District Judge, USDC EDTX
The Honorable J. Campbell Barker was confirmed on May 1, 2019, to the seat vacated by the Honorable Leonard E. Davis, with a duty station in Tyler, Texas.
Magistrate Judge, USDC EDTX
James Boone Baxter serves as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division.
District Judge, US District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
Judge Cathy Bissoon was appointed by President Barack Obama as a United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania on October 20, 2011, having previously served on the Court as a magistrate judge from 2008.
Senior US Circuit Judge, CAFC
William C. Bryson was appointed by President William J. Clinton in 1994. Prior to his appointment, Judge Bryson was with the United States Department of Justice from 1978 to 1994.
Senior US Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
RAYMOND C. CLEVENGER, III was appointed by President George H. W. Bush in 1990.
District Judge, USDC EDTX
Marcia A. Crone received a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at Austin in 1973 and a J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center in 1978.
Circuit Judge, US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Nominated by Joseph R. Biden on June 15, 2022, to a seat vacated by James L. Dennis. Confirmed by the Senate on December 13, 2022, and received commission on December 16, 2022.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated by George W. Bush on March 29, 2007, to a seat vacated by Patrick E. Higginbotham. Confirmed by the Senate on October 4, 2007, and received commission on October 19, 2007.
District Judge Federal Court Northern District of California
Appointed by President Obama in 2014, Judge Freeman sits in the San Jose Division, hearing a broad array of cases.
U.S. District Judge
Judge Garcia was born in Jim Wells County, in South Texas, and raised in nearby San Diego, Texas. Judge Garcia obtained his undergraduate Degree in 1975 from the University of Texas at Austin and his JD in 1978 from the University of Texas.
Chief District Judge, U.S. District Court, EDTX
Judge Rodney Gilstrap was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas and was confirmed in 2011. He assumed the position of Chief Judge in 2018.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Judge James E. Graves, Jr. was nominated by President Barack Obama on June 10, 2010, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
U.S. District Court, EDTX
Judge Hawthorn is a United States Magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Texas in the Beaumont and Lufkin Divisions. He was appointed in 2011.
Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, EDTX
Kimberly C. Priest Johnson currently serves as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division in Plano, Texas.
District Judge, USDC EDTX
Judge Sean Jordan is a federal district judge for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division. Judge Jordan was nominated by President Trump on January 17, 2019 and confirmed on July 30, 2019.
United States District Judge, EDTX
Jeremy Kernodle is a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas in Tyler. Before taking the bench, Judge Kernodle was a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP in Dallas, where he practiced complex commercial litigation and appeals.
Magistrate Judge, USDC EDTX
On January 3, 2006, Judge Love was sworn in as United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Texas. He was reappointed for a second term which he began serving on January 3, 2014.
District Judge, U.S. District Court, EDTX
Amos Mazzant currently serves as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division.
Executive Director, Federal Circuit Bar Association
Deborah M. Miron, Esquire, is the first female Executive Director of the Federal Circuit Bar Association® (FCBA).
Magistrate Judge, USDC EDTX
Judge Mitchell was sworn in as a United States Magistrate Judge on August 16, 2013. In her time on the bench and while working with Chief Judge Davis, Judge Mitchell has overseen numerous patent and general civil litigation cases. She also mediates cases pending in the Eastern District of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
District Judge, U.S. District Court, District of Delaware
The Honorable Maryellen Noreika was sworn in as a District Judge on August 10, 2018. Prior to that time, Judge Noreika was a partner at the law firm Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP in Wilmington, Delaware, where her practice focused on intellectual property litigation and unfair competition cases.
District Judge, USDC for the Southern District of Mississippi
United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves, a native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, assumed office on December 30, 2010. Prior to his nomination by President Barack Obama, Judge Reeves, , was engaged in the private practice of law with Pigott Reeves Johnson, P.A., a law firm he co-founded in 2001.
Chief Bankruptcy Judge, USDC EDTX
The Hon. Brenda T. Rhoades currently serves as the Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
Chief Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Chief Judge Priscilla Richman joined the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 2005 after serving on the Supreme Court of Texas for more than ten years.
District Judge, USDC EDTX
Judge Schell was appointed as a U. S. district judge for the Eastern District of Texas on June 6, 1988 and took the oath of office on August 15, 1988.
District Judge, USDC EDTX
Robert W. (Trey) Schroeder III is United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division.
Bankruptcy Judge, USDC EDTX
Joshua P. Searcy was appointed as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Texas overseeing the Tyler, Marshall, Lufkin, and Beaumont divisions in March, 2021.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Judge Carl E. Stewart received his B.A. degree (Magna Cum Laude) from Dillard University and his J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court, EDTX
Michael Truncale was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 14, 2019, and appointed by President Donald J. Trump on May 16, 2019. As a nominee, he received the unanimous well-qualified rating by the American Bar Association.
District Judge U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
The Honorable Gregory B. Williams was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. in 2022.
Brechner Eminent Scholar, Levin College of Law & College of Journalism and Communications
Professor Jane Bambauer is the Brechner Eminent Scholar at the Levin College of Law and at the College of Journalism and Communications. She teaches Torts, First Amendment, Media Law, Criminal Procedure, and Privacy Law.
Executive Assistant U.S.Attorney EDTX
Tracey M. Batson currently serves as the Executive Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. She joined the Eastern District in the Beaumont office in 1992 as one of four prosecutors nationwide to become an AUSA directly from law school.
Principal, Joe Brown, Attorney P.L.L.C
Mr. Brown is the principal of Joe Brown, Attorney P.L.L.C. in Sherman, Texas, operating a private practice since July of 2020 after a twenty year career as a state and federal prosecutor.
Principal, Carter Arnett
E. Leon Carter is a principal of Carter Arnett. In 2019, Leon was recognized as the Dallas Bar Association’s Trial Lawyer of the Year. Leon has over 30 years of trial and litigation experience working with an impressive client list.
Founder, De La Garza Law Firm, P.C.
Attorney, Rafael De La Garza is a Board-Certified Criminal Law Specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has handled over 500 federal cases, including more than 25 federal jury trials and over 250 state jury trials.
VP - Patent Assertion and Enforcement, Ericsson
Robert Earle is the Vice President for Patent Assertion and Enforcement at Ericsson.
Probation Officer Guidelines Specialist, EDTX
Natalie Estrada is a U.S. Probation Officer Guidelines Specialist in the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney EDTX
Tom Gibson is an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, working in the Plano office of the Sherman Division. His work in the criminal division has focused on white collar and complex cases.
Assistant Federal Defender, U.S. District Court EDTX
Ken Hawk came to the Federal Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas in 2006 after spending 10 years in State prosecution and 8 years at Perkins, Hawk, & Perkins, P.C. practicing medical malpractice litigation and criminal defense in Tyler, Texas.
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Jeannie Heffernan is a nationally recognized trial lawyer who leads Kirkland’s IP litigation practice in Texas. She has won numerous trials in federal district courts across the country and at the International Trade Commission, with victories affirmed at the Federal Circuit.
Senior Counsel, Covington
Eric Holder advises clients on complex investigations and litigation matters, including those that are international in scope and involve significant regulatory enforcement issues and substantial reputational concerns. Eric, who was a partner at Covington from 2001 to 2009, rejoined the firm after serving for six years as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States.
Supervisory Special Agent, FBI
Supervisory Special Agent Sheraun Howard is a 17 year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During his career he has investigated all manner of Cyber related crimes to include Cyber Terrorism, Espionage, and Financially Motivated Cyber Crime.
Assistant Federal Public Defender EDTX
Sarah is an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Texas. Prior to this she practiced state, federal, and juvenile criminal defense in the Dallas area for over a decade.
Founder and CEO, Lanier Law Firm
Mark Lanier is consistently recognized as one of the top civil trial lawyers in America. For almost 40 years, Mark has taken on some of the biggest challenges in the legal field.
Section Chief, National Security Cyber Operations at FBI Washington, D.C.
Mr. Leatherman is Assistant Special in Charge for National Security in FBI Dallas, managing teams responsible for investigating counterterrorism, counterintelligence, weapons of mass destruction, and cyber threats throughout North Texas.
Chief Federal Public Defender, EDTX
John D. McElroy is the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Texas. Mr. McElroy was appointed to his current position by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in January 2021.
First Assistant United States Attorney, EDTX
Abe McGlothin, Jr. serves as the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. In this role, he serves as the office’s second-in-command and assists in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the office and the supervision of over 110 employees, including attorneys and support staff.
Partner, Duane Morris
Brian Pandya is a first-chair trial and appellate lawyer who represents technology and healthcare companies in high-stakes intellectual property, competition, and white-collar disputes.
Partner, Tensegrity Law Group, LLP
Matt Powers is known for taking tough cases to trial and winning them. He tries patent cases, trade secret cases, fraud cases, fiduciary duty cases, antitrust cases and contract cases.
Regional Counsel, South Central Region, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Jason Sickler is the Regional Counsel for the South Central Region of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Jason began his career with the Bureau in 1997. After completing his appointment through the Attorney General’s Honors Program in the South Central Regional Office, he served as Staff Attorney at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas.
Deputy Criminal Chief of Complex Fraud & Public Corruption, U.S. Attorney’s Office EDTX
Sean Taylor serves as the Deputy Criminal Chief of Complex Fraud & Public Corruption for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
Attorney, Scott H. Palmer, P.C.
Attorney Russell Turkel is a former US Probation Officer for the Eastern District of Texas. During his twenty-year tenure with the federal courts, he proudly served as a presentence investigation officer, team leader, sentencing guidelines specialist, and supervisor of the Plano pretrial/presentence unit.
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director, USPTO
Kathi Vidal serves as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) – America’s Innovation Agency.
Chief of the Appellate Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office, EDTX
Bradley Visosky serves as the Chief of the Appellate Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas. Mr. Visosky clerked for U.S. District Judges Jane J. Boyle (NDTX) and Harry Lee Hudspeth (WDTX) and was an associate at Thompson Knight and Carrington Coleman.
Professor, UCLA School of Law
Eugene Volokh is a professor at UCLA School of Law, where he has written extensively about law and technology; starting in July 2024, he will be a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, where he will continue his research into these topics.
Founder, Whalen Law Office
James P. Whalen is a dedicated criminal defense attorney renowned for his client-first approach. Committed to personal care, he offers discreet and assertive representation to those facing state and federal criminal charges.
Founder, Wirskye Law Firm
Sarah Wirskye has been defending clients in white collar criminal and civil fraud disputes with the government for twenty-five years. She founded the Wirskye Law Firm after 20 years with a firm, and she has continued to represent closely held entities and individuals.
Leon Jaworski Chair of Practice & Procedure, Baylor Law
Professionally, Jim Wren is a trial lawyer first and foremost. Before becoming a law professor, he was designated each year as a Texas Super Lawyer in business litigation, former national president of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and board certified nationally and in Texas in multiple trial specializations.
Panelistsdanatennyson2024-02-06T18:41:11-06:00