About the Shidler Center

Mission Statement

The Shidler Center for Law, Commerce and Technology at the University of Washington identifies and analyzes the impact of technological change on law, and examines the roles of innovation, incentives and competition in transforming domestic and global markets and legal institutions. The Center engages in national and international policy debates through active collaboration with local leaders, and recommends balanced strategies for managing the convergence of law and technology in local, national and global arenas. The Shidler Center, together with the Intellectual Property Law & Policy Program and the Center for Advanced Study and Research on Intellectual Property Law, constitutes the University of Washington School of Technology, Innovation, Law & Policy Program.

About Roger Shidler

The Shidler Center for Law, Commerce & Technology is named after Roger Shidler, one of the founding members of Shidler McBroom & Gates. Shidler McBroom & Gates later became the firm of Preston Gates & Ellis, most recently combining with Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP to become Kirkland & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP, a firm of 1,400 lawyers in 22 offices across three continents. Roger Shidler was a pioneer in the area of technology law and innovation. For more information on the history of the firm Roger Shidler helped found, please visit the K&L Gates website.