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 Brown Rudnick, LLP Email: jpiana@brownrudnick.com

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.

Co-Chair: Natalie Alfaro Gonzales Yetter Coleman Email: ngonzales@yettercoleman.com

Co-Chair: Bert Jennings LyondellBasell 1221 McKinney Street, Ste. 300 Houston, Texas 77010 Phone: 713-309-4611 Email: Bert.jennings@lyb.com

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.

Inventor of the Year Committee
Plans and executes the Annual Inventor of the Year award in conjunction with the Program Planning Committee.

Chair: 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)

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.

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.

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).

Co-Chair: Varsha Pednekar, Ph.D. Eversheds Sutherland 1001 Fannin St. Houston, Texas 77002 Phone: 713.425.3521 Email: varsha.pednekar@outlook.com

Co-Chair: Jaime Stark, Ph.D., J.D. Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP 1301 McKinney, STE 5100 Houston, Texas 77010 Email: jaime.stark@nortonrosefulbright.com

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