Women in IP Leadership

Patchen Haggerty is an Intellectual Property Partner at Perkins Coie and serves as a member of the Firmwide Management and Executive Committees. She manages global trademark portfolios as well as trademark and internet enforcement and take-down programs for market-leading companies worldwide. Patchen's background in trademark enforcement matters includes dispute resolution and administrative actions around the world. In her practice, she regularly manages trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings and trademark application appeals before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Patchen maintains an active profile as a presenter and author on emerging issues in trademark, copyright, and IP legal protections.

What inspired your career?

I made the choice to be a lawyer in college after I took a mass communication law class, which was the first class that really grabbed my interest. I found it particularly fascinating how our legal system governs communication, which guided my path to law school. Once in law school, I narrowed my focus from First Amendment Communication Law to the field of IP, then to trademarks in particular following a moot court competition where we argued about a museum's right to control third-party use of the shape of King Tut's Sarcophagus as trade dress and whether an Italian restaurant near the museum could have a sarcophagus shaped spaghetti dish called 'Mummy Mia'. I found it fascinating and amusing at the same time, and I instantly knew I wanted to specialize in IP! I've been in IP for 22 years now.

Click here to read the full article in The Trademark Lawyer.