Home > Resources > Industry Events > Global Standards Leadership Conference About Agenda Speakers Location ReGISTRATION Global Standards Leadership Conference Global Standards Leadership Conference June 18, 2026 | 8:00AM – 5:00PM PT REGISTER nOW Global Standards Leadership Conference Discuss The Future of SEPs and Standards. “Screens with program code moving as in a mainframe. Reporting the similar idea of technology, computers, Internet, data or other subjects.” About Standards Leadership Conference For the fifth year in a row, the Global Standards Leadership Conference brings together top thought leaders to tackle the biggest issues in Standard Essential Patents, FRAND licensing, high-stakes litigation, standards development, and policy. After successful events at Northwestern University (Chicago, 2022), UC San Diego (2023), UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business (2024), and the University of Boston (2025), we’re thrilled to announce that the 2026 conference will be held in San Diego. This year, C-level executives and industry experts will explore the future of SEP licensing, FRAND determination, litigation trends, and cross-jurisdiction policy debates. Attendees will gain unique insights into how AI and next-generation standards in cellular, wireless, video, audio, and memory technologies are shaping the next wave of innovation. Agenda The success of standards like 4G, 5G, soon 6G, Wi‑Fi, and video or audio codecs is reshaping legal and business frameworks—but the road ahead is complex. Geopolitical tensions, global disputes, and local regulations create significant challenges and uncertainty for both SEP owners and implementers. The Global Standards Leadership Conference (GSLC) brings together leaders from intellectual property, standardization, government, and academia. Founded and organized by Tim Pohlmann (Managing Director Americas, LexisNexis IP), Justus Baron (BRELA and FRANDLY), and Kirti Gupta (Cornerstone Research), GSLC bridges the worlds of licensing, litigation, policy, academia, and industry. The conference fosters robust discussions, debates, and connections among professionals, all working to promote common standards that drive innovation worldwide. 08:00 AM – 09:00 AM Registration & Networking Breakfast 09:00 AM – 09:15 AM Welcome Remarks – Tim Pohlmann 09:15 AM – 09:30 AM Global Patent Litigation Trends – Kirti Gupta 09:30 AM – 10:45 AM Panel Session 1: Global SEP Disputes and FRAND Frameworks Justus Baron, Founder, FRANDLY and BRELA Jon Putnam, Founder and Principal, Competition Dynamics John Jarosz, Managing Principal, Analysis Group Richard Pinckney, Partner, Bristows Ryan Cunningham, Associate, Sheppard Mullin 10:45 AM – 11:15 AM Coffee Break 11:15 AM – 12:30 PM Panel Session 2: Streaming Media SEP Licensing: From Device-Level Licensing to Usage-Based Licensing Kirti Gupta VP and Chief Economist Global, Cornerstone Research Clay Gaetje, VP Licensing and Head of Video Services/OTT, InterDigital Shayne O’Reilly, Director and Associate General Counsel, Meta John Pint, Senior Vice President, Access Advance Jon Chow, Assistant Chief Counsel, The Walt Disney Company 12:30 PM – 01:30 PM Lunch Break 01:30 PM – 02:00 PM Fireside Chat: AI Infrastructure- The Next SEP Battlefield Panel Willy Chang, Head of AI Pools, Sisvel Tim Pohlmann, Managing Director Americas, LexisNexis IP 02:00 PM – 03:15 PM Panel Session 3: DRAM Memory Standards: The Next SEP Battlefield in AI Infrastructure Tim Pohlmann, Managing Director Americas, LexisNexis IP Tom Pease, Shareholder and Partner, Greenberg Traurig Jerome Ma, Senior Licensing Counsel, Via Licensing Alliance Michael Rueckheim, Patent Litigation Partner, King & Spalding Kerry Kimes, Vice President Licensing, Rambus 03:15 PM – 03:45 PM Coffee Break 03:45 PM – 05:00 PM Panel Session 4: Emerging 4G/5G Cellular Verticals on the Road to 6G Micky Minhas, SVP Corporate Development and Technology, Avanci Shahrokh Nayeb Nazar, VP of Technology, Qualcomm Technology Kent Baker, Former Head of Intellectual Property, u-blox Jim Harland, CEO, The Standard Strategy Nandan Das, Global Head of Wireless Standards, ViaSat 05:00 PM – 06:30 PM Cocktail Reception Panel Session 1: Global SEP Disputes and FRAND Frameworks The panel will explore the rapidly evolving landscape of SEP disputes worldwide, focusing on how different courts approach FRAND determination, global royalty setting, and preliminary injunctions. Panelists will examine recent cases across multiple jurisdictions, highlighting the variations in legal reasoning and enforcement approaches. Discussions will cover how courts balance the interests of SEP holders and implementers, and how regional interpretations influence the setting of global royalty rates. The conversation will also address the impact of geopolitical tensions, which can shape local court decisions and create challenges in enforcing globally consistent licensing agreements. By analyzing case studies and emerging trends, the panel will provide insights into how multinational companies navigate complex SEP litigation and licensing strategies. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the international SEP ecosystem, the interplay between law and technology, and the strategic considerations necessary for managing global SEP portfolios. Panel Session 2: Streaming Media SEP Licensing: From Device-Level Licensing to Usage-Based Licensing This panel will explore the evolving landscape of SEP licensing in the streaming media context, highlighting the shift from traditional device-based royalty models to usage-based licensing approaches. As streaming consumption grows and codecs become more sophisticated, licensing based on monthly active users or monthly subscriptions is increasingly shaping the way royalties are calculated and collected. Panelists will discuss how this shift reflects a broader trend toward valuing actual content consumption over hardware, driven by the adoption of new video and audio codecs. The conversation will also explore how business models in streaming and social media platforms are transforming SEP monetization and the implications for both patent holders and service providers. The discussion will feature leading SEP licensing executives from SEP-owning companies, patent pools, and streaming service providers, offering insights into the future of video and audio codec licensing, the challenges of implementing usage-based models, and the opportunities for a change in royalty distribution. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how the next generation of royalty frameworks is being shaped by consumption patterns, technology adoption, and evolving business models in the digital media landscape. Panel Session 3: DRAM Memory Standards: The Next SEP Battlefield in AI Infrastructure DRAM memory standards are becoming increasingly critical. Memory standards governed by organizations like JEDEC, and often covered by thousands of standard-essential patents (SEPs), form the backbone of modern computing devices, handsets, server infrastructure, and next-generation AI workloads. This panel will explore how the rapid scaling of AI technologies is driving exponential growth in compute demand, and how this may lead to new DRAM SEP challenges in these high-stakes markets. Participants will discuss how SEP licensing for DRAM compares to established models in cellular and wireless, as well as how market dynamics are evolving. The discussion will also cover recent high-stakes DRAM SEP litigation and emerging licensing models. In particular, initiatives such as the announcement of the Via LA DRAM patent pool may reshape the structure and dynamics of the DRAM licensing landscape. Panel Session 4: Emerging 4G/5G Cellular Verticals on the Road to 6G This panel will explore the evolving landscape of cellular technology, starting with the current state of 4G and 5G and the growing importance of new industry verticals such as IoT, robotics, connected infrastructure, and tracking solutions. As connectivity expands beyond traditional smartphone use cases, these verticals are becoming key drivers of growth and innovation. Looking ahead, the discussion will turn to 6G and its potential to reshape the ecosystem. Will the leaders of the 5G era maintain their position, or will new players emerge as technologies such as AI-native networks, integrated sensing, edge computing, and advanced connectivity platforms gain traction? The panel will also examine how use cases may evolve from smartphones to smart glasses, immersive devices, industrial automation, and pervasive machine-to-machine communication. What will define the next wave of value creation in connectivity? Bringing together perspectives from both standards development and real-world applications, the discussion will explore where future demand will come from, how standards bodies may adapt, and which verticals are likely to shape the path toward 6G. Speakers Justus Baron Founder, FRANDLY and BRELA LinkedIn Profile Kirti Gupta VP and Chief Economist Global, Technology Cornerstone Research LinkedIn Profile Tim Pohlmann Managing Director Americas, LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions LinkedIn Profile Jon Putnam Founder and Principal, Competition Dynamics LinkedIn Profile Tom Pease Shareholder and Partner, Greenberg Traurig LinkedIn Profile Shayne O’Reilly Director and Associate General Counsel, Meta LinkedIn Profile Clay Gaetje VP Licensing and Head of Video Services/OTT, InterDigital LinkedIn Profile John Jarosz Managing Principal, Analysis Group LinkedIn Profile Richard Pinckney Partner, Bristows LinkedIn Profile Willy Chang Head of AI Pools, Sisvel LinkedIn Profile Micky Minhas SVP Corporate Development and Technology, Avanci LinkedIn Profile Shahrokh Nayeb Nazar VP of Technology, Qualcomm Technology LinkedIn Profile John Pint Senior Vice President, Access Advance LinkedIn Profile Ryan Cunningham Associate, Sheppard Mullin LinkedIn Profile Jon Chow Assistant Chief Counsel, The Walt Disney Company LinkedIn Profile Michael Rueckheim Patent Litigation Partner, King & Spalding LinkedIn Profile Kerry Kimes Vice President Licensing, Rambus LinkedIn Profile Kent Baker Former Head of Intellectual Property, u-blox LinkedIn Profile Jim Harland CEO, The Standard Strategy LinkedIn Profile Nandan Das Global Head of Wireless Standards, ViaSat LinkedIn Profile Jerome Ma Senior Licensing Counsel, Via Licensing Alliance LinkedIn Profile Location University of San Diego Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, 5555 Marian Way, 92110 15-minute drive from the InterContinental San Diego. Parking Instructions General Visitors Parking at the University of San Diego Parking lot locations Parking fee breakdown Pay-by-Plate app information USD tram information DRIVING TO CAMPUS A Permit is required Monday-Friday, 7am – 7pm for every vehicle including those with ADA plates/placard when parking on campus. The Pay Kiosk is available on the ground level of West Parking Structure (closest to Venue) near the Tram Stop. You may also use ParkMobile App to pay for your parking. The West Parking Structure/Lot is 1901 on the ParkMobile App. If West Parking Structure is full, please use the Main Parking Structure at the Alcala Parkway entrance off Linda Vista Road. Zone 1905 on ParkMobile App. Take the USD Tram to Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice / Joan B. Kroc School of Peace No Parking is allowed in the Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice Garage. Rideshare Address for Conference Venue 5555 Marian Way, 92110 (Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice / Joan B. Kroc School of Peace) 5530 Marian Way, 92110 (Garden of the Sky at Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice) * If you only enter USD/University of San Diego into a rideshare app, you may end up on the far east side of campus.* Online Streaming Registration We have reached capacity for in-person attendance in San Diego; however, we invite you to join us online via our live stream. Global Standards Leadership Conference 2025 Highlights from 2025 Global Standards Conference LEARN MORE
