NDA 10th Annual Conference

Speakers

Christina Bates Docketing Operations Manager Cantor Colburn LLP Christina Bates is the Docketing Operations Manager at Cantor Colburn LLP, one of the largest and most productive intellectual property (IP) law firms in the United States. She started her career in the luxury automotive sector, working with the Experience Auto Group at Ferrari and Maserati dealerships in New York and Florida. After attending law school, she transitioned into Intellectual Property, gaining valuable experience in the IP Department at WilmerHale in Boston before relocating to Connecticut and joining the Cantor Colburn team in 2015. Originally from New York, she holds an undergraduate degree in Government and Politics from St. John's University and a law degree from Hofstra Law School. Known for her practical approach and dedication to continuous improvement, Christina focuses on optimizing processes to ensure efficiency and accuracy. Her efforts have repeatedly contributed to improved operational outcomes over the course of her career. Christina finds fulfillment in leading her team of more than 25 individuals with a deliberate focus on nurturing a collaborative and supportive work environment rooted in kindness and understanding. Specific, recent accomplishments include working with her team to implement automation processes for incoming mail, transfers, and electronic documents.

Ajay Bhatia Supervisory Patent Examiner U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Ajay Bhatia joined the USPTO in 2004, and is currently a SPE in TC 2100 in Databases. He has been a Supervisory Patent Examiner for 10 years. He recently served as acting director of TC 2400 in computer technology art. Graduated from Virginia Tech for Computer Engineering and George Washington University for Law.	0

Zhakalazky Carrion Senior Manager - Docketing & Client Records Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, P.A. Zhakalazky Carrion has been at Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, P.A. (SLW) for 19 years. Since starting with SLW in 2005, she’s been part of four different departments in the firm; starting as a Receptionist (Jan. 2005 – Feb. 2005), then moving to the U.S. Case Management department (Feb. 2005 – Aug. 2007), then being promoted to U.S. Paralegal (Aug. 2007- Aug. 2010), and finally moving to the Docketing department in Aug. 2010. Since July 2013, she’s been managing the Docketing & Client Records departments with a team of eleven hardworking employees. Among other responsibilities, the Docketing team deals with a variety of transferred-in applications for Patents & Trademarks - from a few files to thousands of files at a time from all over the world. She has a Law Degree as a background, but she found her career passion in Docketing and at the Innovative, Progressive, Diverse & Awesome firm (SLW) she is proud to be part of. She loves to collaborate with Docketing colleagues and share the techniques that are used at the firm she is part of to be successful, such as using automation as much as possible in their procedures. And by collaborating, she learns other techniques to implement in her processes as well.

Amber Goodenough Director of Docket Winston & Strawn LLP Amber Goodenough is Director of Docket at Winston & Strawn LLP. She is a licensed attorney in the state of Illinois and has worked for the firm for over seventeen years. In her role, she works to create and implement best practices in the areas of electronic court filing and centralized docketing. She collaborates with Business Development, Collective Intelligence and Research, and Information Services to find innovative ways to leverage her team’s work to contribute to the firm’s business development and knowledge management efforts.

Lynda Hill Clerk of Court USDC Middle District of Tennessee Lynda M. Hill, Clerk of Court, joined the USDC Middle District of Tennessee in August 2020. Prior to joining the Court and for over twenty years, Lynda represented clients in the areas of complex commercial litigation, automotive supplier risk management, distressed supplier workouts, internal investigations, and class actions. Lynda holds a B.A. from the University of the South, a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law, and an M.B.A. Vanderbilt University.

Richard M. LaRosa Managing Clerk Kobre & Kim LLP Richard M. LaRosa is the Managing Clerk at Kobre & Kim LLP. With over 25 years experience as a Managing Clerk, and 30+ years working in law firms, Richard has spent that time training, advising and mentoring lawyers, paralegals and Managing Attorney and Clerk’s staff on State and Federal Court Rules/Procedures, electronic filing best practices, and creating, centralizing and managing Docketing/Calendaring Departments. He has implemented docketing system conversions at 3 firms and has vast experience on several docketing systems (MA3000, Compulaw, CourtAlert and eDockets).

Kenny Leckie Senior Technology and Change Management Consultant In his role as Senior Technology and Change Management Consultant, Kenny provides thought leadership and consulting to the legal community in areas of information security/cybersecurity awareness, change management, user adoption, adult learning, employee engagement, professional development, and business strategy. He also works with clients to develop and deploy customized programs with an emphasis on user adoption and increased return on investment. Kenny has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, a Certified Technical Trainer and has earned the trust of firms across the US, Canada, The UK, Europe and Australia. Kenny has more than thirty years of combined experience as a law firm Chief Information Officer, Manager of Support & Training, and now consultant providing him with a unique point of view and understanding of the challenges of introducing change in law firms. He combines his years of experience with a strategic approach to help clients implement programs that allows focus on the business while minimizing risk to confidential, protected, and sensitive information. Kenny is an author and speaker and a winner of ILTA’s 2018 Innovative Consultant of the Year.

Elyssa "Lys" LeFevre Chayo Founder and CEO Firm Forward Elyssa "Lys" LeFevre Chayo is the innovative founder and CEO of Firm Forward, a leading business development and marketing consultancy that specializes in lifting law firms and legal teams to unprecedented levels of success. A graduate of Old Dominion University with a BSBA, Lys further enriched her educational journey with immersive programs at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico and PUC-Rio, in Brazil. Her foray into the legal field began with legal assistant and paralegal roles, as she worked her way to earning her degrees, as well as intensive intellectual property training from the esteemed US law firms BSKB and DLA Piper. Lys rapidly ascended within the corporate realm, managing international IP portfolios for household names such as Gold's Gym International, Omni Hotels, Payless ShoeSource, and Stride Rite Corporation. Lys' international career took a significant turn in 2011 when she relocated to Rio de Janeiro. There, she excelled as the Head of International Business Development at Di Blasi, Parente & Associados. In a pursuit to share her wealth of experience with a broader audience, she founded Firm Forward in Houston, Texas, in 2014, providing strategic, results-driven guidance to law firms worldwide. In November 2023, Lys embarked on a new chapter by moving to Rochester, NY, where she continues to steer Firm Forward with her characteristic zeal and visionary leadership. Notably, Lys is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, enhancing her ability to connect with and support law firms in diverse global markets.

Michael Nega Managing Clerk Barnes & Thornburg, LLP Michael is well-versed in almost every facet of litigation, offers extensive knowledge in local, state, and federal court rules of civil procedure, and has a keen ability to research relevant rules that apply when needed for filings. With knowledge of and a high proficiency in various court and research databases, Michael is a key resource for legal support and can provide clients with a wide range of court-related services. Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, Michael served as calendar court services manager at an AmLaw 100 firm. Additionally, he has experience as an intergovernmental affairs liaison at the Law Bulletin Publishing Company and as a chief deputy clerk in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

John Robinson Docketing Manager Fennemore John Robinson has been the Co-Chair of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Docketing Association since May, 2020. He is a Docketing Manager with over 20 years of experience as a senior docketing specialist, docketing specialist, paralegal, records supervisor, file clerk and legal assistant. John received his MPA from California State University East Bay and a BA in Political Science, Minor in Latin American Studies from Boston University. He also has his Paralegal Certificate from ABA-approved San Francisco State University.

Mariessa Terrell Attorney Advisor, Trademarks USPTO Mariessa Terrell is an attorney advisor in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Trademarks Customer Outreach office. Prior to that, she was a USPTO trademark examining attorney, solo trademark practitioner, in-house trademark attorney consultant for two large defense contractors, and trademark and fashion law professor at Howard University School of Law (HUSL). In 2015, Mariessa was recruited to manage the Trademark Law Clinic at HUSL and helped develop a Patent Law Clinic in 2019. Mariessa earned her J.D. from HUSL and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Pace University. She is admitted to the Maryland and District of Columbia bar associations. In her spare time, Mariessa volunteers with the High Tea Society, a life skills program for Washington, D.C., girls.

Jessica Trudeau Legal Process Specialist Butler Snow, LLP Jessica Trudeau is the Legal Process Specialist at Butler Snow, LLP. She supports practice group leaders and law firm management with the design and implementation of practice innovation projects and business intelligence initiatives across the firm. For nearly 30 years, Jessica has been employed in the legal services profession with mid-sized to large law firms, wearing multiple hats as she progressed through her career. She began as a litigation paralegal while attending law school in California and practiced law for 10 years until transitioning to law firm operations and legal process innovation when she relocated to Nashville in 2014. In her current role at Butler Snow, Jessica leads the firm-wide rollout of the Milana-supported centralized docketing system and the docketing team that supports it.

Rose Walsh Associate Director of Patent Administration Foley Hoag, LLP Rose Walsh is the Associate Director of Patent Administration for Foley Hoag, LLP, where she manages a team of 50+ patent business professionals and oversees the daily operations of a patent prosecution practice group. Rose is a registered patent agent and has over 25 years of patent administration management experience. Rose shared her accumulated patent knowledge and expertise in a book entitled "U.S. Patent Prosecution for Support Staff - A Desk Reference". Rose has SHRM CP certification and most recently completed a Certified Life Coach program with a specialization in Career Coaching.

Krista Wilmot Litigation Docketing Manager Faegre Drinker Krista Wilmot is the Litigation Docketing Manager at Faegre Drinker. Krista has been involved in litigation docketing for over 30 years. She has held similar positions at Akin Gump and Dickstein Shapiro (Blank Rome). Upon joining Faegre Drinker she oversaw the consolidation of multiple docketing systems and processes and converted them into a centralized docketing platform. She currently oversees a dedicated team of docketing professionals, ensuring the smooth and efficient management of all litigation related deadlines. In her role, Krista has implemented policies and procedures, significantly improving the accuracy and efficiency of her department. Krista has been a member of the NDA for over 10 years, has served as the co-chair of the NDA membership committee for the last several years and is currently serving as Secretary of the NDA.

James Wilson Assistant Regional Director United States Patent and Trademark Office's Midwest James O. Wilson, Acting Regional Director of the USPTO's Midwest Elijah J. McCoy Regional Outreach Office, has worked at the USPTO since January 1989. Mr. Wilson has served on the Executive Board of the Patent and Trademark Office Society and continues to be an active member of the organization. As a Primary Patent Examiner, he served as a Chemical Representative in the Patent Office Professional Association. Mr. Wilson became a Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) in Technology Center 1600 in 2002. In 2007, he served as a Managerial Detailee in the Office of the Commissioner for Patents. During his career, Mr. Wilson has been an instructor for several classes in the Patent Examiner Initial Training Program and has served as a SPE Instructor in the Office of Patent Training. Mr. Wilson also had the distinction of serving as an Acting Director in Technology Center 1600 from November 2013-March 2014 as well as the Acting Director of the Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Office from October 2018-September 2019. Mr. Wilson received his B.S. in zoology from Howard University in 1984 and an M.S. in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan in 1987.

Sarah L. Wood Director of Docketing Services Husch Blackwell LLP Sarah L. Wood is Director of Docketing Services at Husch Blackwell LLP, tasked with implementing and managing high-quality policies, procedures, and teams related to docketing services, overseeing docket operations for both the Litigation and IP groups. She has more than 20 years of experience as a legal professional and has extensive expertise in docket management, litigation support, and compliance-related issues. Sarah leads a dedicated team of docketing specialists and managers, ensuring that all case and legal filings are meticulously tracked and managed with the highest level of accuracy and efficiency. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for process improvement, Sarah has implemented numerous innovative solutions to streamline workflows and enhance productivity within her organizations. Sarah is an advocate for the development of best practices in docketing and case management and enjoys sharing knowledge and insights with peers in the legal community.