Carolyn Hoecker Luedtke, Munger, Tolles & Olson

Munger, Tolles & Olson litigation partner Carolyn Hoecker Luedtke was Intel's go-to lawyer for trade secrets issues this past year. Luedtke won injunctions for Intel in two trade secret cases against former employees and won dismissal of a separate trade secret misappropriation suit brought against the company as defendant. Luedtke is among the 21 lawyers chosen by The Recorder as Women Leaders in Tech Law as part of this year's California Leaders in Tech Law and Innovation Awards.

The Recorder: What's your proudest professional achievement of the past year and why? 

Carolyn Luedtke: Standing before Judge Morrison England in the Eastern District of California representing my client Intel Corp. as a plaintiff on a motion for a temporary restraining order and watching Judge England express the outrage that I felt about what I believed was the defendant's theft of trade secrets. He issued the temporary restraining order and compelled a forensic inspection of the defendant's home computer, and I felt proud and pleased to have delivered that step in the legal process for my client—getting one step closer to protecting their trade secrets from being used outside Intel.

What's your proudest personal achievement of the past year and why? 

Watching two of my mentees at Munger Tolles—both amazing women lawyers who are building fantastic careers—make partner at the firm this year.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to a woman starting out in tech law? 

Look for an area of the law or your client's business that you really gravitate towards and enjoy, and then develop an expertise in that area as quickly as you can. You will have more credibility if you can say that you've done something multiple times before. If you can say this is your eighth video game copyright case, or this is the fourth time you've fought class certification on a particular privacy issue, you instantly command a higher level of respect. It is never too early to find those areas and to then continue to add to them.

What concrete steps could be made to increase the number of women in tech law?  

Focus on retaining the women who have already come into the pipeline. This can happen through mentoring, giving people exciting opportunities that make them want to stay in their position, and providing praise and accolades for their success.