Future Brand Protection predictions by experts from Starbucks, Target, INTA, and the OECD 

Russ Jacobs

Intellectual Property Leader at Starbucks Corporation

Speaker

Russell Jacobs leads the global Intellectual Property practice at Starbucks Corporation.  He returned to Starbucks following three years as the General Counsel for the National CASA/GAL Association for Children, the leading organization promoting volunteer best-interest advocacy in dependency proceedings for children who have experienced abuse or neglect.  In that role, he established and led the legal function and managed public policy work. In his prior tenure at Starbucks Corporation, he oversaw intellectual property clearance, prosecution, disputes, and transactions, led the global anti-counterfeiting program, and counseled on technology, litigation, commercial, and marketing law matters.  He started his legal practice at the New York office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed before moving to Seattle and working at Focal Law PLLC.  After earning his A.B. from the University of Michigan he received his J.D. from Columbia University.

Daniel Shapiro

VP of Strategic Partnerships

Moderator

After working at Macy’s and eBay, Daniel joined Red Points to lead the company’s strategic partnership with ecommerce platforms, websites, IP firms and other stakeholders. Daniel was a Senior Manager of Brand Protection at eBay, where he led international teams in the disruption of counterfeits worldwide.

Piotr Stryszowski

Senior Project Manager at the OECD

Speaker

Piotr Stryszowski is Senior Project Manager at the OECD Public Governance Directorate in charge of the Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade. As the manager of the Task Force, Piotr supervises factual research on the magnitude and scope of illicit trade and on governance solutions to counter this threat. This includes factual research on scope and magnitude illicit trade in counterfeit goods, work on transparency in Free Trade Zones or on abuse of containerized maritime transport and e-commerce. To advance the Task Force's goals, Piotr works together with delegates from OECD member countries, industry, academia, and other international organizations.

With more than 15 years at the OECD, Piotr also has profound experience in several economic policy areas other than illicit trade, such as innovation, intellectual property rights, and the Internet economy.Piotr holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Tilburg University (the Netherlands)

Christina Mitropoulos

Christina Mitropoulos is the Director, External Relations

Speaker

Anticounterfeiting at the International Trademark Association (INTA). In this role, she assists in the development and implementation of INTA strategies to combat trademark counterfeiting, working with senior management, the Chief Policy Officer, relevant INTA departments and committees, the Asia-Pacific, China, Europe, India, Latin America, and Washington Representatives, government and international agencies, and other public and private organizations. Christina also oversees INTA’s Unreal Campaign, a consumer awareness initiative to educate those aged 14 to 23 about the importance of trademarks and brands and the dangers of purchasing counterfeit products.

Stephen Lee 

Chief I.P. Counsel at Target

Speaker

Stephen Lee is Chief I.P. Counsel at Target and has been with the company for the past 19 years. His practice has covered the entire spectrum of I.P. matters, as he has been responsible for all trademark, copyright and patent work. Particularly rewarding is the fact that his team provides legal services and advice to practically every business team within Target and has touched almost every one of Target’s key strategic initiatives. He manages a team of 23 high-functioning I.P. professionals, and he has first-hand experience leading his team through the ups and downs of the retail landscape transformation.

For the eight years prior to joining Target, Stephen practiced law as a partner at Fish & Richardson and as an associate at Faegre & Benson both in Minneapolis. In private practice, Stephen’s practice was equally diverse as it covered all aspects of I.P.: portfolio maintenance, litigation, contract drafting and negotiation, and strategy and counseling.

Stephen is a proud graduate of the University of Texas where he received both his B.A. and J.D. degrees. Stephen is married and has three children, ages 16, 14 and 5.