Sheldon Klein Becomes President of AIPLA
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 29, 2018) — Gray Plant Mooty is pleased to announce that attorney Sheldon Klein has been named President of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). On Oct. 27, Klein officially began his yearlong term as President of AIPLA—the premier professional organization for intellectual property attorneys nationwide and throughout the world. With approximately 13,500 members in private practice, government service, and academia, AIPLA takes an active role in shaping domestic and international IP policy through education and advocacy.
Based in Gray Plant Mooty’s Washington, D.C. office, Klein is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property, Technology, and Privacy Practice Group. For more than 30 years, Klein has assisted clients in various industries with counseling, portfolio management, litigation, licensing, and transactions in the areas of trademark, copyright, unfair competition, advertising law, and social media. Klein is a longtime and active member of AIPLA; he has served in various leadership roles, including Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and chair of numerous committees and programs.
Honored to lead the association, Klein described AIPLA as follows: “We are an association of doers. We represent—and we are—innovators. We are a powerful advocate and global leader in IP law through our commitment to education, outreach, member service, and advocacy.”
Klein outlined the following as some of his top priorities as President:
- Enhance the AIPLA experience by involving all members. The organization has approximately 60 committees and Klein announced the addition of the Special Committee on Privacy and Data Security.
- Continue and build on the work begun these past few years to enhance AIPLA’s regional and local reach and impact—beyond the three stated meetings. This includes continuing well-attended local events, such as roadshows and boot camps; sponsoring the well-attended diversity, women, and new lawyer events in several cities; and collaborating with local IP law groups and the USPTO for local programming.
- Continue to promote diversity in the profession, including through support of the American IP Law Education Foundation (AIPLEF), which provides scholarships to minority law students who focus on IP law.
- Continue AIPLA’s leadership development efforts to provide useful strategies and teachings to help lawyers advance their careers.
Klein will serve as President of AIPLA for one year. More information about AIPLA is available at www.aipla.org.
(Pictured left to right: Gray Plant Mooty attorneys Thomas Pacheco, Mark Kirsch, Dean Eyler, Eric Yaffe, Sheldon Klein, Loren Hansen, Iris Rosario, Kirsten Donaldson, Samuel Butler at the 2018 AIPLA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.)
About Gray Plant Mooty
Gray Plant Mooty is a leading corporate law firm with award-winning practices in intellectual property, franchise, litigation, and more. The firm’s attorneys and staff provide exceptional client service and value, as well as comprehensive legal services on a regional, national, and global basis. Gray Plant Mooty has 180 lawyers and offices in Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minn.; and Fargo, N.D. Founded in Minnesota, the firm’s roots date back to 1866. Learn more at www.gpmlaw.com.