MCCA WGC 501–1000 COMPANIES BY INDUSTRY
Electronics, Offi ce Equipment, Software (A)
Insurance (B)
Energy, Gas, Petroleum Refi ning, Pipelines, Etc. (C)
Food & Drug Stores (D)
General Merchandisers, Speciality Retailers, Wholesalers: Diversifi ed, etc. (E)
Financial Services: Diversifi ed Financials, Securities, Banks (F)
Transportation & Logistics (G) Telecommunications (H)
Pharmaceuticals, Medical Products & Equipment, Healthcare (I)
Food Services, Consumer Food Products (J)
Motor Vehicles (K)
Industrial & Farm Equipment (L) Airlines (M)
Forest & Paper Products (P) Publishing, Printing (Q)
% # 9.5 8
1.2 1 13.1 11
1.2 1 15.4 13
8.3 7
3.6 3 2.4 2 7.1 6
2.4 2
3.6 3 3.6 3 00
Real Estate, Hotels & Casinos (N) 3.6 3 Chemicals (O)
4.7 4 1.2 1 2.4 2
Scientifi c, Photo Control Equipment (R) 3.6 3 Railroads (S)
00
Mail, Packaging, Freight (T) 00 Other (Z) Total
13.1 11 100 84
7.1% African American 1.2% Hispanic
Sharon R. Barner
VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
CUMMINS INC. COLUMBUS, IND.
THE HEAD OF AN INTELLECTUAL PROP- ERTY LITIGATION GROUP does not typi- cally make the jump to general counsel. But for Sharon Barner, vice president and general counsel of Cummins Inc., a global leader in designing, manufactur- ing, and distributing diesel and natural gas engines and related products, the move was more of an evolution than a leap, and it made perfect sense. Prior to joining the Columbus,
Indiana-based Cummins in early 2012, Barner was a partner in Foley & Lardner’s Chicago offi ce for 16 years. As a member of the fi rm’s Management Committee and chair of the Intellectual Property Department, she had profi t and loss responsibility and learned the “business” aspects of running a law fi rm. For twelve of those years she represented Cummins as outside coun- sel in their IP space. During this time, she also learned the importance of understanding a client’s business and product strategy. “I worked with a lot of people in a number of Cummins’ busi- ness units. It became increasingly clear to me that IP is vital for a corporation’s bottom line, and an adverse outcome could stop a product from getting out the door.” Barner took a break from Foley to
WGC 501-1000 COMPANIES BY RACE/ ETHNICITY
MCCA
91.7% Caucasian
MCCA.COM
serve as deputy director of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Offi ce (PTO) in Alexandria, Virginia from 2009 to 2011. At PTO, Barner’s responsibilities included articulating policy on IP issues domestic and foreign for the Obama administra- tion. Also, many different operations were reporting to her. She continued to understand business processes, learn- ing in a general way how a company operates fi nancially and structurally.
Unwittingly to Barner, all these things helped prepare her for her current posi- tion as general counsel. When Barner returned to Foley,
she was comfortable going back to the familiar, but she missed the rigor and intellectual stimulation that she had known as deputy director at PTO, so when Cummins offered her the general counsel position, she accepted. Barner was eager to build on the skills she acquired in private practice and at the PTO. “After almost two years at Cummins, there remains a lot to learn. Every day is like drinking from a fi re hose. But that’s what I love about the job, and luckily I have excellent in-house and outside counsel to help me.” Early in her legal career, colleagues
often told Barner that as a “twofer” (a woman and a minority), she was lucky; a shower of professional offers would surely come her way. “Yes, there were opportunities,” says Barner, “But for me that meant I had to be twice as capable of managing situations, be twice as smart, and twice as hard working. And that can be very stressful, and fi lled with challenges. “In order to have a successful
career, it’s important to recognize challenges and learn how to overcome them. I’d always known the diffi culties attached to being a minority, but when I entered the work world I learned it wasn’t always easy being a woman in the legal fi eld even when you’re the boss. Today I tell minority and women mentees to be aware of these chal- lenges, but don’t wear them on your sleeve. These are just some of the many challenges that they’ll encounter in a long and stimulating career.”
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52