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Jack C. Schecter, Chair
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 Jack is a partner at Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timbers, LLP, in Boston. Jack's practice focuses on intellectual property litigation, with a particular emphasis on representing clients in complex patent cases in a wide variety of areas, including telecommunications, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, data encryption and mechanical devices. Jack has also represented a number of clients in trademark, copyright and false advertising matters. Jack is a member of the bars of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the Delaware Supreme Court, the United States District Courts for the Districts of Massachusetts, Delaware, the Eastern District of Texas, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. |
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Diane Burke, Deputy Chair
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 Diane is an Assistant General Counsel in the Intellectual Property Group of Electrolux North America, Inc., a global leader in household appliances and appliances for professional use. In her current position, she advises Electrolux regarding its global IP strategies, manages outside counsel, and negotiates and drafts IP-related agreements. Prior to joining Electrolux, she was Of Counsel with the regional firm of Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC where she represented clients in all areas of IP prosecution and litigation. She is a registered patent attorney and admitted to the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit |
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Alexa L. Lewis, Treasurer
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 Alexa is an attorney in Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP’s Los Angeles, CA office. She specializes in intellectual property law, including trademark, copyright, and patent matters. Alexa has extensive experience with intellectual property litigation, trademark prosecution, and inter partes proceedings in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Her clients span a wide variety of industries, including the entertainment, videogame, music, toy and apparel industries. Alexa received her J.D. cum laude from the Northwestern University School of Law, holds a M.A. from the University of Delaware, and was awarded her B.A. cum laude from Macalester College. She is admitted to practice in numerous federal and state courts, including in California, Illinois, and Florida. |
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Benjamin M. Stern, Secretary
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 Ben is a senior counsel in the Litigation Section and a member of the firm's Intellectual Property Practice Group. His practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and other complex disputes. He has litigated patent disputes involving a broad range of technologies, including semiconductors, database software, data storage systems, commercial Internet access, websites, voice over Internet (VoIP) technology, automatic speech recognition, video on demand and mineral fortification of beverages. He has appeared in numerous federal courts and at the International Trade Commission. In addition to intellectual property, he has substantial experience in commercial litigation and other complex disputes in various industries such as banking, retailing, real estate, consumer products, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. |
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Kelly Farnan, Patent Law Chair
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 Kelly E. Farnan’s practice includes complex litigation in the Delaware state and federal courts as well as arbitrations conducted under the Delaware Uniform Arbitration Act and by the American Arbitration Association. Kelly has also represented clients in rate proceedings before the Delaware Public Service Commission. She is an associate in the firm's Litigation Department. |
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Jason Nardiello, Trademark Law Chair
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 Jason Nardiello concentrates his practice on litigating high-stakes trademark, copyright, unfair competition and trade secret matters in federal courts. He is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property and Advertising & Marketing Law practice groups.
As an intellectual property litigator, Mr. Nardiello works with clients in many industries who seek to protect brands that are threatened by competitors or infringers. He also advances their interests through comprehensive intellectual property strategies which includes the design and maintenance of trademark portfolios. Some of the industries where he has served clients include luxury consumer goods, fashion, music and film, retail software, food and agriculture, tobacco, biotech, aerospace and automotive.
Mr. Nardiello has significant experience representing clients in complex Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) opposition proceedings, as well as the prosecution of trademark applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In helping to build a company’s brand, for instance, Mr. Nardiello is accustomed to counseling clients from the product development stage, through brand maintenance, and to litigation, if appropriate.
Mr. Nardiello has substantial experience in litigation. He has first-chaired trials and conducted dozens of depositions over his career in several areas of law ranging from intellectual property to commercial law to white collar criminal law. He regularly appears in Federal Court on intellectual property matters.
He has also drafted and negotiated trademark and copyright licensing agreements and is familiar with the subtleties of co-branding arrangements involving celebrities and other marketing arrangements where he frequently guides clients in their efforts to monetize their intellectual property.
In all of these capacities, he has helped clients assess the risks and benefits of an approach to meet their unique needs and consistently provides creative, well-reasoned counsel.
Mr. Nardiello previously formed an independent law practice, where he counseled clients in a broad spectrum of industries, including those in the entertainment industry, involving trademark, copyright, and contractual concerns.
He is also frequently invited to speak at prominent events concerning brand protection, trademarks, advertising, and copyright law. |
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Brian Bialis, Newsletter Editor-in-Chief
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 Brian maintains a general litigation practice, which has included work for a variety of clients in a variety of industries. He has litigated cases involving professional liability, trademarks, insurance recovery, breach of contract, and trade secrets among other commercial disputes. In addition, Brian is a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment department and Security and Privacy practice group.
Brian also represents clients on a pro bono basis. For example, he recently co-authored an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on behalf of twenty-one non-profit organizations concerning awards of attorney fees in civil rights cases. The First Circuit substantially adopted the brief’s position. See Hutchinson v. Patrick, 2011 WL 540538 (1st Cir. 2011).
Before joining Foley Hoag LLP, Brian was a law clerk in Santa Fe, New Mexico for the Honorable Paul J. Kelly, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. In law school, Brian was a senior editor of the Boston College Law Review and a member of the John J. Gibbons Criminal Procedure Moot Court Team that won the national championship. |
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Vijay Toke, Membership Coordinator
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 Vijay Toke is a partner at Hiaring + Smith. Vijay’s practice covers a broad range of business litigation and transactional matters, with a focus on trademark and copyright. Vijay has represented clients in jury trials in both federal and state court in intellectual property matters as well as other commercial disputes. He also assists our clients in handling trademark applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) and in inter partes proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Vijay also represents some of the Bay Area's most well-known and acclaimed restaurants.
Vijay graduated from Swarthmore College in 1996, where he received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Biology. He also received a Masters in Public Administration (M.P.A.) from California State University in 1997. Vijay received his J.D. in 2001 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. At Hastings, Vijay participated in both the National Moot Court Competition and Saul Lefkowitz Trademark and Unfair Competition Moot Court Tournament, finishing regional semi-finalist and placing nationally. He serves as an alumni coach for the Hastings moot court teams for the Saul Lefkowitz Trademark and Unfair Competition Moot Court Tournament.
Vijay is a member of the State Bar of California, the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the International Trademark Association. He is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California and before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. |