CLE Meetings
Noon CLE meetings are typically held at the Belo Mansion on the fourth Thursday of every month (with some exceptions).
We also host periodic breakfast CLE roundtable discussions at a North Dallas location on important IP topics.
Sept. 24, 2026
(Hybrid, Noon)
IP Section CLE
"Why I Brought My Dog to Trial"
CLE Credit: 1.00 hr
Speaker: Justin S. Cohen,
Norton Rose Fulbright
Patent litigation is a team sport and success is often a mix of skill and team dynamics. We recently tried a patent case in Waco and secured a defense verdict. We will discuss the team management strategies employed, particularly during trial, and how others can implement similar strategies to improve team dynamics. I’ll also explain why I brought my dog to trial.
New Slate of Officers and Directors for IP Section
Here is the 2027 slate of officers and directors:
Officers
Kirby Drake - Chair
Matt Acosta - Vice Chair
Stephanie Sivinski - Sec.
Craig Carpenter - Tres.
John Tower - Past Chair
Directors
Jeff Becker
Srini Chakravarthi
Bill McSpadden
Sarah Foley
Tiffany Johnson
Bethany Salpietra
David Diamond
Matt Cornelia
Lon Outland
Vishal Patel
By Xato (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Sheet music: "Beauiful Dreamer" by Stephen Foster
Nov. 19, 2026 IP Section CLE (Noon, Virtual)
(1 Hr CLE, Ethics)
"AI Ethics in Your IP Practice: An Interactive Roundtable on Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, and Litigation"
Speakers: Srini Chakravarthi, Slater Matsil LLP and Kirby Drake, Kirby Drake Law
Generative AI is now embedded in how IP practitioners draft, search, and litigate. In this interactive roundtable, held in Zoom breakout rooms, participants will work through realistic scenarios in patent prosecution, trademark, copyright, and patent litigation practice. They will compare how colleagues are handling these questions arising from the use of AI in their practice and leave with practical policies they can adopt.