Leadership:
Mark Webbink
Mark Webbink is a visiting professor of law at New York Law School and Executive Director of the Center for Patent Innovations, the home of Peer To Patent.
Webbink came to the CPI from Red Hat, Inc. where he was the company’s first general counsel. He was subsequently elected a senior vice president and secretary of the company. Webbink served as general counsel until June 2004 when he returned to his primary area of interest as deputy general counsel for intellectual property. He served in that role through August 2007, when he retired from Red Hat. During Webbink’s tenure with Red Hat he developed a number of groundbreaking intellectual property practices, including Red Hat’s Patent Promise and the legal foundations for Red Hat’s subscription model for open source software.
Webbink has written and spoken extensively on the subjects of open source software, software patents, and patent reform, including testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice, and the National Academy of Sciences. Webbink has had articles published by the Queensland University of Technology, the Duke Law and Technology Review, Internet Law & Business, and New South Wales Society for Computers and the Law. His article “Understanding Open Source Software” has been reprinted around the world as a primer on open source licensing. Since 2005, Webbink has contributed the On the Docket column in Linux Magazine. He has lectured at the Computer Law Institute of the Practicing Law Institute, Georgetown’s Advanced Computer and Internet Law Institute, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Licensing Executives Society, and numerous law schools, including the University of California; Berkeley, Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Michigan, Queensland University of Technology, and University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Webbink has also served as a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University School of Law and an Adjunct Professor at North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Andrea Casillas (‘10), Director
As Director, Andrea is responsible for guiding the development and implementation of the newest iteration of Peer To Patent. She previously served as the Peer To Patent Outreach Manager during the initial pilot. In that capacity, Andrea led the project’s community building efforts.
Andrea holds a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from Arizona State University and a J.D. from New York Law School (‘10).
Christina Segro (‘12), Student Project Manager
Christina is a year year law student at New York Law School, where she is a student associate of the Institute for Information Law & Policy. As a rising third year, she has been recently appointed as Project Manager, a position previously held by Thomas Lemmo and Christopher Wong.
Christina holds a B.S. in General Science from Fordham University.
Student Associates by Law School:
New York Law School Team
Melissa DeFrances (‘13)- Marketing Manager
Melissa is a second year student at New York Law School where she is an Associate at the Institute for Information Law and Policy. She holds a Post-Baccalaureate in Pre-Medical Sciences from William Paterson University. Melissa also holds a B.A. in both Psychology and Elementary Education from the College of Saint Elizabeth.
Taneem Kabir (‘12)- Data Analytics Manager
Taneem is a third year student at New York Law School where he is an Associate at the Institute for Information Law and Policy. He holds a B.S. in Biology from the Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
Brooklyn Law School Team
Robert Feinland (‘13)
Robert is a second year student at Brooklyn Law School where he is a member of the Intellectual Propert Law Association. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from University of Michigan.
Duke University School of Law Team
Cameron Pick (‘13)
Cameron is a second year law student at Duke University School of Law where he is a member of the Patent Law Society. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.