2nd Energy Industry Intellectual Property Law Conference

Overview

The second edition of the Energy Industry Intellectual Property Law Conference will take place this March in Houston, and will be conveniently located in the Energy Corridor. This conference is a collaboration of the Institute for Law and Technology and the Institute for Energy Law and is a unique educational opportunity for those working on intellectual property issues relating to the energy industry. Register now to join co-chairs Steve Koch (Montgomery, TX) and Paul R. Morico (Baker Botts L.L.P.) for this one-day CLE filled with interesting topics and excellent speakers.

Conference Co-Chairs

Steve Koch
Montgomery, TX

Paul R. Morico
Co-Chair Energy IP Practice Group
Baker Botts L.L.P.
Houston, TX

Download the Brochure (pdf)

For more details, download the online brochure.

Tuition

Note: Early registration pricing is available through March 10, 2018.

• $395.00 - Regular Registration Fee
• $345.00 - IEL or ILT Advisory Board Member
• $345.00 - IEL or ILT Supporting or Sustaining Member Employee
• $345.00 - IEL Young Energy Professional Member
• $345.00 - CAIL Member or Member Employee
• $345.00 - Government Employee
• $100.00 - Full-Time Student
• $100.00 - Full-Time Professor

Schedule and Faculty

8:20 am

Introductions

8:30 am

Allocating Risk in Energy Transaction Documents

The increasingly important role of technology in the energy business adds an additional risk allocation aspect to energy transaction documents. The presentation will discuss drafting tips with a focus on risk allocation for intellectual property assets. The presentation will then review negotiation of appropriate contractual coverage with respect to other standard terms in energy transaction documents, including representations and warranties, indemnification, limitation of liability, and remedies.

• Joseph M. Beauchamp, Jones Day, Houston, Texas

9:15 am

Addressing IP Issues in the Alternate Dispute Resolution World

Moderator:

• Michael S. Goldberg, Baker Botts L.L.P., Houston, Texas

Panelists:

• Timothy M. Donoughue, Baker Hughes, a GE Company, Houston, Texas
• James Kurka, Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property, Weatherford International, Houston, Texas
• Amira Love, Supervising Counsel, Upstream Litigation Management Unit, Chevron, Houston, Texas

10:00 am

Break

10:15 am

Issues and Best Practices in Communications with Domestic and Foreign Patent Agents (Ethics)

The applicability of privilege as it applies to communications with patent agents can vary based on federal and state laws, and varies more widely with respect to communications with patent agents in foreign jurisdictions. This panel will explore the current state of privilege, domestic and foreign, as applied to patent agent communications and best practices in managing these communications.

• Sharon A. Israel, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., Houston, Texas
• David Hricik, Professor of Law, Mercer University School of Law, Macon, Georgia
• Craig M. Lundell, Houston, Texas

11:15 am

Application of U.S. IP Law to Exports, Offshore, on the Outer-Continental Shelf, the High Seas, and Overseas

The presenters will explain how U.S. law applies within the 12 mile limit, on the seabed floor on the outer-continental shelf, on U.S. flagged vessels on the high-seas, as well as explore when U.S. law applies overseas. The presenters will discuss Section 271(f)'s application to exports, and the predicate act doctrine in copyright law. The presenters will also discuss how intentional torts abroad can be remedied in U.S. IP cases, as with inducement abroad of infringement within the U.S. and trade secrets licensed here but stolen in another country.

• Danielle Joy Healey, Fish & Richardson P.C., Houston, Texas
• Jayme Partridge, Fish & Richardson P.C., Houston, Texas

Noon

Networking Luncheon

1:00 pm

Intellectual Property – An In-House Perspective

In-house IP attorneys in the oil industry share insights on their priorities and the current trends in their practices.

Moderator:

• Marcella Watkins, Adolph Locklar, Houston, Texas

Panelists:

• Brigitte Echols, Manager, IP Enforcement, Schlumberger Ltd., Houston, Texas
• Ryan D. Gum, Intellectual Property Counsel, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Houston, Texas
• Diane L. Kilpatrick-Lee, Senior Counsel, Commercial & Intellectual Property, LyondellBasell, Houston, Texas

2:00 pm

Protecting Software Assets in the Energy Industry

Recent changes to the patent laws have caused companies, particularly smaller companies, to reconsider their patent strategies, particularly with respect to software. In some cases, smaller companies have chosen to forego patent protection altogether, and adopt some technological methods to protect their software investments and to mitigate the threat of a lawsuit for patent infringement. This presentation will address the changes in the economics of patent strategies for small companies, and help those companies to know whether or not their patent strategies need to be changed.

• Ronald Chichester, Ronald Chichester, P.C., Tomball, Texas

2:30 pm

Break

2:45 pm

Considerations in Joint Development Agreements for Energy Technologies

The dual nature of energy companies as both commercial players in a competitive market and developers of cutting-edge technologies presents a number of challenges for intellectual property attorneys negotiating and drafting joint development agreements that protect various participants’ interests in the developed technologies. This talk will address issues that may impact energy companies’ interests with regard to these agreements, including: ownership, prosecution, exploitation, and enforcement of jointly developed IP; protection of confidential information and background IP; joint ventures for technology development; and issues to consider when developing technology with universities or start-ups.

• Liz Flannery, Baker Botts L.L.P., Houston, Texas

3:30 pm

The EU General Data Protection Regulation in Energy Practice

As energy becomes a more data-driven field, technology design, contractual terms, and internal governance become increasingly subject to privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity considerations. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) enters into force on May 25, 2018, creating a unique globally-reaching sanctions regime for companies that collect and process certain personal data. In parallel, EU Member States are creating statutes defining IT and energy as critical infrastructure subject to heightened cybersecurity requirements. This presentation will introduce key points of the GDPR likely to be of interest to energy companies and practitioners, including the scope of GDPR-affected data, risk allocation in contract drafting, questions on machine-to-machine data regulation, vendor/supplier compliance, cybersecurity practices, and an outlook on the European enforcement and litigation landscape.

• Daniel J. Felz, Alston & Bird LLP, Dallas, Texas

4:15 pm

CLE Credit

Overnight Accommodations

Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE
800 Sorella Court | Houston, TX 77024
713.973.1600 | Reservations 866.842.0100

• Rate $179+/nt
  Cut off is 3/1/18

Limited rooms available the night of 3/21/2018 and 3/22/2018.

BOOK HOTEL ONLINE

Sponsorship Opportunities

Gold Level Sponsor - $3,000 each

• Recognition in the Conference brochure (if received in time), which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through email and web announcements
• Company/firm logo prominently in final program
• Recognition on the Conference website
• 3 complimentary registrants at the Conference.
• An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Silver Level Sponsor - $2,000 each

• Recognition in the Conference brochure (if received in time), which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through email and web announcements
• Company/firm logo prominently in final program
• Recognition on the Conference website
• 1 complimentary registrant at the Conference.
• An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Breakfast Sponsor (Only 1 Allowed) - $3,500

• Recognition in the Conference brochure (if received in time), which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through email and web announcements
• Company/firm logo prominently in final program
• Recognition on the Conference website
• Recognition at the breakfast via signage
• 3 complimentary registrants at the Conference.
• An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Faculty Dinner (Only 1 Allowed) - $3,500

• Recognition in the Conference brochure (if received in time), which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through email and web announcements
• Company/firm logo prominently in final program
• Recognition on the Conference website
• Recognition at the faculty dinner via signage
• 3 complimentary registrants at the Conference
• An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Other Information

Press Policy

All IEL conferences are held under the Chatham House Rule. Participants, including journalists, are free to use any information received, but comments may not be attributed to any speaker identifi ed by name or affiliation.

Visa Information

If you require a letter of invitation to obtain a visa for this conference, payment of the registration fee must first be made.  If you apply and do not receive a visa, please send us a copy of the rejection letter from the consulate, and we will cancel your registration and issue a refund. Please email iel@cailaw.org for more details.

Nondiscriminatory Policy

The Center for American and International Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected status in educational activities, scholarship programs or admissions.

Privacy Policy

We do not sell or rent information to any outside parties. By providing your information, you will receive postal and electronic communications from the Institute for Energy Law (IEL) of The Center for American and International Law (CAIL) in accordance with CAIL's Privacy Policy. If we co-sponsor a program with another organization, information may be shared between the parties. All such co-sponsors will be identified on the event details and registration page. At any point, you can opt-out or unsubscribe by selecting either link at the bottom of each email or call us at 972.244.3400.