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Two Leading Patent Professionals & Intellectual Property Strategists Join Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held

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JERICHO, N.Y., Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Global consulting firm J.S. Held, proudly celebrating 50 transformative years, joins Ocean Tomo in welcoming David Kennedy and Larry Tedesco to the intellectual property (IP) practice. 

Renowned intellectual property experts David Kennedy and Larry Tedesco join Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held.

David Kennedy, CPA, is an expert in intellectual property valuation and negotiating the economics of patent sales and licensing agreements. He has been acknowledged as one of the World’s Leading IP Strategists by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) for each of the last 11 years.

Mr. Kennedy has bought and sold patent portfolios, negotiated license agreements in commercial transactions, and helped clients establish royalty rates for individual patents and large portfolios of implementation and standard essential patents. Additionally, he has provided forensic consulting services in litigation matters and has testified as an expert witness in numerous matters involving patents, copyrights, and trade secrets covering a wide variety of technologies and technical benefits. Mr. Kennedy has testified as a patent licensing and reasonable royalty expert in ICC International Arbitration proceedings and federal courts – including opining on royalty rates for standard essential patents, implementation patents, and US and worldwide portfolio rates.

His intellectual property experience includes:

35 years as a CPA, auditor, and accounting consultant for corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, and law firms performing audits, litigation support, IP and asset valuation, IP management, and forensic accounting servicesServing as the primary negotiator or advisor in over 200 IP-related negotiations as both an owner of IP or on behalf of companies, universities, and inventors, including patent sales, license agreements, and cross-license agreementsReview and analysis of thousands of patent license agreements to determine effective royalty rates and evaluate specific aspects of the license negotiation process to determine comparable licenses for litigation and negotiation purposes

Mr. Kennedy’s professional experience started over 35 years ago as a CPA for Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC). His experience includes investing in and raising venture capital for intellectual property-based companies and negotiating the economics of patent sales. He has also purchased patent portfolios and implemented licensing programs as an owner and manager of the patents and on behalf of investor groups, inventors, and corporations, including the determination of appropriate royalty rates in the marketplace.

Larry Tedesco, CVA, CLP, MAFF, is an intellectual property valuation, licensing, and damages expert. He is acknowledged as one of the World’s Leading IP Strategists and Patent Professionals by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM). Mr. Tedesco has spent a large portion of his career developing, managing, valuing, and licensing intellectual property as both an operator and a consultant. He has provided multiple levels of damages evaluations for both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of IP disputes. He is a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP), and a Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF).

Mr. Tedesco has provided forensic and expert consulting services in litigation matters regarding patent royalty structures and modeling, lost profits, reasonable royalties, unjust enrichment, trade secrets, and other forms of economic damages related to complex commercial litigation, IP licensing, and valuation. Mr. Tedesco has reviewed and analyzed thousands of license agreements.  He has determined FRAND royalty rates for Standard Essential Patents in a variety of technologies including wireless telecommunications, Wi-Fi, and audio/video.

His experience includes:

More than 20 years of IP development, valuation, monetization, and enforcementNegotiating over 200 IP transactionsReview and analysis of thousands of license agreementsDamages evaluation, including lost profits, reasonable royalty, unjust enrichment, and other forms of economic damagesAssisting clients with the determination of FRAND/RAND royalty rates for standard essential patents.

As an operator, Mr. Tedesco has significant experience monetizing intellectual property in a wide variety of industries, including telecommunications, medical devices, software development, electronics, manufacturing, and augmented reality. He has held senior-level management positions where he obtained extensive experience developing patent assets in addition to designing and implementing IP licensing programs. Mr. Tedesco has negotiated more than 200 IP transactions and managed the licensing program to an industry-leading essential Ethernet patent portfolio.

These two stalwart experts join a multidisciplinary team of multidimensional experts – accountants, financiers, scientists, lawyers, and engineers. Together, the team provides a leading array of financial and technical services related to intangible assets. Built upon more than three decades of experience valuing IP in the most rigorous of venues: state, federal, and international courts, Ocean Tomo financial, market, and technical experts, with an understanding of the contributory value of patented inventions, know-how, brands, and copyrights that permeate every business.

“We have known and worked with David and Larry for decades. We are grateful to have them now as part of the Ocean Tomo team, enhancing our scope of experience and ability to provide a full-service solution on IP matters,” shared Ocean Tomo co-founder and Senior Managing Director James E. Malackowski, CPA, CLP.

Ocean Tomo financial testimony professionals have industry-leading experience across all types of disputes and are particularly skilled in the determination of damages in matters involving IP. The firm’s IP experts have decades of litigation analysis experience, benefiting clients when they evaluate complex financial data, qualitative facts, supporting testimony, and damages-related case law. Ocean Tomo experts are routinely qualified in U.S. District Courts, U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, state courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board, international courts, and arbitration tribunals on questions relating to IP economics. Ocean Tomo experts are known for a “teaching” – as opposed to “telling” – approach of testimony. Rather than only providing a judge or jury with an opinion, experts communicate the key facts and relevant theories in a clear and logical manner.

The Ocean Tomo team specializes in understanding and leveraging intellectual property with offerings that include financial expert testimony, IP valuation, strategy consulting, business intelligence, technical support, investment advisory, innovation management consulting, and transaction brokerage.

As a part of J.S. Held, Ocean Tomo works alongside more than 1,500 professionals globally and assists clients – corporations, law firms, insurers, governments, and institutional investors – on complex technical, scientific, and financial matters across all assets and value at risk.

David Kennedy and Larry Tedesco are now part of the dedicated and entrepreneurial experts who help transform J.S. Held. Explore our story, and celebrate this momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at jsheld.com.

About J.S. Held

J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.

More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (85% of the NAIC top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 65% of the Fortune 100 Companies.

About Ocean Tomo

Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held, provides Expert Opinion, Management Consulting, Advisory, and Specialty Services focused on matters involving intellectual property (IP) and other intangible assets. Practice offerings address economic damage calculations and testimony; business licensing strategy and contract interpretation; patent-focused business intelligence; portfolio development strategy; litigation support; trade secret reasonable measures; asset and business valuation; strategy and risk management consulting; merger and acquisition advisory; debt and equity private placement; and IP brokerage.

J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not law firms and do not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved.

Media Contact

Kristi L. Stathis, J.S. Held, +1 786 833 4864, Kristi.Stathis@jsheld.com, JSHeld.com

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SOURCE J.S. Held

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Walmart Has 23.6% of U.S. Grocery Sales – But Costco Owns the AI Answer – 5W Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index 2026

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Walmart Owns 21% of U.S. Grocery — But Costco Owns the AI Answer 

NEW YORK, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 5WPR, the premier AI communications firm in the United States, today released the U.S. Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index 2026 — the 11th installment in 5W’s AI Visibility Index research series, and the first to rank American grocery retailers by how frequently they are cited inside AI-generated answers.

The headline finding rewrites the category league table.

Walmart, with approximately 21 percent of U.S. grocery market share — the largest in the country — ranks fourth in AI citation share. The retailer cited most often when American shoppers ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews where to buy their groceries is Costco. Trader Joe’s ranks second. Whole Foods ranks third. Aldi, H-E-B, and Wegmans are all punching far above what their physical footprint would predict.

“Market share is a lagging indicator. AI citation share is a leading indicator,” said Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman of 5W. “The grocers who close that gap in 2026 will define the category in 2030. Most grocery CMOs we talk to are running 2019 playbooks against 2026 consumer behavior.”

5W researchers ran more than 80 consumer-intent queries across 12 sub-categories — best overall grocery store, cheapest, highest-quality produce, best private label, best organic, best meal planning, best bulk, best delivery, best customer service, best regional, and others — across the four leading consumer AI platforms. Each retailer was scored on citation frequency, position within the answer, sentiment, and sub-category dominance.

The top 10: Costco, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger, Aldi, H-E-B, Publix, Wegmans, and Target.

Key structural findings:

Market share no longer predicts AI citation share. Walmart’s roughly 21 percent share translates to an estimated 8 to 10 percent AI citation share across premium query categories. The decoupling is the single largest such gap in American retail.Private label is the highest-leverage citation asset a grocer owns. Kirkland, Trader Joe’s, 365, Good & Gather, and Great Value are cited directly by name in AI answers at rates that exceed most national CPG brands.Regional loyalty translates directly into regional AI dominance. Regional chains outperform national chains in their home markets by 3x or more.Reddit and TikTok are under-priced citation surfaces. Perplexity pulls a majority of its answers from community sources. ChatGPT and Claude weight Reddit heavily.

The report also identifies six 2026 dynamics reshaping the category, including the new GLP-1 grocery basket, Aldi’s expansion as a citation-compounding program, and Walmart’s CEO transition from Doug McMillon to John Furner — effective February 1, 2026 — as a brand-narrative inflection point.

The full Index, including ranks 11 through 25 and sub-category breakdowns, is available as a free download at 5wpr.com/research.

About 5W

5W is the AI Communications Firm, building brand authority across the platforms where decisions now happen — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — alongside earned media, digital, and influencer channels. 5W combines public relations, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and proprietary AI visibility research, helping clients measure and grow their presence in AI-driven buyer research. 

Founded more than 20 years ago, 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s, named Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards®, and honored as a Top Place to Work in Communications in 2026 by Ragan. 5W serves clients across B2C sectors including Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, and Nonprofit; B2B specialties including Corporate Communications and Reputation Management; as well as Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, and Digital Marketing, including Social Media, Influencer, Paid Media, GEO, and SEO. 5W was also named to the Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year list.

For more information, visit www.5wpr.com.

Media Contact
Chris Bergin
cbergin@5wpr.com

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SOURCE 5W Public Relations

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ICAT Logistics Appoints Youssef Annali as Chief Financial Officer

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Transportation and logistics finance leader joins as ICAT accelerates its next phase of growth

DALLAS, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ICAT Logistics announces the appointment of Youssef Annali as Chief Financial Officer. Annali brings more than two decades of senior finance leadership across global logistics and supply chain businesses, and joins as the company scales its platform, team, and operational capabilities globally. 

Annali joins ICAT from OIA Global, a $1.4 billion revenue supply chain management leader, where he served as CFO for four years overseeing Finance, Corporate Development, Strategy, Legal, Compliance, and Real Estate. Prior to OIA, he spent eleven years at CEVA Logistics—one of the world’s largest freight and logistics providers—rising to CFO & EVP Finance for North America, where he held financial accountability for a business generating over $4.5 billion in annual revenue and more than 14,000 employees. Earlier in his career, he served in senior finance roles at Abbott, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Annali has a consistent track record of building finance functions that support strategic growth and has deep experience across financial planning, M&A, treasury, and corporate restructuring. He holds a Post-Master’s in Finance and Control from the University of Amsterdam and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Groningen.

“Youssef has led high-performing finance teams at the highest levels of global logistics. He brings the operational depth and strategic mindset our platform demands as we enter the next phase of growth,” said Brad Stogner, CEO of ICAT Logistics.

“ICAT has built something genuinely differentiated—a specialized platform operating in verticals where precision and domain expertise are non-negotiable. The foundation is strong, and the opportunity ahead is significant. I look forward to working with the team to accelerate that momentum,” said Youssef Annali, Chief Financial Officer of ICAT Logistics.

About ICAT

ICAT is the world’s leading specialized logistics company, delivering customized solutions and deep vertical expertise to industries where failure is not an option. With 65 offices and operating capabilities in 190 countries, ICAT serves customers across Live Events, Luxury, Technology, Defense & Aerospace, Life Sciences, and Financial Institutions—sectors defined by uncompromising performance standards. ICAT’s proprietary, AI-powered technology platform provides end-to-end visibility and predictive intelligence, enabling precise execution for the most demanding operations.

ICAT is backed by New Atlas Capital following its acquisition of the Company in 2024.

Contact Information

ICAT Logistics, Inc.
8840 Cypress Waters Blvd, Ste 325,
Coppell, TX, 75019
marketing@icatlogistics.com

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SOURCE ICAT Logistics, Inc.

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HelloNation Article Highlights Poughkeepsie’s Focus on Youth Investment, Neighborhood Parks and Sustainable Reuse

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The article examines how redevelopment projects and youth programs are reshaping community life across Poughkeepsie.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — What does long term community growth look like when a city invests in both people and public spaces? HelloNation has published a HelloNation article that provides the answer through a detailed look at how Poughkeepsie is combining youth investment, neighborhood improvements and adaptive reuse projects to support residents and strengthen the city’s future.

The article explains that Poughkeepsie is undergoing a period of reinvention centered on infrastructure upgrades, youth programming and redevelopment along the city’s Northside. According to the article, local and county leaders are working to create spaces where residents can learn, gather and build stronger community connections. The article notes that these efforts are intended to improve quality of life while helping the city grow in a more sustainable and inclusive way.

A major focus of the article is the planned Youth Opportunity Union, also known as the YOU, a large multipurpose youth facility backed by Dutchess County. The HelloNation article describes the project as a 19,000 square foot center that will include childcare services, wellness support, tutoring areas, teaching kitchens and both indoor and outdoor recreation spaces. The article explains that the project reflects a larger regional effort to increase opportunities for children and teenagers in underserved communities.

The article also highlights additional youth centered investments connected to sports, education and recreation. According to the article, Dutchess County has awarded grants to local organizations serving young people between the ages of 6 and 17. The article further explains that Poughkeepsie’s City Parks program has introduced mini grants designed to support renovations and activities in neighborhood parks, including Pershing Avenue and Malcolm X parks.

Beyond youth programs, the article details how the city is working to improve transportation and neighborhood infrastructure. The HelloNation article explains that Poughkeepsie launched its first five year paving plan in 2025, beginning with major roadway improvements on Main Street and other corridors. The article states that these upgrades are intended to improve safety, durability and daily conditions for residents while supporting broader redevelopment goals throughout the city.

Another important part of the article focuses on adaptive reuse and environmental redevelopment on the Northside. The article describes how Scenic Hudson plans to transform the former Standard Gage Factory into the Northside Hub, a redevelopment project designed to serve as both a nonprofit headquarters and a community gathering space. According to the article, the project will feature solar powered operations, office space, public parkland and community facilities near the Walkway Over the Hudson and Dutchess Rail Trail.

The article also explains that Poughkeepsie’s selection as the Mid Hudson winner in New York’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative adds additional momentum to current redevelopment efforts. The HelloNation article notes that the funding will support new downtown projects that build on existing investments in youth programs, infrastructure and adaptive reuse. Together, these efforts are presented as part of a broader strategy to create long term stability and opportunity for local residents.

The article concludes that Poughkeepsie’s emerging identity is closely tied to projects that strengthen neighborhoods while supporting future generations. Poughkeepsie Puts Youth, Neighborhood Parks and Sustainable Reuse at the Center of Renewal features insights from HelloNation Staff Writer, community development coverage of Poughkeepsie, New York, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation

HelloNation is America’s Good News Network, a premier media platform built on the idea that good news travels faster when real people tell real stories. Through its community-focused digital publications and innovative “edvertising” approach, HelloNation delivers expert-driven, good-news content that informs, inspires, and spotlights the leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities. HelloNation maintains partnerships with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the United States First Responders Association.

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SOURCE HelloNation

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