Someone asks you at a party what you do for a living. What do you say?
With age, I have learned that just saying “I am a lawyer” paves the way to any sort of comment from heritage law to neighborhood disputes and: “My uncle has a cousin who got involved in a real estate scam whilst going to Spain on holiday”.
Therefore, I have learned to be more precise, and I tend to explain right away that I am an intellectual property lawyer. I protect people's inventions, brands, designs, and original works. It's like being a superhero for designers, innovators, and artists.
Talk us through a typical working day.
Managing to balance being a parent and a lawyer requires a combination of flexibility, support, prioritisation, and stoicism. So far, I have managed to handle it quite well, without having to skip my son’s piano recitals, my swimming training, and relaxing talks with my spouse at the end of the day, maybe over a glass of wine.
Usually, my alarm goes off at 6am and I am busy with my son’s routine from chasing him out of bed to dropping him off at school at 8:30am. By that point, I am on my third coffee and ready to start my second (paid) job. E-mails, phone calls, drafting documents, and the amazing task of understanding a client’s new idea keep me occupied.
I also try to squeeze in a couple of workout sessions and all of a sudden it’s family time again. Switching from the lawyer’s brain to the mum’s brain is sometimes challenging, but I have noticed that the multi-tasking, problem-solving, and empathetic skills you develop as a parent have turned me into an even more effective and well-rounded attorney.
What are you working on at the moment?
Like every year, July is quite a busy month as most Italian companies close for summer in August. Therefore, workloads tend to increase and deadlines are likely to overlap.
I am also working on a complex copyright and trademark dispute for a US client which will not close in August. Having an international practice means that clients around the globe ensure the “July madness” is followed by a not-too-quiet August.
Does one big piece of work usually take priority or are you juggling multiple things?
I think we all are juggling a zillion things at the same time these days. Sometimes I have to focus on one single piece, for example, meeting deadlines for court filings.
What is the most exciting aspect of your role and what is the most stressful?
The most exciting aspect is the intellectual challenge and the moderation, empathy, and communication that are needed to make clients and sometimes even opposing parties understand and feel satisfied with an outcome, be it a settlement, licence agreement, or brand protection strategy.
The most stressful part is dealing with people (colleagues, counterparties, etc) who adopt a paternalistic or, let’s spell it out, macho attitude. Gender bias is unfortunately still an issue in Italy and some other countries. Thankfully, this has become a topic, and the more we address it the more I hope we will teach present and future generations to act appropriately.
Tell us the key characteristics that make a successful IP lawyer/practitioner.
Curiosity and having a pragmatic approach – although this shouldn’t apply only to IP lawyers. IP lawyers are asked to get close to their clients’ activity and business, and sometimes businesses encompass a wide range of fields: from techniques of weaving fabrics to how a hydrodynamic bearing is supposed to work underwater in the ocean.
Curiosity and willingness to understand a client’s business are essential for success. Likewise, clients appreciate their counsel having a pragmatic results-and-solution-oriented approach. The times of long memos and hyperbolic spin have come to an end.
What is the most common misconception about IP?
Having an idea protects you from competitors or copycats. IP law is a bit more complex than that, and it’s an IP lawyer’s task to illustrate how such an idea can (or cannot) be protected, and whether that makes sense in the long run.
What or who inspires you?
People who never settle in their comfort zone. I am inspired by people who show the courage to speak up for themselves and others and improve our world for future generations.
If you weren’t in IP, what would you be doing?
That's an interesting question! As far as I can remember, I have always thought I would be practicing law.
However, I have some other passions, including photography. I did some professional training and I could imagine making this a second career. The creative process of composing compelling images, mastering technical skills, and telling visual stories would be incredibly rewarding.
Being a photographer would allow me to leverage my analytical skills, creative thinking, and empathy to make a difference in people's lives. Now that I think about it, this even links to what I described as key characteristics of a successful IP lawyer.
Any advice you would give your younger self?
I have always been quite a perfectionist. I would probably tell my younger self to go easier on myself and not be afraid of failure because it's essential to growth and learning. Also, I would encourage my inner curiosity, never settle (in work as well as in life), and spur to lifelong improvement.
What is your motto in life?
I have literally been devouring books since I was a child.
I recently came across a book by Meg Wolitzer called The Female Persuasion. There, I read a quote that immediately resonated with me: “Self-preservation is as important as generosity. Because if you don't preserve yourself, keep enough for yourself, then of course you have nothing to give”.
