Laura Achával developed her IP experience at an Argentinian firm for more than 22 years, creating valuable networks and client relationships.
However, during her tenure at Ferrer Reyes, Tellechea & Bouché, a moment of reflection prompted her to contemplate the direction of her work.
Achával realised that her vision was heading in a different direction to where her practice was taking her.
This ultimately led to her exit the firm and launch her own IP boutique, Achával IP & Asoc, in late 2024.
Her experience highlights how careers can be reshaped when a person’s professional aspirations outgrow their existing environment.
“Leaving after more than two decades—and at my age—was not an easy decision,” she tells Managing IP.
“It was a long, thoughtful, and deliberate process. But, it was absolutely the right one, and I have never regretted it,” she says.
According to Managing IP’s research team, other Argentina-based firms praise Achával and her firm for its IP work.
Achával IP was also recently recognised as a ‘Firm to Watch – Latin America’ at Managing IP’s 2026 Americas awards.
On winning that award, she reflects: “The award gave me a moment to pause, look back at everything I had built, and, for the first time, truly enjoy the journey with a sense of calm and pride.”
She adds: “The recognition also gave the firm a significant boost, both nationally and internationally. Many colleagues reached out, and I can feel that we are now being viewed through a different lens—one that opens doors and strengthens our credibility.”
Achával sat down with Managing IP for our ‘Women in IP’ series to discuss her vision for Achával IP, systemic inequities in the IP industry, and the importance of perseverance.
Pay divide
Achával’s legal career began in the social‑impact sector, where she focussed on family and juvenile law.
To gain practical experience while earning her law degree, she took a part-time job at an IP firm.
“That opportunity introduced me to the world of IP in a completely unexpected way, but I quickly discovered that I genuinely enjoyed the work, and I stayed,” she notes.
While Achával was able to establish herself as a formidable IP attorney through years of honing her skills, she notes that the progression of her career took longer than expected because of the challenges she faced as a junior woman lawyer.
“Over the years, I realised that it took me a long time to build a strong client base, and without a doubt—at least in Argentina—my being a woman played a significant role in that.”
She adds: “When I was a young lawyer, both men and older women often struggled to place their trust in someone so junior, especially a young female attorney.”
These challenges, according to Achával, reflect broader structural issues within the IP profession.
Stereotypes surrounding women being deemed less capable than men restrict women’s access to opportunities that are needed to build reputations and develop client relationships, she notes.
Additionally, the gender gap in firm leadership left Achával with few senior women advocates who could ensure she could participate in meaningful cases and win work.
“Male lawyers typically had networks of friends, relatives, former classmates, or colleagues who held influential positions in companies or full‑service firms and would refer them work,” she reflects.
She adds: “22 years ago, very few women were in comparable positions, and even fewer were in roles where they could send work my way.”
After building years of experience and consistently delivering results, Achával says her client base finally began to grow.
However, she notes that her salary has never reflected her years of hard work.
“Had I been a man, I would have earned significantly more in every position I held throughout my earlier career.”
‘No path forward’
Before launching her firm, Achával spent just over two decades at Ferrer Reyes, Tellechea & Bouché.
After spending half of her time there in the same position, Achával says she “no longer saw a real path forward”.
She explains: “I had fundamental differences regarding how the firm should evolve and how the business should be managed in the future. The world has changed dramatically, and so has the way we work. IP is no exception.”
She adds: “To stay competitive, you need to evolve, adapt, and surround yourself with younger, dynamic professionals who bring new perspectives.”
Her vision prompted the launch of Achával IP, where she says strategic clarity and the “courage to let go of old structures” drive the practice.
Achával says she has reshaped every facet of how an IP boutique operates, including how to work, serve clients, build a team, and position the firm well in a rapidly changing IP landscape.
“The process of building my firm has shaped not only how I run the practice today, but also how I plan its future.”
Patience and perseverance
Achával hopes her story can serve as an inspiration to young women IP lawyers, especially those who are struggling to see the immediate fruits of their labour.
She advises young practitioners to be patient and persevere, since she personally experienced having to work diligently for years in order to grow her client base.
“It is very difficult to achieve immediate results in this profession. But I firmly believe that if you work well, act responsibly, stay serious and committed, and persevere, good things eventually happen—and they do pay off.”
Going the extra mile by diving deep into case law, she notes, will also position practitioners for success.
“Read doctrine, jurisprudence, and everything you can get your hands on. Artificial intelligence can be a helpful starting point to get an overview, but you must always go back to the primary sources—the books, the case files, the court decisions. That is where real legal reasoning is built.”
The mantra of hard work, patience, and perseverance was instilled by her mother and father, Achával says.
“My mother taught me never to stop believing in myself and in my dreams, and my father always told us to be consistent in everything we pursued. He would repeat a phrase from my grandmother: ‘Persevera y triunfarás’—persevere, and you will succeed.”
Achával’s story is a testament to the idea that it’s never too late to start something new.
That mindset led her to establish her own IP boutique, which has quickly earned recognition despite being operational for less than two years.
She reflects: “When I say that people are beginning to see us differently, that is precisely the direction I want to pursue.”
