Upping the XX in IP
The estrogen to testosterone ratio among intellectual property lawyers has improved greatly over the last decade or so, but that doesn’t mean the practice isn’t a lonely place for women.
Witness the inaugural meeting of the Women’s Intellectual Property Lawyer’s Association, which brought together about 20 women, including two general counsels of Bay Area tech powerhouses who, despite their similar positions, had never met before.
“That just shows that there is a lack of community and a lack of mentoring” among women IP lawyers, says WIPLA founder Deborah Bailey-Wells of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis.
Bailey-Wells launched the group in January with the San Francisco chapter, which she hopes will be the first of many. The goal is to increase networking and mentoring opportunities. Ultimately, she hopes the group can further bolster the number of XXs in IP by reaching out to high school girls.
