OUR UPCOMING EVENTS:
March 12 , 2026 Judicial Fireside Chat: An Evening With The Bench
Please join us for a fireside chat with the Honorable Todd M. Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Honorable Cathy Ann Bencivengo of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. The discussion will explore insights into IP cases, focusing on patent litigation and prosecution issues that arise in district courts and the Federal Circuit. Any questions for the judges should be submitted in advance to the SDIPLA email address, board@sdipla.org.
- Presenters: Judge Todd M. Hughes and Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo
- Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026
- Time: 5:30-7:30pm; 5:30-6:30pm Networking with Heavy Appetizers; 6:30-7:30pm Fireside Chat
- Location: Jones Day, 4655 Executive Drive, Suite 1500, San Diego, CA 92121
(
Parking map here.)
This event will qualify for 1 hour of CLE credit.
If you are not sure if you are a member, please email board@sdipla.org
Speaker Bios
Honorable Todd M. Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Todd M. Hughes was appointed by President Barack H. Obama in 2013. Judge Hughes served as Deputy Director of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice from 2007 to 2013. He was the Assistant Director in that office from 1999 to 2007 and a Trial Attorney from 1994 to 1999. From 1992 to 1994, Judge Hughes clerked for Circuit Judge Robert Krupansky of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He was an Adjunct Lecturer in Law at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law during the Spring 1994 semester. Judge Hughes received a J.D. from Duke Law School in 1992, an M.A. from Duke University in 1992, and an A.B. from Harvard College in 1989.
Hon. Cathy Ann Bencivengo U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of California
Judge Bencivengo was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California by President Barack Obama and confirmed in February 2012. Prior to her confirmation, she served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District since December, 2005.
Before joining the bench, Judge Bencivengo was a partner with the law firm of DLA Piper LLP (formerly Gray, Cary), where she specialized in intellectual property litigation and was National Co-Chair of the firm’s Patent Litigation Practice Group.
Judge Bencivengo attended Rutgers University in New Jersey, earning a B.A. in journalism and political science and an M.A. in political science as a Fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. She received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, magna cum laude.
March 19, 2026 What IP Practitioners Need To Know About Antitrust
This presentation discusses antitrust fundamentals and issue spotting, the DOJ’s classic “nine no-nos” of patent licensing, modern interpretation of those “no-nos,” and how to avoid pitfalls during your licensing deals. The presentation is told from the perspective of two patent litigators who have spent much of the last ten years focused on antitrust counseling, litigation, and trials.
- Presenters: Adam Powell, Partner, Knobbe Martens and Steve Larson, Partner, Knobbe Martens
- Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026
- Time: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. networking and heavy appetizers, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. presentation
- Location: Knobbe Martens, 3579 Valley Centre Drive, First Floor Conference Room, San Diego, CA 92130
This presentation will qualify for 1 hour of CLE credit.
Speaker Bios
Clients turn to Adam Powell to handle their most technically complex issues in the medical device, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology industries. He is co-chair of Knobbe Martens’ Antitrust group and has been recognized by the Daily Journal as among the publication’s “Top Trade Secrets Lawyers” honorees.
Adam has obtained jury verdicts totaling $1.5 billion for plaintiffs and defeated about $500 million of claims against defendants. In February 2026, he played a pivotal role in helping long-term client Applied Medical secure a $381 million jury verdict in an antitrust case against Medtronic. After a nearly three-week trial, the jury found Medtronic to have violated the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, and the California Cartwright Act.
Stephen W. Larson has deep experience handling high-stakes, high-impact cases at the intersection of complex patent, antitrust, and competition law. He represents clients across a broad range of technology sectors, including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, software, and semiconductors, in matters involving patent infringement, monopolization, attempted monopolization, tying, bundling, exclusive dealing, trade secrets, class actions, and high-stakes commercial disputes.
Stephen co-chairs the firm’s Antitrust & Competition practice and serves as Chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s (AIPLA) Antitrust Committee.
