Counsel, U.S. Chamber Litigation Center
Mariel Brookins attended Wheaton College where she studied economics and theology. After graduation, she worked at PwC as a tax CPA. She attended the University of Michigan Law School. After law school, Mariel clerked for Judge Barrett on the Seventh Circuit and Judge Newsom on the Eleventh Circuit. She currently practices appellate litigation in Washington, D.C.
Litigation Senior Corporate Counsel, Microsoft
Benjamin Diggs is a Litigation Senior Corporate Counsel at Microsoft based in Redmond, Washington.
Previously, he was an Attorney at Hogan Lovells and also held positions at Heller Ehrman, U.S. Department of Justice, California Attorney Group, Athens College, Hellenic American Educational Foundation.
Benjamin received a Doctor of Law degree from Stanford University Law School.
Chief Legal Officer, Cognizant
John Kim has held the title of Chief Legal Officer, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary since February 2024. This title change was made to better reflect his responsibilities after previously serving as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Secretary beginning March 2021. In this role, he leads Cognizant’s legal, company secretary, compliance, corporate security, regulatory, ESG, global real estate, procurement, contract lifecycle risk management and strategic negotiation functions.
John joined Cognizant in November 2019 as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Global Commercial Contracts. Previously, he served as Global Head of Big Deals at Capgemini, U.S. Counsel for WNS Global Services and General Counsel for Travelport, a leading travel technology company, as well as a number of technology service companies.
John holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Columbia University. He obtained his law degree from Cornell Law School, where he was a member of the Cornell Law Review.
Executive Director of Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center
Michael Richards is the Executive Director of Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC), where he leads the Chamber’s work on artificial intelligence and IT modernization. His portfolio focuses on federal and state policies related to AI, facial recognition, and emerging technologies that impact American businesses. He also manages the AI Policy Working Group, a coalition of more than 100 companies and trade associations, and played a key role in developing the Chamber’s AI policy principles.
Prior to joining the Chamber, Michael served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Representatives Scott Franklin (FL-15) and Pete Olson (TX-22). In these roles, he led legislative strategy, staffed the House AI Caucus and Victims’ Rights Caucus, and handled the Communications & Technology portfolio on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Michael holds a Master of Public Policy from the Pepperdine School of Public Policy and a Bachelor’s degree from Texas State University.
Associate General Counsel, OpenAI
Michael Trinh is currently Associate General Counsel at OpenAI working on litigation and regulatory matters. He was formerly Head of Litigation Advance at Google where he led a team handling a broad portfolio of litigation strategy, research, amici briefs, and proactive/enforcement litigation across the company’s product areas.
In prior roles over 14 years at Google, Mike managed a group defending patent litigation worldwide, and also served as product counsel at Google X for emerging ‘moonshots’ (innovation projects primarily in developing economies). He guided experimental aviation projects as they evolved from research concept towards market introduction, handling the legal/regulatory issues arising from high altitude balloon-mounted telecommunication networks, drone delivery of burritos, kite-generated electricity, and cargo airships. Before this science fiction, he was Litigation Counsel at Google, managing a team handling a fast-growing docket of 100+ patent litigation cases in courts worldwide.
Previously, he was a technology/IP litigation associate at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe in San Francisco. He also handled national security issues while representing, pro bono, Guantanamo Bay detainees challenging their indefinite incarceration without ever being charged. Mike graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center (2005) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2002, B.S. Comp Sci). While he grew up in Raleigh, NC, he now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and a string cheese-seeking dog (who was once featured in the Financial Times).
Counsel, U.S. Chamber Litigation Center
Mariel Brookins attended Wheaton College where she studied economics and theology. After graduation, she worked at PwC as a tax CPA. She attended the University of Michigan Law School. After law school, Mariel clerked for Judge Barrett on the Seventh Circuit and Judge Newsom on the Eleventh Circuit. She currently practices appellate litigation in Washington, D.C.
Litigation Senior Corporate Counsel, Microsoft
Benjamin Diggs is a Litigation Senior Corporate Counsel at Microsoft based in Redmond, Washington.
Previously, he was an Attorney at Hogan Lovells and also held positions at Heller Ehrman, U.S. Department of Justice, California Attorney Group, Athens College, Hellenic American Educational Foundation.
Benjamin received a Doctor of Law degree from Stanford University Law School.
Chief Legal Officer, Cognizant
John Kim has held the title of Chief Legal Officer, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary since February 2024. This title change was made to better reflect his responsibilities after previously serving as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Secretary beginning March 2021. In this role, he leads Cognizant’s legal, company secretary, compliance, corporate security, regulatory, ESG, global real estate, procurement, contract lifecycle risk management and strategic negotiation functions.
John joined Cognizant in November 2019 as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Global Commercial Contracts. Previously, he served as Global Head of Big Deals at Capgemini, U.S. Counsel for WNS Global Services and General Counsel for Travelport, a leading travel technology company, as well as a number of technology service companies.
John holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Columbia University. He obtained his law degree from Cornell Law School, where he was a member of the Cornell Law Review.
Executive Director of Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center
Michael Richards is the Executive Director of Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC), where he leads the Chamber’s work on artificial intelligence and IT modernization. His portfolio focuses on federal and state policies related to AI, facial recognition, and emerging technologies that impact American businesses. He also manages the AI Policy Working Group, a coalition of more than 100 companies and trade associations, and played a key role in developing the Chamber’s AI policy principles.
Prior to joining the Chamber, Michael served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Representatives Scott Franklin (FL-15) and Pete Olson (TX-22). In these roles, he led legislative strategy, staffed the House AI Caucus and Victims’ Rights Caucus, and handled the Communications & Technology portfolio on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Michael holds a Master of Public Policy from the Pepperdine School of Public Policy and a Bachelor’s degree from Texas State University.
Associate General Counsel, OpenAI
Michael Trinh is currently Associate General Counsel at OpenAI working on litigation and regulatory matters. He was formerly Head of Litigation Advance at Google where he led a team handling a broad portfolio of litigation strategy, research, amici briefs, and proactive/enforcement litigation across the company’s product areas.
In prior roles over 14 years at Google, Mike managed a group defending patent litigation worldwide, and also served as product counsel at Google X for emerging ‘moonshots’ (innovation projects primarily in developing economies). He guided experimental aviation projects as they evolved from research concept towards market introduction, handling the legal/regulatory issues arising from high altitude balloon-mounted telecommunication networks, drone delivery of burritos, kite-generated electricity, and cargo airships. Before this science fiction, he was Litigation Counsel at Google, managing a team handling a fast-growing docket of 100+ patent litigation cases in courts worldwide.
Previously, he was a technology/IP litigation associate at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe in San Francisco. He also handled national security issues while representing, pro bono, Guantanamo Bay detainees challenging their indefinite incarceration without ever being charged. Mike graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center (2005) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2002, B.S. Comp Sci). While he grew up in Raleigh, NC, he now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and a string cheese-seeking dog (who was once featured in the Financial Times).
Everyone v. AI: Navigating the New Regulatory and Legal Battleground
Mariel Brookins, Benjamin Diggs, John Kim, Michael Richards, Mike Trinh
Presented by the In-House Counsel Network and the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center CLE credit for...
Everyone v. AI: Navigating the New Regulatory and Legal Battleground