A panel discussion in partnership with Haseltine Lake Kempner LLP
On Tuesday, 2 July WiTT and the AI team at HLK hosted an insightful panel discussion exploring the practical considerations of protecting AI intellectual property. Topics included the integration of AI into contracts, protection of confidentiality and optimising IP protection strategy.
Our speakers were:
Vandita Chandrani, Associate General Counsel IP, Elekta Limited;
Louise Perkin, Partner, HLK;
Jeremy Silver, Non-Executive Chair, Figaro; former CEO, Digital Catapult; and
Frances Wilding, Partner, HLK.
We will post a brief write-up of the event soon. HLK has shared the following publications related to the event’s topic:
- AI Observer | Series 2, Issue 1: Agreements for AI services, Google’s €250 million copyright fine and what’s happening in the UK AI legal landscape
- AI Observer | Series 2, Issue 2: How the EU Data Act shapes IoT, AI Act developments and AI copyright lawsuits in the music world
After the panel we were invited to drinks and canapés on the terrace of HLK’s offices, overlooking St Pauls Cathedral. It was an informative and delightful evening!
Chair and Panelist biographies
Speakers
Panel Chair
Angharad Rolfe Johnson, Senior Associate / UK Trade Mark Attorney, HLK
Angharad is a UK Trade Mark Attorney with over ten years of experience. She advises on a wide range of UK, European and international trade mark cases for clients of the firm. She brings with her broad expertise in dispute resolution and advisory matters, working with trusted associates overseas where necessary, and has extensive experience of brand clearance and searching processes, trade mark filing, prosecution and maintenance, portfolio management and strategy, domain name disputes and company tribunal complaints, trade mark watching, and enforcement and advisory work for clients in a range of industries, with particular experience in the retail, telecommunications, music, wine, biotechnology, engineering and fashion sectors.
Louise Perkin, Partner, HLK
Louise is a solicitor who specialises in non-contentious IP work. For over 25 years, she has assisted clients in commercial / IP transactions and acted for a diverse range of clients, from start-ups, SMEs to PLCs and universities. She regularly drafts and negotiates complex IP, IT and commercial agreements including licensing and assigning IP, collaboration agreements, R&D agreements, SaaS agreements, agile agreements, terms and conditions, supply, distribution and agency agreements.
Louise is also one of HLK’s AI experts, focusing on the legal landscape concerning AI, its use and adoption. She advises businesses on safely integrating AI into their services and strategies for mitigating risks and maximising opportunities surrounding AI, such as guidance on IP and related risks for generating content from the use of AI tools.
Louise is listed in The Legal 500 and in Chambers UK as a leader in her field for both IP and IT and has been described as: ‘An experienced and very capable lawyer on commercial transactions’ and ‘Superb client service, accessible and flexible, work with demanding timescales’.
Frances Wilding, Partner, HLK
Frances is highly regarded for her instinctive ability to craft simple, commercially-focussed solutions to complex problems. Frances has built up significant experience in drafting and prosecuting Machine Learning and other algorithm/software patent applications worldwide, but primarily in Europe and the US, focussing on Bioinformatics, CNNs/Deep Learning, simulations, data centres, cloud and Internet of Things inventions and business-related software.
She also brings a wealth of experience from her many years as an Examiner at the European Patent Office where she conducted both examination and opposition proceedings in a wide variety of fields. Frances’ extensive experience across a broad range of subject matter allows her to work together with clients from many different technical areas, who are now looking to protect AI inventions for their business. She enjoys the commercial aspects of client advice, including portfolio management, litigation preparation and due diligence projects.
Vandita Chandrani, Associate General Counsel IP, Elekta Limited
Vandita is the associate general counsel, IP, at Elekta, a provider of precision radiation therapy solutions pioneering the use of AI technology in oncology care. She joined the IP profession by training in private practice before moving in-house to Procter & Gamble, working as a patent counsel and then as a senior patent counsel. Both within the consumer goods and healthcare industries, Vandita has demonstrated her skills in devising creative commercial solutions that satisfy all parties. She uses her deep understanding of IP to demystify the topic and provides clear guidance and options to the businesses she advises.
Vandita is deeply passionate about diversity and inclusion (D&I) and is the D&I lead for the global legal team at Elekta. She is helping to develop understanding within Elekta of how diversity needs vary based on an individual’s context, and is working closely with the management team to develop a D&I strategy for the global legal team.
Jeremy Silver
Jeremy Silver is an entrepreneur, angel investor, author and non-executive advisor. He is a Trustee of the British Library. He is a member of the UK Creative industries Council and the Digital Economy Council. He is Chairman of Figaro.AI, an audio intelligence company. He is a non-executive director of AQL, a telecoms business and of the Academy for Contemporary Music, a higher education institution. He is also on the board of Studio Wayne McGregor, a contemporary dance studio. He was CEO of Digital Catapult for eight years until March 2024. He was previously a member of the Made Smarter Commission, Executive Chairman of Semetric and strategic advisor to Shazam. He was CEO of Sibelius Software and Vice-President of New Media for the EMI Music Group in Los Angeles. His PhD in English Literature is from the University of London. His most recent book, Towards a Digital Renaissance, explores the complex relationship between investors, founders, technology and creativity.