RISING STARS JEREMY D. PROTAS
JEREMY PROTAS’ EXPERIENCE AS AN ENGINEER in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory makes him more than ideal to tackle the varying types of technology he deals with as a patent lawyer. Protas works for
Marshall, Gerstein, Borun LLP, and his job is to prosecute and secure patents for clients with products of various technologies. To do his job well, he has to try to gain intrinsic knowledge of the products his clients bring his way. Protas also works to increase diversity in the patent
law world by awarding scholarships to law students in the LGBT community interested in pursuing patent law. His program is called Jeremy Protas LGBT Patent Law Scholarship.
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MARSHALL, GERSTEIN, BORUN LLP Chicago, IL
“I think all types of diversity are important in all
fields of law, and I am committed to improving diversity generally in the legal field. However, as an openly gay patent lawyer, it quickly became clear to me that there are relatively few openly LGBT attorneys practicing patent law, and I decided that I was in a position to do something about it,” Protas says. Protas committed himself to taking part in pro bono
work, because “[attorneys] have an ethical obligation to provide our services to those who could not otherwise afford them; everyone deserves access to the protection of our nation’s judicial system, regardless of whether they have the means to hire a lawyer.” He’s taken on pro bono cases inside and outside the
patent law arena including a case that helped a teacher patent a vest that helps autistic students learn.
Rising Stars TEENA-ANN SANKOORIKAL
CRAVATH, SWAINE & MOORE New York City, NY
ANYONE REMEM- BER THE MUSIC- SHARING software LimeWire? Teena-Ann Sankoorikal repre- sented Warner Brothers Records and other record companies in a case that ended poorly for the peer-to-peer file sharing site.
People that have worked with Sankoorikal sing her
praises. “What sets Teena apart is her mastery of soft skills that make the difference between a good lawyer and an exceptional lawyer,” says DeAnna Allen, who worked with Sankoorikal as counsel to co-defendants in a high-stakes patent infringement suit. “She dem- onstrated an innate ability to read people and man- age interpersonal relationships among a collection of
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MARCH/APRIL 2013
very accomplished—and highly opinionated—patent lawyers.” A partner in Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP’s litiga-
tion department, Sankoorikal focuses on copyright, patent, and trade secret matters. She also has experience with antitrust law, securities, Alien Tort Statute, and internal investigations. Her high-profile clients include IBM, Qualcomm,
and choreographer Mary Anthony in litigation. She has written about her own work, and how she succeeds at it, “It requires me to strategize about the ‘big picture,’ while also understanding the intricacies and details that make each matter and client unique.” Sankoorikal mentors and inspires younger lawyers by
sitting on panels organized by the NYU Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), a Harvard APALSA “Asian Pacific American Leadership in Law Firms” panel, and a Harvard Association for Law and Business “Minorities in Corporate Law Panel.”
MCCA.COM
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