2026 CLE Calendar

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​January 22, 2026 (Noon, Hybrid), CLE Credit: 1.00 hr 

"Legal Considerations for Sneakerheads"

Speakers: Matt Cornelia (Winstead) and Daniel Withers  (McGuireWoods) 

This presentation will address  key considerations for the enforcement of intellectual property for sneaker designs, including recent updates to caselaw relevant to the fashion sphere, strategies for litigation, and how companies can build their IP portfolio to strengthen their claims in enforcement matters. ​​​​​​​

 

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February 26, 2026 CLE Credit: 1.00 hr (Noon, Hybrid) 

"PTAB in Upheaval: New Rules, New Risks, and What Practitioners Need to Know"

Speaker: Kit Crumbley,  Partner, Bracewell LLP

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​​​​March 26, 2026 (Noon, Hybrid) CLE Credit: 1.00 hr, 0.5 hr Ethics

"Using AI in Your Day-to-Day Practice from a Litigation and Prosecution Perspective"

Speakers: Ben Nise, Slater Matsil, LLP and Chris Schwegmann, Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann

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April 23, 2026 (Noon, Virtual Only) CLE Credit: 1.00 hr.

​​​​"Developing and Defending Consumer Surveys in 2026: Federal Courts, the TTAB, and the Emerging Role of AI"

​Speaker: J. Michael Keyes, Partner​

​Description: Consumer surveys remain among the most powerful—and most closely scrutinized—forms of evidence in trademark litigation. At the TTAB, surveys are central to disputes involving genericness, secondary meaning, and likelihood of confusion, while federal courts continue to refine expectations around methodological rigor, universe selection, controls, and expert testimony under Daubert. This presentation will address recent developments in the treatment of survey evidence, including decisions from the Fifth Circuit, and highlight the issues the TTAB and courts are focusing on right now. The program will also briefly touch on emerging AI-driven developments—including early discussions surrounding “synthetic respondents”—to demonstrate where survey evidence may be headed.​​​

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​​May 28, 2026 (Noon, Hybrid) CLE Credit: 1.00 hr

"The IP-Tax Nexus: R&D Tax Credits, IP Ownership, and the Evolving Legislative Landscape"

​Speaker: Kevin H. Culver, Royse Partners Limited 

​Description: This CLE program examines the significant and often overlooked intersection of intellectual property law and federal R&D tax credits, offering practitioners a practical framework for advising clients engaged in innovative activity. Beginning with a foundational overview of the R&D tax credit — including its legislative history, general mechanics, and a notable carve-out for qualifying start-up companies — the program will explore how IP considerations are directly embedded in the credit’s regulatory structure. Topics will include the Patent/IP Protection Rule applicable to companies engaged in qualifying research, the treatment of IP ownership rights in work-for-hire and contractual arrangements (including the “substantial rights” doctrine and its implications for intangible asset ownership), and the distinctions between internally developed and purchased IP and their respective tax consequences. Attendees will also gain a working understanding of how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reshaped R&D expense treatment — including the shift to amortization of research expenditures — and will receive an updated analysis of changes introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill (2025) that practitioners and their clients need to know. The program concludes with a discussion of how early, proactive client counseling at the IP-tax interface can position innovative businesses for long-term investment and engagement in R&D activity.

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​June __, 2026 (Noon, Hybrid) CLE Credit: 1.00 hr

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July __, 2026 (Noon, Hybrid) CLE Credit: 1.00 hr. 

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August __, 2026 (Noon, Hybrid) CLE Credit: 1.00 hr

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​September __, 2026 (Noon, Hybrid) CLE Credit: 1.00 hr 

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October __, 2026 (Noon, Hybrid) CLE Credit: 1.00 hr

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December __, 2026 (Noon, Hybrid) CLE Credit: 1.00 hr

IP Section Annual Meeting/CLE Presentation

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