Virtual Water Cooler Chat

A Chat with Timothy Hsieh, Ph.D., Founding Partner of MH2 Technology Law Group | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Episode 47

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. 

GRAVITAS with Lisa Sun | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Episode 46

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. 

A Chat with Amanda Do Couto, Lead Patent Counsel at Meta | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Episode 45

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

Winning Wardrobe with Sakina Isgandarova | Virtual Watercooler Chat Episode 44

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.

ADAPT with Gail Su | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Episode 43

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. 

DEI & Mental Health with Samantha “Dr. Sam” Rae | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Episode 42

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. 

A Chat with LiLan Ren, Administrative Patent Judge at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board at the United States Patent and Trademark Office | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Episode 41

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Administrative Patent Judge LiLan Ren. Judge Ren, or LiLan, received her undergraduate and master's degree in chemical engineering; attended the University of Houston Law Center as a night student while working as an engineer for a major petroleum company. After graduation, she spent a year in private practice followed by a clerkship at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.  
 
LiLan returned to private practice after the clerkship and worked on patent litigation and prosecution matters in various technological areas including semiconductors, oil and gas exploration, and renewable energy. She joined the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2016 and has remained in this position ever since. In addition to performing her regular duties at the PTAB, LiLan actively participates in multiple committees at the Board for stakeholder outreach and other efforts to strengthen the overall patent system. Outside her legal career, LiLan has been involved in her local community as a volunteer for animal rescue organizations and programs to help seniors and the disadvantaged. 
Connect with LiLan on LinkedIn. 
 
Disclaimer: LiLan Ren is speaking in her personal capacity and her views do not represent the views of the United States Government. 
 
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. 

A Chat with Meredith Schoenfeld, Associate Solicitor, Solicitor’s Office, USPTO | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Episode 40

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Meredith Schoenfeld, Associate Solicitor, Solicitor’s Office, USPTO. 
Meredith is an Associate Solicitor at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where she serves as legal counsel on intellectual property law matters. At the USPTO, Ms. Schoenfeld defends decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, among other responsibilities. Ms. Schoenfeld is a founding member of the USPTO’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Emerging Technology (ET) Working Group. This working group is comprised of AI experts from across the agency and has been responsible for several initiatives at the USPTO, including the issuance of request for comments, reports on AI and intellectual property policy, and the formation of the AI/ET Partnership, which was announced by Director Vidal in June 2022. Ms. Schoenfeld also acts as a government liaison to the National AI Advisory Committee (NAIAC).  
Prior to her position at the USPTO, Ms. Schoenfeld worked as a senior patent attorney at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and as an associate at a large IP law firm in Washington D.C. Ms. Schoenfeld is a graduate of Georgetown University Law School and holds a BSE in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania. 
Connect with Meredith 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. 

A Chat with Jessica Nguyen, Chief Legal Officer of Lexion | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Episode 39

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Jessica Nguyen, Chief Legal Officer of Lexion, the AI-powered legal intake and contract lifecycle management system – helping attorneys manage tasks and contracts in one place. 
Jessica plays an integral role in managing Lexion’s legal function and product and go-to-market strategy while also building a platform advocating for General Counsels, legal professionals, and women with over 15,000 LinkedIn followers, regularly speaking at events and webinars with hundreds or thousands of registrants. She has an extensive in-house legal career at companies of various sizes and stages and has been the first legal hire that built out the legal function of a company 3 times. 
Prior to Lexion, she was the General Counsel and first in-house attorney of PayScale, a Microsoft Office365 attorney, and the first in-house attorney at Avalara. Jessica is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and is an award-winning General Counsel, with  honors including the 2023 Washington State Bar Association Legal Innovation Award, 2020 “Startup GC of the Year” by Corporate Counsel magazine, 2019 Top 100 Legal Influencers by The Business Journals, 2019 Best Under 40 by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and 2018 Puget Sound Business Journal 40 Under 40. 
Connect with Jessica 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. 

A Chat with Micheal Binns, Head of Patent Portfolio Strategy, Patents & Trade Secrets at Meta | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Episode 38

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Micheal Binns, Head of Patent Portfolio Strategy for Meta’s Patents & Trade Secrets.  
Micheal chairs Meta’s Black@Legal affinity group, which focuses on ensuring an equitable experience for diverse employees in the legal department. He is also a founder and board member of ADAPT, a DEI collective, the board chair of Page Turners Make Great Learners in Atlanta, a board member of the National Council on Patent Practicum, and a trustee of the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law.  
Connect with Micheal 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.