The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce Malaika Tyson as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Malaika Tyson, in her own words:
Years working in IP: 11
Years with current organization: 11
Current location: Chicago, IL
Current role: Shareholder
What I do: My practice focuses on corporate intellectual property and patent protection strategies. I assist innovative companies and universities in developing integrated approaches to the strategic management of intellectual property by providing patent and trademark prosecution, competitive intellectual property analysis and portfolio management, and management of complex multi-faceted intellectual property transactions.
Previous roles: Senior Research and Development Scientist at Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology
Years and involvement with AIPLA: 10 years – I became involved with AIPLA as a law student. Shortly after becoming an attorney, I continued my involvement with the organization by serving on several committees.
Q. What was the best professional decision you ever made?
A. Switching careers. When I entered the workforce after completing my Ph.D., I never thought I would change my career. I have always loved science and knew it would be my chosen profession. However, as I saw a life science company’s corporate side, I became interested in how the business development team mixed legal, technical, and business aspects when forming decisions. After learning more about this corporate side, I decided to switch from bench scientist to patent attorney.
Q. What was the worst professional decision you ever made?
A. Assuming that my good work would be recognized. Early in my scientific career, I would just put my head down, stay quiet, and do good work, hoping that my manager would recognize my effort. However, mid-way into my career, I was asked to split my time between two groups (and two managers). After my first review, I quickly realized that I had to advocate for myself by speaking up about my successes. I’ve since taken that approach into my legal career and have worked to be my own best advocate.
Q. What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
A. Being elevated to equity partner. Less than 2% of attorneys admitted to the patent bar are Black, and less than 1% of all law firm partners are Black women; this number is even smaller when considering only equity partners. I’m also proud of the relationships I’ve built with my clients, especially my entrepreneurial and start-up clients. Through this collaborative relationship, I’ve helped many clients develop high valued patent portfolios.
Q. In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers?
A. Be your own best advocate – ask questions, do not be afraid to speak up and speak out (and know when to say “no”), celebrate your successes, position yourself to identify opportunities, and find mentors and sponsors who can help to advance your career.
Q. What is the best advice you have received?
A. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
More about Malaika:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read:
Delightful, Seasoned, Savvy, and Accessible
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway:
Go to law school.
One thing people are surprised to find out about me:
That I am a hard cider blogger, and I’ve written articles for several cider publications.
The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce Elizabeth Tassi as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Elizabeth Tassi, in her own words:
Years working in IP: 13
Years with current organization: 13
Current location: Stinson LLP, Kansas City office
Current role: Partner in the Intellectual Property division
What I do:
I help clients turn trademark and copyright portfolios into assets. My sweet spot is international trademark portfolio management, and I have significant experience in trademark and copyright prosecution and enforcement. I am in regular communication with U.S. trademark and copyright examiners and a large network of trademark associates around the world.
Previous roles:
I started as a patent attorney and associate with the firm and gladly took on any task related to intellectual property. Since transitioning my practice to an alternative work schedule, I have narrowed my focus to trademark and copyright matters.
Years and involvement with AIPLA: six
What was the best professional decision you ever made?
After having my second child, I adopted a radical alternative work schedule. I am typically in the office two days and work remotely three days each week. This extreme flexibility is how I thrive as a lawyer mom.
What was the worst professional decision you ever made?
Every time I said yes to too many people and projects at once to appease my ego such that I physically could not do my best work. Unfortunately, I had to learn this lesson over and over before it sunk into my heart and mind.
What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
In 2018, I hosted the Kansas City portion of the AIPLA Women in IP Global Networking Event, where I lead a panel discussion with three of my clients on how to pivot toward success. Because my relationship with each woman was strong and sincere, the conversation flowed and their honest commentary on their careers—highs and lows—resonated with the audience. For weeks after the event, members of the Kansas City IP community contacted me with comments on how that presentation made their day, filled their cups, and generally encouraged them to keep going.
In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers?
I once heard someone suggest that to be successful, you must wear blinders (like an elite racehorse). As women, I think we are accustomed to juggling many balls (projects, committees, calendars, roles, relationships, etc). Sometimes all of the opportunities, coupled with a poignant fear of missing out, are more distracting than anything else. If life has not forced you to do so already, take the time to examine whether your commitments align with your priorities. Then put on your blinders so you can focus on what matters most.
What is the best advice you have received?
After several years of languishing in self-doubt, my dear mother-in-law told me, “You are enough, and you have what it takes. Now start acting like it.”
More about Elizabeth:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read: Dedicated – Warning: Very stubborn
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway: I joined the Catholic Church in 2019; it was a tumultuous journey, but now I am home.
One thing people are surprised to find out about me: I am a crack shot with a Henry Lever Action rifle.
The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce Allison Gaul as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Allison Gaul, in her own words:
Years working in IP: 9 years
Years with current organization: One
Current location: Kilpatrick, Townsend, and Stockton, LLP
Current role: Associate
What I do: My primary role is to support companies through all phases of patent asset procurement from FTO searches to ex parte appeals.
Previous roles: Patent Examiner, Patent Agent
Years and involvement with AIPLA: Eight. Three years as an observer and five years as an active participant.
Q. What was the best professional decision you ever made?
A. Becoming truly engaged with organizations within the IP community, enabling me to build a network of friends and colleagues that I carry with me regardless of my job, role, or location. It’s so very important to have people outside of your Employer that you can reach out to with questions about your career, your work, and ways to build your practice.
Q. What was the worst professional decision you ever made?
A. Not believing that as a young associate, I had the power to tell Partners when the work was too much, the hours too long, and that just because I was single and without children didn’t mean that I “had nothing better to do over the weekend.”
Q. What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
A. Every time I set a goal and I accomplish it, that’s the best moment of my career. The legal profession is full of people who operate in a negative mindset and don’t hesitate to inflict it on others, making it particularly important for each of us to celebrate our own victories! If you don’t think you’re awesome, it’s hard to convince your colleagues and clients that you are!
Q. In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers?
A. Taking more time for self-care and personal development. It’s hard to be an advocate for yourself or others around you if you don’t have a good sense of where you want to go in your career, and the type of life you want to have along the way.
Q. What is the best advice you have received?
A. I met a Miss America Judge who told me “[y]ou could be the world’s best pear, but if the Judges are looking for oranges that day, then it doesn’t matter how good of a pear you are. Get out there and be the very best pear YOU can be, so that when the day comes that the Judges are looking for pears, you’ll be ready.” I’m pretty sure she was referencing the Miss America competition, but I think this is great career advice in general. Sometimes we aren’t picked, promoted, honored, or recognized for reasons outside our control. It’s important that we refuse to make those incidents about us and don’t base our self-worth or achievement. Use them as learning opportunities, keep improving, and one day you’ll be recognized as the world’s best pear.
More about Allison:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read: “Tenacious Lady: a whimsical and uplifting blend of vanilla and dark cherry backed by undertones of strong espresso.” I’m assuming it’s an alcoholic beverage..
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway:
Practice yoga. Upon my original exposure to the practice, I thought it was just bizarre and very “new age.” Then a physical therapist ordered me to attend yoga class twice a week as part of a plan of recovery from a spinal fracture. Now I can teach yoga!
One thing people are surprised to find out about me:
In 2018 I become the world’s first patent attorney to win a beauty pageant title. I currently serve as International Ms. North Carolina 2019, for International Ms., an organization dedicated to promoting women entrepreneurs and career women.
The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce TONYA COMBS as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Tonya Combs, in her own words:
Years working in IP: 14+ years.
Years with current organization: 17+ years
Current location: Indianapolis, In.
Current role: Vice-President and Deputy General Patent Counsel
What I do:I counsel senior leaders at Eli Lilly and Company on IP strategy. I also have the good fortune to lead a group of incredibly talented and experienced patent attorneys responsible for global patent procurement (drafting and prosecuting), maintenance, and aspects of enforcement for Lilly. In addition, we assess the potential relevance of third party patents to determine their potential impact on Lilly’s development efforts and value in business due diligence.
Previous roles: I started at Lilly as a chemical engineer in research and development where I had responsibility for optimizing processes for scale up production of clinical trial material. I have had a number of positions in the law division, including roles in patent preparation and prosecution, patent litigation, brand attorney, trade secret protection and enforcement, general counsel for our oncology business, and others.
Years and involvement with AIPLA: I have been involved in AIPLA in a variety of ways since 2012. I previously participated on the Model Patent Jury Instructions Subcommittee (2015), and am currently a member of the Patent Law Committee, among others.
Q: What was the best professional decision you ever made?
A: The best professional decision I ever made was applying to law school. It opened an exciting new career path that marries scientific interest with cutting edge innovation.
Q: What was the worst professional decision you ever made?
A: Underestimating my readiness to take on a new assignment. Transitioning to a new role or area of law is its own skill set, and one that cannot be developed without experience.
Q: What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
A: I have had the opportunity to work on many complex and interesting projects, litigation, oppositions, etc. The accomplishments I look back on most fondly are those enabling innovative new medicine to help patients, and those facilitating the development and growth of other practitioners.
Q: In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers?
A: Don’t underestimate yourself; your colleagues aren’t! Knowledge gaps equal growth opportunities. How fortunate that we endeavor to succeed in a career that allows us to learn constantly. Let’s embrace that and lean forward into the next opportunity.
Q: What is the best advice you have received?
A: We’re shooting for excellence, not perfection. This advice helps me keep prioritization top of mind and to beware the point of diminishing returns.
More about Tonya:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read:
Contains: determination and realistic optimism. Caution: contents turn gritty and persevere under pressure.
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway:
I was always interested in a variety of science-focused careers, but never envisioned a career practicing law.
One thing people are surprised to find out about me:
I first became interested in patent law after being named the sole inventor on a patent application.
The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce RICHA PANDEY as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Richa Pandey, in her own words:
Years working in IP: 16 years
Years with current organization: 5 years
Current location: Gurugram, India
Current role: Partner
What I do: I have been actively doing patent prosecution and have prosecuted hundreds of cases with favorable outcomes. Apart from that I have also done due diligence, patentability opinions and strategic counseling. Besides these, I have also successfully prosecuted several patent oppositions and litigations. Presently, I would say that my forte is portfolio management. As an individual, I have been a voluntary blood donor for years. I also employ my free time to work with spastic children.
Previous roles: My previous roles were mainly in patent prosecution & patent litigation.
Years and involvement with AIPLA: I was initially introduced to AIPLA in the year 2005. However, I have been a regular attendee of AIPLA for the past five years. I have organized and hosted the AIPLA Women in IP Global Networking event in India.
Q. What was the best professional decision you ever made?
A. The best professional decision was to pursue intellectual property as my career. It has been a very self-satisfying journey wherein I have been able to explore my expertise in both science and law. Furthermore, the pro bono work with a lot of students and institutions makes me feel that I have been an essential cog in the developmental wheel of technology.
Q. What was the worst professional decision you ever made?
A. The worst professional decision I made was to limit myself. In my given role, I was not challenged enough. I felt I wasn’t able to reach my full potential because of a real lack of challenge. At times one becomes complacent with one’s role and I did allow myself to persist in such a role, which was the worst professional decision I could have made.
Q. What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
A. My greatest professional achievement has been the ability to carve out a niche for myself, transcending across boundaries of gender, nationalities, and different streams of intellectual property.
Q. In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers?
A. It is important that one should realize that we are professionals and each one of us have our own limitation and our own potential which is specific and special to our own persona and does not overlap with any other person. Recognizing the same will go a long way in actualization of our career goals.
Q. What is the best advice you have received?
A. The best advice I have received was “Don’t be a treetop flyer”.
More about Richa:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read:
A. “I am that.”
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway:
A. I have always believed that one should walk away from situations that are irredeemable. However, I have been guilty of persisting when the best decision would have been to move forward.
One thing people are surprised to find out about me:
A. I am an Indian and am completely different from the stereotyped image of an Indian woman that they envisioned.
The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce MALGORZATA (GOSIA) KULCZYCKA as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Malgorzata (Gosia) Kulczycka, in her own words:
Years working in IP: 14 years
Years with current organization: 11 years
Current location: San Jose, California
Current role: Partner and Patent Attorney in a law firm
What I do: As an attorney, I counsel and advise clients, write and prosecute patent applications, and manage clients’ portfolios. I have drafted hundreds of patent applications and brought to the law firm many clients, including several tech companies and startups. As a member of the Bay Area community in California, I am actively involved in the Polish community, the Polish American Engineers Club, the Polish Food Bank, and startup organizations. I provide pro bono services to startup companies to help them to identify and harvest patentable ideas. I also prepare and deliver IP-related presentations on various forums, including conferences, seminars, and networking events.
Previous roles: I used to work as a manager and a computer scientist for General Motors Corporation in Michigan. I developed a computer graphics system for the Virtual Reality (VR) Studio for the Design Center at General Motors. At the VR Studio, we were displaying 3D virtual animations of new designs of cars and trucks. I learned a great deal about automotive designs, and supporting a company business. These skills happen to be very helpful in my current career as an attorney.
Years and involvement with AIPLA: 14 years
Q. What was the best professional decision you ever made?
A. The best professional decision that I have ever made was going to law school and becoming a patent attorney. Prior to going to law school, I worked as a computer scientist and developed state-of-the-art VR software applications. The great experience as a computer scientist prepared me for even greater experience as a patent attorney.
Q. What was the worst professional decision you ever made?
A. As I look back at my professional choices, I see that my career path has been what I wanted it to be. I have tried different things, and I enjoyed all of them. For example, after graduating with my Ph.D. degree in computer science, I made a surprising decision to enroll to the Academy of Fine Arts, and to become an artist. Studying the arts at the Academy was exciting: I learned how to paint, and I learned the history of arts. Nevertheless, a couple of years later, I returned to my computer science background, and became a computer graphics developer. That led me to coming up with my own inventions in the area of computer graphics. That led me to patent law.
Q. What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
A. My greatest professional achievement thus far has been becoming a partner in an intellectual property law firm. Along my journey to become a partner, I had bad and good days. The bad days made me stronger. The good days gave me encouragement and strength.
Q. In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers?
A. In my opinion, to advance their careers, women should believe in themselves. Even if others discourage us from reaching our goals, we should persist anyway. It is important, though, to pick our goals wisely. The goals may change from time to time. But, action is always better than inaction.
Q. What is the best advice you have received?
A. A few years ago, someone told me “know what you want, find a way to get it, and do what you need to do to achieve what it is that you want.”
More about Gosia:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read:
A. “A Polish woman who is not afraid to get it all.”
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway:
A. A few years ago, I drove a car at 180 kilometers per hour on an autobahn in Germany. I was scared, but I did it anyway.
One thing people are surprised to find out about me:
A. People are surprised to find out that, in my spare time, I play piano and I do some oil painting on canvas.
The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce RACHEL CARNAGGIO as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Rachel Carnaggio, in her own words:
Years working in IP: 12
Years with current organization: 4
Current location: Denver, Colorado
Current role: Senior Counsel
What I do: I prepare and prosecute patents and trademarks for individuals, start-ups, and large corporations. I have been actively involved in the Colorado BioScience Association for over a decade serving on multiple committees. I do pro bono patent preparation and prosecution for low income inventors in the USPTO ProBoPat and Mi Casa Resource Center program. I serve on the Board of Directors of Second Wind Fund, a Colorado non-profit organization that provides education, awareness, and treatment services to prevent suicide in children 19 and younger.
Previous roles: I worked as a research associate in molecular and cellular laboratories at University of Arizona, University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University and Denver Health Medical Center. I was an emergency medical technician in the Denver area. I practiced law as a litigator in Denver area law firms. I served as a guardian ad litem representing children in domestic violence cases for several years. I previously volunteered for seven seasons as a Girls on the Run coach with local elementary school students in a curriculum that included daily lesson plans on positive emotional, social, mental and physical development, and training for a 5K (while practicing law!).
Years and involvement with AIPLA: I have been involved with AIPLA since 2011. I am a member of the Biotechnology and Women in IP Committees. I have organized and hosted the AIPLA Women in IP Global Networking Event in Denver at the Rocky Mountain USPTO for the past two years.
- What was the best professional decision you ever made?
- After finishing a BS in Biology and a MS in Biotechnology, and spending nearly a decade in molecular and cellular medical laboratories as a research associate, I decided to go to law school. Many people think I switched careers but I combined my background in science and medicine with law. In fact, my coursework in my graduate program at Johns Hopkins University included patent law, legal aspects of biotechnology, and bioethics. My work has included different legal aspects of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and life sciences, such as products liability and intellectual property. There are days when I miss being at the lab bench but overall being an attorney has been a better fit for me. I still contribute to the progression of science and medicine but in a different way. My job is very rewarding.
- What was the worst professional decision you ever made?
- When I graduated from law school, I took a job in an aggressive plaintiffs’ medical malpractice firm. I had a previous IP internship at Roche Colorado Corporation and a previous internship at an IP boutique firm but because of my medical background, I took the medical malpractice job. Unfortunately, I was exposed to an unhealthy work environment. Also, many of the physicians that I used to work for felt “betrayed” when I began working in medical malpractice, and, as a result, those relationships were strained. And, even when I saw red flags, I stayed too long with people who did not support my growth as an attorney or as a person. The job went against many of my ideals but I was naïve, had the burden of a large law school debt, and lacked the confidence to seek more for myself. If only I knew then what I know now. Fortunately, everything works out as it should. I am now wiser about choosing a healthy work environment and working with solid attorneys and inventors who are also really good people.
- What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
- My greatest professional achievement has been learning patent preparation and prosecution after practicing in general litigation. Undoubtedly, changing my career path from the research world to the legal world was challenging. However, deciding after spending committed years in litigation that I really wanted to be in patent preparation and prosecution took perseverance, a patent bar exam, hard work, and patience. It was challenging to take a few steps back in order to leap forward. And, I did it!
- In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers?
- In my opinion, women could be doing better to advance their careers by being their best cheerleader. More women are increasingly doing more to empower other women in law. This is very important. But, in my opinion, in order to advance their own careers, women should be doing more to promote themselves. I think some women worry about how self-promotion is perceived by others. Self-promotion may be uncomfortable but it is essential to be competitive in the legal world.
- What is the best advice you have received?
- The best advice I received was that you can have anything you want but you can’t have everything you want. As I strive to create work-life balance, I understand that I do not need to have everything in order to be happy. I’ll also add the second best advice I ever received- no one cares about you more than you in the workplace. This relates back to my “be your best cheerleader” advice. While it is advantageous and necessary to have good mentors, you must take responsibility for your own path and you cannot rely on others to get you to the finish line.
More about Rachel:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read: Persevering, Conscientious, Adventurous, and Alc. 13% by Vol.
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway: I never say never!
One thing people are surprised to find out about me: At 22 years old, I traveled 10 European countries, including Germany, Italy, Austria, Czech and Hungary, alone. I then traveled to three more European countries by the time I was 25 years old. I also lived in the Netherlands in the summer of 2002 while earning an Intellectual Property Law Certificate through the Tulane Center for European Union and Intellectual Property Law at the University of Amsterdam. I got to see part of the Slobodan Milošević war crimes trial at The Hague, which was amazing!
Woman to Watch
The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce COLLEEN TRACY JAMES as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Colleen Tracy James, in her own words:
Year working in IP: More than 18 years ago, I began my career as a patent litigator. My career has been challenging and engaging and I have loved every minute of it. As an IP patent litigator I am afforded the pleasure of using my science degree every day. I am a science geek at heart.
Years with current organization: A little over three years ago, I made the great decision to join Mayer Brown LLP, a global Firm that has many different practice areas and dynamic lawyers.
Current location: I am a New York native and I practice out of Mayer Brown’s New York Office.
Current role: Partner at Mayer Brown LLP, specializing in patent litigation for Life Sciences pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
What I do: I am a litigator and I love being in the courtroom defending the rights of my clients. I believe in the life-saving products that my clients have made and in their rights to the patents that protect those products. I enjoy working with the witnesses who testify to the hard work that goes into making life-changing drugs. They are truly heroes in my book.
Previous roles: I previously was a partner at a prestigious IP boutique in NY where I was the firm’s first female Managing Partner . In this role, I was able to bring several issues unique to women to the forefront.
Years and involvement with AIPLA: I have been a member of AIPLA for nine years and I am presently the Chair of the Emerging Issues Committee.
What was the best professional decision you ever made? Accepting the challenge to first chair a major patent trial. The trial involved a multi-billion dollar drug, and there was clearly a lot at stake. This decision catapulted my career to another level.
What was the worst professional decision you ever made? At the start of my career, listening to a senior partner’s advice on what style I should have as a trial lawyer instead of trusting my own instincts.
What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far? Serving as lead trial counsel on behalf of the world’s largest innovators in the pharmaceutical field. I am also very proud of the fact that I was the first female Managing Partner of my predecessor firm.
In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers? Take charge and do not let others define you.
What is the best advice you have received? Believe in yourself. If you don’t believe that you are the best, why should anyone else?
More about Colleen:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read: Lightning in a Bottle.
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway: Move out of New York City to the suburbs. But now I love that my 14-month-old daughter can play in our backyard.
One thing people are surprised to find out about me: I am passionate about horses and compete in equestrian events. I especially enjoy riding a course and jumping horses over obstacles– I believe it’s a metaphor for life.
Twitter (@Mayer_Brown), Facebook and LinkedIn.
Colleen’s LinkedIn channel can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleentracyjames/.
Woman to Watch!
The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce CHRISTY LEA as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Christy Lea, in her own words:
Years working in IP: Almost 17 years
Years with current organization: Almost 17 years
Current location: Orange County, California
Current role: Partner at Knobbe Martens
What I do:
I litigate high-stakes patent and trade secrets cases at both the trial and appellate levels. I have represented global medical device and pharmaceutical companies for almost two decades. I frequently serve as lead counsel in inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Office.
I also serve on the Board for the Orange County Public Law Center and the Advisory Board for the School of Engineering at the University of Mississippi.
Previous roles:
I am fortunate to have joined Knobbe immediately following law school.
Years and involvement with AIPLA:
I have been an AIPLA member for almost 12 years. I previously served as the West Coast Chair for the AIPLA Women in IP Law Dinners (currently known as the AIPLA Women in IP Global Networking Event), and I coordinate Knobbe’s efforts to host 1-2 of the Global Networking Events every year across its offices.
Q. What was the best professional decision you ever made?
A. My best decision was moving to California and joining Knobbe. I have been fortunate to have great mentors, like Joe Re, who gave me opportunities early on to get the experience that I would need to ultimately lead trial teams. At Knobbe, I have been able to represent great clients, like Smith & Nephew and Edwards Lifesciences. The trust they have placed in me to stand up and represent them in courthouses across the country has been instrumental to my career.
Q. What was the worst professional decision you ever made?
A. I have been very blessed in my career, but if I could do anything differently it would have been to join AIPLA sooner. I wish I had appreciated the value of legal organization earlier in my career. The personal relationships and opportunities that AIPLA can provide are priceless.
Q. What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
A. My greatest achievement is my most recent – winning a $70M trade secret misappropriation jury verdict with $21M in enhanced damages for CardiAQ Valve Technologies, Inc. The National Law Journal ranked the verdict as #6 for IP and #21 overall for 2016 verdicts. But most importantly, it felt very rewarding to work closely with the two founders of the start-up and try to right the wrong that they experienced at the hands of a trusted vendor. Less than a year before trial, Edwards Lifesciences acquired CardiAQ for $400M, and now Edwards is a valued client having trusted the firm with multiple litigations and IPRs. A close second was being recognized as one of the Top 10 Life Science Litigators in the United States by Managing IP magazine. It’s always rewarding to be recognized for your work by your clients and peers.
Q. In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers?
A. Stay in the game! Find a professional environment and mentor that values you and will give you the training and experience that you need to succeed in your career.
Q. What is the best advice you have received?
A. The best advice I ever received was as a law student during an interview with another large law firm in Southern California. It was a general practice firm and one of the partners candidly told me that if I knew for certain that I wanted to practice IP law then I should accept Knobbe’s offer; I should only accept his GP firm’s offer, he said, if I was uncertain and wanted to have the option of practicing beyond IP law. In his view, the training and experience in IP law at Knobbe was too good to pass up. His advice confirmed what I was already beginning to realize and what I know today to be true, Knobbe is the best place to learn and practice IP law.
More about Christy:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read:
Tenacious and direct!
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway:
Honestly, I never thought I’d work after having children. My mom stayed at home when I was little, not starting her career until her 40s, and I thought I would do the same. I’m fortunate that despite that belief, I never once treated my career as a short-term experience and always dedicated myself as if I intended to make partner and have a forty-year career, which I did and am now almost half way to!
One thing people are surprised to find out about me:
My husband stays at home with our three children and has for over 10 years. It works out great with my busy litigation schedule, allowing me to travel or attend evening events on short notice.
The Women in IP Committee of the AIPLA is pleased to announce AUDREY NICKEL as a Woman to Watch!
The Women to Watch Series was established by the Women in IP Committee as an avenue to recognize women within the AIPLA community for excellence and accomplishments. Through a peer-nomination process, the Women to Watch Series strives to honor women who have created their own paths, who lead through strong examples, and who are achieving successes as a result of their choices and leadership, but who may not be widely known in the AIPLA community.
We are pleased to introduce Audrey Nickel, in her own words:
Years working in IP: Seven
Years with current organization: One
Current location: Cleveland, Ohio
Current role: Patent Agent / European and German Patent and Trademark Attorney
What I do: My practice mainly includes preparing and prosecuting patent applications. I also have experience in post-grant and litigation proceedings before the Opposition Divisions and Appeal Boards of the European Patent Office and before the German Federal Patent Court.
Previous roles: Before joining Pearne & Gordon, I worked for over five years at several prestigious IP law firms in Munich, Germany. Prior to entering the field of law, I worked as a firmware engineer for a Cleveland-based firm specializing in the development of automatic RF meter readers. Following this position, I gained additional experience as a software engineer at a German firm specializing in the development of high-end construction statics software based on finite elements.
Years and involvement with AIPLA: I joined AIPLA in 2016, and now serve as a voting member of the International and Foreign Law, IP Practice in Europe, and Women in IP Law committees
Q. What was the best professional decision you ever made?
A. My best professional decision was to go ahead and have kids before I was fully qualified. This gave me time (during parental leave, which is 1 year per child in Germany) to focus on other professional achievements that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I hadn’t had kids. After my first child was born, I spent a few months doing some low-key preparation to pass the U.S. patent bar, which helped me to get my current job. And while I was pregnant with my second child, I took time off from clerking to write a legal handbook, “US Patent Law for European Patent Professionals”, which became a bestseller. In summary, the demands of having children enabled me to choose different tasks within the field where I could manage my time more flexibly than at a law firm. This brought me a few important professional distinctions that I wouldn’t have gotten if I had just clerked full-time, straight through.
Q. What was the worst professional decision you ever made?
A. Sometimes I wish I had discovered patent law earlier — I didn’t discover it until three years after I had completed my Master’s degree. A friend of mine whose uncle was a patent attorney told me that he thought patent law would be perfect for me and I should really give it a try. At first, I didn’t even want to believe him. But it turns out, he was right!
Q. What would you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
A. I am proud to be one of few people who is qualified to represent before three different patent offices: namely, the USPTO, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the German Patent and Trademark Office (GPTO). Practicing at this intersection of three jurisdictions is very interesting, and my clients value my combined expertise, as it saves them the time and expense of consulting multiple attorneys.
Q. In your opinion, what could women be doing better to advance their careers?
A. I think women in career-track positions are already doing a lot and working very hard to achieve success. And the world has so much to gain from having women being represented proportionally in leadership positions — not just in government, but also in business and in law. But it can only happen if all of the people in our society — and not just career-track women — realize that and work to make it possible. Therefore, I would actually like to see more involvement from people other than career-track women toward reducing unequal opportunity in the workplace. It’s a fact that in order for women to have successful careers, we need the help of both men in career positions and men and women who are off the career track. In summary, my view is that career-track women don’t “own” this problem. Society, as a whole, does.
Q. What is the best advice you have received?
A. Two pieces of advice (in German): “Reden, Reden, Reden” — communication is key to solving problems! And “Liebe. Wichtigste.” The most important thing is love.
More about Audrey:
If they bottled my personality, the label would read: You Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like Me
Something I said I’d never do, but did anyway: Move back to Cleveland, Ohio!
One thing people are surprised to find out about me: I’m related to a globally renowned Hearthstone player, Zalae (he’s my little brother).
Women in IP 