Employer: Baker Botts Title and Practice Area: Partner, Intellectual Property

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice. Nothing compares to earning the trust of our clients and providing advice that steers them through urgent and difficult issues. It has been particularly rewarding to shape strategy for complex complaints and successfully chart the course on unique claims and defenses.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law? Ask the right questions of your client. A full understanding of the facts at issue is critical to developing a successful position. A junior attorney can be the person who knows the facts better than anyone else and make themselves invaluable to the team.

Who is your greatest lawyer mentor and what has he or she taught you? The leaders of Baker Botts' IP department and D.C. IP practice, Rob Scheinfeld, Christa Brown-Sanford, and Lisa Kattan. They each have shown that our clients' interests are best served through listening to all voices and engaging all team members with opportunities to make an impact.

Please share a brief key to your success. Any success in this profession, particularly litigation, is a result of building trust. Your clients, colleagues, opposing counsel, and the court need to be able to rely on your word and your sound judgment. Maintaining credibility and being respectful must always be paramount.