AI/ET Partnership Series #3: AI-driven innovation

Denise Niles Canales serves as the Assistant Vice President for Technology Development and Commercialization at The University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center, in Dallas, Texas.  

She is an executive with considerable experience in the academic medical center environment.  She has a background in pediatric neuropsychology research administration, was a compliance officer at the (then) third largest healthcare company in the United States, and most recently, while at UTSW, helped start the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics and the high-performance computing infrastructure.  

Her business experience extends into the private sector where she has founded multiple companies. She had the unique experience of taking software she designed while at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, from idea to industry. She served as President of that company for several years, leading the creation of software solutions for the healthcare industry.

Michael Chu is a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In 2007, he began his DOJ career prosecuting cyber and IP crimes as the Computer Hacking/Intellectual Property(CHIP) Coordinator, first at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas, where he prosecuted an insider at the MGM casinos and handled the hack of a nationwide e-commerce site, and then in Houston, where he prosecuted a St. Louis Cardinals executive who stole confidential information from the Houston Astros during the Major League Baseball draft. He has also prosecuted a wide variety of white-collar crimes such as embezzlements, business email compromises, securities frauds, advance fee schemes, and identity thefts.  

Recently, Mr. Chu completed a three-year detail as the inaugural International Computer Hacking & Intellectual Property (ICHIP) Attorney Advisor for Internet Fraud and Public Health issues. In this role, he worked with foreign prosecutors and law enforcement officials to build their capacity to fight cyber and IP crimes. In 2022, he received the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service. 

Before joining the DOJ, Mr. Chu was a litigator in private practice where he was named a Texas Rising Star. He also created a pro bono political asylum program which won the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas's Angel of Freedom Award. Mr. Chu graduated from University of Virginia Law and clerked for U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt. He frequently speaks on corporate data thefts and IP issues, and he has taught at numerous DOJ/State Department programs. On a personal note, Mr. Chu dislikes writing about himself in the third-person. 

Dr. Corey Clark serves as Deputy Director of Research at Southern Methodist University (SMU) Guildhall, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at SMU, and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of BALANCED Media | Technology. He has over 20 years of experience with a background in finding solutions to large-scale problems by combining several areas of study, such as gaming, systems biology, distributed computing, and artificial intelligence/machine learning. He has raised almost $20 million in research, seed, and series funding from government and private entities, as well as served as CTO of a gaming technology startup that was acquired. He has led multiple Advanced Department of Defense research and development projects from concept to commercialization and recently lead a team to an XPRIZE Grand Prize win. Dr. Clark’s innovations in human-in-the-loop machine learning techniques have led to numerous awards, publications, patents and invitations to speak at top conferences around the world. 

Dave Copps is a serial entrepreneur, technologist, and startup guy focused on the role that machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) will play in transforming markets and the world. For the past 15 years, he has founded, launched and sold three companies focused on ML and AI that have placed ML and AI in thousands of companies around the world. 

Today, he serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Worlds. He is re-joining his long-time business partner and good friend, Chris Rohde and their co-founder Ross Bates. They are on a mission to change the way organizations see and sense the world with their AI platform for the Industrial Metaverse. There is no doubt in Dave’s mind that AI-based automation will lead us into the fourth industrial revolution and that Worlds is leading the way. 

Worlds is an independent software company based in Dallas, Texas. They have pulled together an amazing team of data scientists, engineers and abundance creators who are out to do nothing less than completely reinvent how the world’s largest industrial companies evolve and grow their businesses through AI and live digital twins. 

Romelia Flores’s industry experiences combined with her unique software development and design expertise make her Global Sales’ most highly sought-after innovator. She has collaborated with leading clients in the design of Electric Vehicle Fleet Management, Space Object Analytics, Connect 360 Health & Human Services, and Airports of the Future. She holds 84 U.S. patents and 10 patents pending. She is currently the Global Sales DE Board Chair. In 2021, she received the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business Award. In 2018, she was the first female ever named to the Dallas Tech Titan Hall of Fame and was the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award winner from Great Minds in STEM.

Hilda Galvan serves as the Partner-in-Charge of the Dallas office of Jones Day, a global law firm with more than 2500 lawyers. Hilda is a nationally recognized trial lawyer, who has represented technology companies in complex technology litigation in courts across the country. She advises clients in the development and implementation of strategic plans for protecting their proprietary technology. She also counsels clients on the disruptive impact of emerging technologies on their businesses, with a focus on artificial intelligence. 

After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso, Hilda practiced as an engineer in the telecommunications industry. She later obtained her J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.    

Hilda is committed to serving the community, devoting time and energy to organizations that advance women & girls and the Hispanic community. She is Chair of Texas Women’s Foundation, and past Chair of the Dallas Regional Chamber where she was the first Hispanic to serve in that role. She also serves as a Trustee for the University of Texas School of Law Foundation, and on the boards of SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering and the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation.

Rus Holloway advises Bell in its commercial and government intellectual property (IP) transactions and is responsible for managing Bell’s IP portfolio, which includes domestic and international patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.  He also assists with IP litigation and licensing. 

Prior to joining Bell in 2005, Rus was an associate attorney in the litigation section of Jackson Walker LLP where his practice focused on IP litigation and trademark portfolio management. Rus began his legal career in 1999 as an associate in the IP section of Gardere, Wynne and Sewell, LLP where he focused on patent preparation and prosecution. Rus was a process engineer with Superior Cable Corporation in Brownwood, Texas before attending law school. 

Rus is a member of the State Bar of Texas and admitted to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, Texas Eastern District Court, and Texas Northern District Court.  Rus is also a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, 1994 and his J.D. at Southern Methodist University in 1999. 

As Deputy Chief Counsel in the Technology, Digital and Innovation legal group at Charles Schwab, Jay Johnson oversees privacy, cybersecurity, data ethics and analytics, and artificial intelligence/machine learning for the company’s legal team. He is also an adjunct professor at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and a board member for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. Prior to Charles Schwab, he was a partner at Jones Day and an Assistant U.S. Attorney (federal prosecutor) in the Eastern District of Texas. 

Brian Kearns is the Director of the U.S. Patent Development team in Ericsson’s global Intellectual Property Rights & Licensing organization. In this role, he leads a team of U.S. patent attorneys and paralegals who work to maintain and develop Ericsson’s industry-leading patent portfolio and support global patent licensing efforts. As a registered patent attorney, he manages and prosecutes an international and domestic portfolio of patents and patent applications focused on radio access network and cloud technology, drafts and reviews claim charts for implementation and standard essential patents (SEPs), and provides guidance on U.S. patent law matters and updates to Ericsson's other international patent units. Brian received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and mathematics from Southern Methodist University. Prior to joining Ericsson, Brian practiced in the IP group of an international law firm.

Charles Kim currently serves as the Director of the Office of Petitions at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Office of Petitions reviews and decides various petitions to the Director of the USPTO, such as revival of abandoned applications, reinstatement of expired patents, withdrawal of patent applications from issue, review of previous decisions of the Technology Centers, suspension of regulations, and questions not specifically provided for by regulations.  Prior to working at the Office of Petitions, Charles served for two years as a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy. Charles also previously served as a Supervisory Patent Examiner in Technology Center 2100—Computer Architecture and Software. 

In addition, Charles currently leads the USPTO’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Emerging Technology (ET) Working Group. This working group is comprised of AI experts from across the agency and has been responsible for several initiatives at the USPTO, including the issuance of request for comments, reports on AI and intellectual property (IP) policy, and the formation of the AI/ET Partnership, which was announced by Director Vidal in June 2022. 

Charles has a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University and received his JD degree from George Washington University Law School. 

Srilakshmi Kumar joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 1999 examining applications in the telecommunications and selective visual display systems. Currently, she serves as a Supervisory Patent Examiner in the wireless telecommunications, satellite & power control, Bluetooth technology for technology center 2600. Additionally, she serves as an Advisor to the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Policy Working Group. Prior to joining the USPTO, Sri worked for Booz, Allen & Hamilton on military satellite communications. Sri earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.

Mackenzie Martin serves as co-Chair of Baker McKenzie's Global Patent Practice. Her practice focuses on litigating patent, trade secret, and other technical intellectual property (IP) disputes, and counseling companies on IP and patent portfolio strategy.

Mackenzie is an electrical engineer and handles cases in a variety of technical fields. Mackenzie has practiced in Baker McKenzie's China and Taiwan offices and speaks Mandarin. She was named as one of the “Lawyers on the Rise” by Texas Lawyer in 2016, was given the Rising Star Award for IP at Euromoney’s 2017 Americas Women in Business Law Awards, and was selected as a Rising Star for IP litigation in Super Lawyers in 2017-2021. In 2022, she has been ranked or recognized by U.S. Legal 500, IAM Patent 1000, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers.

In addition to her law practice, Mackenzie is passionate about inclusion and diversity (I&D) and devotes significant time to initiatives in this space. She leads Baker McKenzie's Texas Office I&D Committee and is a member of the Firm's North America I&D Committee. Within the Dallas community, she is on the advisory board of the Lake Highlands Area Moms (and More) Against Racism. 

Nalini Mummalaneni is a Senior Legal Advisor in the Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA). The OPLA assists in the development and administration of U.S. patent law, advises the USPTO on patent examination policy, and formulates new regulations, policies, and procedures regarding patents. Nalini is involved in the development of policy in areas like subject matter eligibility under Section 101, artificial intelligence (AI), disclosure requirements under Section 112, and assignments. She is a member of the AI policy working group. In her previous role at the USPTO, Nalini served as a primary patent examiner in TC 2600 and examined patent applications in Telecommunications and Selective Visual Display Systems. Prior to joining the USPTO, Nalini worked for seven years at Nortel and Ericsson on 3G and 4G technologies. Nalini graduated from The George Washington University Law School, and she holds a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Dallas and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Nagarjuna University, India.

Korin Munsterman is a Professor of Practice and the director of the Legal Education Technology program. She joined the University of North Texas (UNT) Dallas College of Law in May 2021. 

Professor Munsterman has worked at many law schools throughout her career including Harvard Law School, American University Washington College of Law, and Southern New England School of Law, now known as UMass – Dartmouth School of law. She has consulted with law schools, law firms, and government agencies regarding the use of technology in law practice. In addition, she has presented at national conferences about academic and law firm technology. She designed online LL.M. (Master of Laws) programs and will soon begin work on doing the same UNT Dallas. She enjoys learning and teaching about the intersection of legal practice, law, and technology, and has considerable experience implementing ediscovery platforms, practice management systems, document automation programs, contract review applications, trial practice and presentation software, and more. She currently teaches multiple sections of Law Practice Technology, ensuring that law students graduate practice-ready, as well as a new course on Social Media and the Law. She has proposed a new course in AI and the Law. 

As the Regional Director of the Texas Regional Office, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Hope Shimabuku carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, and is responsible for leading the Texas Regional Office. Focusing on the region and actively engaging with the community, Ms. Shimabuku ensures the USPTO’s initiatives and programs are tailored to the region’s unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders. 

Read Ms. Shimabuku's full bio here.

David O. Taylor is a Professor of Law at the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas. He also founded and serves as the Co-Director of the school’s Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation.

Professor Taylor earned his bachelor of science, magna cum laude, in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and his juris doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Prior to law school, Professor Taylor worked as an applications engineer at National Instruments Corporation in Austin, Texas.

After graduating from law school, Professor Taylor clerked for the Honorable Sharon Prost of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Professor Taylor also worked for seven years at the law firm of Baker Botts LLP in its Dallas office. While at Baker Botts, Professor Taylor engaged in patent litigation in various district courts and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. His litigation experience includes both bench and jury trials. A registered patent attorney, he also gained significant experience in the fields of intellectual property licensing and patent prosecution.

Outside of his work at SMU, he serves as a consultant on Federal Circuit appeals, as a consulting and testifying expert in intellectual property (IP) and contract litigation in the United States and abroad, and as a Special Master in patent litigation in federal district court. He has served as a member of the Advisory Council for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He currently serves on the Executive Board of the Institute for Law and Technology at the Center for American and International Law, the Patentable Subject Matter Task Force of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), and as a member of the AIPLA's Legislation Committee. He has served as the Chair of both the Intellectual Property Law Section and the Computer Law Section of the Dallas Bar Association. He is an Honorary Member of the Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court.

Outside of his work at the law school and the field of IP law, Professor Taylor has engaged in public service with diverse groups including Advocates for Community Transformation, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, and the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program.