26th Annual Berkeley-Stanford Advanced Patent Law Institute
Dec 4-5,
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Location: Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA |
2025 Berkeley-GW UPC Institute
Nov 20,
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Location: UC Washington Center, D.C. |
18th Annual BCLT Privacy Lecture
Nov 19,
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Location: Booth Auditorium (changed from Room 110), UC Berkeley Law Building |
BCLT-Oregon Start-Up Series
Tuesday
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Session 8: M&A Readiness – When Big Pharma Comes Knocking 0.75 General CLE Credit Available Mergers and acquisitions can be pivotal moments for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. When “Big Pharma comes knocking,” boards and executives need to be prepared to respond with clarity, confidence, and a solid understanding of their fiduciary responsibilities. This program, led by Lisa Haddad and Caroline Bullerjahn of Goodwin Procter, will guide participants through the key considerations, duties, and processes that ensure organizations are ready when opportunities—or challenges—arise. |
After Schedule I: Federal Psychedelic Rescheduling and the Impact on State Law
Monday
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Location: Zoom 1.00 General CLE Credit Available Psychedelics have long been legally inaccessible. That might change soon. Join us as we explore the complex legal and regulatory pathway for psychedelic drug rescheduling. As promising clinical trial data for substances like psilocybin and MDMA emerges, a critical question remains: how should these compounds move from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to become accessible medical treatments? |
IP and Human Creativity in the AI-powered Age: A Transpacific Dialogue
Nov 14,
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Location: Faculty Club, UC Berkeley Bringing together leading scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from the US, China, UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and other Asian countries to explore how intellectual property law should address AI’s transformative impact in furthering its purpose of promoting human creativity, covering key topics such as inventorship, nonobviousness, disclosure, authorship, and copyright infringement. |
IAM Live: Trade Secret Strategy USA
Nov 13,
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Location: Hotel Kabuki, San Francisco, USA Discover how integrating a cutting-edge trade secrets strategy into your IP framework can empower you with the competitive edge needed to thrive in today’s fast paced markets. Bringing together leading trade secret experts this event offers practical take-home insights on trade secret maturity, crisis management, and safeguarding your assets in the age of AI. Don’t miss your moment to be at the forefront of IP protection. |
BCLT-Oregon Start-Up Series
Wednesday
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Session 7: BPCIA & Hatch-Waxman 101 1.25 General CLE Credit Available Join the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology for an engaging session that unpacks two of the most important regulatory frameworks shaping the pharmaceutical and biotech industries: the Hatch-Waxman Act and the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA). Our expert presenters, Madelyn McCormick and Dexter Whitley, PhD, will guide participants through the complex—but critical—interplay between patents, exclusivities, and regulatory approvals for small-molecule drugs and biologics. This program offers a practical foundation for understanding how these frameworks balance innovation incentives with market competition, and how they affect litigation, exclusivity rights, and drug pricing. |
BCLT-Oregon Start-Up Series
Wednesday
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Session 6: Get Your Ducks In A Row: How Life Science Companies Should Prepare for Intellectual Property Disputes 0.75 General CLE Credit Available In the fast-moving world of life sciences, IP disputes can hit when you least expect them—and the consequences can be costly. Whether you’re asserting your own rights or responding to claims, the best defense is preparation. Join us as Goodwin IP litigation experts Natasha Daughtrey and Josh Weinger, PhD, for a practical guide on how to anticipate and manage intellectual property conflicts from the ground up. Whether you’re scaling a startup or managing a growing portfolio, this session will help you proactively protect your IP and prepare for disputes before they escalate. |
BCLT-Oregon Start-Up Series
Tuesday
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Session 5: Understanding Exclusivity Provisions in Technology Consulting Agreements 1.00 General CLE Credit Available Exclusivity provisions can shape the future of business relationships—yet they are often broad, vague, and risky if misunderstood. Join leading legal experts Brent Sokol and Alex Linhardt of Greenberg Traurig for an engaging webcast that unpacks how exclusivity provisions work in technology agreements, what courts have said about their limits, and best practices for drafting, negotiating, and navigating them. Take away actionable strategies and legal insights to better protect your company or clients in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. |
BCLT-Oregon Start-Up Series
Wednesday
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Session 4: Early-Stage Life Sciences Companies – IP and Trade Secret Strategies 0.75 General CLE Credit Available Launching a life science company comes with big scientific goals—and even bigger IP challenges. Join us in this practical and engaging session, as Goodwin experts Robert Frederickson III and Olivia Uitto, PhD, walk you through how to build and protect your innovation pipeline from day one. Whether you’re navigating patents, trade secrets, or tricky commercialization timelines, this session will help you avoid early missteps and lay the legal groundwork for long-term success. Ideal for founders, legal teams, and early-stage investors, this program offers actionable insight into how to protect your ideas and maximize future value in a complex and competitive industry. |
BCLT-Oregon Start-Up Series
Wednesday
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Session 3: Chain of Title 0.50 General CLE Credit Available A clear chain of title is essential for protecting and leveraging patent rights—but it’s often overlooked. Join us as Priscilla Dodson from Covington for a practical, engaging session that demystifies the concept of “chain of title” in intellectual property law. Through real-world examples and legal insights, this program will explain why tracking patent ownership matters and how to avoid common mistakes that can derail IP enforcement, licensing, or due diligence. Perfect for legal teams, in-house counsel, IP managers, and anyone handling patent assets, this session will give you the tools to secure and verify patent ownership the right way. |
The Latest and Greatest TCPA Update
Tuesday
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Location: B-CLE 0.75 General CLE & CPE Credit Available Robocalls, AI-driven outreach, and text message marketing are transforming how businesses communicate—but they also create unprecedented legal risks. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) has become one of the most heavily litigated federal statutes, with class actions and individual lawsuits skyrocketing in recent years. In this engaging session, Eric Troutman “the Czar” from Troutman Amin LLP, one of the nation’s leading TCPA defense attorneys, will break down the latest developments, compliance traps, and defense strategies you need to know to protect your organization. |
BCLT-Oregon Start-Up Series
Wednesday
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Session 2: Medical Device IP 101 0.75 General CLE Credit Available Medical device startups face unique IP and regulatory challenges that can define their success. In this engaging session, Tyler Train and Giordana Mahn of Fish & Richardson will guide startups through the essential IP and regulatory strategies that can make or break early success. From securing patent rights to choosing between trade secret protection and public filings, this program will help innovators avoid common pitfalls and lay a strong foundation for growth. |
BCLT-Oregon Start-Up Series
Wednesday
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Session 1: Patent Prosecution and Licensing Basics 1.50 General CLE Credit Available Strong intellectual property can be the backbone of business success—but only if you know how to protect and leverage it. In this practical session, Kathryn Grey, PhD and Alex Yu of Fish & Richardson will walk you through the essentials of patents, ownership, and licensing strategies that every company should master. From understanding the anatomy of a patent to navigating freedom-to-operate issues and structuring licensing agreements, this program offers real-world guidance for innovators, founders, and legal teams alike. Whether you’re growing a startup or managing a mature portfolio, this session will help you align your IP strategy with your business strategy. |
6th Annual BTLJ-BCLT Fall Race & Tech Symposium
Monday
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Location: B-CLE 3.00 General & 1.00 Elimination of Bias CLE Credit Available Join us for Regulating the Machine: Centering Racial Justice in AI Policy-Making, a thought-provoking event exploring the intersection of AI, racial justice, and regulatory and legal frameworks that seek to address some of the most pressing issues of our time. We’ll explore the convergence of the worsening climate crisis and the “AI boom”; unpack concerns about how AI use will impact workers; and discuss the consequence of racial bias in AI tools across sectors, from the criminal legal system to healthcare. |
Copyright Foundations and the Future of Human Authorship in the AI Age
Sept 19,
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Presented by Berkeley Center for Private Law Theory This colloquium seeks to bring together scholars who study copyright with scholars who focus on private-law theory from a human-centered perspective. Our hope is that this will facilitate an interesting dialogue and helpful cross-fertilization. |
2025 BCLT Privacy Law Forum: Life Sciences
Wednesday
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Session 3: AI, Privacy, and Life Sciences 0.75 General CLE & CPE Credit Available AI is revolutionizing life sciences—from drug discovery to diagnostics—but it’s also raising urgent questions about data privacy, legal risk, and regulatory compliance. Join legal experts Thora Johnson and Shannon Yavorsky from Orrick for an engaging and practical session on how companies can responsibly and lawfully innovate at the intersection of AI, health data, and genomics. We’ll explore real-world examples, including multi-omics research, global data sharing, and new rules like the DOJ’s Bulk Data Rule and the EU AI Act. Whether you’re working with patient data, developing AI models, or leading compliance, this session will provide the clarity and foresight you need. Perfect for life sciences innovators, legal, compliance, and digital health professionals seeking practical, future-ready insights in a rapidly evolving landscape. |
Minds vs. Machines? AI’s Promise and Limits in Mediation and Arbitration
Sept 11,
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Location: Booth Auditorium Join us for a bold, in-person program that dives into the future of mediation and arbitration in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Through a live mediation simulation and a mock arbitration hearing, top practitioners, technologists, and scholars will explore the boundaries of what AI can—and cannot—do in the world of conflict resolution. You’ll witness human and AI mediators go head-to-head, debate algorithmic arbitrator selection, and engage directly in shaping the conversation. |
IAM Live: Patent Transaction
Sept 10,
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Location: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, USA Network with the industry’s movers and shakers and gain exclusive access to the minds shaping the future of IP. As the transaction market evolves with strategic moves in pharma, automotive, semiconductors and wireless communication, uncover the latest innovative strategies for buying and selling patents through our expert-led discussions. This is your chance to stay ahead of the curve and place yourself in an environment where deals are done, contracts are signed, and real business takes place. |
2025 BCLT Privacy Law Forum: Life Sciences
Wednesday
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Session 2: Matrices of Privacy: Where Are Wearables Taking You? 0.50 General CLE & CPE Credit Available As wearable technologies become deeply embedded in our daily lives—from smartwatches and fitness trackers to clinical-grade health monitors—they are collecting more sensitive personal data than ever before. But what does that mean for your privacy? Join us as legal and bioethics expert Rachel Zuraw, from UC Berkeley School of Law, explores the complex and fast-evolving world of wearables, data collection, and digital privacy. You’ll unpack the regulatory landscape, consider what health data is (and isn’t) protected, and discuss how age, vulnerability, and emerging technologies are reshaping the future of health privacy. Whether you’re in healthcare, tech, law, or policy, this conversation will equip you to think more critically about the digital devices we wear—and the hidden data trails we leave behind. |
US-UK On Fair Use
Wednesday
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Location: B-CLE 0.75 General CLE Credit Available Generative AI is transforming creative industries—and igniting legal battles across the globe. As U.S. and U.K. high profile cases are testing the limits of fair use, courts are being asked to define how copyright, trademarks, and data rights apply in the age of machine learning. Join Rajvinder Jagdev (Powell Gilbert, London) and Dr. Chris Mammen (Womble Bond Dickinson, San Francisco) for a lively, cross-Atlantic conversation on the latest litigation, legislative developments, and what creators, tech companies, and lawyers need to know now. |
3rd BCLT Advanced Life Sciences Institute Series
Tuesday
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Topic: Examining Written Description 1.00 General CLE Credit Available The written description requirement under 35 U.S.C. § 112 continues to shape the outcome of high-stakes patent litigation. In this engaging and practical session, Kiley White of Tensegrity Law Group unpacks the latest Federal Circuit and district court decisions, highlighting how state of the art knowledge, expert testimony, and claim drafting strategies can make—or break—your case. Whether you represent patentees or challengers, you’ll leave with concrete tools to strengthen your litigation and prosecution approaches. |
California’s Cybersecurity Audit Rule
Wednesday
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Location: B-CLE 0.75 General CLE Credit Available With compliance deadlines starting in 2028 and strict requirements for risk assessments, data governance, and audit procedures, new cybersecurity rules are on the horizon. Join us in this timely and practical session as renowned privacy and cybersecurity expert Jim Dempsey breaks down California’s groundbreaking new CPRA cybersecurity audit rule, what it means for your organization, and how to prepare now to avoid legal and regulatory pitfalls later. Whether you’re a privacy officer, general counsel, CISO, or advising California-facing clients, this is a can’t-miss session on the future of data security regulation. |
3rd BCLT Advanced Life Sciences Institute Series
Tuesday
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Topic: Assessing Patent Protections Afforded Under the Safe Harbor Provision 0.75 General CLE Credit Available Join Kirkland partners Tasha Gerasimow and Joseph Loy, along with Novartis Senior IP Counsel Jessica Lam, to explore patent protections and recent regulatory developments related to the safe harbor of the Hatch-Waxman Act. The safe harbor provision exempts certain uses of patented inventions related to FDA-regulated products from infringement. Our speakers explore the breadth of applicability of the safe harbor provision to numerous products (drugs, biologics, and medical devices) and activities. The program also covers implications for third-party entities (API suppliers, research tool providers) and provides key practice tips to ensure the safe harbor is available. Finally, the program examines recent regulatory developments for laboratory-developed test services likely to be impacted by the safe harbor provision. Don’t miss this important program! Ideal for IP counsel, regulatory teams, and innovators in biotech, pharma, and diagnostics. |
PTAB and Discretionary Denial
Tuesday
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Location: B-CLE 1.00 General CLE Credit Available Stay ahead of the curve with this essential virtual program covering the dramatic shifts in PTAB practice following the interim director’s latest guidance. With discretionary denial rates soaring to 60%, practitioners need immediate insights into winning strategies and emerging precedents. Join leading PTAB experts as they decode the new framework and provide actionable strategies to navigate this transformed landscape. Whether you’re filing challenges or defending patents, this program delivers the practical knowledge you need to succeed under the current regime. |
2025 BCLT Privacy Law Forum: Life Sciences
Tuesday
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Session 1: International Data Transfers 0.75 General CLE & CPE Credit Available Join Lokke Moerel and Kaylee Cox Bankston from Morrison Foerster to learn what you need to know about international data transfers. Lokke and Kaylee will explore the US and EU international data transfer regimes in detail, and how lawyers and clients can best navigate these complex regimes in these changing geo-policital times. The EU data transfer regime has started out as a protection of fundamental privacy rights of individuals but is now becoming a tool in the EU’s ambition for digital sovereignty. Lokke will discuss why the EU’s digital sovereignty is under threat, what the chances are the EU-US Data Privacy Framework will be invalidated, how EU policy measures will facilitate open data spaces for AI innovation while ensuring EU sovereignty by introducing further transfer regimes (basically amounting to data localization requirements) and how Big Tech is responding with EU cloud boundaries. The session will end with recommendations for how to navigate this complex legal landscape. Don’t miss this excellent program! |
Royalty Finance, the UCC and Issues of Recharacterization
May 20,
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Panel 3: Synthetic Royalty Financings: Risks of Recharacterizing a True Sale This panel will address the factors that might cause a court to recharacterize purchases of royalties or synthetic royalties as a loan, rather than an outright transfer of ownership, or as a contract to convey future royalties as and when they arise, and the adverse consequences of such recharacterization if the seller/borrower becomes a debtor in a case under the Bankruptcy Code. |
Royalty Finance, the UCC and Issues of Recharacterization
May 13,
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Panel 2: Synthetic Royalty Financings and the UCC This panel will provide an overview of security interests and UCC rules that are commonly implicated in royalty finance transactions and a high level overview of intercreditor considerations. |
Legal Frontiers in Digital Media 2025
May 8,
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Location: Mission Bay Conference Center – San Francisco |
Royalty Finance, the UCC and Issues of Recharacterization
May 6,
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Panel 1: Royalty Finance: Structures, Trends and Synthetics This panel will provide an overview of the different types and structures of royalty finance transactions and a summary of the number of deals and economic trends over the last five years, and will conclude with an in-depth look at synthetic royalty financings, including drafting and true-sale considerations. |
Intellectual Property Arbitration
May 6,
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Location: B-CLE Join us for a dynamic panel discussion hosted by leading experts in intellectual property, arbitration, and international dispute resolution. As technology continues to drive global economic growth, disputes in the tech sector—from telecommunications to data services—are on the rise. This event brings together a diverse group of professionals—arbitrators, legal specialists, and international ADR leaders—to explore the evolving landscape of technology disputes and how arbitration is playing a critical role. Don’t miss this timely conversation on the intersection of innovation, law, and global commerce. |
How AI is Changing Assisted Reproduction
April 17,
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Location: 100 Law Building |
AI & Society – Education and AI talks
April 16,
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Location: Zoom Berkeley AI and Society Event (4/16) featuring UC Berkeley Associate Professor Zach Pardos (School of Education) and UC Berkeley Assistant Teaching Professor Gireeja Ranade (EECS) in conversation on the topic of AI and Education. For more information see: https://ai-and-society. |
10th Annual Berkeley Law Sports & Entertainment Conference
April 11,2025
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Location: B-CLE This marquee event brings together leading executives, management professionals, attorneys, athletes, talent, and students to discuss the leading topics in sports, entertainment, law, business, and cultures. The conference will address the following topics:
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Internet & Computer Law Year in Review
Mar 25, 2025
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Location: B-CLE Join us for a webcast exploring the latest AI-related case law, litigation trends, and strategic insights. Experts will analyze key Supreme Court and circuit court rulings, including Rogers v. Grimaldi a year after V.I.P. and the evolving landscape of mass arbitration and consumer class actions. Topics include online and mobile contract formation, CPRA and privacy litigation, the intersection of the First Amendment with service providers and child protection laws, and emerging challenges in AI liability and data reuse. We’ll also discuss wiretap scams, evolving terms of service, and the potential legal landscape under a future Trump administration. |
Baker McKenzie Webcast Series
Mar 20, 2025
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Topic: Updates in AI Regulation and Enforcement: From CA to the EU AI Regulation comes and goes in bits and spurts. But putting it all together holistically—to see what is really going on across the world, what it means for product development, what rules are being retracted, what rules are being pushed out—everything’s in flux. This program deep dives in explaining holistically what the AI Regulation world looks like—from California to the European Union. |
Privacy Law Year in Review
Mar 19, 2025
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Location: B-CLE Join us as White & Case and Gibson Dunn experts discuss recent updates in Privacy Law. |
Legal Developments in Child and Teen Protection
Mar 18, 2025
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Location: B-CLE Join us as we explore with Covington’s global Data Privacy and Cybersecurity practice, Lindsey Tonsager, on the topic of Legal Developments in Child and Teen Protection. We will be exploring application thresholds and common triggers for when minor protection requirements apply; key issues and what legal requirements are most common across minor protection laws; and future developments on this topic. |
Technological Developments & Tools in the Criminal Legal System
Mar 3, 2025
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Location: B-CLE Experts discuss technology’s impact on citizens in the criminal legal system. |
2nd Annual BCLT Cybersecurity Lecture
March 6,
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Location: UC Berkeley Faculty Club, Seaborg Room Maintaining a proper balance between the interests of national security and the protection of fundamental rights is essential. An improved system of checks and balances requires a more normative approach where greater operational flexibility is counterbalanced by real-time and binding oversight. Drawing upon years of oversight of two of the most capable continental intelligence agencies, Nico van Eijk explains the effort to find such an improved system. |
Trademark & Brand Management Year in Review
Mar 3, 2025
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Location: B-CLE This panel discussion will explore recent updates in trademark law, including the use and distinctiveness of word marks and trade dress, proving trade dress dilution, court intervention in trademark applications, counterfeiting and cybersquatting liability, trademark damages and defenses to infringement claims, and their practical implications for protecting intellectual property. |
Baker McKenzie Webcast Series
Mar 3, 2025
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Topic: Contracting for Privacy: Handling Critical Contract Provisions Impacting Data AI Regulation comes and goes in bits and spurts. But putting it all together holistically—to see what is really going on across the world, what it means for product development, what rules are being retracted, what rules are being pushed out—everything’s in flux. This program deep dives in explaining holistically what the AI Regulation world looks like—from California to the European Union. |
28th Annual BTLJ-BCLT Spring Symposium: AI Governance at the Crossroads
Feb 27-28,
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Location: Residence Inn, Berkeley This symposium will begin with a half-day tutorial on Feb. 27 for those not yet acquainted with major initiatives such as the California legislature’s SB 1047. On Feb. 28, speakers will present a range of perspectives on these initiatives and others, considering various types of governance tools that regulators may deploy, and offering assessments of which are more and less likely to be effective in promoting artificial intelligence systems for the public good and ensuring safe and trustworthy development of such systems. |
Hot Topics in Cybersecurity Law
Feb 25, 2025
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Location: B-CLE Regulators continue to focus on cybersecurity issues. Data breaches can bring companies significant liability and unwanted attention. Once regulators start investigating a data breach, they also look for other data management problems. Looking for other data management issues. To explain these risks—and the best solutions—two of the country’s leading experts on cybersecurity and data breaches lead this session. |
Human Creativity, Generative AI, and Intellectual Property
Feb 5, 2025
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B-CLE Webcast What is the future of content creators in the age of AI? Will IP laws offer any protection, or will IP laws aid in the replacement of human content creators with their AI counterparts? Using a global perspective, this interesting program analyzes the future of AI content creation and AI-assisted content creation. Join us as we explore Dr. Chris Mammen’s research during his recent sabbatical. |
Baker McKenzie Webcast Series
Feb 4, 2025
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B-CLE Webcast Tech companies face significant cross-border tax issues due to stock based compensation. Employee mobility and significant use of international operations have escalated the urgency of addressing these tax issues sooner rather than later. Typical corporate events, including IPOs, M&A, and share buybacks, threaten tech companies with significant, unnecessary taxes without proper planning. This program addresses hot topics in SBC compensation. |
Technological Developments & Tools in the Criminal Legal System
Jan 23, 2025 |
Location: Online/Zoom |