is a member in the St. Louis office of Lewis Rice LLC, where he practices in all areas of intellectual property law, with an emphasis on helping startup and growing companies begin to manage, license and gain value from their intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets), as well as obtain protection for their most important ideas and products. Mr. Damman is the co-author of two books on patent law. He also works with startups in other areas including issues related to crowdfunding campaigns and additive manufacturing (3D printing). Mr. Damman is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, where he was formerly the chairman of the Committee for Emerging Technologies. He is also involved with the Intellectual Property Committee of the IEEE. Mr. Damman earned his B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Carleton College and his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.”

is a partner at the Los Angeles office of Harris Sliwoski LLP, an international emerging markets law firm. Griffen has represented hundreds of clients in highly regulated, controlled substances markets. His practice includes M&A, commercial transactions, real estate leasing and dispositions, equity and debt finance transactions, and general regulatory guidance. Mr. Thorne also assists clients with specific regulatory issues from applying for competitive and non-competitive local and state government licenses, through day-to-day regulatory compliance. He began his career litigating high-stakes intellectual property and commercial litigation cases at one of the largest law firms in the United States, where he argued motions before state and federal courts and the California Court of Appeals. As a former litigator, Mr. Thorne is intimately familiar with common contract negotiation and drafting issues that can lead to business and contract disputes. He was one of the leading vice chairs in the first panel of the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Cannabis Section. Mr. Thorne writes weekly for the Canna Law Blog, and has written a variety of cannabis-related articles for a number of legal publications. Prior to beginning his legal career, he studied music at the University of California, Berkeley. After Berkeley, Mr. Thorne attended law school at Loyola University of Chicago, where he was the editor-in-chief of the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal.

is attorney and founder of Martin IP Law Group, PC. Mr. Martin advises and assists clients in identifying and protecting inventions with patents as well as navigating the mine field of competitor patents that may affect their ability to commercialize their ideas. He has obtained hundreds of patents for inventors in a variety of fields, including timing systems, mine safety devices, broadband antennas, RFID, electronics, ranging, oil and gas, semiconductors, and other mechanical and electro-mechanical devices. Mr. Martin has also worked with clients to acquire, protect and enforce their rights to valuable trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. Mr. Martin previously worked as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. He earned his B.S. degree from Purdue University and his J.D. degree from Catholic University Columbus School of Law School.

is a partner in the law firm of Klemchuk LLP, in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Chester is a technology and business attorney who solves legal challenges for innovation-based entrepreneurs and dynamic companies. His experience spans more than 20 years of business law (business formation, governance, business and technology transactions), intellectual property (IP) registration and enforcement, licensing agreements, ecommerce, international business transactions, import/export regulatory compliance, and trade agreements. Mr. Chester is also a recognized authority in assisting clients who are buying and selling technology businesses, global technology transactions, and providing strategic legal counsel for innovators and industry disruptors. Since 2001, he has served as an adjunct professor of law at Baylor Law School Law, the University of Dallas, and Texas A&M - Commerce. Starting in 2019, he began teaching entrepreneurial law at SMU's Cox School of Business. Mr. Chester has also published a legal textbook, Chester's Guide to International Business Law, and is author or co-author of numerous articles and chapters published in several industry books. He is the founder/chairman of the DFW-STCL Alumni Network (2008-present); former chair, International Committee, State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Section (2013-2015); member of the State Bar of Texas; and a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation (2009 - present). Mr. Chester earned his B.S. degree from Texas A&M University - Commerce, his J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law and his LL.M. degree in international economic law from the University of Houston School of Law.

is a shareholder with the law firm of Maynard Nexsen in its Columbia office, where he practices in complex and multi-district litigation, civil litigation, intellectual property litigation (including patents, trademarks, and copyrights), insurance, computers and software, trade secrets, financial services/lender liability litigation, shareholder/partnership disputes, public utility and cooperative litigation and regulation, state government procurement/contract litigation, class actions, and defense of financial institutions. He has spoken on numerous occasions for professional groups on litigation, procurement/government contract issues and intellectual property protection. Mr. Manos earned his B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Virginia School of Law, and his M.A. degree from the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar (member, sections on Litigation and Intellectual Property); American Bar Association (member, sections on Intellectual Property, Tort and Insurance Practice and Litigation); South Carolina Bar (member sections on Trial and Appellate Advocacy Tort and Insurance Practice, and Government Law); District of Columbia Bar Association; Carolina Association of Patent, Trademark and Copyright Attorneys; Defense Research Institute; and a fellow, Litigation Counsel of America.