Speed networking event still impresses

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

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

Speed networking event still impresses

Cheryl Black pretended to collapse on a table. “Maybe 18?” she said. “Wow, 18 people in one hour. That’s why I’m tired.”

Black, of Goodman Allen & Filetti in Richmond, Virginia, U.S. had just completed a Speed Networking session, where she met with a consistent stream of participants all in search of one thing: making a connection.

In its second year at the Annual Meeting, the Speed Networking event is so popular there were people who were unable to snag one of the 40 first-come, first-served slots at yesterday’s session. K.M. Aasim Shehzad of BFS Legal in Chennai, India, was among those who missed a seat. “It’s about recommending work or giving work to somebody,” he said, as he hung around in case a slot opened up.

Metin Calis of Calis Law Firm in Istanbul, Turkey, returned to the event after attending a session last year. He got several contacts from the Annual Meeting in San Francisco, he said, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint which ones he met through speed networking. This year, he knew what he had to do: keep notes, identify the brand with the lawyer, and send an e-mail upon his return home. “To get another brand—that’s my goal,” he said.

Missed yesterday’s session? Try to make one today, Tuesday or Wednesday.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Public figures are turning to trademark protection to combat the threat of AI deepfakes and are monetising their brand through licensing deals, a trend that law firms are keen to capitalise on
News of Avanci Video signing its first video licence and a win for patent innovators in Australia were also among the top talking points
Tom Melsheimer, part of a nine-partner team to join King & Spalding from Winston & Strawn, says the move reflects Texas’s appeal as a venue for high-stakes patent litigation
AI patents and dairy trademarks are at the centre of two judgments to be handed down next week
Jennifer Che explains how taking on the managing director role at her firm has offered a new perspective, and why Hong Kong is seeing a life sciences boom
AG Barr acquires drinks makers Fentimans and Frobishers, in deals worth more than £50m in total
Tarun Khurana at Khurana & Khurana says corporates must take the lead if patent filing activity is to truly translate into innovation
Michael Moore, head of legal at Glean AI, discusses how in-house IP teams can use AI while protecting enforceability
Counsel for SEP owners and implementers are keeping an eye on the case, which could help shape patent enforcement strategy for years to come
Jacob Schroeder explains how he and his team secured victory for Promptu in a long-running patent infringement battle with Comcast
Gift this article