10/27 - Afternoon Plenary - Elimination of Bias, Diversity in IP Law

Elimination of Bias, Diversity in IP Practice
Perspectives on Diversity: Views on Trial Teams from the Bench, the Boardroom, and the Jury Box

Diversity is talked about and lauded in a variety of organizational contexts, including the legal profession. The value proposition is clear: diverse teams lead to a diversity of viewpoints, which in turn leads to better outcomes. But what strides have actually been made at improving diversity in the trial setting? And are there any unique considerations that counsel and clients should take into account in composing a diverse trial team? Building on their years of experience in the courtroom and on the results of AIPLA’s Trial Diversity Survey, our panelists will discuss their perspectives on trial diversity, including what law firms and in-house departments can do to continue moving the needle forward.

Moderator: Brent Hawkins, Morgan Lewis, San Francisco, CA

Speakers:
The Honorable Barbara M. G. Lynn, US District Court for the Northern District of Texas
Lisa Collins, BakerHostetler, Atlanta, GA
Tara Trask, President, Trask Consulting, Sausalito, CA
Clara Jimenez, Senior Counsel, Patent Litigation, Johnson & Johnson, Brunswick, NJ

Speakers

• Trask, Tara

  Tara Trask LLC | President of Trask Consulting

  Tara Trask is the President of Trask Consulting, a boutique litigation strategy, jury research and trial consulting firm with offices in San Francisco, Houston and New York. Ms. Trask’s practice focuses on civil litigation with an emphasis on complex commercial litigation; including intellectual property, (patent and trademark infringement, trade secret misappropriation) antitrust, securities, breach of contract and fraud.
• Jiménez, Clara

  Johnson & Johnson | Senior Counsel

  Clara N. Jiménez is Senior Counsel in Johnson & Johnson’s Litigation Group, where she supports the J&J businesses in all aspects of IP litigation across the globe. Prior to joining J&J, Clara was an attorney with Finnegan, where she counseled clients in the Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device industries in all various aspects of IP protection and enforcement, including prosecution, licensing, PTAB proceedings and litigation. Before attending law school, Clara worked as a chemical process engineer.
• Collins, Lisa

  BakerHostetler | Partner

  Lisa Collins is a partner at BakerHostetler and leads the Intellectual Property team in Atlanta. Her practice focuses on the business and defense of intellectual property, including licensing, tech transactions, indemnification, IP strategy, trade secrets, portfolio management and patent, trademark and technology litigation. Lisa’s extensive litigation background, integrated with her transactional work in intellectual property, allows her to have a deeper understanding of her clients’ business needs and concerns and to bring value to their businesses.
• Lynn, Barbara M.G.

  United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas | District Judge

  The Honorable Barbara M. G. Lynn is a Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, with chambers in Dallas, Texas. Lynn was in private practice from 1976 to 1999 at the law firm Carrington Coleman in Dallas. Lynn was the firm’s first female associate (1976 – 1982) and then became the firm’s first female partner (1983 – 1999) prior to joining the bench. On March 25, 1999, Lynn was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas vacated by Harry Barefoot Sanders, Jr. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 17, 1999 and received her commission on November 22, 1999. On May 1, 2016, she became the Chief Judge of the Northern District of Texas, the first woman to hold the position.
• Hawkins, Brent A.

  Morgan Lewis | Partner

  Brent A. Hawkins is the Managing Partner of the San Francisco office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Brent A. Hawkins has more than 25 years of experience litigating intellectual property and other complex commercial disputes for clients in jurisdictions throughout the United States. Throughout his career, Brent has served as lead counsel in patent, trademark, copyright, and complex commercial licensing litigations. Brent has experience across a variety of sectors and industries, with a particular focus on the technology, automotive, and consumer product sectors.