Intellectual Property

3 Questions For A Female IP Boutique Partner (Part II)

It is hard to imagine something more exciting for an IP lawyer than to be in a position to help those less fortunate, while at the same time being part of a firm that is on a rocket ship of a growth trajectory.

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(Image via Getty)

This week, I continue my written interview with Caldwell IP’s Katherine Ann Rubino. Last week, Katie shared how impactful work on behalf of the disadvantaged can be of great value to IP lawyers. Even when they are doing that work in parallel with exponential growth of their firm’s core practice on behalf of paying clients. It is hard to imagine something more exciting for an IP lawyer than to be in a position to help those less fortunate, while at the same time being part of a firm that is on a rocket ship of a growth trajectory.

Now to the remainder of my interview with Katie. As usual, I have added some brief commentary to the answers below but have otherwise presented her answers to my questions as she provided them.

GK: How do you think your firm’s meteoric growth will impact your practice?

KR: The most exciting part about our own exponential growth has been to watch our clients similarly achieve incredible wins and hit significant milestones. We take a very collaborative approach with our clients and work alongside them to curate IP portfolios that fit in with their overall business strategy. Last year we had a 100% allowance rate on all patents that we prosecuted, so for us to be able to deliver winning results helps our clients go on to achieve big wins as well. There are many paths to monetize IP portfolios and considering all options from inception of a portfolio as well as keeping all options open can have profound effects on helping a client achieve his or her business objectives.

In addition, our growth has helped us hire some of the best and brightest in the industry. A recent American Bar Association diversity report found that women comprise just 22% of registered patent attorneys and agents. We are very excited that in our latest recruitment round women accounted for 36% of new hires. Having a diverse workforce helps us analyze problems from different perspectives and allows us to bring a certain element of creativity to the IP process.

GK: It is hard to top a perfect allowance rate on patents if you are in the patent prosecution business, so kudos to Katie and her colleagues on that achievement in 2021. And kudos to the Caldwell team for recognizing the benefits of a diverse workforce — especially at a time when clients are emphasizing the value of diversity in their own ranks — and backing that recognition up with concrete action in terms of the firm’s hiring decisions. There is a healthy discussion going on about ways to increase the role of women in IP and Katie’s firm’s commitment to doing its part to change the reality on the ground is most welcome.

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GK: What traits do you think young IP lawyers need to have to succeed in the current remote work environment?

KR: In my experience, the remote work environment can be really challenging. New lawyers often feel isolated and frequently feel removed from being able to obtain a sense of the firm culture. One way to succeed here is to schedule some kind of social gathering either virtually or in person with other team members. Even if it is just half an hour having a virtual coffee over Zoom, everyone will be more relaxed, have the opportunity to get to know one another outside the work environment and begin to cultivate relationships of trust. Team building is such a critical ingredient to the success of a firm. Knowing you can rely on everyone when you are not physically working together is an absolute necessity to be able to complete challenging projects together.

GK: A healthy culture is a prerequisite for a successful organization, and Katie astutely notes the challenges of remote work in allowing such a culture to develop. At the same time, there can be great benefit to confronting this particular issue head-on, particularly when firm leadership is committed to making sure that everyone at the firm feels included and has a chance to interact socially with colleagues. Because IP practice is in many respects a team endeavor, firms that recognize the need to make sure that their youngest lawyers are given a true chance to integrate into the team will be well-served, even if the date that a return to the traditional office environment remains uncertain in these unsettled times.

My thanks to Katie for the insights and cooperation, especially for her willingness to do this interview at the height of the year-end wind down that many of us are in the midst of. I wish her the best of luck in 2022 with Caldwell IP and her efforts on behalf of the firm’s clients. There is no doubt that fast-growing IP boutiques are worthy of our attention, especially when they combine a commitment to client service with a willingness to do good things on behalf of underrepresented segments of the IP client population. Best wishes to Katie and this readership for a wonderful 2022. As we say on the eve of Rosh Hashanah in the timeless, haunting words of the 13th century Sephardic poet Abraham Ḥazan de Girona: may the year end with her travails, and may the year begin with its blessings.

I am always open to conducting interviews of this type with other IP thought leaders, so feel free to reach out if you have a compelling perspective to offer.

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Please feel free to send comments or questions to me at gkroub@kskiplaw.com or via Twitter: @gkroub. Any topic suggestions or thoughts are most welcome.

Gaston Kroub lives in Brooklyn and is a founding partner of Kroub, Silbersher & Kolmykov PLLC, an intellectual property litigation boutique, and Markman Advisors LLC, a leading consultancy on patent issues for the investment community. Gaston’s practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and related counseling, with a strong focus on patent matters. You can reach him at gkroub@kskiplaw.com or follow him on Twitter: @gkroub.

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