Washington in the West 2026
by Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA)
Washington in the West 2026 is a full-day conference tailored for patent and trademark practitioners, organized by the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA). This annual event offers dedicated tracks for both patent and trademark law, providing attendees with exceptional programming and opportunities to connect with leaders shaping the future of intellectual property law.
The conference features a keynote luncheon discussion with Director John A. Squires of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, covering new developments in PTO policy, including emerging technologies like AI, patent eligibility, and IPR institutions. Additional sessions include topics such as developments in IPR trials at the PTAB, protecting innovation and managing global portfolios, recalibrating Section 101, patent damages trends, AI governance in private practice, effective use of consumer surveys in trademark litigation, strategies for navigating sports sponsorships and ambush marketing, advanced practice at the TTAB, and challenges in trademark enforcement during product launches.
The event will be held on January 29, 2026, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, offering first-class education and networking opportunities. Notable speakers include Kalyan Deshpande, Acting Chief Judge for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board; Jason Lott, Managing Attorney for Trademarks Customer Outreach; and Christopher Larkin, Administrative Trademark Judge at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
This conference is ideal for patent and trademark attorneys seeking to stay abreast of the latest developments in intellectual property law, earn up to 5.5 MCLE-accredited hours, and network with top IP professionals.
Speakers(20)
Ashe Puri
Partner at Nixon Peabody
Ashe Puri will participate in the 'Recalibrating Section 101: Administrative Developments and the New Era of Patent Eligibility' panel.
Brian Horne
Partner at Knobbe Martens
Brian Horne will participate in the 'Patent Damages Trends from Trial to Appeal' panel.
Christopher Larkin
Administrative Trademark Judge at Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
Judge Larkin will be a featured PTO speaker and panelist in the 'Advanced Practice at the TTAB' session.
David Meyer
Associate Director, Global Intellectual Property at Illumina
David Meyer will participate in the 'Recalibrating Section 101: Administrative Developments and the New Era of Patent Eligibility' panel.
Donald Bollella
Chief Patent Counsel at Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
Donald Bollella will participate in the 'Protecting Innovation and Managing Global Portfolios' panel.
Graham Cole
Director, IP, Office of Technology Licensing at City of Hope
Graham Cole will participate in the 'Protecting Innovation and Managing Global Portfolios' panel.
Jacob Peterson
Partner at Morgan Lewis
Jacob Peterson will participate in the 'Developments in IPR Trials at the PTAB' panel.
Jason Lott
Managing Attorney for Trademarks Customer Outreach at United States Patent and Trademark Office
Jason Lott will be a featured PTO speaker and panelist in the 'The Effective Use of Consumer Surveys in Trademark Litigation and PTO Update' session.
Jennifer Pascua
Vice President, Global Intellectual Property at Illumina
Jennifer Pascua will participate in the 'Protecting Innovation and Managing Global Portfolios' panel.
Jessica Hudak
Vice President, Corporate Counsel at Edwards Lifesciences
Jessica Hudak will participate in the 'Recalibrating Section 101: Administrative Developments and the New Era of Patent Eligibility' panel.
John A. Squires
Director at United States Patent and Trademark Office
Director Squires will cover new developments in PTO policy, including emerging technologies like AI, patent eligibility, IPR institutions, and more in a keynote luncheon discussion.
Kalyan Deshpande
Acting Chief Judge at Patent Trial and Appeal Board
Judge Deshpande will participate in the 'Developments in IPR Trials at the PTAB' panel.
Mark Kachner
Partner at Knobbe Martens
Mark Kachner will participate in the 'Patent Damages Trends from Trial to Appeal' panel.
Patrick Maloney
Partner at Cork Maloney
Patrick Maloney will participate in the 'Developments in IPR Trials at the PTAB' panel.
Peter Jovanovic
Legal Director, IP at Dell
Peter Jovanovic will participate in the 'Developments in IPR Trials at the PTAB' panel.
Sasha Sokhis
VP, Head of Client Relations and Business Development at Unified Patents
Sasha Sokhis will participate in the 'Developments in IPR Trials at the PTAB' panel.
Sepp Zanganeh
Partner at Patterson + Sheridan
Sepp Zanganeh will participate in the 'Recalibrating Section 101: Administrative Developments and the New Era of Patent Eligibility' panel.
Silvia Dondi
Partner at Bugnion S.p.A.
Silvia Dondi will participate in the 'Protecting Innovation and Managing Global Portfolios' panel.
Simon Ford
Senior Lead IP Legal Counsel at Dexcom
Simon Ford will participate in the 'Recalibrating Section 101: Administrative Developments and the New Era of Patent Eligibility' panel.
Susan Natland
Partner at BakerHostetler
Susan Natland will moderate the keynote luncheon discussion with Director Squires.
Event Details
- Date
- March 20, 2026
- Location
- 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, United States
- Millennium Biltmore Hotel
- Audience
- Patent and trademark practitioners
- CLE Credits
- Up to 5.5 MCLE-accredited hours