Personnel
Below is a list of IIPI’s Washington, DC-based staff, and partners. Additionally, the Institute cooperates with experts and partners around the globe to execute its mission. The combination of diverse networks and skill sets from the staff allows IIPI to foster economic growth throughout the world.
Honorable Bruce A. Lehman
Chairman and President, IIPI
Bruce A. Lehman is an American attorney with over 40 years of experience in all aspects of intellectual property law and policy. He has served in positions of great responsibility in both the public and the private sector. His public service includes serving as Acting Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents & Trademarks, and counsel to the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives. Currently, he is the board chairman of the International Intellectual Property Institute (IIPI), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, based in Washington, D.C. which he founded in December 1998. The Institute is a think tank and development organization that promotes the creation of modern intellectual property systems and the use of intellectual property rights as a mechanism for investment, technology transfer and economic development. IIPI has engaged in capacity building programs in more than 30 countries in all parts of the world.
In 2014 Mr. Lehman was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to serve on the High-Level Panel on the Feasibility of a Technology Bank for Least Developed Nations. The panel submitted its report to Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the U.N. General Assembly in September 2015. Previously, for six years during the tenure of His Excellency Kamil Idris as Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Mr. Lehman served as a member of the WIPO Policy Advisory Commission.
While Mr. Lehman has retired from the full-time practice of law he continues to advise clients on intellectual property related legislation, litigation, and policy, both domestically and internationally. He is outside counsel to both the Artists’ Rights Society of the United States and the Association of Medical Illustrators. He also serves on the Legal Advisory Council of LegalZoom, Inc. and is a member of the board of directors of the La Musica Music Festival in Sarasota, Florida.
In his capacity as the United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents & Trademarks from 1994 to 1998 [1]he was the primary advisor to the President for all domestic and international intellectual property policy matters and supervised over 6000 employees engaged in the examination of patents and the registration of trademarks. He was the principal advisor to the United States Trade Representative in the negotiation of the TRIPS Agreement, the intellectual property provisions of the World Trade Organization Treaty. As the leader of the U.S. delegation to WIPO’s December 1996 Diplomatic Conference on Certain Copyright and Neighboring Rights Questions, Mr. Lehman concluded negotiations that resulted in the adoption of two treaties: the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty. These treaties form the legal basis for trade in online digital content over the Internet.
In addition to his cabinet responsibilities for intellectual property matters, Mr. Lehman served at the request of President Clinton in1997 as acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which fosters and recognizes the work of America’s artistic and creative community.
On February 7, 2006, Mr. Lehman was honored as one of 23 initial inductees to the newly created International IP Hall of fame, a project sponsored by the London-based, Intellectual Property Asset Management Magazine. In 1994 The National Law Journal named Mr. Lehman its “Lawyer of the Year.”
In 1997 public-policy magazine National Journal named him as one of the 100 most influential men and women in Washington.
In his early career as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee (1974-1983), he was the Committee’s principal legal adviser in the drafting of the 1976 Copyright Act, the 1980 Computer Software Amendments and the 1982 Amendments to the Patent Laws.
Mr. Lehman has authored numerous articles on intellectual property rights, lectured at Universities throughout the world, served as an expert witness advising U.S. Courts hearing cases on intellectual property law, and advised United States appellate courts and the Supreme Court as an author of “friend of the court” briefs.
He holds both Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
[1] The post is now known as Undersecretary of Commerce and Director of the Patent and Trademark Office.
Susan Nilon
Executive Director / Director General
Susan Nilon has a demonstrated history of working in the broadcast media industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Radio, Media Relations, Journalism, and Corporate Communications. She is a strong business development professional who is currently a candidate for her Juris Doctor (J.D.) with a focus on Intellectual Property Law from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.
Susan is known as one of Florida’s most in-depth and observant current affairs commentator. She brings warmth, knowledge, and intelligence to every interview, speech, public appearance, and column. An unwavering resolve that everyone matters drives all of Susan’s endeavors. A former owner of WSRQ AM/FM radio, she is a proven master of adaptive change as illustrated by her leadership in turning the radio station into a sterling example of how to succeed on the air by “going local.” Susan has appeared on PBS’s Florida This Week, BBC RADIO, and for the past three years is regularly seen as a political commentator on ABC 7’s News at 7 with Alan Cohn.
She began her career as a journalist starting out in syndicated radio. Serving as an on-air personality, Susan moved over to management where she became the affiliate coordinator for Pennsylvania Radio Network. After moving to Florida, it was the presidential elections of 2008 that moved Susan back to her roots as a journalist. There, she worked as a political columnist for several Florida publications. In 2010, an offer to go back on the radio was made and Susan began a five-year run as the host of a political talk show on AM/FM radio. For three hours a day, she conducted over three thousand interviews, where guests, such as Madelynn Albright, Michael Smerconish, James Carville, Rep. Charlies Crist, participated in in-depth discussions that allowed her audience to understand what is shaping America.
Susan has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Temple University, PA, a degree in English -Secondary Education from Rowan University, NJ. She is a board member of The Kennedy Center’s Any Given Child of Sarasota, ACLU of Florida, ACLU of Sarasota, and on the Executive Committee of the Moot Court board at WMU Thomas J. Cooley Law School. She is also a member of the legal panel of both the ACLU of Fl and the ACLU of Sarasota.
Susan is known for bringing thoughtful, informed empathy to panels, forums, and community events. Her goal is to “strengthen knowledge of governance and encourage civic engagement for all.”
Past Staff, Fellows, and Interns
Andrew Jaynes
Andrew was IIPI’s Executive Director and General Counsel. Prior to joining IIPI, he was a legislative fellow in the office of Congressman Walt Minnick (D-ID). Andrew spent close to a year in the Philippines conducting research on IPR protection and enforcement as a Fulbright scholar from 2007-2008. His research paper, “Why Intellectual Property Rights Infringement Remains Entrenched in the Philippines”, appears in Volume 21 Issue 1 of the Pace International Law Review. Andrew graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School where he was a Managing Editor on the Wisconsin Law Review and member of the Moot Court Board. He received his English degree with high distinction from the University of Michigan and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society.
Ben Picozzi
Ben was the Program Manager at IIPI. He graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in philosophy with distinction and completed an honors thesis in international security studies. He was also elected to the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and captained the Stanford policy debate team. Prior to his work at IIPI, Ben worked as a research intern in the areas of international conflict management and medicine. He hopes to attend law school in the near future, possibly beginning a career in international intellectual property issues.
Remington Knight
Remington was the Program and Research Assistant for IIPI. He is in the middle of his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Remington is taking time away from school to work for IIPI and gain a better understanding of intellectual property. He is majoring in legal studies, political science, and economics. Along with his studies, he competes for the division one rowing program at the UW. Prior to Wisconsin, he graduated from Groton School, a small preparatory school in Massachusetts. Remington interned with Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) during the summer of 2013.
Cameron Coffey
Cameron was a Program Attorney at IIPI. A member of the Federal Circuit and Virginia State Bars, Cameron graduated from The George Washington University Law School in 2009, where she received a Presidential Merit Scholarship. Prior to joining IIPI, Cameron served as a legal fellow at the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest, as a legal intern at the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies, and as a legal assistant at the University of Georgia’s Office of Legal Affairs. Cameron holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Georgia.
Jason D. Koch
Jason was a Program Attorney at IIPI. A member of the Federal Circuit and Virginia State Bars, Jason studied intellectual property, international law, economics, and public policy at universities in the United States, England, and the Netherlands. Prior to joining IIPI, Jason worked for the Council of the District of Columbia and was a legislative fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA). In his spare time, Jason has worked on government contract and anti-trust cases and has drafted revision for a legal casebook. Jason holds a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.
Bruce Mihalick
Bruce was IIPI’s program assistant and is now at the Social Security Administration. Before IIPI, he worked in the commercial insurance billing department at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to his work at Johns Hopkins, he spent close to a decade in mutual funds sales at Legg Mason. Bruce is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.
Lauren Saltiel
Lauren Saltiel was a legal intern at IIPI for the summer of 2012. She is a rising 2L at The University of Pennsylvania Law School and is working as a Center for Technology, Innovation, and Competition Public Interest Fellow. At Penn, she is on the board of the Penn Intellectual Property Group and president of the Public Interest Mentors Initiative. Lauren obtained her BA in Political Science from Barnard College in 2010. After graduation, she worked for a science media company and non-profit organization, where she was first exposed to intellectual property issues. She is particularly interested in IP issues relating to protecting cultural heritage and traditional knowledge and providing access to technologies in the developing world.
Joanna Holguin
Joanna Holguin was a legal fellow at IIPI for the fall of 2011. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law where she represented the school at the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s moot court competition. Originally from New Jersey, Joanna graduated magna cum laude from The College of New Jersey in 2007 where she studied Journalism and Philosophy. She initially became interested in intellectual property law when she began to perform with local musicians on her college campus and the local community. She hopes to establish a career in intellectual property law and learn the different aspects of the field while a fellow at IIPI. Joanna speaks fluent Spanish and is learning to speak Arabic.
Karen Schuster
Karen Schuster was an intern at IIPI during the summer of 2011. She is currently a rising senior at Dartmouth College, majoring in Classics and Chinese. In 2010, she worked for a semester abroad as a government relations intern at the American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, where she developed an interest in intellectual property rights. This interest, in addition to her interest in Asia, interest in music and experience working at a technology startup led her to IIPI.
Sofia Castillo
Sofia Castillo was a legal intern at IIPI during the summer of 2011. Originally from Venezuela, she will start her second year as a law student at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC. Sofia obtained her BA in Anthropology and International Development Studies at Trent University in Ontario, Canada and her MA in Latin American Studies at Stanford. Sofia is interested in learning more about intellectual property issues in trade relations between Asia and Latin America.
Krista Celentano
Krista Celentano was a legal intern at IIPI during the fall of 2000. She is a third-year law student at the University of California, Davis, School of Law. Before attending law school Krista obtained a B.S. from the University of California, Los Angeles in Biochemistry. She is a USPTO registered patent agent and has worked in patent prosecution and litigation. Krista’s interest in intellectual property law and policy began at UCLA and has continued through her aspiring career. As a research assistant focusing in international intellectual property law and cultural studies, Krista hopes to expand upon her knowledge of global intellectual property development at IIPI.
Carolina Rizzo
Carolina Rizzo was a legal intern at IIPI during the fall of 2000. Originally from Uruguay, she is a second-year law student at American University. She obtained a BA in Latin American Studies and International Relations with High Honors from the University of Michigan in 2009. As an undergraduate student, Carolina interned at the United Nations Information Centre in Washington, DC. In law school, she serves as Co-Editor of the Arbitration Brief and blogger for the Intellectual Property Brief. She is interested in International Commercial Arbitration and Intellectual Property, specifically Copyright protection of Folklore and Traditional Knowledge. Carolina began her internship with IIPI in August.
Eric Robbins
Eric was a legal intern at IIPI during the summer of 2010. He is currently a rising third-year law student at Georgetown University Law Center. He was born in Denver, CO. Before he came to law school, he worked in biomedical research at the University of Colorado, where he conducted research on a wide range of diseases including prostate cancer, tuberculosis, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He came to law school looking for a new challenge that would allow him to continue to be involved with science and found it in intellectual property law. He came to IIPI because of his affinity for intellectual property law coupled with his desire to assist other nations to develop their economies.
Alex Diaz-Ferguson
Alex was a legal intern at IIPI during the summer of 2010. He is currently a J.D. candidate at the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida International University in 2009, where he studied international business and marketing. Before going to law school, Alex worked in various fields, including internet advertising, life insurance, and university prospect management. His interests in international markets, theater and music have led him to explore intellectual property as a potential career path during and after law school. Alex speaks fluent Spanish and French.
Jongseung Ahn
Jongseung Ahn was an intern at IIPI during the spring of 2010. He holds a graduate degree in International Trade and Economic Cooperation from Kyung Hee Graduate School of Pan-pacific International Studies in South Korea, where he served as student president. Jongseung’s studies focused on intellectual property rights and foreign direct investment, and he is a member of the Korean Association of International Development and Cooperation. Jongseung’s internship experience includes Stanford Hotel in Australia, Samsung SDS in South Korea, and INDECOPI in Peru. He received B.A. in Business administration in 2008 from Chung Ang University in S. Korea.