Employer: Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Title and Practice Area: Partner, Intellectual Property Litigation

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law? My first year practicing law was in a district court clerkship. I learned to never sacrifice your credibility with the court. Advocates should only advance arguments that are completely defensible.

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice. I was part of a team that won the first verdict under the Defend Trade Secrets Act. Other than our lead counsel, we had an entirely female litigation team representing a woman-owned business. I consider my performance cross-examining a technical expert and the jury's decision to both be significant accomplishments.

Who is your greatest lawyer mentor and what has he or she taught you? Mike Nadel at McDermott Will & Emery taught me how to be an effective advocate through his willingness to give me a seat at the table. I learned by absorbing how he was operating. As I became more senior, his transparency regarding the business of law made me more savvy.

Please share a brief key to your success. I succeed by erring on the side of caring too much about my cases and the people involved in them. My approach is that outside counsel should care about a particular matter as much or more than the in-house counsel managing the litigation and invest in the same goals.