PARTNER, PATENT LITIGATION SILICON VALLEY LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION YEAR 1995 YEAR JOINED WEIL 1995 YEAR PROMOTED TO PARTNER 2010 HOMETOWN NAPERVILLE, IL What did you want to be as a child? When I was young, I wanted to be a detective and then a doctor. By high school, I was heavily involved in theater and science but chose engineering because my uncle, who was an engineering professor at Purdue University, advised me that I could do anything with an electrical engineering degree (although I’m not sure he had practicing law in mind). If your young self could see you now, what do you think her reaction would be? She would never have expected to see me as a lawyer, since she was choosing between college scholarships for costume design and engineering in high school. And a law firm partner was only something she saw on TV. Knowing what you know now, what might you have done differently when you were starting out? First, I would have told my younger self to take a more active role in my career instead of letting it occur organically. Second, I did not have a support network at work until late in my career after I made partner. I would advise my younger self to develop a support network earlier in my career. Describe a time when you had to make an important professional decision and how you went about selecting your course of action. The first big career decision I made was to leave my job at IBM as an engineer and go to law school. I took the LSAT with little preparation and told myself that I would go to law school if I was accepted into the University of Texas. I moved to Austin and took a leave of absence from IBM in case I didn’t like it or do well. I knew I had found the right career and retired from IBM after my first year. Second, until midway through my third year, I was splitting between patent litigation and counseling. I recognized a need and decided to create a hybrid position that straddled both groups, since neither department was exactly right for me. This hybrid position has proven to be popular with clients. Looking back, what did you stress over that was unnecessary? Deadlines are stressful, but experience helps you to understand what really matters and what can be fixed. I’ve learned not to get rattled, to make decisions quickly and communicate frequently with the team when there are important deadlines. I try to pass that wisdom along to team members to help them make it through stressful deadlines. In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself up? I have been a woman in a man’s world since I was in engineering school. Patent litigation, especially the highly technical cases that I frequently work on, is similarly dominated by men. It has been challenging not losing my identity as a woman while being part of the team. I have a strong support network of men and women at Weil. They bring a fresh perspective and always have sage advice. Knowing that they are there for me gets me through those tough times and long hours. My support network has long included male partners who are confidantes, advisors and mentors. I didn’t really build my female support network until the first year I made partner. Our bonds were forged from the moment a group of junior partners spanning many offices asked me to plan a business development dinner for our female clients in California and have grown stronger ever since. As we worked together on business development, I learned the power of the support network to promote senior women and one another, to develop business and forge deep client relationships, and to give and receive personal and professional advice. Finding that loyalty and support has been key to my career. What do you turn to when you need perspective or to unwind during a challenging time? I unwind with activities that are more physical than mental to give my brain a chance to rest. I often choose yoga, baking or knitting. What’s the best piece of professional advice you received? Follow your passion. The pursuit of it will give you pleasure, and as a result you will excel at whatever you do. What does success mean to you? How has your definition of success evolved over time? I did not join a law firm to make partner (and didn’t really know how law firms worked when I joined). I joined the Firm because I was able to combine my technical and legal skills. Success meant gaining the trust of the partners and being asked to work on critical projects. Success now means building a group of talented lawyers who are respected by clients and our peers. Not being afraid to take risks and make mistakes has helped me grow. “ ” Has learning from a mistake ever led you to success? Many aspects of my career have been driven by luck. My choice of college allowed me to go to school on a full engineering scholarship; I was in the first class after a long hiring freeze by IBM; both my undergraduate and law school roommates had connections to Weil, which led me to apply when we were starting up our Silicon Valley office. Please describe a mistake or failure and how it ultimately helped you learn and grow. Not being afraid to take risks and make mistakes has helped me grow. When I was at trial at the beginning of my second year, the lead attorney had to leave for a few days due to a death in the family. He recommended to the client that I argue a pending motion in his absence. I made a few mistakes due to inexperience, but was delighted when the partners asked me to take on more important roles usually handled by more senior associates. This is how I realized I wanted to be a litigator. 6 · WEIL WOMEN’S WISDOM
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