Making IP Part of Your Risk Management Program

Linda Zirkelbach has extensive private practice and in-house corporate experience representing clients in a range of intellectual property (IP) matters. Ms. Zirkelbach regularly counsels clients on complex copyright and trademark issues; litigates in the areas of copyright, trademark, false advertising and domain names; negotiates and drafts copyright and trademark license agreements, publishing agreements, and other IP agreements; searches and registers trademarks; and reviews and clears publications and other productions prior to launch. Ms. Zirkelbach has significant in-house counsel experience and, having been a client herself, prides herself on being strategic, practical and clear in her advice. Ms. Zirkelbach has represented clients before federal courts across the country, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and the U.S. Copyright Office. She has particularly deep experience in digital or on-line infringement and anti-piracy (with significant experience in complex DMCA issues) as well as in anti-counterfeiting.

Ms. Zirkelbach began her career at Venable handling intellectual property litigation and trademark counseling and registration matters. She then worked as Vice President, Legal Affairs, for the Recording Industry Association of America where she was actively involved in high-profile copyright litigation for the major U.S. record companies. She later became Vice President and General Counsel of a leading publishing and media company in its field and handled not only all intellectual property issues but also a broad spectrum of corporate and commercial matters.

Ms. Zirkelbach has represented clients in a range of industries, that include music, entertainment, software, book and magazine publishing, digital media, retail, alcoholic beverage, trade associations and nonprofits, university/higher education, consumer goods, and natural products. She also serves as the General Counsel and Board Member to Women in Technology.

Currently serving as the Chief Legal Affairs and Compliance Officer for Stellar Energy International, a leading global supplier of Turbine Inlet Air Chilling (TIAC) and District Energy Systems. Having been with Stellar Energy since 2013, she spends time between the US and UAE offices advising on legal and compliance issues. She has implemented an internal IP Risk Management program for the company, securing patents, trademarks and IP protection for Proprietary information due to the highly specialized niche market Stellar Energy operates in. Amber’s career has been international in scope focusing on law, international strategic relations and academia.

Prior to working for Stellar Energy, she has lived and worked in New Zealand, London, Ireland, Japan and Hawaii. While in London, as the Liaison Officer for the U.S. Department of Defense, she directed a team that advised Senior Executives on strategic risk communication and relational matters interfacing directly with the highest-level U.S. and European military, government, Ambassadors, members of Parliament, Royal family and executive Corporate clients. Ms. Shaver received a U.S Navy and Marine Corp. Achievement Medal for Outstanding International Relations.

During her tenure in academia, she served as the Director of Irish Study Abroad; Assistant Director fit the Scottish Study Abroad; Assistant Director of Graduate Politics Honors Internship Program and an Associate Professor. She received numerous awards in the academic arena.

Amber received her BA from Vanderbilt University and JD from University of Alabama.

Before joining Raytheon, Tanuja Garde was the Vice-President for Intellectual Property and Deputy General Counsel at BASF Corporation.

Before joining BASF, she was the Chief IP Counsel and General Counsel for Engineering at GE Aviation. Previously, Ms. Garde worked in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President of the United States, where she was the Deputy Assistant USTR for Intellectual Property and Innovation.

She has also worked in law firms and in academia, with fellowships at the University of London’s Queen Mary IP Research Institute in London, England and the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law in Munich, Germany, where she was also the Head of the U.S. Department. Ms. Garde is admitted to practice to the State Bar of California and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.