Reflections on a path to the Presidency
Managing IP is part of the Delinian Group, Delinian Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX, Registered in England & Wales, Company number 00954730
Copyright © Delinian Limited and its affiliated companies 2024

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Reflections on a path to the Presidency

lewis-aipla.jpg

Over the past several weeks, I have been asked innumerable times how I rose through the ranks of AIPLA to become the organization’s President

aiplalogospelled.jpg



lewisjeff200.jpg

pbwt-stack-2line-280.jpg

The simple answer is that AIPLA is a meritocracy; it appreciates and promotes its volunteers.

Many years ago – although it seems like just yesterday – I was a junior associate attending an AIPLA Annual Meeting, where Ken Krosin, Chair of the AIPLA Patent Litigation Committee, started talking about publishing a summary of Federal Circuit decisions. He had lists sorted by subject matter, so I picked the shortest one – double patenting – and got involved by summarizing those cases. I guess I did a decent job because when the idea to follow a new case called Markman was raised, the next Chair of the Patent Litigation Committee, Mark Abate, said, “Jeff, why don’t you form a sub-committee.” Later, when I suggested that the subcommittee ought to put together a White Paper to help judges deal with Markman, people jumped on board and it was eventually published in the AIPLA Quarterly Journal.

The point is that AIPLA recognizes and values ideas, and welcomes volunteers. Those initial efforts led me to become Vice Chair and then Chair of the Patent Litigation Committee, which led to a seat on the Board of Directors, and now, here I am as President. It’s the path that every President before me took, and the ones that those after me will likely follow as well. I assure you that the journey has been filled with wonderful, invaluable experiences, and I have been in the company of people who have become lifelong friends and colleagues. More directly, let me say that if I can do it – you can do it too.

By the way, if people want help in getting involved, AIPLA has a great mentoring committee that will set up one-on-one mentors. And there are many committees that would be of interest, based upon areas of practice. In short, like so many other opportunities in life, AIPLA can be what you make of it. So who knows? In a few years I may be sitting at my desk and reading your musings as President of AIPLA.

more from across site and ros bottom lb

More from across our site

A 36-member team from Zhong Lun Law Firm, including six partners, will join the newly formed East IP Group
The Delhi High Court sided with Ericsson against Indian smartphone maker Lava, bringing the companies' nine-year dispute to a close
We provide a rundown of Managing IP’s news and analysis from the week, and review what’s been happening elsewhere in IP
Tennessee has passed the ELVIS Act, a law that fights against AI models that mimic the voice and likeness of music artists
Rob Stien, chief communications and public policy officer at InterDigital, says the EU has forgotten innovators while trying to solve an issue that doesn’t exist
As Australia’s Qantm IP leans towards being acquired by a private equity company, sources discuss what it could mean for IP firms
Law firms that are conscious of their role in society are more likely to win work, according to a survey of over 23,000 in-house professionals
Nghiem Xuan Bac Pham, managing partner of Vision & Associates, discusses opportunities created by the US-China rift as well as profitability issues facing IP practices
Douglas Leite and two of his colleagues were intrigued by Bhering Advogados’s mission to grow its patent litigation practice
Each week Managing IP speaks to a different IP practitioner about their life and career
Gift this article