The ABA and the Section of Intellectual Property Law have made the difficult decision to cancel this year's Section Annual Meeting scheduled for April 1-3 and postpone the special 125th Anniversary Commemorative Gala. In light of recent and challenging circumstances (including the declaration of a public health emergency in Washington D.C.; the World Health Organization declaration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as a pandemic; the growing number of law firms, corporations, and governmental agencies limiting or prohibiting travel; uncertainty caused by the U.S. government’s ban on travel from Europe to the U.S. for the next 30 days; the numerous recommendations against holding large group meetings; and the large number of speakers and attendees who were compelled to cancel their participation due to travel restrictions put in place by employers), we cannot proceed with the meeting. We will miss seeing all of you in Washington, D.C., but the health and safety of our members is our primary concern. We appreciate your patience as we have been carefully monitoring this dynamic situation.
On behalf of the Section Officers, we appreciate the significant contributions that have been made by committee and subcommittee leaders and program chairs for all of the CLE programs in preparation for this year's meeting. We anticipate offering many of these programs through an increased number of ABA-IPL Section webinars over the next months, so please watch your email for details on alternative CLE programming offerings.
Please note the cancellation policies below. Meeting registration and ticketed event fees will be fully refunded.
- Meeting: Cancellations for the Section Annual Meeting and ticketed events will automatically be processed, and refunds will be credited to you within the next two weeks using your original form of payment. For questions, please contact Abby Phillips at [email protected] or 312-988-6278.
- Hotel: Please note that hotel reservations must be cancelled by the individual who booked the reservation as soon as possible to avoid any penalties or fees. Mayflower Hotel: 202-347-3000, (800/228-7697 toll free).
- Airlines: Please note that flight reservations must be cancelled by the individual who booked the reservation. It is up to the individual airlines if they will waive change fees or issue credits for the entirety of tickets.
Thank you for registering for the 2020 ABA-IPL Section Annual Meeting and for your ongoing support of the Section of Intellectual Property Law. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us by email at [email protected], or by phone at 312-988-6278.
We look forward to seeing you at future ABA-IPL meetings and a rescheduled 125th Anniversary event.
I wish all of you good health.
Sincerely,
George W. Jordan, III
Chair, ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law