MEDevice Boston

Sterne Kessler’s Nirav Desai and Mark Rygiel spoke at the MEDevice Boston conference, hosted by Informa. Their session, “IP Best Practices for Med Device Companies in the Age of AI,” took place on August 27, 2026, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (EDT).

Session Overview

AI is transforming how medical device companies innovate, develop products, monitor competitors, and manage intellectual property. From competitor intelligence and white space analysis to invention harvesting, patent drafting, and portfolio strategy, AI offers powerful opportunities to accelerate innovation and improve decision-making. At the same time, improper use of AI can create significant risks to patent rights, trade secrets, inventorship, and ownership of valuable IP.

This session explored practical IP best practices for medical device companies operating in an AI-enabled environment. Attendees learned how AI can support R&D, competitive intelligence, and patent portfolio development while safeguarding confidential information, preserving inventorship, and avoiding common legal pitfalls. The discussion also covered issues related to AI-assisted innovation, governance policies, and practical recommendations for integrating AI into the innovation lifecycle without compromising intellectual property assets.