APRIL 2026

WHAT'S INSIDE

President’s Welcome Message

Meet your 2026 Board of Directors

2026 IP Palooza Recap

Pro Bono Update

Upcoming Chapter Events

2026 Sponsors

Dear RTAC-ACC Members,

Welcome to a new bar year for the Research Triangle Area Chapter of ACC! We are off to a strong start, with recent CLE luncheons covering Immigration 101 (Maynard Nexsen), Litigation Strategy (Robinson Bradshaw), Essential Tariffs Steps for GCs (Brooks Pierce), and Economic Uncertainty and Best Practices in Vendor Relationships (Fox Rothschild). And be sure to read on for highlights from our IP Palooza and the Lawyers on Call pro bono party!

In addition to the return of perennial favorites like our Durham Bulls Family Night and the Summer Intern/Extern Event, members can expect new and expanded events, such as networking opportunities hosted by our substantive law and affinity committees—starting with the Labor & Employment Law Happy Hour on April 16 followed by a Women's Social Event hosted by Kilpatrick on May 5. To stay connected, please subscribe to the RTAC-ACC calendar and add all chapter events in one easy step by selecting either our Google Calendar link or our iCal link.

As our chapter continues to grow—approaching the exciting milestone of 800 members—your feedback is more important than ever. Please reach out to us at rtacacc@gmail.com and let us know what you would like to see more of from RTAC-ACC, whether that’s specific substantive topics, networking formats, professional development offerings, or pro bono/service opportunities.

Thank you for being part of this vibrant community. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event and to an enriching year ahead!

Sincerely,

Jane Paksoy

President, RTAC-ACC

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Meet your 2026 Board of Directors

Jane Paksoy - President - Senior Counsel, IQVIA

Bill Mullee - Vice President - Associate General Counsel, Government,

Thomson Reuters Corporation

Aaron Golub - Treasurer - Assistant General Counsel, Grifols

Tracy Wright-Gaskins - Secretary - Principal Corporate Counsel, Cisco

Systems, Inc.

Diana Allen - Former General Counsel and Senior Advisor, Channel Advisor

Alane Barnes - Chief Legal Officer, Biocryst Pharmaceuticals

David Boaz - Global Senior Corporate Counsel, Merz Aesthetics

Roderick Brown - Associate General Counsel, Optum, Inc.

Jenny Cotner - Senior Managing Counsel, Oracle

Marvin Genzer - General Counsel, retired, EDO Corporation

Denisse Gonzalez - Director, Associate General Counsel, Strategy & Planning,

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Ken Hammer - Chief Legal Officer, emeritus, Toshiba Global Commerce

Solutions

Ruth Hammer - Principal Business Operations Specialist, SAS Institute

Brian Holland - General Counsel, Sectigo

Brian Klemm - retired, Red Hat

Kim Maney - Assistant General Counsel, GSK

Billy Traurig - Chief Legal Officer, NC State Lottery Commission

Kathy Twiddy - General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Autocruitment

2026 IP Palooza Recap

By Ethan Notkin

On February 26, 2026, the ACC Research Triangle Area Chapter hosted its biennial IP Palooza at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary. By all measures, it was an outstanding success. The event drew 145 attendees for a full day of substantive programming centered on one of the most pressing themes in IP law today: the rise of artificial intelligence. From the morning’s opening session through an evening reception, members had the opportunity to engage with leading practitioners across the intellectual property landscape. 

The day’s agenda featured seven sessions spanning the breadth of IP law through an AI lens. Barnes & Thornburg kicked off the program with a sweeping survey of AI’s impact across patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyright. Fish & Richardson followed with a timely discussion on patent litigation defense in the USPTO’s new era, examining how inter partes review and discretionary denials are shifting under the current administration. McGuireWoods tackled the fast-evolving intersection of AI and copyright law, including training data litigation and questions of output ownership. Baker McKenzie led a practical panel on AI contracting, bringing together in-house counsel from GSK and SAS Institute to discuss negotiation pain points and organizational readiness. Kilpatrick provided an annual review of the key patent cases from 2025 and their implications for in-house practitioners, while Marshall Gerstein explored current trends in biotech, life sciences, and AI/computer technologies patent law. The day closed with Foley & Lardner’s session on the ethical obligations attorneys face when using AI in practice. 

A heartfelt thank you goes to the law firms whose sponsorship made IP Palooza 2026 possible: Barnes & Thornburg, Fish & Richardson, McGuireWoods, Baker McKenzie, Kilpatrick, Marshall Gerstein, and Foley & Lardner. Their generosity, and the time and expertise their attorneys contributed, is what makes this event the high-quality program our members have come to expect. Equal thanks are owed to the members of our Tech/Cyber/IP/Privacy Committee, who invested significant effort in curating the topics, coordinating with presenters, and ensuring the day ran seamlessly: Chair, Ethan Notkin (Bestow), Anil Makhija (Oracle), Eric Robins (NetApp), Chun Hu (Omnissa), Kelly Clay (GSK), Learla Stefanics (BioCryst Pharmaceuticals), Alka Srivastava (Umicore USA), Claire Smith (Syneos Health), Tracy Wright Gaskins (Cisco), Kim Maney (GSK), and James Van Strander (Armis). Special recognition is also due to Chapter Executive Director

Tracey Schneider, whose tireless behind-the-scenes work was

essential to the event’s success.



Pro Bono Update

On March 7, 2026, the RTAC‑ACC Pro Bono Committee, led by Chair Brian Holland, hosted an NC Lawyers on Call Pro Bono Party where our members volunteered in partnership with the NC Bar Foundation’s Lawyers on Call program. Throughout the afternoon, RTAC‑ACC attorneys helped individuals across North Carolina navigate their legal questions, identify next steps, and connect with the right resources—demonstrating the meaningful impact our in‑house community can make when we come together in service.



The committee is grateful to everyone who participated and is committed to building on this momentum. We look forward to hosting similar events in the future and continuing to provide our members with valuable, accessible pro bono opportunities. We hope you’ll join us at an upcoming event and help us expand the reach of this important work.

Upcoming Chapter Events

 April 9, 2026              CLE: “Managing the Modern Workplace: AI, Political Speech

11:30AM-1:30PM____and the Legal Updates Shaping 2026” - Morningstar Law

Apella RT___________ Group

_____________________REGISTER

April 16, 2026             Labor and Employment Law Happy Hour

5:30PM-7:30PM          REGISTER

CRU Wine Bar and Bistro

April 22, 2026            Spring Reception

6:00PM-8:00PM         REGISTER

NC Museum of Art 

April 27, 2026             Contracts 101 for Non-Lawyers

7:30AM-12:30PM       REGISTER

Lenovo Center

April 28, 2026             CLE: “Understanding Financial Statements and Building 11:30AM-1:30PM____Better Relationships with Finance” – RTAC-ACC Corporate Prestonwood CC ____Committee

_________________       REGISTER

May 5, 2026                Women's Social Event - Kilpatrick

5:30PM-7:30PM _____REGISTRATION INFORMATION COMING SOON

TopBox RTP

6:00_____

May 7, 2026                 Pro Bono Volunteer Opportunity: Expungement Clinic

1:00PM-4:00PM_____ REGISTRATION INFORMATION COMING SOON

Cary Founded

May 20, 2026              Making the Most of Your Summer Experience - Intern/Extern 6:00PM-8:00PM_____ Event - RTAC-ACC Career Development Committee

Cisco          __________ REGISTRATION INFORMATION COMING SOON

June 3, 2026               CLE: “Data Privacy/Data Breach” - McGuireWoods

_____________________REGISTRATION INFORMATION COMING SOON

June 23, 2026             CLE: “Securities or everyone other than the In-House _____________________ Subject Matter Experts” – K&L Gates

_____________________ REGISTRATION INFORMATION COMING SOON

SAVE THE DATES FOR THESE 2026 CHAPTER SOCIAL EVENTS

July 31, 2026               Family Night at the Durham Bulls

Durham Bulls Athletic Park

September 22, 2026    Fall Member Reception

Angus Barn

November 6, 2026  __ Annual Dinner

The Umstead

2026 Sponsors