Michelle L. Alamo, DRI's Intellectual Property Litigation Committee Chair, is a member in Dickinson Wright PLLC's Detroit office. Michelle focuses on complex business and IP litigation in federal courts in Michigan and elsewhere, including antitrust, patent, and e-discovery matters involving the automotive, telephone, and insurance industries.

Richard C. Balough is a founding member of Balough Law Offices, LLC, Chicago, IL, which focuses on technology and cyberspace law. He co-chairs the American Bar Association's Mobile and Connected Devices subcommittee of the Cyberspace Law Committee. He served as chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Internet Law Committee and as a member of the board of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago. He has contributed numerous articles and chapters for legal publications on copyrights, technology, and privacy issues. In addition to his JD degree, Mr. Balough has masters of law in Intellectual Property and in Information Technology and Privacy Law.

Lisa L. Boswell, Committee Vice Chair, is a partner in the Los Angeles, CA office of Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP. Lisa's practice focuses on real estate litigation, commercial and business litigation, intellectual property, catastrophic injury defense, products liability, and tort defense. She represents corporations, private individuals, and insurance companies with special emphasis on high exposure and significant injury cases. She graduated from Whittier Law School, where she was the recipient of an American Jurisprudence Award in Professional Responsibility Practicum Skills. She has been a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of California since 2005 and is a member of the Publications Board for the DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar's IP Litigation Committee. She is also a member of the California Minority Counsel Program. She is rated as an AV Preeminent Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell.

Clinton H. Brannon, 2017 Program Chair, is an intellectual property partner in Mayer Brown's Washington, D.C. office. He focuses on patent litigation in federal district courts, and reexamination proceedings before the PTO. Clint's technical knowledge covers a broad range of subjects in the chemical, electrical, and mechanical arts. Before beginning his legal career, Clint worked in the telecommunications industry.

Brian K. Brookey, 2017 Program Vice Chair, focuses on patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret litigation. Brian litigates intellectual property matters in district courts throughout the country, U.S. Courts of Appeal, and the International Trade Commission. He also has significant experience handling contested trademark matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Brian represents a broad range of companies across numerous industries and technologies, including telecommunications, computer software, lasers, construction, lighting, medical devices, automotives, and electronic components.

Tessa Eckholm, Managing Director for RLM | TrialGraphix, uses her extensive experience to simplify complex legal concepts; assisting attorneys in identifying effective case themes and developing persuasive visual presentations. Since 2004 Tessa has consulted on matters in almost every major area of litigation focusing on antitrust, contract dispute, intellectual property, and product liability. She has supported clients throughout the litigation process from technology tutorials and Markman hearings to trial. Prior to joining RLM, Tessa spent over seven years with a national litigation consulting firm as a Senior Consultant. She holds a B.A. in Biology from the University at Albany and a J.D. from Albany Law School.

Helene M. Freeman is a partner in the Litigation Department at Phillips Nizer LLP in New York. Helene's practice is focused on all facets of entertainment, publishing, the arts and fashion. As a litigator with over thirty years of experience, Helene has been trial and appellate counsel in precedent setting cases under both copyright and trademark law throughout the United States. Most recently, she represented the surviving members of Led Zeppelin in their successful defense against the charge that "Stairway to Heaven" infringed the copyright of the musical composition "Taurus."

Jami A. Gekas is a partner and intellectual property litigation lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, where she focuses on an array of advertising, marketing, copyright and trademark issues. A key focus of her practice is brand enforcement and she represents clients in adversary proceedings involving false advertising, unfair competition, and trademark, copyright and patent infringement. Ms. Gekas is a member of the Northern District of Illinois' Trial Bar, and has obtained favorable results in numerous federal district and appellate courts. Ms. Gekas is also experienced in the clearance of brand names, trade identities and advertising copy; obtaining federal registration for copyrights and trademarks; drafting and negotiating a multitude of licensing and promotional agreements; and helping clients implement promotions and new media campaigns.

Brendan J. Healey is a Partner at the Chicago law firm of Mandell Menkes, where he works with clients on media and marketing law issues. Previously, Brendan was Deputy General Counsel, Media for American Media and Senior Counsel, Media and Promotions for Tribune Company. Brendan is a 1997 graduate of NYU Law, where he was an articles editor on the Law Review. Brendan clerked for Boyce F. Martin, II on the Sixth Circuit. Brendan earned undergraduate (American Studies) and graduate (English) degrees from Stanford University. Brendan co-taught Advertising Law for several years as an adjunct at John Marshall Law School

Mitchell Kahn is one of the Founders and Principals of Frontline Real Estate Partners, experienced in real estate development and deal making involving restructuring, acquisitions, dispositions, and lease renegotiations. He is also the Principal and CEO of Greenhouse Group, LLC, a medical cannabis dispensary with facilities in Deerfield, Mokena, and Morris, Illinois. Mr. Kahn is a CPA and an attorney. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, School of Business and Northwestern University, School of Law. Information about Greenhouse Group, and medical marijuana generally, can be found on the company's website, http://greenhouseil.com/.

Mary Re Knack is a member of the Healthcare and Litigation Departments at Ogden Murphy Wallace. Her practice focuses on insurance, healthcare and civil matters. Re provides a wide range of legal services to members of the healthcare industry including regulatory compliance, confidentiality and privacy-related compliance services including HIPAA and state laws, licensing and risk management related services and related investigations, federal and state agency investigations, guidance and representation related to medical staffing, and defense of professional negligence claims. Re also provides guidance and advice to the insurance industry and self-insureds with respect to their obligations under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act and Section 111 of the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act (MMSEA). Re was named to the Washington Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers magazine for 2005 and 2010 – 2017. She has also been recognized by Seattle Met magazine as a "Top Lawyer" in Health Care for 2011 and has been designated as one of the "Top Women Attorneys in Washington" for 2012 – 2017.

David H. Levitt is a partner in the Chicago office of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. He received his J.D. in 1979, and his LL.M., with honors, in Intellectual Property in 2000. David's practice includes both transactional and litigation intellectual property work, particularly in the fields of copyright, trademark, trade secrets, right of publicity, and software licensing. He is a past chair of DRI's Intellectual Property Specialized Litigation Group (before it became a stand-alone Committee) and was Editor-in-Chief for the DRI Defense Library Series volume, Defending Intellectual Property Claims. David has also served as the Leader of Hinshaw's Intellectual Property Practice Group.

David W. Long of the Essential Patent LLC intellectual property law firm has over twenty years' experience leading complex patent litigation in federal courts and the PTO involving telecommunications and related technologies. He counsels domestic and international clients on intellectual property issues such as litigation, dispute resolution, licensing, product clearance and redesign. David is an appointed leader in global intellectual property organizations and often is asked to speak on significant patent law issues. Congress and the White House also have sought his views on patent policy issues. His Essential Patent Blog is followed by decision makers in industry, the judiciary and competition authorities.

Tywanda Harris Lord specializes in trademark and advertising counseling and litigation. She represents brand owners across a broad spectrum of industries including sports and intimate apparel, consumer products, and hospitality.. Ms. Lord leverages her diverse background to advance her clients' business objectives. She regularly partners with clients to develop practical and creative solutions to legal issues. Her approach to litigation has led to excellent results for clients in federal courts across the United States and in cancellation and opposition proceedings in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Ms. Lord currently serves as the Deputy Chair of her firm's Diversity Council and a member of the State Bar of Georgia Diversity Steering Committee.

William T. McGrath is a member of Davis McGrath LLC, where he concentrates on copyright, trademark, and Internet law, as well as publishing law, trade secret law, software licensing, and other matters relating to the high-tech and information industry. He serves as an arbitrator for the AAA on intellectual property and other commercial disputes and is a mediator for the Lanham Act Mediation Program in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. McGrath also serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Intellectual Property at The John Marshall Law School. He received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from Washington University.

Geoffrey (Geof) L. Oberhaus is a Partner in the Intellectual Property Department. Geof's practice focuses on IT licensing, patent protection, litigation, trade secrets, copyrights, trademark, software protection, e-commerce, privacy law, licensing, open-source, export compliance (EAR & ITAR) Geof is Director of Dinsmore's Privacy and Data Security Practice Group. The Privacy and Data Security Practice Group provides advice and creative solutions to help clients accomplish their business goals while minimizing the risk of privacy and data security related issues. Geof is also known as the firm's "Gadget Guru. "

Andrew J. Pincus focuses his appellate practice on briefing and arguing cases in the Supreme Court of the United States and in federal and state appellate courts; developing legal strategy for trial courts; and presenting policy and legal arguments to Congress, state legislatures, and regulatory agencies. Andy has argued 25 cases in the Supreme Court, including Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins (2015), and AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, 131 S. Ct. 1740 (2011). Andy is a former Assistant to the Solicitor General in the United States Department of Justice (1984-1988), and served as General Counsel of the United States Department of Commerce from 1997 to 2000. He is Counsel of Record for Impression Products in Impression Prods. v. Lexmark, a case currently pending before the Supreme Court concerning the scope of patent exhaustion.

Jonathan M. Purow is an associate at Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C., where his practice focuses on trademark, copyright and trade secret litigation and transactional work. He works with clients to register, license and enforce their intellectual property rights. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyers' Rising Star in the N.Y. Metro Areain 2015 and 2016. Prior to working at the firm, Jonathan was a Director at Grand Army Entertainment, a film-financing company that financed over $250 million in independent films. Jonathan obtained his B.A. from Brown University and his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

José I. Rojas is a partner with DeMahy, Labrador, Drake, Victor, Rojas & Cabeza (DLD Lawyers) in Florida. He focuses his practice in resolving or trying complex, business-related disputes, especially matters involving intellectual property, technology, and cross-border issues. José is a 1981 honors graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, is AV-rated, has substantial in-the-trenches trial experience, and is a frequent speaker on trial and IP issues. He is a member of DRI, FDCC and ADTA and served as a member of the Board of Directors of NAMWOLF until 2016. José co-chairs NAMWOLF's "Trials" practice area committee.

Eileen Hintz Rumfelt, is a member in Miller & Martin PLLC's Atlanta, GA office who concentrates her practice in the area of complex commercial litigation with a special focus on intellectual property litigation and white collar crime/corporate investigations. She is the firm's eDiscovery Practice Group leader, and regularly advises her colleagues and clients on the management of eDiscovery issues in commercial litigation. Ms. Rumfelt's intellectual property practice spans a wide range of disputes, including trademark and trade dress infringement, trademark dilution, patent infringement, false advertising, and unfair competition. Ms. Rumfelt has appeared in federal and state courts across the country, before the Federal Circuit, and in the International Trade Commission.

Michael J. Shea has been in practice since 1990 and joined Nixon & Vanderhye PC as a shareholder in 1998. He has acted as lead counsel and played major roles in numerous complex patent infringement litigations. In addition to his litigation practice, he has an extensive prosecution practice mainly focusing on high-tech electrical and computer technologies, including video games. Mr. Shea is a former adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, a former USPTO examiner and a contributing author to an annually updated text book on drafting patents for litigation and licensing.

David J. Steele specializes in trademark and Internet law. He focuses much of his time protecting famous and well-known trademarks from infringement of all types, especially online infringement. He has successfully handled hundreds of cybersquatting matters, including numerous federal cybersquatting cases. Before attending law school, David worked on the design and implementation of high-speed computer networks and Internet engineering as engineering manager at Fibertron Corporation. David is an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he has taught trademark law and Internet law since 2001.