The IP Strategy & AI Governance Summit: West

Sterne Kessler’s Richard Bemben and Lestin Kenton will speak at The IP Strategy & AI Governance Summit: West, hosted by CenterForce. The summit brings together senior legal, compliance, and innovation leaders to examine how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping the governance, protection, commercialization, and enforcement of innovation. Featuring two dedicated tracks focused on IP strategy and AI governance, the summit provides practical insights at the intersection of technology, risk, and business strategy.

AI Governance Track 
Lestin Kenton will speak on panel “Data, Privacy, and IP in the Age of AI: Safeguarding the Crown Jewels.”

Data is the lifeblood of AI and the primary source of risk. As organizations leverage data to train models and automate decisions, privacy, security, and intellectual property concerns multiply. Protecting sensitive assets and maintaining trust has become a strategic imperative for every business using AI.

This session will explore:

• How organizations ensure lawful data use, provenance, and training transparency
• Methods for protecting trade secrets, IP, and proprietary datasets in AI systems
• Best practices for embedding privacy and security controls across the AI lifecycle
• Case studies of effective data governance programs that balance utility and protection

IP Strategy Track 
Richard Bemben will speak on panel “The Return of Offensive Patent Strategy: Enforcement, Licensing, and Competitive Leverage.”

For years, many organizations focused primarily on defensive patent strategies, viewing portfolios as protection against litigation rather than business assets. Today, increasing investment in AI and emerging technologies is driving renewed interest in monetization, licensing, and strategic enforcement. As competition intensifies and technology investments grow, companies are reevaluating how intellectual property can be used to create leverage, generate value, and support broader business objectives.

This panel will explore:

• When offensive patent strategies make business sense
• Balancing enforcement opportunities with litigation and reputational risk
• Leveraging licensing programs to unlock portfolio value
• Aligning patent strategy with competitive and commercial goals

Sterne Kessler is a conference sponsor.