FADIPL Elects New Board Members

Arlington, VA – November 23, 2020—The Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law announces an expansion of its Board of Trustees and the election of sixteen new Board Members.  These newly elected members bring a wealth of experience in the Intellectual Property Law field, as well as a demonstrated commitment to increase diversity in the IP Law profession.  The newly elected Trustees are:

Sharon Barner –  Cummins Inc.
Shruti Chopra – Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Barbara Fiacco – Foley Hoag LLP
Natalie Alfaro Gonzales – Baker Botts, LLP
Krish Gupta – IPO
Jens Jenkins – Workman Nydegger
Tiffany Johnson – The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.
Annette Kwok – Cronos Group
Dwayne Mason – Greenberg Traurig
Ann Mueting – Mueting Raasch Group
Kevin Noonan – McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert &Berghoff LLP
Raymond Parker – BioNTech US
Saint St. Julian – Prairie View A&M University
Pervin Rusi Taleyarkhan – Whirlpool Corporation
Tearra Vaughn – Reimage Beauty
Ha Kung Wong – Venable LLP

Foundation President, Terry Rea, announced, “I am so pleased to welcome these new Trustees to our Board.  As we pursue our goal of increasing diversity in IP Law, the expertise and passion of these new Trustees will allow us to successfully implement expanded programs as we strive to achieve our mission.  We are grateful for their willingness to make a difference in the world of IP Law.”

Since 2001, the Foundation has supported individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as they explore possible careers as intellectual property lawyers.  In 2020, the Foundation announced the new Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Scholar Program, which focuses on advancing the career readiness of Scholars through development opportunities that fall outside the typical law school curriculum.  These efforts are aimed at preparing Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Scholars to become leaders in the patent law profession.

About the Foundation

For nearly two decades the Foundation—formerly the American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation—has worked for the advancement of diversity in the IP profession.  In 2020, the Foundation adopted its new name—Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law— to accompany an expansion of the Foundation’s longstanding programming aimed at attracting more members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups into the IP law profession—and advancing their opportunities for achievement in the profession once completing law school.  Since its inception, the Foundation had provided over $2.5 million in scholarship assistance to over 130 individuals.