microsoft / Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas, Colombia
Sahara Bejarano is an associate at Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas. She is currently on secondment for Microsoft Colombia where she works as Legal Specialist for the Spanish South America region, in her position she develops activities of government affairs and commercial negotiation for Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay. She is a lawyer from Universidad de la Sabana, with more than two years of experience advising national and international companies on issues related to cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data protection, public policy in innovation and technology, and freedom of expression. As part of her continues learning Sahara has attended the Legaltech course in Los Andes University and attended the Berkeley Law AI Institute on October 2023.
Ibrahim Haroon, Africa Center for Technology Law and Innovation Policy/University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Ibrahim Haroon is a qualified barrister and solicitor in Nigeria. He currently directs the Africa Center for Technology Law and Innovation Policy. He is enriching his academic and professional expertise as a Weidenfeld Hoffman Scholar, studying for a Master of Law (BCL) at the University of Oxford. Before Oxford, Ibrahim actively practiced law at G. Elias, a leading law firm in Lagos, Nigeria, where he specialized in emerging technologies, intellectual property, and disputes resolution. His work is deeply rooted in the critical intersection of law and technology, focusing notably on representing and advising players within Africa’s technology and innovation sectors. Ibrahim’s efforts extend to leveraging technology for the improvement of legal and judicial systems. He is also involved in researching legal issues related to technology in Africa, with his most recent interests including the right to technology, open innovation, algorithmic bias, and AI regulation.
Location: Plaza I
We are on the verge of quantum computing becoming a reality, and have seen hints of its potential. We introduce quantum computing, discuss key concepts and legal implications, and examine the landscape for patenting quantum computing inventions.
Speakers:
Emmanuel Szafran, Verwal Law Firm, Belgium – Moderator
A member of the Brussels bar, Emmanuel Szafran is recognized as one of the leading practitioners in Belgium in technology and digital law. He advises on technology, cloud computing, AI and machine learning projects, as well as on issues related to data protection, the use of cryptography, export controls of dual-use goods, network security, cybercrime and e-communications. He is a founding member of the Brussels bar-initiated European incubator INCUEBRUX. Prior to joining Verwal, Emmanuel Szafran practiced nine years in Brussels and London with Linklaters.
Asa Kling, Naschitz Brandes Amir & Co, Israel
Chair of IP at Naschitz Brandes Amir & Co. which he joined in 2018 after a successful tenure as Director of the Israel Patent Office and Commissioner of Patents, Trademarks and Designs (2011–2017). Asa’s practice covers all IP-related matters – litigation, prosecution and transactional work. Asa advises hi-tech, quantum computing, AI based, biotech, life sciences, medical device and technology companies, research institutions and universities. Asa also practices as an arbitrator and mediator and he is a recognized WIPO Neutral. Asa is a regular speaker in many international fora. He teaches IP at the Reichman University, Herzeliya and is President of the AIPPI Israel National Group.
Paul Stimers, Holland and Knight, United States
Paul Stimers is a Washington, D.C., attorney and a member of Holland & Knight’s Public Policy & Regulation Group. He focuses his policy advocacy efforts on matters related to emerging technologies such as quantum computing, commercial spaceflight, and artificial intelligence. Mr. Stimers founded and leads the Quantum Industry Coalition, a group of quantum companies working to advance U.S. quantum leadership. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Location: Salon IIIA/B
Location: Plaza I
The data – and now (and going forward) AI – have become key components in a vast array of corporate and commercial transactions. This session will discuss how the growing importance of data as a business asset requires changes in corporate transactions, and will introduce a proposed Q&A approach for due diligence on artificial intelligence.
Speakers:
William Tanenbaum, Moses & Singer LLP, United States
William Tanenbaum is an ITechLaw Past President, Head of the AI & Data Practice at Moses & Singer in New York, one of the “Top 10 Pioneering Tech Lawyers Shaping New York’s Legal Landscape,” and an IT “Lawyer of Year” in New York (US News) who is “at the very top of the market” in technology law, a “Global Elite Thought Leader” in Data and a “leading name” in AI (Who’s Who Legal). Chambers ranks him at the Global and US levels, and Bill is an “IP Star” and peer-selected to the “List of the World’s Leading Neutrals [Arbitrators].”
Location: Plaza II
AI is having a major impact across all aspects of business and services, and legal practice is no exception. In this session we will discuss the ISO standards that are relevant to AI, as well as how AI is influencing and impacting the practice of law.
Speakers:
Sam De Silva, CMS, United Kingdom
Dr. Sam De Silva is an award-winning Partner and Global Co-Head of the Commercial Practice Group at CMS. Sam specialises in complex and strategic technology projects and regularly advises on AI and risk management. Sam is a former Board Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply and is a Trustee of The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS). Sam is named in the Who’s Who of Information Technology 2024, Who’s Who of Data Privacy and Protection 2024, and the Who’s Who of Data Security 2024 as both a Global Leader and Thought Leader in those areas of law.
Michal Jackowski, DSK Law Firm, Poland
Renowned Law Professor deeply involved in AI’s legal implications, and leading author of the seminal ‘First Global Report on the State of AI in Legal Practice’. As a practicing Attorney-at-Law & Tax Advisor, I co-founded AnyLawyer, an innovative AI legal tech start-up, and am co-owner of DSK Law Firm, a forefront firm in tech law, specializing in AI implementation (incl. under AI Act), and IP protection / disputes in Europe. My expertise extends to GDPR and ISO standards as the leader of LexDigital.pl, serving tech sector. An accomplished entrepreneur with an MBA from ESCP Europe, I’m also a government Tech/AI/IoT advisor and Business Angel.
Location: Ritz-Carlton Ballroom Foyer
Want to get involved with planning a future ITechLaw Conference? Join the planning session where we will discuss the upcoming Conferences and learn how you can get involved. Open to all attendees!
Upcoming Conferences:
Location: Salon IIIA/B
Join us for an interactive crisis communications-focused session where participants will work through a variety of cutting-edge scenarios highlighting the intersection of AI, cyber threats, and data privacy concerns. Navigating deep fakes, data leaks and misinformation can be pure chaos, but in this session, participants will learn how to collaborate across legal and communications workstreams to effectively resonate with key stakeholders – from board members to online influencers to the highest levels of government.
