Cynthia Cannady

Founder & Intellectual property strategy and technology licensing expert, lecturer and author

Cynthia Cannady is a prominent figure in the field of intellectual property strategy and technology licensing, renowned for her expertise and achievements. Holding a juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School and an honors bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, she is a member of the Bars of the State of California and the District of Columbia.

In 2007, Cannady founded IPSEVA after an illustrious career. Notably, she served as Director of the Intellectual Property and New Technologies Division at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2001 to 2007. During her tenure, she directed essential activities and international training programs related to IP strategy, licensing, technology transfer, valuation, and IP asset management.

Her extensive professional experience includes roles as Principal at Tech Law Group, Menlo Park, California; Vice President of Law for Manufacturing and Development at Apple Computer, Cupertino, California; and Partner in Litigation at Fenwick & West, Palo Alto, California.

Cannady actively contributed to the legal community, serving on the Executive Committee of the California State Bar Intellectual Property Section and chairing the Semiconductor Committee at the Licensing Executives Society (LES). Additionally, she was involved in various legal roles, including commercial arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association, Special Master, Early Neutral Evaluator for the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California, and law clerk to Judge Alvin B. Rubin in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. She also worked as an attorney advisor in the United States Department of State.

As an esteemed lecturer, Cannady has shared her knowledge on IP strategy and licensing at numerous prestigious institutions worldwide, such as the National University of Singapore Law School, European Institute for Life Sciences in Basel, Switzerland, Center for Intellectual Property Forum at Chalmers University in Goteborg, Sweden, and the University of Turin, Italy, in collaboration with the WIPO Academy.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Cannady served as a Trustee for Stanford University, actively contributing to the Finance and Academic Affairs Committees. She also played a consulting role at the Center for Nanotechnology and Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
In addition to her language skills, which include French (United Nations certificate of fluency) and knowledge of German, Portuguese, and Arabic, she has authored the treatise “Technology Licensing and Development Agreements,” published by Matthew Bender books, LexisNexis, in 2013, among other publications.

Cynthia Cannady’s extensive expertise, accomplishments, and dedication have solidified her position as a leading authority in intellectual property and technology licensing.