TechTainment™ 2026 Speakers
ASU California Center Broadway | Los Angeles, California
Megan Bannigan
Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
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Megan K. Bannigan is a partner in the Litigation and Intellectual Property & Media Groups, focusing on trademarks, trade dress, copyrights, false advertising, design patents, rights of publicity, licensing and other disputes. She represents clients across a range of industries, including technology, entertainment, professional sports, pharmaceuticals, beauty, consumer products, cosmetics, fashion and luxury goods, financial services, and food and beverage. Her practice includes high-stakes AI-related copyright litigation, including landmark cases addressing AI model training and intellectual property rights. Ms. Bannigan also maintains an active pro bono practice, including leading a significant trademark victory for the Judd Foundation and spearheading the development of the International Trademark Association’s Pro Bono Clearinghouse.
Fabio de Sa Cesnik
Founding Partner, CQS FV Law Firm
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Founding partner at CQS FV Law Firm. Graduated in Law and Legal Sciences from the University of São Paulo (USP). Completed an executive certification in Business and Management of Entertainment at UCLA Extension (University of California, Los Angeles). Ex-chairman of IASP’s Media and Entertainment and of OAB-SP Rights to the Arts Commission. Recognized by the Chambers Global Guide as a leading reference in Media & Entertainment from 2010 to 2025. Author of landmark works on the creative economy and cultural policies.
Shanti Sadtler Conway
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
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Shanti Sadtler Conway is a nationally ranked IP litigator and partner in Kirkland & Ellis’s New York office. Her practice focuses on intellectual property, including copyright, trademark, false advertising, right of publicity, AI and technology, licensing and contract issues. Shanti both advises clients and litigates cases across the country, from trial through appeals. She has been recognized by Law360 as a “Legal Lion” and “Rising Star,” by The National Law Journal as a “Sports, Gaming & Entertainment Trailblazer,” by The American Lawyer as “Litigator of the Week,” in Chambers USA, in The Legal 500 as a “Leading Partner” for Trademark Litigation, and in the World Trademark Review, among other publications and rankings.
Dr. David Cowan
Law Professor, Author & Adviser, National University of Ireland Maynooth
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David teaches and writes on law and technology, compliance & legal ethics, entertainment law and legal communication. Author of the groundbreaking Law and Technology (Bloomsbury, 2025) and Effective Communication for Lawyers (Edward Elgar, 2022), featuring a unique communication & negotiation tool called The Dialogue Box, his book Entertainment Law and Technology is due out next year. David advises on legal, regulatory, and communication challenges and has vast experience spanning the globe.
Tracey L. Freed
Founder & Principal Attorney, Freed Law, P.C.
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Tracey L. Freed is Founder of Freed Law, P.C., a boutique law firm specializing in digital media, entertainment and technology transactions based in Los Angeles, California. Freed has been recognized as a Trailblazer by The American Lawyer Magazine, a Top Cyber/Artificial Intelligence Lawyer by the Daily Journal, Thriving by the L.A. Business Journal, and a Rising Star and SuperLawyer by Los Angeles Magazine. Prior to opening her own practice, Freed was Assistant General Counsel of Digital Networks at Sony Pictures Entertainment where she was Head of Legal for Crackle, Sony’s multi-platform ad supported video entertainment network, for six years during the emergence of digital media as an industry, and the development of streaming video across mobile and OTT platforms. Working on the novel business and legal issues surrounding digital media and tech inspired Freed to create the first law school course at Loyola Law School dedicated to digital media in 2011, entitled “Digital Media & the Law,” which she taught for almost 10 years as an Adjunct Professor, and stemming from her work with private practice clients related to big data, ad tech and machine learning, led Freed to co-create and co-teach “Artificial Intelligence & the Law” at Loyola Law School in 2017.
Jonathan Hyman
Partner, Knobbe
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Jonathan Hyman is a partner in Knobbe’s Los Angeles office. He is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Advertising, Media and Entertainment Practice Group and Co-Chair of the firm’s CBD and Legal Cannabis Group. Jonathan’s practice includes domestic and foreign trademark prosecution, enforcement and searches, proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), intellectual property licensing, copyrights, rights of publicity, domain name disputes, entertainment law, false advertising, and client counseling.
Dana Kempler
Legal AI Engineering Attorney, LexisNexis
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Dana Kempler is an attorney, legal innovation leader, and AI strategist. She has led AI and legal transformation initiatives for major media and technology organizations, helping legal teams responsibly adopt emerging technologies while streamlining complex workflows. Dana brings a practical perspective on how innovation is reshaping the creator economy and the future of legal practice. She is passionate about helping organizations harness AI responsibly while protecting creativity, intellectual property, and human judgment.
Peter Kidd
Senior Corporate Counsel, Global Content Protection and IP, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios
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Peter Kidd leads the content protection program at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios and serves as trademark counsel to Audible and Amazon Music. He has been at Amazon for 7 years, previously an associate at Kilpatrick Townsend with clients in the social media and entertainment space.
Stefanie Lindquist
Nickerson Dean and Professor of Law, WashU Law
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Stefanie Lindquist is the dean of WashU Law and was previously senior vice president for Global Academic Initiatives at Arizona State University (ASU). Lindquist served as Dean at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs and held various roles at the University of Texas School of Law. A recognized expert in judicial behavior and constitutional law, she authored the influential book Measuring Judicial Activism. Lindquist clerked for the Honorable Anthony J. Scirica at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, practiced law at Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C., and worked as a research associate at the Federal Judicial Center.
Mike Murray
VP of Product Strategy, Veritext
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Michael Murray is VP of Product Strategy at Veritext, where he leads product vision at the intersection of AI and litigation technology. He speaks nationally at CLEs, product demos, and conferences including ILTACON, and hosts Veritext’s webinar program, named the nation’s #1 CLE Provider and #1 Online CLE Provider by The National Law Journal. His perspectives on responsible AI in litigation have appeared in Law.com, Law360, and LegalTech News.
Jordan Nafekh
Attorney, Irell & Manella
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Jordan Nafekh is an IP litigator at Irell & Manella and the LAIPLA President for the 2026-27 term.
Marcus Peterson
Senior Counsel - Trademark, Marketing & Copyright, Oracle
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I am a member of Oracle’s Trademark, Marketing & Copyright Legal team. I help protect and grow some of the best known business and enterprise software and service brands in the world. I also advise business and marketing clients on publicity and marketing materials. I am actively involved in AI/ML Legal issues within Oracle.
Zach Rufa
Associate, Knobbe Martens
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Zach Rufa is an associate in Knobbe Martens’ trademark group, where he counsels clients on intellectual property strategy and disputes involving trademarks, copyrights, rights of publicity, false advertising, and unfair competition. As an award-winning playwright and published author, he brings a storytelling-focused perspective to his advocacy. Zach is a proud alumnus of ASU Law, where he served as the inaugural Student Executive Director of The McCarthy Institute.
Pedram Sameni
President and CEO, Patexia
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Pedram Sameni is the Founder and CEO of LexDana and Patexia. Over the past 15 years, he has built legal intelligence platforms that help law firms and corporate legal teams make better decisions using data. At LexDana, he is building a legal memory layer for high-stakes legal matters. Previously, he led intellectual property and licensing at International Rectifier and holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering.
Matt Samet
Attorney, Ashurst Perkins Coie
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Matt Samet is a trademark and copyright attorney at Ashurst Perkins Coie. He began his legal career in Los Angeles, including at an entertainment boutique, before moving to the Bay Area to add technology clients to his roster. His practice reflects a blend of technology, media, and entertainment, and other businesses across a range of industries.
Tricia Schafer
Mediator | Arbitrator, Tricia Schafer Dispute Resolution PLLC
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As a mediator, Tricia is known for connecting people and concepts to create outcomes that transcend the sum of their parts. Her tenacity, curiosity, and enthusiasm, combined with strategic preparation and critical analysis, engage stakeholders and promote durable resolutions. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Tricia mediates and arbitrates nationwide, scheduling directly or through the American Arbitration Association’s commercial, healthcare, consumer, and expedited rosters. She also serves as a FINRA arbitrator for securities-related disputes, and a Judge Pro Tempore on the Maricopa County Superior Court, handling settlement conferences in civil, commercial, and probate matters. Tricia earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a member of the bar in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Maria Crimi Speth
Shareholder, Jaburg & Wilk. P.C.
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Maria Crimi Speth, a shareholder in the law firm of Jaburg & Wilk, P.C., has practiced for over thirty-five years in the areas of intellectual property, technology, and commercial litigation, representing clients and serving as a neutral. She is the author of two published books, Protect Your Writings: A Legal Guide for Authors, and Protect Your Photographs: A Legal Guide for Photographers. Maria is a member of the AAA’s Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators, past Chair of the Board of YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix, and past chair of the Intellectual Property and E-commerce Sections of the Arizona State Bar Association. She is a frequent presenter on topics related to intellectual property and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Laura Scherck Wittcoff
Management Consultant/Professor/Podcaster, The Intrinsic Group; Small & Gutsy, Inc.
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Laura Scherck Wittcoff, DSW, LICSW is the co-founder and principal of the Intrinsic Group, www.theintrinsicgroup.com, a boutique consulting firm specializing in organizational development in the areas of strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, change management, mentorship, and culture. Laura is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and currently teaches as an Adjunct Instructor at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. In January 2021, Laura developed and launched a podcast, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Small & Gutsy®, www.smallandgutsy.org, to support nonprofits and social enterprises in their efforts to spread their message and broaden their networks.
Rina Yano
Head of Business and Legal Affairs, Tokyo Broadcasting System International
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Rina Yano is Head of Business & Legal Affairs at Tokyo Broadcasting System International (TBSI), where she oversees format licensing and development deals, IP rights management, and legal operations, bringing more than 25 years of entertainment law experience across major studios, independent production companies, creator economy businesses, and consumer brands. Prior to TBSI, she served as SVP, Business and Legal Affairs at The Wonder Project, working on films including Young Washington and Sarah’s Oil and serving as lead attorney for AI production services, and earlier led business and legal affairs at Westbrook Inc. for unscripted TV and documentaries such as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion (HBO) and Will Smith’s Off the Deep End (Discovery), along with brand partnerships for Will Smith, Jaden Smith, and Willow Smith. Her studio background includes counsel roles at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, focused on VFX agreements, digital marketing, and global content licensing, and on the brand side, she served as primary legal counsel to The Wonderful Company’s in-house agency, overseeing four Super Bowl commercials and regulatory compliance for brands like FIJI Water and POM Wonderful, and was the sole in-house attorney at Kin, handling influencer campaigns and brand integrations. Rina is also the author of the LinkedIn newsletter “In-House Entertainment Job Report,” where she writes weekly on entertainment law job strategies and curates a list of relevant jobs and internships.
