Sarah Piepmeier, an intellectual property trial lawyer by trade, took a leadership role in the development of Kirkland & Ellis's West Coast patent litigation practice, and helped triple the number of women IP litigators in Kirkland's Bay Area offices.

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

Knowing how cool stuff works.

What's the biggest challenge?

The unconscious bias that pervades the industry.

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

We can do (almost) anything (almost) any time and (almost) anywhere.

One way it's made your life more difficult?

Being able to do (almost) anything (almost) any time and (almost) anywhere isn't always a good thing.

Name an important opportunity you got early in your career and what you did with it?

I was fortunate to go to trial six weeks after starting as a first-year lawyer. A year later, I got to take a witness at a huge International Trade Commission trial. I loved every second of it, and those early formative experiences transformed me into a trial lawyer.

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

Become indispensable.

No. 1 survival tip in a work crisis:

Don't worry about how we got here. Stay calm and just do the next right thing.

In 50 words or less, how far has the tech industry gone toward tackling its gender gap since you started practicing?

I think we're about 20 percent of the way there. It's improved, but too often still I'm the only woman in the (very big) room. As I've become more senior, the gap has become more evident.

What's one way you've had to change your thinking toward practicing law to succeed with tech industry clients?

I've always worked with tech company clients, so it's part of my DNA as a lawyer.

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

Artificial intelligence. I'm still learning, but I'm amazed at its potential to disrupt various industries (hopefully in good ways).