Day 2 (Jan 27th 2026)
8:00 am - 8:30 am
Registration & Coffee
8:30 am - 8:40 am
Chairperson’s Opening Address
Chris Benson -
Partner & Head of Electronics,
HGF
8:40 am - 8:45 am
Live Polls
8:45 am - 9:30 am
Panel Discussion: Mastering IP in 2026: Strategic Moves for Seizing Untapped Opportunities and Mitigating Surprises
Chris Benson -
Partner & Head of Electronics,
HGF
Sardiaa Leney - Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, PerkinElmer Inc
Angela Wilson - Senior Counsel, Global Intellectual Property, The Hershey Company
Gregg Goldman - Executive Director - Global Head of General IP Legal, UBS
Kim Jessum - Associate General Counsel - Chief IP Counsel, Heraeus
In an era where the only constant is change, 2026 promises to bring a new era of rules, risks and opportunities, many of which remain hidden from plain sight today. With perspectives and forecasts shared from across IP functions and industries, equip yourself with a deeper understanding of the strategies to adopt and focuses to pursue in 2026 to effectively tackle likely policy shifts, global risks, and commercial opportunities to seize early-on.
- Understand the new rules shaping 2026, be it market changes, regulatory shifts or technological developments posing new risks.
- Discover unconventional growth areas and collaborative ecosystems that competitors might overlook to reinforce your competitive edge in your industry.
- Develop frameworks to anticipate and respond effectively to black swan events and emerging threat vectors for your IP assets and brand to remain credible and secure.
Counterfeiting thrives not only because of supply chains but also because of consumer demand (both intentional and accidental). This interactive workshop, led from the perspective of the A CAPP Center at Michigan State University, explores how research, education and outreach can be leveraged to better understand and influence consumer engagement in brand protection.
• Examine insights from A CAPP’s research on consumer motivations and counterfeit purchasing behavior.
• Explore case studies of effective (and ineffective) consumer engagement initiatives.
• Identify practical steps for aligning industry, academia, and government efforts to shift consumer attitudes and reduce demand for counterfeits.
11:20 am - 11:50 am
Fireside Chat: Crossing the Line: Maximizing Brand Protection Through Smarter Collaboration with Customs & Border Control
Jason Kosofsky -
Intellectual Property Coordinator,
NCFTA
Counterfeiters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and supply chains ever more complex, making customs intelligence and collaboration an essential tool for brand protection leaders. Effective customs engagement programs can provide access to timely shipment data and convert seizures into strategic insights that strengthens overall brand protection efforts. By leveraging customs data, frontline insights and strategic partnerships with customs authorities, brands can proactively intercept counterfeit goods before they enter the market.
- Discover how real-time intelligence sharing, tailored training, and digital authentication tools are transforming customs from a reactive enforcement body into a strategic ally for brand owners.
- Learn best practices for establishing effective customs engagement programs, accessing timely shipment data, and translating customs seizures into actionable, commercially focused wins.
- Explore innovative ways to deploy digital authentication tools, such as QR codes, serialisation and labelling and integrate them into customs workflows for streamlined verification at the border.
11:50 am - 12:20 pm
Interview: IP of Tomorrow: Policy, Priorities and the Future Careers of In House IP Leaders
Chris Benson -
Partner & Head of Electronics,
HGF
Peter-Anthony Pappas - Director of IP Policy, U.S. Senate
US IP policy is entering a period of accelerated change, with Congress weighing new approaches to innovation, competition, data and AI that will redefine how IP is created, protected and enforced. For senior in house IP leaders, this shift is not only reshaping portfolio strategy and risk, but also the skills, influence and visibility required to succeed at the executive level. In this fireside chat, unpack the policy priorities that matter most for corporate IP teams and what they signal about the “IP of tomorrow” in the US landscape.
• Discover how emerging US IP policy debates around patents, trademarks, data and AI are likely to impact enforcement, licensing, investment decisions and the expectations placed on in house IP leadership.
• Explore what the next generation of IP leaders will look like – from policy fluency and cross functional influence to AI and data literacy – and how today’s in house counsel can future proof their careers in a more policy driven environment.
As counterfeiting and brand abuse become increasingly sophisticated and reactive enforcement grows costly, brand protection leaders are shifting their focus upstream, embedding ‘defense by design’ into every stage of the product and sales lifecycle.
12:55 pm - 1:55 pm
Lunch
In many regions, brand protection is still viewed as a secondary business priority, with limited awareness of its impact on revenue, innovation, and corporate reputation. Explore how multinational brands can foster a culture of brand protection in markets where legal frameworks are underdeveloped, enforcement mechanisms are weak, or awareness of IP risks is low.
• Learn how to effectively work with in-market stakeholders who may not yet recognise the value of brand protection.
• Share strategies on how to create long-term cultural change in markets where brand protection culture is lacking.
• Explore how to transform cultural gaps into opportunities for proactive enforcement, stakeholder engagement, and strategic growth.
2:30 pm - 3:15 pm
Fireside Chat: Measuring What Matters: Shifting IP Metrics from Outputs to Business Outcomes
Chris Benson -
Partner & Head of Electronics,
HGF
Betul Ayranci - Senior Director, Business & Legal Affairs, FOX Sports
Jay Kennedy - Head of Illicit Trade Prevention Policy and Engagement U.S., Philip Morris International, Inc
Bill Shafton - VP, Business & Legal Affairs, Grindr
IP leadership is undergoing a significant transformation evolving from a tactical, cost-focused operation to an integrated, strategic function fundamental to organisational reputation, growth and innovation. However, many organisations still measure IP value with transactional outputs (eg. patents filed or granted, numbers of counterfeit seizures). This approach often fails to capture the broader, long-term business value IP brings.
- Explore how to best define, quantify and communicate the impact of IP on strategic business outcomes to effectively communicate value of IP to the wider business.
- Hear how both patent and brand protection leaders are motivating their teams to focus on the long-term impacts of protecting IP assets.
- Share and develop custom KPIs to capture both operational outputs and long-term strategic impact within your organisation.
Jay Kennedy
Head of Illicit Trade Prevention Policy and Engagement U.S.Philip Morris International, Inc
