On Thursday, May 25, 2023, Wilson Sonsini will welcome the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang to our San Francisco office. The mission of WIPO—the global forum of intellectual property services, policy, information, and cooperation—is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international IP system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all.

Director General Tang will provide remarks on WIPO’s mission, different work programs that help innovators and creators, and policy discussions on the future of IP, frontier technologies, and IP and gender.

During the meet-and-greet session, Director General Tang looks forward to hearing from start-ups and small/medium-sized companies about the role of IP in their business and how IP rights play into any decision to acquire, merge, or transfer technology. Additionally, he is interested in learning how IP may be viewed from the perspective of a start-up or small/medium-sized company when infringement disputes arise and what role IP ownership plays in supporting positive business outcomes.