Hon. William C. Conner Inn of Court 18th Annual Reception and Dinner January 21, 2026 Union League Club
The Honorable William C. Conner
Program 5:45 PM - 6:45 PM Cocktail Reception 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Dinner Congratulations to The 2026 Conner Inn Excellence Award Honorees Federal Circuit Center for Innovation & Law To be accepted by Chief Judge Kimberly A. Moore, Circuit Librarian Jessica Perovich, and Director of Civic Education Jake Eckelberry Hon. Ramón E. Reyes, Jr. District Judge, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Hon. Ronnie Abrams District Judge, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
At the Inaugural Dinner in 2009, members of the Conner Inn presented Mrs. Janice Files Conner with a bouquet of her favorite flowers - yellow roses. Honorable William C. Conner passed away on July 9, 2009 and Mrs. Janice Files Conner passed away on September 12, 2011. The Conner Inn continues to commemorate Mrs. Conner every year with yellow roses on each table at the Annual Dinner.
Mission of the Hon. William C. Conner Inn of Court, to promote excellence in professionalism, ethics, civility, and legal skills for judges, lawyers, academicians, and students of law and to advance the education of the members of the Conner Inn, the members of the bench and bar, and the public in the fields of intellectual property.
Message from the Conner Inn Executive Committee Chair Welcome to the 18th Annual Reception and Dinner of the Hon. William C. Conner Inn of Court. This year, we are very proud to present the 2026 Conner Inn Excellence Awards to the following outstanding jurists—Hon. Ronnie Abrams, District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York—and Hon. Ramón E. Reyes, Jr., District Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York—for their dedication to the promotion of excellence in our profession. We will also be presenting an award to the Federal Circuit Center for Innovation & Law, in recognition of excellence in civic education and community engagement that highlights the importance of law and innovation in American society. The award will be accepted by Chief Judge Kimberly A. Moore, Circuit Librarian Jessica Perovich, and Director of Civic Education Jake Eckelberry. Please enjoy this commemorative journal, which includes biographies of our award recipients and an article by Melvin C. Garner showcasing the many excellent programs presented by judges, senior lawyers, junior lawyers, and law student members of the Conner Inn during its seventeenth year of substantive IP programming. As we return to in-person programs and events like this, we are committed to building on Judge Conner’s legacy of excellence and professionalism through the enthusiasm of our membership. Looking ahead to 2026, we invite all members—new and returning—to participate in our programs. Joining a team or presenting a program offers concrete benefits: deepening practical IP skills through hands-on workshops and mock arguments; earning CLE credit on cutting-edge topics; strengthening bench-bar relationships in small-group settings with our judicial members; expanding professional networks across firms, companies, and law schools; mentoring and being mentored across experience levels; and developing leadership, teaching, and writing opportunities within the Inn. Your participation amplifies our collective impact on professionalism, ethics, and civility while advancing innovation and community engagement. As chair of the Executive Committee, I would like to thank our Conner Inn President, Hon. J. Paul Oetken, for his continued leadership; our Counselor, Hon. Roslynn R. Mauskopf (Ret.); the other members of the Executive Committee—Melvin C. Garner, Patrice P. Jean, Anne E. Li, Saurabh Vishnubhakat, Jeffrey M. Butler, and Anthony Giaccio—for their commitment; Melvin C. Garner for assembling this commemorative journal; Hon. Richard Linn for his vision and initiative; and each of you for your enthusiastic support of the Conner Inn and its mission to promote professionalism, legal skills, ethics, and civility in the practice of intellectual property law, which Judge Conner exemplified. Amy Gallup Klann Executive Committee Chair
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UPCOMING EVENTS
February 10th, 2026 Half-Day IP Symposium March 11th, 2026 Jury Deliberation with Inner-City Scholar Fund High School Jurors April 14th, 2026 CLE Program May 12th, 2026 CLE Program June 16th, 2026 Judicial Pathways Series
Hon. William C. Conner Inn of Court Activities for the Year 2025 The Hon. William C. Conner Inn of Court held its 17th Annual Reception and Dinner on January 22, 2025, at the Union League Club. Forty-four federal judges attended. At the dinner, a Conner Inn Excellence Award was presented to Judge William Curtis Bryson of United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit by Judge Raymond T. Chen of that court. The second Excellence Award was presented to Judge Alison J. Nathan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by Judge J. Paul Oetken of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The third Excellence Award was presented to Judge Vincent L. Briccetti of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Judge Cathy Seibel of that court. An Excellence Award was also presented to Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, who was unable to attend in-person. On March 21, 2025, prior to the New York Intellectual Property Law Association’s 103rd Annual Dinner in Honor of the Federal Judiciary, the Inn hosted a Linn Inn Alliance Reception. At the reception, the Alliance presented the 2025 Distinguished Service Medals to a total of six members of the Linn Inn Alliance. The medalists included: 2025 Distinguished Service Medal Recipients Hon. Hildy Bowbeer – Hon. Jimmie V. Reyna IP AIC (Twin Cities) Vincent Ling – Hon. Paul R. Michel IP AIC (Los Angeles) David Oberdick – Hon. Q. Todd Dickinson AIC (Pittsburgh) Brent Radcliff – Hon. Charles A. Pannell, Jr. IP AIC (Atlanta) Neil Smith – San Francisco Bay Area IP AIC (San Francisco) Chittam Thakore – Hon. Charles A. Pannell, Jr. IP AIC (Atlanta) The Conner Inn’s annual “Jury Deliberation with Inner-City Scholar Fund High School Student Jurors” was held on March 27, 2025, at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse. It involved mock closing arguments before a jury of the high school students. Judge Richard Linn, Senior Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (sitting by designation) presided over the hearing. After the arguments the audience was able to follow the high school student's deliberations via live video. The case was on a variation of SAS v. Ed Sheeran, which involved Structured Asset Sales (SAS) allegations that Ed Sheeran's song "Thinking Out Loud" infringed on Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On." Activities for the Year 2025 Attendees joined the Conner Inn for a program on “LEGO® Crosses the Rubicon” on May 21, 2025, at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. It involved a mock oral hearing in a patent infringement lawsuit. The hearing was based on the Lego Systems v. Rubicon Communications case, in which LEGO asserted one of its patents against Rubicon, which made play brick-compatible cases that allow the user to fasten LEGO bricks to Apple iPhone cases to create a variety of ornamental designs. On June 18, 2025, the Conner Inn had a special installment of the “Judicial Pathways Series: Oral Arguments and Judicial Reflections” at the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse. It featured live oral arguments on a case concerning the contested ownership of several historic works by Eanger Irving Couse, a pivotal painter of the American West and founding member of the Taos Society of Artists. The case explored nuanced issues of provenance, inheritance, and rightful ownership of culturally significant art. Following the arguments, the program featured an engaging Q&A panel with Hon. J. Paul Oetken, District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and Hon. Roslynn R. Mauskopf (Ret.), Former Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and Partner at Bracewell LLP. The panelists provided insights from their careers as judges including their personal journeys to the federal bench. The evening concluded with a guided tour of the courthouse, offering a rare look behind the scenes of the judicial process. During the “Discretionary Denial and the Court-PTAB Standoff” program, held on September 9, 2025 at the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, panelists Jeremy Sheff, Professor of Law and the Faculty Director of the Intellectual Property Law Center, St. John’s University School of Law; Peter Sullivan, Partner & Co-Chair of Foley Hoag LLP's PTAB Proceedings Practice Group; and Saurabh Vishnubhakat, Professor of Law and Director of the Intellectual Property and Information Law Program, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, examined the latest developments in discretionary denial practice at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). The panelists noted that since the 2011 America Invents Act, the administrative trials before the PTAB have become, as intended, a powerful substitute for U.S. district court litigation in resolving patent validity questions. That substitutionary role has ebbed and flowed over the past decade. The recently reinvigorated use of discretionary denials to reject PTAB trial petitions at the threshold is the latest development in that court-PTAB standoff. The Hon. William C. Conner Inn of Court, the Hon. Jimmie V. Reyna Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, and the Pauline Newman IP American Inn of Court jointly participated in a “Multi-Inn IP Jeopardy-Style Competition” on October 7, 2025, at Venable LLP. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a fast-paced, fun Jeopardy-esque game that tested their knowledge on all things IP. Activities for the Year 2025 On November 18, 2025, the Conner Inn held a CLE program on “Understanding the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC): Strategies for Enforcement Actions against Infringing Imports as Well as Avoiding Litigation” at Haug Partners LLP. Robert Curcio, Partner at Delio, Peterson & Curcio LLC; Paul Ainsworth, Director & ITC trial lawyer at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox; and Hon. Bryan F. Moore, Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), U.S. International Trade Commission, provided a comprehensive overview of Section 337 investigations. Their discussion covered both offensive and defensive strategies for companies facing or considering ITC litigation, as well as how to effectively leverage the ITC—whether the goal is to avoid litigation or to pursue enforcement actions against infringing imports. The Conner Inn ended the 2025 year with a Holiday Cocktail Reception on December 9, 2025, at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. This was a fantastic opportunity for attendees to network and celebrate the holidays. Melvin C. Garner Executive Committee Member
Conner Inn Leadership Officers President: Hon. J. Paul Oetken U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York Counselor: Hon. Roslynn R. Mauskopf (Ret.) Bracewell LLP Secretary/ Treasurer: Patrice P. Jean Executive Committee Chair: Amy Gallup Klann Chairman Emeritus: Anthony Giaccio Members: Jeffrey M. Butler, Melvin C. Garner, Anne E. Li, and Saurabh Vishnubhakat Judicial Members of the Inn Hon. Laura Taylor Swain, Southern District of New York Hon. Margo Brodie, Eastern District of New York Hon. Norman Beamer, USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board Hon. Kerry Begley, USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board Hon. Gary Brown, Eastern District of New York Hon. Sarah Cave, Southern District of New York Hon. John Cronan, Southern District of New York Hon. Thomas L. Giannetti, USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board (Ret.) Hon. Cynthia L. Hardman, USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board Hon. Lewis Liman, Southern District of New York Hon. Kimberly McGraw, USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board Hon. Shelia McShane, USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board Hon. Grace Obermann, USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board Hon. J. Paul Oetken, Southern District of New York Hon. Donna Praiss, USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board Hon. Barbara S. Jones, Southern District of New York (Ret.) Visiting Judicial Members of the Inn Hon. Timothy B. Dyk, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Hon. Richard Linn, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Hon. Pauline Newman, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Hon. Jimmie V. Reyna, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Hon. John C. Lifland, District of New Jersey (Ret.) Hon. Paul R. Michel, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Ret.)
Honored Guests in Attendance Special Guests of Honor Hon. Kimberly A. Moore Chief Judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Jessica Perovich Circuit Librarian U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Jake Eckelberry Director of Civic Education U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Hon. Ramón E. Reyes, Jr. District Judge U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Hon. Ronnie Abrams District Judge U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York United States Court of Appeals Federal Circuit Hon. Kara Farnandez Stoll, Circuit Judge Hon. Sharon Prost, Circuit Judge Hon. Jimmie V. Reyna, Circuit Judge Jarrett B. Perlow, Circuit Executive and Clerk of Court Second Circuit Hon. Steven J. Menashi, Circuit Judge Honored Guests in Attendance United States District Courts Eastern District of New York Hon. Sanket J. Bulsara, District Judge Hon. Pamela K. Chen, District Judge Hon. Ann M. Donnelly, District Judge Hon. Hector Gonzalez, District Judge Hon. Kiyo A. Matsumoto, Senior District Judge Hon. Joanna Seybert, Senior District Judge Hon. Lee G. Dunst, Magistrate Judge Hon. Clay H. Kaminsky, Magistrate Judge Hon. Peggy Kuo, Magistrate Judge Hon. Joseph A. Marutollo, Magistrate Judge Hon. James M. Wicks, Magistrate Judge Eugene Corcoran, District Executive Southern District of New York Hon. Laura Taylor Swain, Chief Judge Hon. Vernon S. Broderick, District Judge Hon. Margaret M. Garnett, District Judge Hon. Philip M. Halpern, District Judge Hon. Dale E. Ho, District Judge Hon. Lewis J. Liman, District Judge Hon. J. Paul Oetken, District Judge Hon. Jennifer L. Rochon, District Judge Hon. Sidney H. Stein, District Judge Hon. Mary Kay Vyskocil, District Judge Hon. Vincent L. Briccetti, Senior District Judge Hon. P. Kevin Castel, Senior District Judge Hon. Denise L. Cote, Senior District Judge Hon. Lewis A. Kaplan, Senior District Judge Hon. Sarah Netburn, Chief Magistrate Judge Hon. Stewart D. Aaron, Magistrate Judge Hon. Barbara Moses, Magistrate Judge Hon. Ona T. Wang, Magistrate Judge Tammi Hellwig, Clerk of Court
Honoree Federal Circuit Center for Innovation & Law
A visit to the Innovation Center is more than a field trip. It’s an opportunity for students to take an active role in exploring the heart of innovation, civic life, and American history. “Through our tour program, we invite students to explore the rich history that happened in our buildings that helped shape civic life in the nation over the past two centuries.” — Chief Judge Kimberly A. Moore Each group participates in hands-on programs led by court staff. Students bring the courtroom to life as they step into mock trials, including one that features the true story of a successful African American inventor in the late 1800s who fought to secure his patent rights. Through this experience, students gain a powerful look at how creativity, law, and perseverance intertwine. They also explore the court’s historic homes, where they learn about the birth of the Space Age, the fight for women’s suffrage, and the scientific and cultural breakthroughs that unfolded within these very walls. During their visit, students interact with a wide range of court professionals, gaining firsthand insight into the many career paths within the judiciary. Every experience concludes with a personal conversation with a federal judge, giving students the rare chance to ask questions and hear directly from judges about their role in our democracy. By the end of their visit, students leave with new insights, practical knowledge, and a stronger sense of where they might fit in the world of law, science, and innovation.
The Honorable Ramón E. Reyes, Jr. entered service as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York on November 14, 2023. From February 13, 2006, to the time of his appointment as a District Judge, Judge Reyes served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York. During his seventeen-year tenure as a Magistrate Judge, Judge Reyes presided over pretrial matters in more than 5,000 civil and criminal cases, conducted more than 30 jury and bench trials on consent of the parties, published over 600 opinions, and swore in more than 15,000 new citizens of the United States of America. From July 2020 to his appointment as a District Judge, Judge Reyes served on Intercircuit Assignment to the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico as an evaluative mediator on In re: Fin. Oversight and Mgmt. Bd. for P.R., No. 17 BK 3283-LTS (D.P.R.), the largest municipal bankruptcy in the history of the United States. From January 2014 through late-2016, Judge Reyes served as one of three Magistrate Judges on In re: Hurricane Sandy Cases, No. 14-MC-0041 (E.D.N.Y.), an innovative method of coordinating case management and resolution of more than 1,500 individual insurance coverage cases resulting from Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Judge Reyes received a B.S. degree from Cornell University, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and an LL.M. from New York University School of Law. While at Brooklyn Law School, he served as Editor in Chief of the Brooklyn Journal of International Law, was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society, and was a Fellow in the Center for the Study of International Business Law. After receiving his LL.M. degree, Judge Reyes served as a legislative attorney for the New York City Council. Thereafter, he was a law clerk to the late Honorable David G. Trager, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York, and a litigation associate in the New York office of O’Melveny & Myers LLP. Prior to becoming a Magistrate Judge, Judge Reyes was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, serving in the latter two years as Deputy Chief of Civil Appeals. Throughout his career, Judge Reyes has served on the boards of many bar associations and nonprofit organizations, currently including the Board of Trustees of Brooklyn Law School, the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District Chapter, and as President of the Federal Bar Council’s Inn of Court. He previously served as President of the Federal Magistrate Judges Association, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Bar Council, a member of the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the Eastern District of New York, and a member of the American Bar Association’s Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice.
Honoree Hon. Ramón E. Reyes, Jr. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
Half-Day IP Symposium 4.0 NY CLE Credits, including 1.0 Ethics A Joint Program with New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA) Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Confirmed Speakers David J. Kappos Former Under Secretary of Commerce and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP Ethics Session: Lisa Larrimore Ouellette Professor of Law, Stanford Law School *Additional speakers to be announced
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 1:00PM - 6:30PM Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law 55 5th Ave, New York, NY 10003
Honoree Hon. Ronnie Abrams U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Ronnie Abrams is a United States District Judge in the Southern District of New York. Nominated by President Obama on July 28, 2011, she assumed the office on March 22, 2012. She received a B.A. from Cornell University in 1990 and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1993. Upon graduation, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas P. Griesa, then Chief Judge in the Southern District. At the time of her confirmation, Abrams was head of the pro bono practice at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, where she had previously worked as a litigation associate from 1994 to 1998. She served as a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from 1998 to 2008, holding the positions of Chief of the General Crimes Unit and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division. While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Abrams received several commendations for her work, including the Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney. For many years, she taught a course on investigating and prosecuting federal criminal cases at Columbia Law School. She also served on the Southern District’s Criminal Justice Act Panel. Abrams has been active in a variety of criminal justice reform efforts. She earned the New York State Bar Association President’s Pro Bono Service Award for her work as Counsel to the New York State Justice Task Force—one of the first permanent task forces in the United States designed to address the causes of wrongful convictions. On the bench, she co-founded and co-runs the Young Adult Opportunity Program, a judicially supervised pretrial diversion program for non-violent young adults designed to reduce recidivism and provide safe and productive alternatives to incarceration. Abrams has also been involved in other reform efforts in her district, including assisting in the creation of a re-entry court—the Re-entry Through Intensive Supervision and Employment or “RISE” Court—that assists at-risk individuals in reintegrating into society after a term of imprisonment.
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Previous Recipients of the Conner Inn Excellence Award 2025 Hon. William Curtis Bryson, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Hon. Alison J. Nathan, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit Hon. LaShann DeArcy Hall, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Hon. Vincent L. Briccetti, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York 2024 Hon. Kimberly A. Moore, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Hon. Raymond J. Lohier Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit Hon. Katherine Polk Failla, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York Hon. Joan M. Azrack, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York 2023 Hon. Kara F. Stoll, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Hon. Laura Taylor Swain, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York Hon. Brian Cogan, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York 2022 Hon. Evan J. Wallach, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Hon. Debra Ann Livingston, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit Hon. Jed S. Rakoff, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York 2021 Hon. Alan D. Lourie, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Hon. Richard C. Wesley, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit Hon. Margo K. Brodie, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Hon. Paul A. Engelmayer, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York 2020 Hon. Richard G. Taranto, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Hon. Denise L. Cote, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York Hon. Pamela K. Chen, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York 2019 Hon. Raymond T. Chen, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Hon. Richard J. Sullivan, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit Hon. Kiyo A. Matsumoto, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York 2018 Hon. Pierre N. Leval, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit Hon. Jimmie V. Reyna, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
Previous Recipients of the Conner Inn Excellence Award 2017 Hon. P. Kevin Castel, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York Hon. Dora L. Irizarry, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Hon. Kathleen M. O'Malley, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit 2016 Hon. Timothy B. Dyk, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit 2015 Hon. Denny Chin, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit Hon. Sharon Prost, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit 2014 Hon. Robert A. Katzmann, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit Hon. Richard Linn, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit 2013 Hon. Barbara Jones, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York Hon. Colleen McMahon, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York 2012 Hon. Carol Bagley Amon, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Hon. Pauline Newman, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Hon. Kimba M. Woods, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York 2011 Hon. Dennis Jacobs, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit 2010 Hon. Raymond J. Dearie, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Hon. Loretta A. Preska, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York Hon. Paul R. Michel, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit 2009 Hon. William C. Conner, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Hon. William C. Conner Inn of Court 2025 Annual Reception and Dinner
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