Education: 1986: J.D., Harvard Law School; 1983: B.A. (History), University of Virginia.

Career in Brief: 2015–present: HP Inc., Deputy General Counsel, Litigation & Brand Security; 2000–2015: Hewlett-Packard Company (2012–2015: Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Litigation; 2008–2012: Vice President & Associate General Counsel, IP Litigation; 2000–2008: IP Litigation Manager); 1999–2000: Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Partner; 1989–1999: Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich (now DLA Piper) (1992–1999: Partner; 1989–1992: Associate); 1986–1989: Jones Day, Associate.

Primary Industry Sector: Technology.

Revenues in the Last Financial Year: Approximately $50 billion.

Number of Employees Worldwide: Approximately 40,000.

Law Department Locations: Palo Alto, California and multiple locations worldwide.

What is the total number of attorneys in the company worldwide, and how many focus on litigation? We have about 200 attorneys, 19 of whom focus on litigation.

Where does litigation fall within the organizational structure? I report to Kim Rivera, our Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.

How typical or unique is the scope of responsibilities for the company’s litigation attorneys? We handle all types of litigation worldwide, including both filed lawsuits and disputes that threaten to develop into litigation. Our litigation managers own their matters from start to finish. They retain and manage outside counsel, provide reports to a variety of stakeholders on the proceedings, risk, and spend, and work with our business clients to optimize outcomes.

What is keeping your department’s attorneys the busiest at the moment? Our litigation attorneys are busy handling the steady flow of investor-backed patent litigation, enabled by flaws in the US patent litigation system. The methods of granting patents and calculating damages, as well as the International Trade Commission’s interpretation of its mandate, provide a mechanism through which patentees may claim the inventions of others and recover royalties on the sales of those inventions. We are doing everything we can to push back against that system and sponsor constructive change. Other hot areas include dealing with employment class actions in the US, counterfeit printing supplies throughout the world, and copyright levies in Europe.

Have any recent legal developments changed the way your department operates? While no recent developments have materially changed the way we operate, the high levels of US patent litigation in the tech sector have forced us to devote disproportionate resources to that risk. We are also spending more time and resources on EU privacy and data security regulation.

What types of issues will cause you to turn to outside counsel? We retain outside counsel for virtually every filed lawsuit.

What types of issues will cause you to push for alternative fee arrangements with outside counsel? We consider alternative fee arrangements for cases in which sharing risk with outside counsel is feasible. Mostly, these are cases in which HP is the plaintiff, and therefore can share the upside while the firm accepts some risk of loss. In our experience, alternative fee arrangements that do not include risk sharing do not provide material savings to the client.

What three things does a law firm need to do to impress you? First, show the initiative and put in the time to really understand HP as a business enterprise. If you do not know our pain points, you will not effectively represent us. Second, recognize that success in litigation is defined as much by the costs incurred to reach the result as it is by the result itself. And third, embrace collaboration with other firms retained by HP. We often engage multiple firms to create the ideal team for larger matters. Accept and excel in your role, large or small.

What is the best career advice you ever received? The people with whom you will work in a given position will matter more to your career satisfaction than the work you do or the title you hold.

What is one mistake you made early on in your legal career and what did you learn from that experience? I did not appreciate that the legal world is quite small and that you will encounter the same folks again and again, often in very different roles. Your opponent today could be your most important ally tomorrow (or even your judge). I now do my best to handle every interaction with that long view in mind.

If not an attorney, what would you wish to be? I enjoy writing, so perhaps a journalist or a non-fiction author.

What one piece of advice would you give to prospective in-house litigation counsel? Subject matter expertise plateaus after a few years. Take advantage of the unique opportunity in-house practice provides to handle work entirely outside your current expertise and range of experience. The more legal roles you have played, the more effective you will be at the one you are in.