Overcoming Client Development Challenges for Women Lawyers

Transcription

1 Women In IP Law Committee Webinar Overcoming Client Development Challenges for Women Lawyers February 28, 2012 Sponsored by:

2 Overcoming Client Development Challenges for Women Lawyers Panelists: Baila H. Celedonia Cowan, Liebowitz& Latman, P.C. Maya M. Eckstein Hunton& Williams, LLP Randi L. Karpinia Sr. Patent Operations Counsel Motorola Solutions solutions.com Maria Eliseeva Houston Eliseeva, LLP Facilitator: Stewart M. Hirsch, Esq Moderator: Debora Plehn-Dujowich Drinker Biddle, LLP 2

3 Overcoming Client Development Challenges for Women Lawyers Maya M. Eckstein Maya is an IP litigation partner with Hunton& Williams in itswashington DC andrichmond, Virginia offices. She represents clients in numerous industries, with emphasis in the technology sector. Maya clerked for Justice Roger Gregory at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. In addition to her IP practice, Maya regularly represents parents, pro bono, in international child abduction cases. Maria Eliseeva Maria started her firm in Lexington, MA in 2003 after working athodgson Russ in upstate New York, SchwegmanLundberg in Minneapolis and Brown Rudnick in Boston. She immigrated to the US at age 25 with an advanced degree in Material Science and Engineering and obtained her second Master s degree in Physics from Georgia State University in Atlanta. She obtained her JD degree from SUNY Buffalo. Maria is bilingual with many patent and trademark clients from former Soviet Union nations, the EU and Asia. Randi L. Karpinia Randi is a Senior Patent Operations Counsel at Motorola Solutions Inc. She concentrates her practice on patent preparation, prosecution, portfolio management, and patent operations management. In her dual role as a portfolio manager for an internal technology client and manager of the global patent operations administrative team, Randi strives and challenges her team always to provide total client satisfaction through high quality legal and business support. Baila H. Celedonia Bailajoined Cowan Liebowitz& Latmanin 1977 after clerking for U.S.D.J. Richard Owen for two years. While always doing both counseling and litigation in the trademark and copyright fields, she was primarily a litigator for the first 15 years of her practice. She now predominantly counsels U.S. clients on global trademark, copyright, and domain name issues, non-u.s. companies on U.S. IP laws and supervises the prosecution of trademark registration programs around the world. 3

4 Overcoming Client Development Challenges for Women Lawyers Stewart Hirsch Facilitator After practicing law in firms and in-house at companies including T.J. Maxx/Marshalls, Staples, Welch s, Waters and Dun & Bradstreet, Stewart realized that he enjoyed developing business more than doing legal work. To pursue his passion for business/client development and stay connected to the legal world, Stewart launched. For more than 18 years, he has assisted other lawyers with developing business and becoming trusted advisors to their clients. He also helps executives and in-house counsel with strategic planning and provides leadership coaching. Stewart is a nationally recognized speaker and writer on business/client development topics. He blogs regularly on where he offers advice on helping professionals improve their trustworthiness in business. He speaks and leads workshops for numerous bar associations and lawfirms and is a good friend of the AIPLA. In recent years, Stewart has led several well-received interactive programs for the Women in IP Law Committee and other AIPLA committees. During our webinar, he will share his intuitive and insightful approach being caring and curious about others and listening, rather than trying to convince the client to buy services to help us to create the kind of relationships that lead to new business. Debora Plehn-Dujowich Moderator Debora is an associate at Drinker Biddle, LLP. She focuses her practice on biotechnology and biochemistry. Debora s research experience in both Universities and Research Instituteshas enriched her knowledge of the importance of protecting both national and international intellectual propertyrights in an invention. Debora blogs on patent and technology issues at Debora received her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law. She completed her B.S. in biochemistry at Geneva University in Switzerland, where she was also awarded an M.S. inbiochemistry. Debora obtained her M.S. in life sciences from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and earned her Ph.D. in biology from Yale University under the supervision of Professor Sidney Altman, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his research on RNAseP. She was also a post-doctoral research fellow at the WistarInstitute in Philadelphia, and an assistant professor of biology and chemistry at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. 4

5 Themes We are responsible for our own success and have to invest in ourselves Client relationship development has to be a focus, both internally and externally To be successful, we need to frame our thinking around people, and think of getting business as a by-product of our relationships with people and doing good work 5

6 Starting and Finding the Time When should I start doing client and business development? With minimum billable hour requirements, and large amounts of work (not to mention family obligations and wishes) where do I find the time? How should I best utilize my network? 6

7 Overcoming Reluctance, Concerns and Fears What if I am not comfortable with asking for business? I do not like being pushy, or asking friends for help with business what do I do? I am an in-house IP lawyer what are the relationships I need to develop and why? My friends are becoming leaders in companies how do I approach them, without being pushy? What do I do if I am the only woman member of a team? I need to attend a business meal alone with my contact who is a man. Are there issues to be concerned about? 7

8 Investing in Your Future My firm has not given me a budget for client development do I have to pay for this myself? How can I convince my firm / company to pay for me to attend events and invest in me? Are there alternatives to obtaining reimbursement for client development expenses? 8

9 Learning What I Need to Know I just made partner and now I am expected to bring in business what should I do? I do not feel I have enough expertise to sell myself. This circles back to some of the discomforts I feel about all of this suggestions? How do I find a good mentor for client development? 9

10 Overcoming Client Development Challenges for Women Lawyers Questions for the Panel? Baila H. Celedonia Cowan, Liebowitz& Latman, P.C. Maya M. Eckstein Hunton& Williams, LLP Randi L. Karpinia Sr. Patent Operations Counsel Motorola Solutions solutions.com Maria Eliseeva Houston Eliseeva, LLP Facilitator: Stewart M. Hirsch, Esq Moderator: Debora Plehn-Dujowich Drinker Biddle, LLP 10

11 Women In IP Law Committee Webinar Overcoming Client Development Challenges for Women Lawyers Thank you to our Sponsor