Today marks my last day at someone else’s law firm.
2022 was a year of awakening – I knew I needed and wanted a change, but none of the obvious options – BigLaw, IP boutique firms – seemed like the right choice. In the U.S. we often use money as the measure of success, but I no longer felt motivated by money. The harder I worked, the less I felt like I understood why I was working. Then I remembered a quote from my childhood about “having a dream so big that it scares you.”
As a child I had big dreams; I grew up selling shoes and toys at night markets in Taiwan, adoring Kung Fu masters, not Disney princesses. And today I practice law in the United States – halfway around the world (8,127 miles) from my birthplace. A wise person (maybe Robin Arzon from Peloton in one of her classes) once told me that rather than waiting to be invited to a table, many talented, courageous women simply build a table. Inspired by my young team of paralegals who want to build something they can be proud of, by my clients who take disruptive risks every day and by social activists from China to the U.S. to Ukraine, I decided to build my own table.
I found a brilliant partner with whom I’ve worked for years and developed a strong bond of mutual respect (Christie Searls). I received the permissions I needed to open international offices in Asia. And so, with the unwavering commitment of my team and the overwhelming support of my clients, the decision made itself and we started Eligon IP, LLC, an Atlanta-based firm focusing on global trademark law. At Eligon we’ve created a place where people can do great work, learn something new every day and enjoy practicing law together, as a team.
Thank you Joel Feldman for giving me my first client years ago and for your mentorship along the way. Thank you Candice Kim for always being there to bounce ideas off of and showing me the way. Thank you Diane Gabl Kratz USPTO, CIPP/E, CIPP/US for being a shining beacon of light and showing me how to be a fierce, yet kind leader; your friendship has helped me realize it’s ok to stand up for yourself and fight for what’s right. Thank you Julia Zhurya for creating a website that symbolizes the true spirit of “understated elegance”. Thank you Madeline Barnett, Brita McDaniel, Tyler King, Roxanne Sheldon and Joel Roberts for jumping in without looking. And last but not least, thank you Ree Howard, Ph.D., my American mom (and the most risk-averse person I know), for giving Eligon your final blessing, and for believing in me.
I am thankful for all the experiences that have led me to this point and have allowed me to be in a position to take this step. I am excited and scared at the same time about this Eligon dream, but I am grateful to still be dreaming.
I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Here’s to 2023!
