Jamie Graham: Charting Her Own Course

Sidebars

Jamie Graham is currently Associate Director and Senior Patent Counsel at Boehringer Ingelheim USA. Prior to joining Boehringer, Jamie practiced patent law for 30 years at Kilpatrick Townsend, many of them as a partner. At the firm, she focused on IP issues relating to biological and chemical technologies, particularly in the areas of biotechnology, diagnostics, immunology, and pharmaceuticals. A registered U.S. Patent Attorney since 1986, Jamie claims title to being the first female patent attorney in Atlanta, back when there were fewer than 25 registered patent attorneys in the entire city.
In her science work, Jamie conducted enzyme isolation and characterization research at Sloan-Kettering, and cardiac and allergy drug disposition/metabolism research at Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd. She also performed graduate research in neuroimmunology and virology, including HIV research conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jamie co-founded Women in Bio (WIB) Atlanta, was active in Women In Technology (WIT) to help build women’s careers, and promoted STEM initiatives through a variety of organizations. As an American Cancer Society (ACS)-GA Board member, Jamie successfully led the regional ResearcHERS Initiative – an inaugural nationwide program with a goal of $3,000,000 to fund women-led cancer research – working with 12 high profile female community leaders and ACS executives.
Jamie charted a unique course in her career, scrambling the traditional steps of a patent practitioner to create her own path to success as a lawyer, a scientist, an engaged community member, and most importantly to her – as a mother. For example, she was already a member of the patent bar and a licensed, practicing attorney when she went to graduate school for a degree in molecular biology. She was five years out of law school when she asked to be a summer associate at Kilpatrick Townsend, intending to stay a summer, then staying 30 years.
Highlights include:

• Experiencing formative female leadership in college
• Being the only woman in a meeting and learning to not make copies – or coffee
• Making career decisions based on childcare considerations
• A trick for making women be heard in meetings
• Juggling the demands of a high-powered career and caring for aging parents
• Learning from Madeleine Albright
• Building a nationally recognized patent practice by hiring women
• Voting for diversity with your time and attention
• Discovering patent talent on an Uber ride
• Supporting female cancer researcHERS
• Launching a new career chapter after a storied 30-year stint at one law firm
• Early-morning partner meetings and small children
• The value of making deci

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**The opinions expressed are those of the attorneys and do not necessarily reflect the views of the firm or its clients. This podcast is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.