The Symposium will take place on Friday, March 7, 2025, from 12:45 PM to 6:30 PM, at Lakeside Village Auditorium.
Click below to Register:
CLE CREDITS PENDING APPROVAL – General (3.0), Ethics (1.0)
The 2025 Symposium recording will be available here.
This year’s symposium, titled IP Quest: Charting the Global Map of Innovation, will explore the spectrum of IP rights—patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets—highlighting their critical role in fostering innovation, economic growth, and cultural exchange. The landscape of intellectual property law is undergoing a dramatic transformation, shaped by recent treaties and emerging jurisprudence. Developing nations, practitioners and rights holders face increasingly complex challenges in brand and product protection. These developments have far-reaching implications across entertainment, healthcare, and human rights sectors. Our symposium aims to illuminate the intricate web of international IP law by exploring its intersection with various industries.
Welcome and Opening Remarks (1:15 PM – 1:30 PM)
The symposium will begin with brief welcoming remarks, setting the stage for an afternoon of in-depth discussions and examine current regulatory frameworks and treaty enforcement mechanisms, while exploring IP law’s crucial role in economic development and human rights protection.
Panel I: Guarding Global Secrets: Motorola’s DTSA Showdown (1:30 PM – 2:30 PM)
PANELISTS:
Sharon Sandeen, Professor of IP Law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law
A leading authority on trade secret law and an internationally recognized scholar, Professor Sandeen has shaped the field through her pioneering work, including authoring the first U.S. trade secret law casebook and producing landmark research on the Uniform Trade Secrets Act and TRIPS Agreement. Her extensive scholarship encompasses three books and over 25 articles examining critical aspects of intellectual property protection. Before joining academia, Professor Sandeen built a distinguished 15-year legal career in Sacramento, bringing valuable practical experience in business and IP litigation.
Jessica Neer McDonald, Trademark & Copyright Attorney, Neer McD PLLC, University of Miami School of Law Alumni J.D. ’16
Jessica Neer McDonald is the founder and head trademark and copyright attorney at Neer McD PLLC and native Miamian. Jessica’s experience spans trademark and copyright prosecution, licensing, enforcement, and right of publicity matters. Drawing from her background as a General Counsel and her service across multiple levels of government, Jessica offers unique insights into navigating regulatory frameworks while protecting intellectual property assets. Jessica regularly represents clients in emerging technologies and educates on IP in technology through Blockish IP, an education information center, and her work with startups.
Panel II: Prescription for Progress: Brazil, TRIPs, and Global Health
PANELISTS:
Rochelle Dreyfuss, Professor of IP Law at NYU School of Law
With a background in chemistry, she transitioned to law after earning her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was an editor of the Law Review. She clerked for Chief Judge Wilfred Feinberg of the Second Circuit and Chief Justice Warren Burger of the U.S. Supreme Court. A member of the American Law Institute, she has played key roles in intellectual property and conflict of law projects, including as a reporter for the ALI’s Intellectual Property Principles for Transnational Disputes. Dreyfuss has served as an expert for the UN Special Rapporteur on cultural rightsand as a consultant to federal agencies on intellectual property, science, and policy issues. She has held visiting professorships at Cambridge, Oxford, the National University of Singapore, and other institutions worldwide. In addition to numerous scholarly articles, she has co-authored books on intellectual property and international IP law.
Hannibal Travis, Professor of IP Law at FIU School of Law
A professor at FIU specializing in cyberlaw, intellectual property, antitrust, international law, and human rights. Prior to academia, he practiced IP law at O’Melveny & Myersand Debevoise & Plimpton. He has held visiting positions at University of Florida, Villanova, and Oxford. A Harvard Law School graduate, Travis has authored several books, including Platform Neutrality Rights (2024) and Copyright Class Struggle (2018), and published extensively on IP lawand human rights. He co-directs FIU’s Intellectual Property Certificate Program and has coached multiple moot court teams.
Suzy Frankel, Professor of IP Law at the University of Wellington, New Zealand
Susy Frankel is a professor at Victoria University of Wellington and a leading expert in international intellectual property law, focusing on copyright, patents, trademarks, international trade law, and the protection of mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge). She has published extensively and held leadership roles, including President of ATRIP (2015–2017), Founding Director of the New Zealand Centre of International Economic Law, and Chair of the Copyright Tribunal (2008–2020). Currently a member of the Waitangi Tribunal, she has also been a Senior Fulbright Scholar and Hauser Global Fellow at NYU and held visiting positions at Cambridge, Haifa, Western Ontario, and Iowa. She led the New Zealand Law Foundation Regulatory Reform Project (2011–2013) and has returned as a Global Professor at NYU Law School in 2025 to teach international intellectual property law.
Fireside Chat: Treaty Talk: The Design Treaty and its Implications
PANELISTS:
Danielle Garno, Partner, Holland & Knight, University of Miami Alumni
A transactional and litigation attorney at Holland & Knight, Danielle Garno co-chairs the Entertainment Law Team. She focuses on legal issues in the fashion industry, including intellectual property, social media marketing, licensing, digital assets, and business litigation. She represents clients ranging from startups to global luxury brands, advising on legal strategy and brand growth. In addition to her fashion law practice, she has extensive experience handling white-collar criminal matters, complex civil fraud cases, and regulatory compliance. Mrs. Garno has written and lectured extensively on fashion law and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law. Before joining Holland & Knight, she was part of the entertainment and media group at an international law firm in Miami.
Christine Farley, Professor of IP Law at Emory School of Law
A Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law and a leading expert in intellectual property law, Professor Farley teaches Intellectual Property, Trademark Law, Contracts, Art Law, and Advertising Law, with her scholarship focusing on the international aspects of IP, freedom of expression conflicts, and the expansion of IP rights. She serves as Co-Faculty Director of the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property and has received multiple awards for her teaching and scholarship. A Fulbright Senior Specialist grant recipient, Professor Farley has lectured in over 25 countries and held visiting professorships at institutions worldwide. Before academia, she practiced trademark and copyright litigation in New York. She holds degrees from Binghamton University, the University at Buffalo Law School, and Columbia Law School (LL.M. & J.S.D.)and serves on various legal boards and committees.
Panel 3: International IP Enforcement
PANELISTS:
John Malloy, Managing Partner, Malloy & Malloy, P.L., University of Miami School of Law Alumni J.D. ’92
Mr. Malloy is a Board-Certified Specialist in Intellectual Property Law and Partner overseeing his Firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation group. His practice focuses on litigation, international portfolio management, and global IP enforcement. He previously taught as an Adjunct Professor of Intellectual Property Lawat St. Thomas University Law School. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and the University of Miami School of Law, he is a member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society. As Chair of the International Trademark Association’s Model State Trademark Bill (2003–2007), he played a key role in shaping trademark legislation in multiple states, including Florida. He has also chaired the Miami-Dade County Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Committee and remains active in local service organizations such as the Baptist Health Foundation and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
Jaime Vining, Partner, Friedland Vining PA, University of Miami School of Law Alumni J.D. ’06
Jaime Rich Vining is a Florida Bar-certified Intellectual Property attorney specializing in trademark and copyright law at the intersection of IP, Internet, and entertainment. An Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami School of Law since 2010, she brings extensive expertise in global IP portfolio management, serving multinational corporations, technology startups, and entertainment companies. Her commitment to legal service extends beyond her practice through her role on the International Trademark Association’s Pro Bono Committee and as chair of the Dade County Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Committee.
Ury Fischer, Founding Partner, Lott & Fischer PA, University of Miami School of Law Alumni J.D. ’95
Ury Fischer is a founding partner of Lott & Fischer, where he focuses on patent and trademark procurement as well as intellectual property litigation. With a specialization in mechanical and electrical arts, software, and business methods, he has successfully represented a diverse range of U.S. and international clients in matters involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, and computer law. Before beginning his legal career in 1996, Mr. Fischer served as Chief of Engineering for a Florida-based aeronautical engineering firm, where he managed technical and regulatory aspects of complex engineering projects for mid-sized airlines. His experience included overseeing aircraft fleet electronic retrofitting programs, showcasing his expertise in both engineering and regulatory compliance. Fluent in Spanish, Mr. Fischer also serves numerous clients across South America, Central America, and the Caribbean Basin.
