In 2016, Ian McClure became the Director of the University of Kentucky's Office of Technology Commercialization. Ian began his career as a Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and Intellectual Property (IP) transactions attorney with Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP in Louisville. Following private practice, he helped raise over $20M and built a start-up company in Chicago focused on technology and IP licensing. Most recently, Ian was Vice President of IP Strategy for Black Stone IP, an investment bank headquartered in San Francisco focused on IP-rich M&A, IP deals and technology-driven transactions. In parallel, he has taught Global IP Management and Maximizing IP Value as an Adjunct Professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law. Ian has published extensively in law and business journals related to the intersection of IP, business process, and corporate governance, including with top IP & Technology law reviews such as UC Berkeley, Fordham University, and Santa Clara University. He has presented to numerous symposiums and conferences on IP licensing, valuation, risk and strategy, and currently chairs the Regulatory Committee of the Licensing Executives Society (LES). For his work as an academic, entrepreneur and IP transactions specialist, Ian has been named by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) Magazine to the IP Strategy 300 – The World’s Leading IP Strategists (2012-present). Ian graduated cum laude with a degree in Economics from Vanderbilt University, magna cum laude with a JD from Chapman University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in Intellectual Property Law (L.L.M.) from DePaul University College of Law.