Announcement of ACG Engagement
October 2014

The NYIPLA Board and the Legislative Action Committee are pleased to announce that the Association has engaged American Continental Group (ACG), a pre-eminent public policy group with expertise on IP issues.  ACG will assist the Legislative Action Committee and members of the Board to meet key Association goals of increasing the visibility of the Association, particularly to those outside the legal profession and the Judiciary.  This relationship will directly benefit NYIPLA members and add value to an NYIPLA membership.

One of the primary charters of the Legislative Action Committee is to present the views of Association members on the many challenging IP-related issues facing legislators and rule-makers, many of which are the subject of proposed legislation.  As an IP bar association with a diverse membership, the NYIPLA has a unique, balanced perspective to offer non-IP experts regarding the unintended consequences of proposed legislation and rules.  NYIPLA will use its expertise and diversity to develop proposed solutions aimed at fairness to stakeholders overall.  The Association’s ultimate goal is to improve the quality of IP-related statutes and rules and to elevate and inform the level of discourse associated with their enactment.

Located in Washington, D.C., the ACG team consists of a bipartisan group of former Congressional Chiefs of Staff, Staff Directors, Congressional Committee counsel and Administration executives.  ACG will assist the Association by helping us to draft and present our message in a manner that will maximize its impact.  ACG will also use its contacts to set up meetings with members of Congress and their staff so that our message will be heard.  ACG will use its resources and contacts to keep us abreast of key events with respect to the bills and proposed rules that matter to our members so that we may respond in a timely manner.  It will also facilitate invitations to Congressional members and their staff to participate in NYIPLA-sponsored conferences and forums.

Each week, ACG prepares a Patent & Trademark Policy Report, summarizing Congressional, administrative, PTO and judicial updates.  These weekly updates will be available to NYIPLA members under the “News” heading on the Association website.

Questions about the Legislative Action Committee and ACG may be addressed to Committee co-chairs, Denise Loring and Julia Kim, and Board liaison, Annemarie Hassett.