Amicus Committee
Recommends to the board that amicus curiae briefs be filed in appropriate cases and attends to the preparation of such briefs on behalf of the association under the direction of the board.
Chair: Jayne Piana
Bochner Law
Email: jpiana@bochner.law
Annual Federal Judges Dinner Committee
The Annual Federal Judges Dinner Committee is charged with planning and executing the annual dinner honoring the Federal judiciary.
Chair: Leisa Peschel
Jackson Walker, LLP
1401 McKinney Street, STE 1900
Houston, Texas 77010
Phone: 713-752-4278
Email: lpeschel@jw.com
Annual Fall Institute Committee
Plans and executes the Annual Institute on Intellectual Property Law in conjunction with the Program Planning Committee.
Chair: Christopher McKeon
Saunders McKeon PLLC
4900 Woodway Dr., STE 900
Houston, Texas 77056
Phone: 713-972-1947
Email: cmckeon@saundersmckeon.com
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Plans, organizes, and manages initiatives focused on diversity and inclusion.
Entertainment Committee
Co-Chair: Ron Derrington
Bracewell
711 Louisiana Street, Suite 2300
Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 713-221-1515
Email: ron.derrington@bracewell.com
Co-Chair: Tom Rooney
Halliburton
Phone: 281-871-4139
Email: Thomas.Rooney@halliburton.com
Giles Rich Moot Court Committee
Plans, organizes, and supervises the Houston regional Giles Rich Moot Court competition.
Co-Chair: Jonathan M Hernandez
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
1111 Louisiana St., 44th Floor
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: 713-250-2162
Email: jhernandez@akingump.comCo-Chair: Bobbie J. Horocofsky
Polsinelli
1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 6400
Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 713-4374-1659
Email: BHorocofsky@Polsinelli.com
Inventor of the Year Committee
Plans and executes the Annual Inventor of the Year award in conjunction with the Program Planning Committee.
Law School Relations CommitteeChair: Catherine Rifai
Munck Wilson Mandala, LLP
1330 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 2850
Houston, Texas 77056
Phone: 832-615-2723
Email: crifai@munckwilson.com
Provides liaison between HIPLA and the Houston-area law schools, and their faculty and students, concerning intellectual property law matters.
Chair: Alison Ibendahl
White & Case LLP
609 Main Street, Suite 2900
Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 832-786-6153
Email: alison.ibendahl@whitecase.com
Long Range Planning (Vice President)
Chair: Brigitte Echols
Schlumberger
Email: jeffery1@slb.com
Meeting Arrangements and Programs Committee
Plans, organizes, and supervises the arrangements, program speakers, and management of the meetings, dinners, and other functions of the Association, subject to the approval of the President.
Membership Committee
Promotes and encourages new members to join the Association and organizes and distributes an annual pictorial directory of members.
Chair: Melissa Martinez
Email: melissa@martinezlaw.us
Patent Agents & Intellectual Property Managers Committee
Plans, organizes, and manages events for patent agents, patent attorneys practicing as a patent agent or manager, and non-registered patent professionals that primarily work in patent preparation, prosecution, and portfolio management.
Chair: Sahana Annadorai, Ph.D.
Boulware Valoir, PLLC
2603 Augusta Drive, Suite 1350
Houston, Texas 77057
Phone: 832-369-7851
Email: sannadorai@boulwarevaloir.com
Scholarship/Fellowship Committee
Receives, reviews, and recommends worthy applications from students at local Law Schools wishing to receive scholarships who have a demonstrated interest in intellectual property law. Also receives, reviews, and recommends worthy applications from applicants wishing to receive fellowships to work as interns in the Houston offices of a U.S. District Court Judge or a U.S. Magistrate Judge, at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, or at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Co-Chair: Kate Jackson
ExxonMobil
Email: katherine.l.jackson@exxonmobil.com
Co-Chair: Shilpa Ghurye, Ph.D., J.D.
Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC
55 Waugh #150
Houston, Texas 77007
Email: sghurye@kmd.law
Organizes members of the Association to serve as judges for the international and local Science Engineering Fair, provides for appropriate Association award(s), and arranges an appropriate ceremony for the presentation of the award(s).
Website and Social Media Committee
Leverage technology to manage communications between HIPLA, its members and the public at large.
Chair: Monica Garza-Hovel
Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC
55 Waugh #150
Houston, Texas 77007
Email: mghovel@kmd.law