Virtual Water Cooler Chat

Disclaimer: The content of this discussion is for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast was recorded on June 18, 2024.    Today’s episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features guest interviewer Kim Leung, of Counsel at Fish & Richardson, P.C. in conversation with Vice Chief Judge Kalyan Deshpande of PTAB at the USPTO.   Judge Deshpande received his J.D. from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. Subsequent to his graduation from college, Judge Deshpande worked in software development for Accenture. During and after law school, he worked in supply chain management at an early-stage food services company. He then joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a Patent Examiner before joining the Board in 2008 as a patent attorney. Judge Deshpande began serving as an administrative patent judge in 2011 and currently serves as a vice chief administrative patent judge.  Kim Leung graduated cum laude from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law, where she was the president and co-founder of the Intellectual Property Law Society; additionally, she holds both a bachelor’s and master's degree in electrical engineering. Kim’s practice focuses on post-grant proceedings, and her success at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board led to her being named one of the “Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials” by the PTAB Bar Association, as well as one of the “Top 30 PTAB Practitioners” by Managing Intellectual Property. Prior to joining Fish & Richardson, Kim was a legal extern for the office of general counsel at the University of Nevada, and for the Honorable Michael L. Douglas of the Supreme Court of Nevada. Her previous engineering experience includes work as a hardware engineer for Information Systems Laboratories of San Diego, California.   Connect with Judge Deshpande on LinkedIn.  Connect with Kim on LinkedIn.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

Today’s episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features McNeal Maddox, an independent brand consultant and former Group Director of Brand Strategy at Innovation Protocol, a Los Angeles-based brand strategy consultancy.   Legends and stories have always intrigued him, but understanding the deeper meaning contained within them has driven McNeal’s creative focus for years. As a student at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, he channeled his interest in creative storytelling and problem-solving into a degree in graphic design. His desire to understand the "why" behind the marketing communications he created for ERP software and investment finance companies led him back to college to complete his MBA at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business; his innate curiosity and desire to use design thinking to solve business challenges have helped him deliver strategic B2B brand solutions for enterprise clients across a range of industries including gaming (Sony Playstation), bio-tech (Amgen), enterprise software (Microsoft), logistics (Prologis) and semiconductors (NXP).   McNeal draws inspiration from the magic that happens when timeless wisdom meets the latest innovation. A husband, a father of two, and a maker at heart, he enjoys solving puzzles and exploring ways to scale small ideas to achieve bigger impact.  Connect with McNeal on LinkedIn.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Megan F. Raymond, Partner, Groombridge Wu Baughman & Stone, LLP.   Megan is one of the top 50 women in Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) trials, representing clients in over 100 post-grant proceedings to date. She also tries patent cases in federal district courts and in the International Trade Commission and argues appeals before the Federal Circuit.  Ranked in Chambers USA as a leading practitioner for Intellectual Property: Patent, Chambers describes Megan as having expertise in PTAB proceedings and describes her as “a very smart and capable lawyer, who represents clients in a very effective way.” She has also been recognized by IAM 1000 and The Legal 500, as “a rising star who can handle difficult arguments and witnesses with grace and effectiveness.”, and was named to the PTAB Bar Association’s “Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials” list in 2019 and 2021. Megan also authored the latest edition of PLI’s treatise, Post-Grant Proceedings Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.  Megan currently serves as Vice President of the PTAB Bar Association, and is also the chair of the Federal Circuit Bar Association’s Patent Litigation Committee.  She previously served as a chair of the Federal Circuit Bar Association’s PTAB and Mock Argument Committees, and served previously as the vice-chair of the PTAB Bar Association’s Programming Committee and Women’s Committee. On the Women’s Committee she worked on preparing the PTAB Bar Association Women at the PTAB report on gender diversity in the PTAB. She received the Federal Circuit Bar Association’s George Hutchinson Committee Award recognizing committee leadership in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023. She is a frequent speaker on developments in patent law, including topics primarily related to the PTAB.  Megan was the Managing Editor of Virginia Law and Technology at the University of Virginia School of Law. Before law school, Megan was a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Laboratory of Immunoregulation (Center for Biologics, Evaluation, and Research), where she coauthored papers on vaccine design and development.  Megan received her A.B. in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University, and her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. She was a clerk to the Hon. Haldane Robert Mayer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.  Connect with Megan on LinkedIn.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Franklin Chu, a senior associate at Gemini Law LLP.   Franklin holds a Chemical Engineering degree from the Cooper Union (New York, NY) and is licensed to practice in Washington state, Texas, and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Prior to joining Gemini Law, Franklin was an associate in the PTAB Practice Group of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (Seattle, WA) and an associate in the intellectual property group of Baker McKenzie (Dallas, TX).   Franklin has experience in both patent litigation and patent prosecution and with a wide range of technologies. Franklin is conversational in Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese. On weekends, he enjoys exploring various hikes in the PNW area.  Connect with Franklin on LinkedIn.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Ellyar Y. Barazesh, Senior Associate in the Intellectual Property group at Baker Botts, residing in the Austin, Texas office  Ellyar's practice focuses on patent prosecution and counseling, post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and patent litigation. He has significant experience working with clients in a wide range of technology areas, including computer hardware and software, control systems, artificial intelligence, networking technologies, location tracking systems, video and image processing, semiconductor devices, data encryption, graphical user interfaces, and medical devices.   Prior to joining the firm, Ellyar was a Senior Patent Counsel at Unified Patents, LLC. There, he focused on PTAB proceedings, reexaminations before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and international opposition proceedings. He has also served as a patent examiner at the USPTO, examining patent applications related to video compression and imaging.   Ellyar earned his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. During his undergraduate studies, he worked at a multinational engineering company researching optical systems and is a co-inventor on a U.S. patent related to his research. Ellyar earned his JD from Georgetown University Law Center, where he received the Leon Robbin Patent Award for achieving the highest grades in patent law courses of his graduating class, and served as a member of The Tax Lawyer.  Connect with Ellyar on LinkedIn.  Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Steve Gong, Patent Counsel, Head of Data Science, Technology and Ops at Google, and a data maverick at the cutting edge of legal innovation!  Steve earned his B.S. in Bioengineering with a minor in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, his M.S. in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University, his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, and completed Executive leadership programs at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. With a unique blend of expertise in law, product leadership, and data science, Steve is revolutionizing the way we approach legal strategy and decision-making.  In his work at Google, Steve leads a team of trailblazers pioneering the use of AI and machine learning in the legal domain. Together, they are breaking new ground, transforming both the practice and business of law with their groundbreaking applications of advanced analytics.  Steve’s impact doesn’t stop there. As a seasoned product leader, he has launched game-changing products that have become staples for Fortune 500 companies and tech innovators alike. His knack for understanding market needs and delivering solutions sets him apart as a true visionary in the field. Steve is also a co-founder of ADAPT.legal, a powerhouse of non-profit collective driving inclusive innovation in the patent landscape. Teaming up with industry giants like Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Disney, and now with over 70 members, Steve and the team at ADAPT.legal are leveraging data and technology to empower legal professionals and foster a more diverse pipeline of patent practitioners.  Connect with Steve on LinkedIn.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Olga V. Mack, a Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and a Generative AI Editor at law.MIT Computational Law Report. Additionally, she is an award-winning general counsel, operations specialist, and tech startup advisor who encourages lawyers to embrace disruptive technologies that make law more functional and accessible.   She served as the lateral CEO of Parley Pro, a cutting-edge contract lifecycle platform that revolutionized digital negotiation. Under her leadership, Parley Pro was successfully taken to market, experienced significant growth, and was eventually sold and integrated into LexisNexis, showcasing her ability to drive innovation and execute strategic business decisions.   A six-time TEDx presenter with an exceptional blend of legal, technological, and business expertise, Olga is one of today's top speakers and thought leaders. Find her latest insights at Above the Law, Forbes, Bloomberg Law, ACC Docket, law.MIT Computational Law Report, Newsweek, Venture Beat, and her podcast, Notes to My (Legal) Self.   Connect with Olga on LinkedIn.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Charlie Loulakis, Transformation Coach and Chief Growth Officer at Cornerstone Agility.  Charlie is not just a Transformation Architect; he's a visionary on a mission to revolutionize the way businesses operate and deliver value to their customers. At the heart of Charlie's approach lies a commitment to rallying people around a shared strategic vision. He understands that true transformation begins with aligning every individual within an organization towards a common goal. Through his expertise, he cultivates a culture where progress is not just encouraged but celebrated.  Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation are three key pillars in Charlie's playbook of The Scrum Master’s Guide to the Galaxy. Partnering with his coauthor, Elisabeth White, they empower organizations to gain crystal-clear insights into their workflows, ensuring that every effort contributes meaningfully to the overarching people-centric objectives.   And Charlie doesn’t stop there. He is a relentless advocate for continuous improvement, infusing organizations with a culture that embraces change as a catalyst for growth. By instilling this agile mindset, Charlie empowers teams to adapt, evolve, and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.  Effective product management is another cornerstone of Charlie's strategy. By helping clients hone their product management practices, he ensures that every product not only meets but exceeds customer expectations, driving unparalleled satisfaction and loyalty.  Alignment is also paramount in Charlie's world. He works tirelessly to align team delivery with overarching organizational strategy, ensuring that every action propels the business towards its desired outcomes.   Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn. Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features guest interviewer Marie Weiskopf in conversation with Administrative Patent Judge Eric Jeschke.    Marie Weiskopf is an Associate General Counsel at Meta on the Patents, Licensing, and Open-Source legal team. Marie manages the patent strategy for a number of key technology groups at Meta, including multiple research groups and the Facebook App. Marie is also a co-founder and steering committee member of ADAPT.LEGAL and has been passionate about DEI since the start of her career, having experienced what it’s like to be the only woman in the room too many times. Marie graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and began her legal career at the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a patent examiner, examining patent applications in data processing for navigation and vehicle control systems. Marie also worked as a law clerk at an IP Boutique firm while attending The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. After graduation, Marie practiced patent law at both IP boutique law firms and general practice law firms before joining Meta.  Connect with Marie on LinkedIn.  Eric C. Jeschke is an Administrative Patent Judge at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Prior to joining the Board in 2014, Judge Jeschke served as a law clerk to the Honorable Alvin A. Schall at the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Judge Jeschke also practiced at an IP boutique in Washington, D.C., where he focused on automotive, medical device, and consumer electronics products in litigation before district courts, the International Trade Commission, and at the Federal Circuit. Judge Jeschke began his career in the United States Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer charged with maintaining a squadron of B-1B bombers, and later as a developmental engineer overseeing various aspects of the Atlas V satellite launch program. Judge Jeschke graduated with honors from Princeton University with a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering, and he received his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.  Connect with Judge Jeschke on LinkedIn.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Haley Moss, Esq., in a conversation about ‘A Deep on Dive on Neurodiversity.’  Haley was diagnosed with autism when she was 3 years old. Today, she is an attorney, TEDx, and keynote speaker, author, advocate, and consultant. Though licensed to practice law in Florida, Haley is not currently in active practice, instead committed to ventures that make life better for individuals with disabilities through my speaking, writing, and consulting. The author of several books and numerous articles about neurodiversity in the workplace, Haley is a passionate advocate for disability inclusion and neurodiversity.  As a consultant, Haley helps make organizations more inclusive and accessible places for people with disabilities. Speaking on these topics allows her to share her personal and professional experiences, bringing legal knowledge and individual perspectives across different professions and settings. She is thrilled to share what she knows and has learned in her life with everyone she can.  Connect with Haley on LinkedIn or visit haleymoss.com.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Michael G. Flanigan, IP Trial Attorney at Crowell & Moring LLP.   Based in San Francisco, Michael assists clients in technology and intellectual property litigation throughout the United States. He has broad experience in federal and state courts, including post-grant proceedings (Inter Partes Reviews and post-grant reviews) before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and Section 337 proceedings before the International Trade Commission (ITC).  Michael focuses his practice on complex civil and high-stakes intellectual property/high technology litigation in both state and federal courts and has experience in Section 337 proceedings before the International Trade Commission (ITC). His practice centers around intellectual property litigation, including pre-trial strategy, patent and trade secret enforcement, patent defense, patent consulting and monetization, and patent portfolio analysis. Michael utilizes his background in electrical engineering and computer science to advise tech companies in cloud technology, consumer electronics, telecommunications, software, computer architecture, medical devices, and other technical fields. His practice also encompasses complex civil disputes such as contracts and business; real property or land disputes; misappropriation of trade secrets, copyright and trademark disputes.   Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Michael spent nearly a decade in private practice at elite national trial law firms, where he represented clients in high-stakes patent, trade secret, competition and complex commercial disputes through trial in the fields of cloud technology, consumer electronics, telecommunications, software, computer architecture, and other technical fields.  Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.   Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.    Legal Disclaimer: This video is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Angela Oliver, an appellate and intellectual property attorney with Haynes and Boone, LLP, who focuses her practice on appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, federal district court litigation, and post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.   Angela was recently recognized in Patexia’s 2023 CAFC Intelligence Report as being in the top five best performing attorneys at the Federal Circuit, and in the top 30 most active attorneys before that court.  She has also assisted clients throughout inter partes review and post-grant review proceedings, from drafting petitions and patent owner responses to presenting oral argument, and with critical issues in patent infringement litigation, including dispositive motion practice, appellate preservation, and development of the jury charge.  Connect with Angela on LinkedIn.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Irene Liu, the founder of Hypergrowth GC and an Executive in Residence at UC Berkeley, School of Law.   After building and scaling international, multi-billion-dollar technology companies, Irene now helps spur growth at other companies as an advisor, thought leader, and executive coach. She is a frequent writer and contributor to the Thomson Reuters Institute and hosts the “Hypergrowth GC” video series on Luminate+ and “Coffee Break with Irene” on Berkeley Boost.  Irene brings invaluable expertise on AI as an Advisor for Berkeley Law's AI Institute and Women Defining AI. She further contributes crucial insights on AI to the California government on AI-related matters and has previously spoken at an FTC public hearing on AI.    Before going in-house, Irene worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, and the Federal Trade Commission in the Bureau of Consumer Protection. Irene was the Chief Financial and Legal Officer of Hopin, a leading community engagement platform, where she managed legal, finance, policy, and trust & safety teams. She was also the General Counsel of Checkr, a provider of modern background checks, where she managed legal, compliance, policy, finance, and customer education teams.  Connect with Irene on LinkedIn.   Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Jeremiah Chan, the Director and Associate General Counsel, Head of Patents, Licensing and Open Source at Meta. Jeremiah and his team are responsible for Meta’s worldwide patent portfolio, intellectual property transactions, and open-source software, as well as industry-wide efforts to promote greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in innovation and the IP profession. The team has launched several industry-wide DEI initiatives, including the Diversity Pledge, ADAPT.legal and the Patent Pipeline Program, and was featured in IAM Magazine.   Meta’s approach to patents and innovation is described in this blog post.  Prior to joining Meta, Jeremiah led an international team at Google that was focused on patent portfolio strategy, operations, and data science; before Google, he served as Head of IP for JDSU, a global supplier of broadband and optical solutions. Jeremiah started his career in private practice with the law firm of Fish & Neave, where he specialized in litigation, opinion work, and client counseling. He graduated from UC Berkeley with highest honors while working as a marketing assistant at the University of California Press, and received his JD from Cornell Law School, where he also worked in its Legal Aid Clinic.    Jeremiah serves on the Executive Board of the National Council on Patent Practicum and the advisory boards for the Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice, the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession, and the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law. He previously served on the USPTO’s Patent Public Advisory Committee, the American Bar Association’s Task Force for diversity, equity and inclusion, and as chairman of the board for the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition.  Connect with Jeremiah on LinkedIn.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Timothy M. Hsieh, Ph.D., Founding Partner of MH2 Technology Law Group LLP, a law firm focused on helping companies protect their innovations with U.S. and foreign patents.   During his twenty-five years as patent attorney, Tim has acquired hundreds of patents for companies ranging from Fortune 500® to startups, as well as universities and other non-profit organizations. He began his legal career as an associate at the Finnegan firm and clerked for former Chief Judge Rader at the Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit.   Tim obtained his JD from the University of Virgina School of Law and holds a Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees from the Johns Hopkins University, in materials science and engineering.   Prior to law school, Tim spent time at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) as a co-op student, worked as a materials scientist at several start-up companies, and conducted research and development for ground combat vehicles for FMC Defense Systems. When not working on clients’ patenting issues, he can be found on the golf course, hiking with family, or working as a volunteer ski patroller.   Connect with Tim on LinkedIn.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Lisa Sun, CEO of GRAVITAS a company on a mission to catalyze confidence.  Lisa has often been called the “dress whisperer.” Her company, GRAVITAS, offers innovative size-inclusive apparel, styling solutions, and content designed to make women from the inside out. Before founding GRAVITAS, Sun spent 11 years at McKinsey & Company, where she advised leading luxury fashion and beauty brands and retailers in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America on strategic and operational issues. Her first collection was featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, People, and The Today Show in the same month. Sun and GRAVITAS have been featured on CNN and in Forbes, Fast Company, New York magazine, Elle, Marie Claire, InStyle, and more.  Lisa is also a highly sought-after public speaker, imparting her hard-won knowledge on gravitas, and how to best harness it, to others.    Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn or Instagram.  Find GRAVITAS on Instagram.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Amanda Do Couto (Duh-Koo-Toe), Lead Patent Counsel at Meta. As Lead Patent Counsel, Amanda is responsible for the global patent strategy for various products and tech areas, including WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, and virtual reality products and research.   After getting her Chemistry and law degrees from the George Washington University, Amanda practiced patent litigation at a leading global law firm and served as a federal clerk for the US District Courts. She is also one of the founding members and steering committee member of ADAPT, which strives to increase accessibility, inclusion, and overall diversity in the IP field. As a Black woman and first-generation American, Amanda is no stranger to the effects of exclusion, bias, and xenophobia, and she works passionately to dismantle those barriers for others. In her free time, Amanda loves cooking, playing volleyball, and spending time with family (especially when it's Taboo time on game night).  Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here

In this special, on-location episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat featuring Sakina Isgandarova, we met at ROMAN in Reston Town Center. ROMAN is a manifestation of Turkey’s women fashion industry leader’s expansion efforts to global markets.  With a remarkable 12-year tenure in the fashion industry, Sakina effortlessly navigates the diverse style needs of women in Washington, D.C. Despite the glamorous facade, she understands the responsibility that comes with dressing an eclectic clientele, ranging from high-profile individuals to devoted stay-at-home moms. Beyond fashion, Sakina is a staunch advocate for empowering women and nurturing the younger generation, using her platforms to inspire confidence and celebrate individuality. A trailblazer in the industry, she continues to redefine fashion norms, proving that style is a language spoken by all, irrespective of their background or profession. Connect with Sakina on LinkedIn and find ROMAN on Instagram.   Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat on ADAPT features guest interviewer Nicole Cohen, VPG's Litigation Assistant (also known as Nico the tree frog in the VPG ecosystem.) Nicole chats with Gail Su, Senior Counsel on the Patent Transactions Team at Google.   Ms. Su is an intellectual property attorney and United States registered patent attorney with experience in all forms of patent-related and intellectual property-related transactions, including inbound and outbound licensing, standard essential patent licensing, video and audio patent pools, complex technology transactions, cross-border transactions, and M&A. Prior to joining Google, Ms. Su was intellectual property counsel for Hewlett Packard Company and then, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where she supported HP and HPE’s global supply chain, partnerships, emerging technologies, tax, and M&A teams.   Ms. Su is a Co-Founder of the Advancing Diversity Across Patent Teams initiative, or ‘ADAPT’, and volunteers with Street Law and the Legal Education Access Pipeline program (LEAP). She is passionate about supporting the next generation of intellectual property professionals and giving every person the opportunity to be part of the next generation. Ms. Su received a BS and a BA from The University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering and Plan II Honors Program, respectively, and a JD from Harvard Law School.  Connect with Ms. Su on LinkedIn.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Dr. Samantha Rae Dickenson, also known as “Dr. Sam”. Dr. Sam is the leading DEI Strategist and CEO of DSRD Consulting. She's also the creator of the innovative app, DEI Offload™, designed specifically to support the mental health of individuals working in the DEI sector, and her program, DEI Blueprint®, designed to provide strategy development support to DEI and HR professionals. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Sam has brought transformative DEI solutions to organizations like Goodwill, Save the Children, and NIH, impacting over 10,000 employees. Her work also extends to the academic sector, where she's worked with leaders from over 50 universities across the nation to embed DEI into their processes. Dr. Sam holds a bachelor’s in biology, a master's in public health, and a doctorate in leadership and organizational management; her work focuses on the intersection of DEI and business systems optimization and development. In the past two years, Dr. Sam has elevated her company's global presence, forging partnerships with change agents in more than 50 corporations to improve their workplace culture, including AWS, Meta, Lyft, Intel, Microsoft, and Zoom, and has supported over 500 DEI practitioners worldwide. A highly sought-after speaker, Dr. Sam shares her expertise on global stages and in prestigious publications such as Forbes and Fortune. Her passion is deeply rooted in leveraging her experiences to cultivate more inclusive and equitable environments, making her a distinguished voice in the field of DEI.  Connect with Dr. Sam on LinkedIn.     Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.