ChIPs Mock Pitch is our signature annual event developing skills and building confidence for your team.
Thursday, March 12, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM PST
Virtual
ChIPs 2026 Mock Pitch will feature an AI tech case with topics relevant to all IP lawyers. The case will explore both a wearable tech case that utilizes AI, how law firms may use artificial intelligence, and what issues organizations should consider in selecting a law firm that uses AI.
Teams will be composed of four junior partners or associates, plus one mentor. ChIPs developed its signature Mock Pitch program to help associates and junior partners gain real-life experience pitching to clients.
Teams are made up of 4 associates (or junior partners) + 1 mentor. The fee is $6,000 per team.
For questions about enrolling your team, contact Bridget Johnson.
In-house counsel who wish to volunteer to hear pitches or anyone who’d like more information about Mock Pitch may contact Monica Phillips.
Beyond feedback and practice pitching to in-house counsel, ChIPs is offering two new additional benefits for 2026. Mock participants will receive the following:
- Meet & Prep Session (optional) on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2:00 – 3:00 ET. This is an opportunity to meet with the ChIPs Mock Committee, comprised of in-house counsel and law firm partners, alongside Mock participants from competing teams. ChIPs Mock Pitch Committee will provide an overview of the Mock Scenario and answer questions with law firm team members to help them prepare their pitch.
- Client Development Toolkit with repeatable templates and frameworks for building both B2B and peer-to-peer (P2P) relationships. Resources include:
- Virtual Presentation & Connection Tools with best practices for building rapport, delivering impact and standing out in a remote pitch environment.
- LinkedIn Outreach Template for connecting with the in-house volunteer judges who will review your team during the Mock Pitch.
- Post-event Relationship-building Strategies for continuing meaningful engagement with Mock Volunteer Judges.
- Certificate of Mock Pitch 2026 Completion, verified by ChIPs, to add to your social profiles and CV.
- Leader’s Guide with suggested next steps and benchmarks for the Mock Mentor to follow up with her team.
Sponsors also have the opportunity to bundle Mock with their NextGen Summit sponsorship and save $1,000. Contact Bridget Johnson if you’d like to discuss a package that includes Mock and NextGen Summit.
In 2014, ChIPs developed the Mock Pitch program to create an opportunity for associates and junior partners to gain real-life experience pitching to clients, a necessary skill to elevate their careers and increase pay equity. Mock Pitch is now one of the signature events led by the ChIPs community.
Designed to improve participants’ skills and receive feedback from leading experts in IP and law, the program featured 14 law firm teams and 60 client volunteers, including leading in-house counsel who played the role of mock clients in the scenario.
Senior-level in-house counsel with experience evaluating business pitches from outside counsel, including leaders from Sony Interactive Entertainment, Novartis, Apple, Medtronic, NetApp, VMWare, Microsoft, NetApp, Oracle, Salesforce, Dolby, T-Mobile, IBM, Meta and MasterClass, have helped elevate the next generation of women leaders and cultivate an ecosystem that advances women in tech, law and policy.
ChIPs is always seeking volunteer judges for the program. If you are leading in-house counsel experienced with the pitch process and selecting outside counsel and are interested in volunteering, please register using the link below.
Julie Akhter
Senior Director of Programs, National Academy of Inventors
Rachel Fertig
Partner, DLA Piper
Heather Heeden
Patent Counsel, Microsoft
Karen Keller
IP Litigator and Co-Founder, Shaw Keller LLP
Sarah MacDonald
Director, IP Litigation, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Anna Mayergoyz Weinberg
Senior Counsel, Apple
Mindy Morton
Partner and Chair of Trade Secrets Group and DE&I Committee, Procopio