AI tools are entering IP practice faster than most governance frameworks can keep up — and the professional obligations don’t pause for that gap. This session walks through where those duties attach: at vendor selection, during use, and after the contract is signed. Attendees will leave with a practical diligence framework grounded in the Model Rules and recent ethics guidance, and a starting point for governing AI use on an ongoing basis.
Thomas Marlow is the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO) at Black Hills AI, where he and the Black Hills team are building AI-powered products and automation services that are transforming IP legal services. Tom has also served as Black Hills AI’s Chief Technical Officer and the President of Black Hills Renewals. Today, Tom and his teams are driving innovation in Black Hills’ signature generative AI platform, Otto IP™, and enhancing the integration of artificial intelligence throughout Black Hills’ service portfolio. He is a registered patent attorney and electrical engineer with a background in technology and analytics and a passion for IP systems. He has provided tailored IP support related to all aspects of corporate practice. Early in his career, Tom learned techniques to quickly build datasets from massive amounts of patent data and to evaluate the results to drive strategy. This work led to a corporate leadership position driving global IP operations and strategy for the renowned Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation. In addition to maintaining a portfolio of several thousand patents, Tom managed patent development, litigation, licensing, and acquisition across the US, Europe, and Asia. Tom has advised companies from startups to household-name multinationals on IP strategy, operations, and policy, and has spoken before diverse audiences across the country, from patent attorneys to C-suite executives to engineers to startup founders, on patent management, analysis, and strategy. He also coauthored the LexisNexis IP Law & Strategy Series book, “U.S. Patent Prosecutor’s Desk Reference,” an indexed analysis of appeals decisions for use in prosecuting patent applications that is now in its 14th year of publication.
