Houston Intellectual Property Law Association upcoming events

42nd Annual Fall Institute on Intellectual Property Law (September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:30:00 GMT

The 42nd Annual Fall Institute on Intellectual Property Law will be held on Thursday, September 17th through Saturday, September 19th, 2026, at the Moody Gardens Hotel & Convention Center in Galveston, Texas.

Held in conjunction with the University of Houston Law Center Institute for Intellectual Property & Information Law (IPIL), the Fall Institute is a major continuing legal education (CLE) event attracting several hundred intellectual property professionals from across Texas and the nation.

This year's conference includes:

Keynote Speaker: Shira Perlmutter - Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office.
Judicial Panel: Details forthcoming.
IP Community Breakfast Speaker: Simon Tam - Author, Musician Activist, founding member of The Slants, and central figure of Matal v. Tam. Co-presented with Joe Jiang.
Highlights: Texas Patent Litigation in 2026: Venue Realignment and PTAB crosswinds; Design Patents and Copyright Intersection; Prosecution Strategies in view of the UPC and Unitary Patent; Supreme Court Update; Patent and Trade Secret Damages; Federal Circuit Patent Law: a Year in Review; Compliance and Export Controls for Patent Prosecution; Realignment of Subject Matter Eligibility Guidelines; and many more.

The Keynote Lunch on Friday, September 18th is included in the price of registration.

Entertainment/Social Evening Event: Bourbon Social Hour and Piano Bar - "Keys to Innovation". Event will be held on Thursday evening, September 17th for an additional fee.

For additional information including FAQs, please visit the IPIL event page at https://law.uh.edu/ipil/hiplaipinstitute/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Location

The Fall Institute will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel & Convention Center in Galveston, Texas.

Make your reservation with the Moody Gardens Hotel HERE or by calling 409-683-1299 and ask for the "HIPLA Room Block".

Moody Gardens Hotel & Convention Center
1 Hope Blvd.
Galveston, Texas 77554

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Silent Auction

We are excited to announce that we will continue the tradition of having a silent auction at the Fall Institute this year.

We are hoping we can count on your support.

If you have an item that you would like to donate please contact Teresa Mason at tmason@rmiplaw.com or 713-724-3499.

As in prior years, proceeds raised from the silent auction will support the University of Houston Law Center’s Pre-Law Pipeline Program, which aims to attract and encourage undergraduate students from low income, first generation, and underrepresented backgrounds to pursue legal careers.

Thank you in advance for your support!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CLE luncheon with USPTO Director John Squires (TENTATIVE DATE) (April 01, 2027)

Thu, 01 Apr 2027 16:30:00 GMT

HIPLA is thrilled to welcome

Hon. John A. Squires

Under Secretary of Commerce

and Director of the United States Patent & Trademark Office

https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/john-squires

as our distinguished CLE speaker for spring 2027!

To our knowledge, this is the first time the current USPTO Director has visited Houston.

Note: Due to the complexities of the Director’s calendar, the location and other details are not finalized. Registration will open at this link (https://www.hipla.org/event-6725177) once all details are set. Thank you!

Agenda:

11:30 am: Doors open for lunch.
11:50 am: Call to order, announcements, and instructions
12:00 pm: Event concludes <-- earlier than usual, since there is no CLE topic.

Event Notes:

Dress for HIPLA CLE lunches is business casual. Suits are not expected.
To invite friends or colleagues, please share the event link from the HIPLA events calendar or from "Tell them you're going!" below.
If you have any questions, please contact the HIPLA Meetings & Programs Chairs:

Vikesh Patel <vpatel@kmd.law>

Michael Lew <michael.lew@squirepb.com>

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tell them you're going!

Tell your friends and colleagues about this event by sharing the event link and the hashtag #HIPLA:

https://www.hipla.org/event-6725177

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Have an idea for HIPLA's next CLE?

HIPLA welcomes members to submit proposals for CLE programs for 2026:

Proposed topics should be authoritative, timely, and of practical interest to IP attorneys and patent agents who are HIPLA's members.
For details and to submit a proposal, please visit our new portal at https://forms.gle/rKhBr6rMafbw1RVEA

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[other] State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting (June 17, 2027)

Thu, 17 Jun 2027 05:00:00 GMT

HIPLA is pleased to share notice of certain non-HIPLA events that may be of interest to HIPLA members:

For these events, please confirm the event details with the host organization, as HIPLA makes no representations regarding the accuracy of the information presented here.
To recommend an event for inclusion, please contact George Webb, HIPLA Meeting Arrangements & Programs Chair, at (713) 348-2704 or gwebb@rice.edu

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting

https://www.texasbar.com/Content/NavigationMenu/Events/AnnualMeeting/Future_Dates/default.htm

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Have an idea for HIPLA's next CLE?

HIPLA welcomes members to submit proposals for future CLE programs:

Proposed topics should be authoritative, timely, and of practical interest to IP attorneys and patent agents who are HIPLA's members.
For details and to submit a proposal, please visit our new portal at https://forms.gle/rKhBr6rMafbw1RVEA

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Houston Intellectual Property Law Association upcoming events

42nd Annual Fall Institute on Intellectual Property Law (September 17, 2026)

Silent Auction

Sponsors

CLE luncheon with USPTO Director John Squires (TENTATIVE DATE) (April 01, 2027)

[other] State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting (June 17, 2027)