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Choose this option to register for one seminar. Lunch is option and an additional cost.

Choose this option to register for two seminar. Lunch is optional and an additional cost.

PARALEGAL DAY/IPA ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON

Join us and celebrate Paralegal Day in Illinois and IPA’s
44th Anniversary with a luncheon.

All are welcome to attend.

Presented By
Jonathan M. Wier, Esq.
Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission

Join us as Mr. Wier explains the ARDC’s process in investigating and prosecuting attorney misconduct. In addition, he will address some ethical considerations especially relevant to paralegals.

At this time, I am looking for volunteers to serve as proctors. We cannot run this conference without volunteers and we need your help. Proctors are responsible for introducing the speaker, reading some brief announcements, passing out handouts and evaluation forms, overseeing the sign-in/sign-out process, distributing CLE certificates, and thanking the speaker. It is very simple to do, but so very important. If you would like to proctor any of the seminars that you are attending, please indicate here.

The deal is done – the securities have been issued. If you think the next step is preparation of closing books, you have missed a big part of the transaction which could come back and cause your client great harm. Securities are either issued pursuant to a Registration Statement or pursuant to an exemption from the registration of securities. While a security may be exempt from registration, that doesn’t mean that filings are not required. The SEC requires that when an Issuer relies on one of the most commonly used exemptions, the Regulation D exemption, that an electronic filing be made with the SEC. Additionally, each state in which the Issuer has made sales of its securities may also impose their own filing requirements in order to perfect the exemption in said state. This session will discuss the manner in which to make the electronic filing with the SEC as well as electronic filings with the through the Electronic Filing Depository (the “EFD”), a program recently adopted by many states in order that electronic filings also be made with the states.

Shauna J. West, Paralegal, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

In today’s world, discoverable information is mainly in electronic form. This is helpful in that we can easily search, organize, and target electronically stored information (“ESI”). At the same time, the courts are aware of the potential burden, cost, and delays associated with the discovery of ESI. When your case involves ESI, and at the required Rule 26(f) meet and confer conference, you should be ready to discuss (a) preservation, (b) systems that contain ESI, (c) searching parameters and production format, (d) any phasing of discovery, (e) protective orders, and (f) any opportunities to reduce cost and increase efficiency. In this session, we will discuss the ESI discovery plan and protective order and the information they contain. We will also discuss production formats and the communications you should have with your attorney, litigation support department or vendor so that you can make sure your discovery production will run smoothly and according to the discovery plan and/or protective order that was agreed to.

Tisha Delgado, Paralegal, Golan & Christie LLP

The patent prosecution process starts long before the Patent Office begins examining the patent application, and continues through the issuance of a patent. This presentation will provide an introduction to preparing and filing a patent application and the on-going requirements while the application is under examination – including due dates, priority claims, declarations/assignments, power of attorney forms, application data sheets, information disclosure statements, preparing and formatting claim amendment papers, and notice of allowance checklists.

David Linder, Esq. and Amir Penn, Esq., Brinks, Gilson & Lione

The free Internet is great for some tasks, but many legal and business research projects require fee-based sources. This session reveals techniques and resources – both free and fee-based – for some of the most common research problems we face daily. How can you find a person’s e-mail address? What are the best sources for docket sheets, or complaints, or other case pleadings? How do you find a company’s registered agent, or determine where it is incorporated? Has a specific U.S. patent been the subject of any lawsuits? How do you research a judge, or an attorney, or an expert witness? Which law firms does a potential client company use, and what types of lawsuits have they been involved in? How can you locate a potential witness if you only have their former address? In this session we will review options for handling all of these tasks, and more. Matthew Bird, Senior Research Librarian, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Not knowing how to successfully research legal issues is about as bad as going into a courtroom and not knowing who the judge is and who the clerk is. Successful legal research is critical. Successful researchers must continually seek to improve their research skills and to consider alternative approaches which are effective, efficient and most importantly, which give your firm's clients an advantage against opponents in the legal process. This session will help you continue to build upon your research skills and give you some things to think about as you continue forth in your career.

Nicholas Kourvetaris, Esq., SmithAmundsen LLC

In this session we will look at how and why you should partner with the right service provider. You can maximize your talents by utilizing knowledge and industry know how from a provider who specializes in your area of law. Let them help you look like a rock star. Partnering with the right service provider can save you time, help you become a sought after legal resource, all while ultimately saving your firm and your clients money.

Bill Moore, Sr. Manager, Transactional Business Consultants and Law Firm Sales, CT Corporation and Sharon Patterson, Legal Assistant Supervisor, Goldberg Kohn Ltd.

Since the volume of data doubles every 1.5 years, traditional discovery approaches are no longer cost effective. Technology Assisted Review (TAR) helps, but doesn’t address the broader issues upstream of review that have greater impact on your matters…and your bottom line. Early Case Assessment (ECA) is an old idea that employs new technology to solve this problem. Join us and find out:

• How law firms and corporations are using the new ECA and analytics
• Why the FRCP amendments favor ECA
• What applied analytics in discovery can do to help Information Governance
• Best practices in using ECA vs. TAR

In addition to the above, we’ll explore how you can build your case for using ECA. See you there!

Doug Kaminski, Director, Major Accounts, kCura

Design patents have long been undervalued in protecting products not generally viewed as “ornamental,” but the Apple v. Samsung litigations and other high-profile cases have brought more attention to them. In particular, design patents can add significant value to a well-rounded patent portfolio. Additionally, the currently-powerful damages provisions peculiar to design patents offer a powerful enforcement tool and deterrent to competitive look-alikes. Contrary to what one may believe from their simple form, design patents require a great deal of careful strategy and planning if they are to provide the best possible value. This presentation will provide an introduction to design patents and strategies for drafting, prosecuting, and enforcing them effectively – including in technologies as varied as medical devices, household tools, lawn equipment, and computer icons.

Trevor K. Copeland, Esq., Brinks Gilson & Lione

This presentation will explain ways in which digital forensics is used in legal matters. It will provide real-world case examples and describe potentially valuable data located in areas of digital media hidden to the everyday user.

Stacey Randolph, Senior Consultant, Stroz Friedberg

Nothing speaks more powerfully to a judge than that which is written. Increasingly, judges seem to be making more and more decisions based entirely and only on written submissions of the parties and less and less on oral arguments. So, even if you work for the most effective and most persuasive oral advocate in the legal profession, her skills may never be showcased if the judge does not allow oral arguments. The same cannot be said about the written product. It's an inevitable truth: lawyers in practice are judged by their final written product. The same holds true for paralegals; what they submit to their attorneys is a direct reflection on their ability to communicate and could influence whether the paralegal enjoys a long career with the firm or whether the paralegal is shown the exit door. The importance of effective legal writing cannot be understated. Join us for an insightful session, including some soul searching, and continue to improve your written product.

Nicholas Kourvetaris, Esq., SmithAmundsen LLC

Learn about the key trends and recent legislative updates in the nation’s most popular state to incorporate. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to hear about pending and future legislation, as well as gain insight into changes in franchise taxes and annual reports. This session will discuss the following:

• Overview of 2016 in Delaware
• Changes to Annual Report Requirements
• House Bill 267
• Expedited Services
• Global Filing Service Options
• Future Staged Filings
• Exempt Entities
• 2016 Legislative Changes
• Form Updates
• Recent Developments in Franchise Tax

Alan Stachura, Senior Manager – Government Relations, CT Corporation

This session will provide attendees with a standard methodology and tools for controlling costs that can be applied to all types of disputes.

Laurence D. Lieb, CCPA, Managing Director, HaystackID

Join us for an a practical session on a paralegal’s introduction to working with attorneys on Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) matter. We will provide sample paralegal working templates and short-cuts to references.

Jennifer Fryer, Paralegal and Roxane Pada, Paralegal, Steptoe & Johnson LLP

Do you find yourself using the same formatting for fonts, letters, or agreements in your documents? We share tips, tricks, and template options to help you save time by creating documents, letters, or work-products in a flash. You’ll learn to format them with ease by applying reusable styles for the different types of documents you use. We will also cover the use of Microsoft Word’s tables tool, which can help you create beautiful documents and save space by aligning text in columns or rows. Finally discover those hidden menus and design tools expand table features to match any style or layout.

Chelsey Lambert

If you are a student wondering what it is like to work in a law firm, this session is for you. It is designed to familiarize current and future paralegals with the practical inner workings of a law office including understanding law office procedures. We will discuss the fundamentals of law office management, including such items as billable hours, legal fees, trust accounts, ethics, client relations, the legal team, technology and more.

Sharon Patterson, Legal Assistant Supervisor, Goldberg Kohn Ltd.

SEMINAR CANCELLED

Over 45% of corporations have used publicly available social media content in litigation and fraud investigations, according to a study conducted in 2015 on social media analytics and eDiscovery. This presentation will provide attendees with information on when social media must be discovered, how social media is discovered, and how to enact processes and procedures to protect a corporation from becoming liable in a case.

Bruce Malter, CEDS, Vice President, Consulting Solutions, eTERA Consulting, LLC

Even though the Patent Trial and Appeal Board has been very busy since inception, and for some patent practitioners has lost its luster, application of the Inter parte review ("IPR") procedures as prescribed by the new Leahy-Smith America Invents Act still gives many opportunities to learn. A review of the road a particular Petitioner and/or Patent Owner takes gives insight into how to develop a successful position in patent infringement and claim validity matters. One particular instance involves the Chinese Company BMC Medical Co., Ltd. ("BMC"). Its successful navigation out of hot patent infringement waters provides a useful case study on strategies to apply, and IPR procedures to consider, to maximize success.

Zareefa B. Flener, Esq., Flemer IP Law

Commercial real estate due diligence is a focused investigation to find the answers necessary for closing, and to assure the property can be used as intended after closing. This presentation will discuss the seven major areas of concern for transaction due diligence, and the four specific areas of concern for commercial property due diligence, including guidance on where to find the answers. The purpose of the presentation is to provide a structured understanding of what to look for and where to find the answers.

R. Kymn Harp, Esq., Robbins, Salomon & Patt, Ltd.

This will be an interactive seminar discussing paralegal ethics and review of the IPA Code of Ethics.

Mary Kay Lieberman, RP®., ILAP