Frederick M. Abbott, Edward Ball Eminent Scholar Professor of Law, Florida State University College of Law, USA.

Frederick M. Abbott is Edward Ball Eminent Scholar Professor of Law at Florida State University College of Law, USA. He has served as expert consultant and legal representative for international and regional organizations, governments and nongovernmental organizations, mainly in the fields of intellectual property, public health, technology transfer, competition, trade and sustainable development. He is consultant to the United Nations Development Program on competition, intellectual property and public health matters. He has undertaken a number of studies for the World Health Organization and others regarding the legal, financial and policy frameworks conducive to establishing successful pharmaceutical production, including associated technology transfer. He is a member of the Technology Advisory Group to WHO C-TAP. Professor Abbott has authored many books and articles, including International Intellectual Property in an Integrated World Economy, 4th ed. 2019 (with T. Cottier and F. Gurry) and Global Pharmaceutical Policy (2009) (with G. Dukes). He is Co-Chair of the Committee on Global Health Law of the International Law Association having served as Rapporteur for the Committee on International Trade Law from the inception of its work in 1993 to its conclusion in 2014. He served as a member of the Expert Advisory Group to the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines. He regularly serves as panelist for the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. He has served as counsel to governments in WTO dispute settlement proceedings, and in national court proceedings. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of International Economic Law (Oxford) and the WIPO-WTO Colloquium Series. Details at frederickabbott.com.

Joachim is a partner in Allen & Overy’s IP litigation practice. He is a dedicated patent litigation partner and has practised complex patent litigation since more than 34 years with a particular focus on pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices. He represents clients in infringement and validity cases before all major patent courts, the Federal Supreme Court and the Federal Patent Court and he has advised clients for many years developing and implementing international patent litigation strategies in numerous European jurisdictions. In addition, Joachim regularly represents clients in opposition proceedings before the European Patent Office. He also represents clients in arbitration proceedings and acts as an arbitrator and mediator according to the WIPO rules in IP disputes.

Joachim is a member of the WIPO Mediation and Arbitration Advisory Committee.

Russell is a Partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP where he has spent his entire 34+ year career. He focuses his trial, appellate and alternative dispute resolution practice on patent infringement matters and disputes involving and related to technology transfer and patent license agreements. His trial practice includes jury trials, arbitrations and Section 337 proceedings before the U.S. International Trade Commission. His appellate practice concentrates on appeals in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. His technology transfer and licensing practice includes structuring and negotiating both licensing-in and licensing-out transactions.

Russell has received numerous accolades for his IP practice. The 2020 edition of IAM Patent 1000 included the following: “One of the longest-serving anchors of the firm’s top litigation practice is Russell E. Levine; over the course of his nearly 34-year tenure, he has masterminded many of the set’s greatest high-tech successes. ‘Russell builds strong teams and mentors the associates on them very effectively. He’s a deeply strategic thinker with exceptional commercial awareness - for in-house counsel, the value he brings is easy to show to the business. He is also very amenable to creative alternative fee arrangements.’ Levine also flexes deep licensing and transactional expertise and contributes much on the deal side.”

Russell is active in bar associations, industry organizations and his community. He is a Past-President of LES (USA and Canada); a past-chair of the By-Laws Committee of the USTA’s Midwest Section; and a past-chair of the President’s Council at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. He is an author and frequent speaker on IP issues. He is co-editor of International Licensing and Technology Transfer: Practice and the Law. His “Top 10 Court Decisions of the Year” workshop at the LES Annual Meeting is consistently standing room only.

Russell holds a B.S. in Engineering and a B.S. in Economics, both degrees from the University of Michigan, and his J.D. from the University of Chicago. He is on WIPO’s List of Mediators and Arbitrators, and he is registered to practice before the USPTO. He also is a Certified Licensing Professional.

Sally is a Partner in Bird & Bird's London IP and Life Sciences team where she is one of the most experienced partners, specialising in transactional IP and regulatory matters; she is joint head of the International Life Sciences Regulatory Group. She offers a wealth of knowledge to businesses at the cutting edge of research, development and technology, having more than 35 years’ experience, 11 of which were in senior in house roles.

She has been awarded a number of honours, including being “one of the most influential women in IP” (MIP) and, according to Who’s Who Legal Life Sciences she is a Global Elite Thought Leader (transactional IP) and is highly recommended for her regulatory work.

She has for more than 5 years been leading the Brexit initiatives at Bird & Bird.