Lindsay White, director of global litigation and investigations, Applied Materials (Courtesy photo)

Lindsay White, who joined Applied Materials as the director of global litigation and investigations from Paul Hastings, played key roles at the firm on teams that secured significant Federal Circuit victories for AT&T, Twitter and Yahoo.

Describe yourself in one word.

Persistent.

What drew you to practicing law in the technology industry?

I always loved math and science and was encouraged by my teachers to pursue engineering in college. While there, I realized during an internship that I enjoyed the legal side of protecting technology while helping prepare a senior engineer for deposition and decided to go to law school.

What's the best part of working in the tech sector?

Getting a sneak peek at the technologies that will shape the future, while at the same time working with people on existing technologies who are the founders and experts of their fields.

What's the biggest challenge?

Constantly changing technologies.

How do you describe what you do for a living to people you're meeting for the first time?

I help protect company technologies and intellectual property from both internal and external threats.

What's one way technology has made your life easier?

Ability to communicate with others anytime and anywhere.

One way it's made your life more difficult?

Never able to disconnect.

What's the best piece of career advice anyone ever gave you?

Everyone makes mistakes; it's how you learn from those mistakes that will make you great at what you do.

In 50 words or less, what's the best way to address tech's gender gap?

Reach out, educate and encourage our youth, both male and female, that anyone can be great at any job, including those in tech, law and elsewhere, to help break the gender roles that start with our youth. Simultaneously provide opportunities to women already in practice to encourage them to progress in their own careers.

What kinds of new technologies should tomorrow's lawyers be able to use effectively?

All e-discovery tools and case management tools that allow counsel to communicate easily with outside counsel and ensure consistent positions across multiple matters.

What's one area of technology that you're most excited about and why?

AI and its use in any field.