Featured Speaker(s)

MODERATOR
Ako Williams, Rutan & Tucker LLP
Ako Shimada Williams is an associate in Rutan & Tucker's Trial Department. Ms. Williams has experience in a variety of commercial litigation areas, including patent, trademark, and copyright infringement; motion picture production and distribution; contractual disputes; insurance coverage; securities; employment; and business torts. In addition, Ms. Williams has experience in trademark prosecution and advises clients on privacy and copyright issues arising from the use of the Internet. She also handles general corporate matters. Ms. Williams has represented and advised clients in a wide range of industries, including high technology and communication, entertainment, publishing, food & beverage and other consumer goods, banking, and insurance. Ms. Williams has lectured on international intellectual property rights for programs sponsored by the Japan External Trade Organization, and in 2003 she was interviewed by J-WAVE, a major FM radio station in Japan. Ms. Williams’ publications include: American Insurance Association v. Garamendi: Supreme Court Voids California Law on Holocaust-Era Insurance Policy, ABA International Law News, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Fall 2003); and International Exhaustion of Patent Rights Doctrine: Is Japan’s Move a Step Forward or Back from the Current Harmonization Effort? 7 J. Int’l L. & Prac. 327 (1998).

PANELISTS
Tom Bell, Chapman University
Tom Bell is an assistant professor of law at Chapman University, in Orange, California. He is an expert in such topics as telecommunications deregulation, Internet law, intellectual property, and public policy for the high-tech industry. Before joining the faculty at Chapman University, Prof. Bell taught intellectual property and Internet law courses at the University of Dayton School of Law until 1997. Prior to his career in academia, Prof. Bell practiced law at Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati in Silicon Valley and at Harkins Cunningham in Washington, DC. Some of his recent journal publications include: Escape from Copyright: Market Success vs. Statutory Failure in the Protection of Expressive Woks; The Common Law and Cyberspace; and Fair Use vs. Fared Use: The Impact of Automated Rights Management on Copyright's Fair Use Doctrine. Prof. Bell received his M.A in philosophy from the University of Southern California and his J.D. from the University of Chicago.

Robert Fish, Rutan & Tucker LLP
Mr. Fish is currently chair of Rutan & Tucker's Intellectual Property and Technology Group. He previously worked at Lyon & Lyon LLP from 1990 to 1995, and then developed his own practice from 1995 through 2001. Mr. Fish has attracted a world-class clientele in a wide array of fields, including mechanical engineering, medical devices, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, electronics, computer software, and business methods. Exemplary clients include Fluor Corp. and ICN Pharmaceuticals, both billion-dollar companies for which Mr. Fish is the primary US intellectual property counsel. Mr. Fish's group has also represented Honeywell in facilities throughout the United States, including California, Washington, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Virginia. SRI International (previously known as Stanford Research Institute) has employed Mr. Fish for several years in energy-related matters. Mr. Fish is well regarded among his clients for general business acumen. Among other things, he has considerable experience in foreign and domestic licensing, trade secret and other business-related matters. His first book, “Cost Effective Patenting,” is expected to be published in early 2004. His second book, “The Art And Science of Patent Drafting,” is expected to be published in the second half of 2004.

Susan Barricella, Rutan & Tucker LLP
Ms. Barricella is an associate in the firm's Intellectual Property and Technology Practice Group, where she specializes in trademark and copyright clearance, counseling, prosecution and enforcement, computer and Internet law, and licensing. In addition, Ms. Barricella represents clients in cancellation and opposition proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Ms. Barricella’s clients include public and private companies, large, mid-size and start-up companies, high technology companies, Internet companies, software developers and publishers, hardware developers, commercial real estate development companies, and apparel companies. Ms. Barricella graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in May, 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, and received her Juris Doctor in 1997 from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Jennifer Beckey, C Suite
Jennifer is an entrepreneurially minded executive with a passion for building companies. Her past business experience includes founding and acting as CEO for three start-up companies. She is currently the CEO of C Suite, Inc, working with technology and biosciences companies to commercialize their products and technologies to agencies in the federal security sector. Prior to this, she was vice president of corporate development at Xystus Corporation, an informatics company, where she oversaw business development efforts and strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, as well as managing the company's fundraising team. Prior to founding Xystus, she was the co-founder and CEO of Maptrace, a company that developed software applications utilizing wireless/GPS technology. Jennifer successfully raised two rounds of financing from investors for this company. In January 2001, Jennifer founded the San Diego chapter of FWE, which became the WITI San Diego regional network in January 2005. She built the original chapter from its inception to a membership base of over 200 members, and remains active in its leadership to the present date. She currently serves as Regional Vice President for WITI. Jennifer is an active member of many networking organizations. She serves on the boards of the High Tech High Foundation and the Women's Yacht Racing Fleet-San Diego. She speaks frequently at technology-related functions regarding her past entrepreneurial efforts, and has been profiled on radio and television.