Fish & Richardson announced today that four principals – Betty Chen, Lauren Degnan, Dr. Anita Meiklejohn, and Susan Morrison – have been named recipients of the 2017 “Women Worth Watching in STEM” award by Profiles in Diversity Journal (PDJ). According to PDJ, “these leaders are breaking barriers for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.” PDJ also noted that these women, and the companies that support them, are “an essential part of a worldwide strategy to innovate, educate, and build a more connected world.”
Betty Chen is based in Fish’s Silicon Valley office and has an extensive practice that spans all areas of intellectual property litigation in a myriad of technologies. She also has a complex commercial litigation practice. In 2016, Chen was appointed Global Hiring Principal in charge of hiring legal talent for Fish’s 11 U.S. offices and its office in Munich, Germany. She received her J.D. from the University of Texas Law School in 2006 and her B.S. from the University of Southern California in 2003.
Lauren Degnan, who is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, specializes in high technology litigation across a vast range of technologies. She has served as lead counsel in complex patent infringement cases in federal district courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and before the U.S. International Trade Commission. Degnan serves on the firm’s Compensation Committee. She received her J.D., Order of the Coif, from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1995 and her B.S. in mechanical engineering from Cornell University in 1992.
Dr. Anita Meiklejohn, who is based in the Boston office, focuses her practice on patent prosecution, validity and infringement opinions, and litigation in the area of biotechnology for clients ranging from start-up and emerging companies to academic and research institutions and established biopharma corporations. She serves on the firm’s Management Committee. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Boston College Law School in 1995, her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1987 and her B.A., with honors, in chemistry from Cornell University in 1981. Dr. Meiklejohn was also a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Susan Morrison is the managing principal of Fish’s Delaware office. Her practice emphasizes intellectual property litigation and patent litigation across a full range of technologies, and includes substantial experience in Hatch-Waxman litigation concerning brand name and generic pharmaceuticals. She received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2005 and her B.S., with high honors, in cell biology from Haverford College in 2001.
Fish is committed to promoting a creative and inclusive culture that values the diversity of people, experiences, and perspectives. EMPOWER – the firm’s Women’s Initiative that stands for Enrichment, Mentorship, Partnering, Opportunities, Wisdom, Excellence, and Responsibility – seeks to address issues of unique importance to women in the legal profession; increase opportunities for networking and mentoring relationships; and provide tools and resources that enhance the personal and professional development of women at Fish and position them for success.
Profiles in Diversity Journal is dedicated to promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion in the corporate, STEM, government, nonprofit and higher education sectors.
Fish & Richardson is a global patent prosecution, intellectual property litigation, and commercial litigation law firm with more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists in the U.S. and Europe. Fish is the #1 U.S. patent litigation firm, handling nearly three times as many cases than its nearest competitor; a powerhouse patent prosecution firm; a top-tier trademark and copyright firm; and the #1 firm at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, with more cases than any other firm. Since 1878, Fish attorneys have been winning cases worth billions in controversy – often by making new law – for the world’s most innovative and influential technology leaders. For more information, visit https://www.fr.com or follow us at @FishRichardson.
