Susanne Jones and Elizabeth Burke on STEM and the Benefits of a Boutique Firm

Bigger is Not Always Better

In this episode, Susanne Jones, Founder of Jones Robb–a boutique law firm handling patent prosecution and counseling–and Elizabeth Burke, a Member of the firm, share their insights on being women in STEM and how they steering their small firm to success. Because both Susie and Liz pursued careers in engineering, they are used to being the only woman in the room. They then both decided to add to the challenge by layering it with a career in law. In order to make this work, they advised that you have two things: a strong stomach and unfailing support from mentors, colleagues loved ones. How does one navigate through all that and then have the gumption to found a law firm?  How do you attract clients and stay profitable in the world of IP when you are competing with Big Law? Even though Jones Robb is WBENC Certified (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) and corporations are looking to hire diverse outside counsel, it is not easy. Susie shares that while diversity is important, in the end it boils down to trust. And, trust comes through building relationships. Despite the challenges, Liz was attracted to Jones Robb because she wanted the flexibility that comes with a smaller organization. It meant more autonomy and more variety in the work she gets to do. Hear how she and Susie have created a culture that reflects these values for themselves and their employees. This is imperative in order to attract and retain talent in the time of the Great Resignation. They also speak candidly about how RFPs are geared to the larger firms and what clients can do to be more inclusive when vetting outside counsel. Don’t limit your options from the get-go by having an RFP that sets standards that fail to capture smaller, and therefore, more diverse prospects.

Tune in for perspectives on:
• Leveraging a background in STEM to succeed in the legal industry
• The benefits of working for a Boutique organization
• Why corporations should consider hiring smaller, more diverse outside counsel
• Advice for the CIPO: What to consider when drafting an RFP