We all know Brownies as the cutest little cookie sales girls around. But don’t be surprised if one day a group of second graders from Orange County trade in their pig tails and sashes for business suits and a career in patent litigation. In an effort to encourage young girls to pursue their interests in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP of Irvine recently played host to Brownie Troop 3371 from Andersen Elementary in Newport Beach for a special day filled with learning and earning— the newly introduced Intellectual Property Patch, that is. The IP Patch was developed as a joint partnership between the U.S. Patent Office, the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital (GSCNC), and the Intellectual Property Owners (IPO) Education Foundation to educate girls on the tools that allow inventors to benefit from their inventions while also sharing them with others.
Christy Lea, a litigation partner at Knobbe Martens and mother of Troop member Lydia Lea, hosted the afternoon of intellectual property education geared towards the 23 second grade Brownies at Knobbe Martens’ Orange County offices. A former Brownie and Girl Scout herself, Lea is impressed with the program’s revolutionized focus on encouraging women in the workplace.
“When I was a Brownie, I can only remember receiving a patch for braiding hair—the new IP Patch is groundbreaking,” said Lea. “If we can get girls interested at the Brownie age, we can ensure a successful group of new IP and STEM professionals for the future.”
Special activities included a tour of the offices, a scavenger hunt in Knobbe Martens’ legal library and an intellectual property presentation designed to increase the girls’ awareness of and interest in the creation and protection of intellectual property.
During the special IP and STEM presentation, Lea addressed intellectual property topics of interest to the group of seven and eight year old girls, which included examples of patents, trademarks and copyrights such as American Girl doll, Lego, and McDonald’s trademarks, and even copyrighted Katy Perry songs. At the conclusion of the presentation, each troop member earned their very own IP Patch. Lea’s daughter, Lydia, shared her excitement upon earning her new patch.
“Brownies is always fun,” said Lea. “But this patch was the most fun to earn because I got to go to my Mom’s office with my friends and run around her office.”
BROWNIES GO HIGH TECH – Newport Beach Brownie Troop 3371 earned their Intellectual Property badge while visiting and touring Irvine’s Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear.
Front Row (L to R) Adelaide Schmieder, Tessa McRae, Annalyse Vasquez, Natalie Sobaski
Second Row (L to R) – Maddi Stephenson, Katie Meggars, Ashley Solarczyk, Mia Giannulli, Lauren Kulyk, Justine Kennedy, Keira Raack, Guia Chelini
Back Row (L to R) Shayla Winterbotham, Emme Garsh, Alex Mounce, Gabbi Anderson, Chloe DeVere, Sutton Harrington, Tatum Murray, Lydia Lea, Olivia Bolt, Eden Clark, Sarina Saber, Knobbe Martens partner Christy Lea
BROWNIES HIT THE WORKPLACE- Knobbe Martens partner Christy Lea (center) hosts Newport Beach Brownie Troop 3371 in her office as they prepare to earn their IP badge as her daughter Lydia (second from right) looks on.
SERIOUS BUSINESS…Newport Beach Brownies from Troop 3371 hit the library at IP firm Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear to learn the ins and outs of intellectual property law. The girls earned their IP badge at the end of the day.
(Pictured from L to R) Emme Garsh, Sutton Harrington, Shayla Winterbotham)
Photos Courtesy of Length Of A Dream Photography.
With over 275 lawyers and scientists nationwide, Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP dedicates its practice to all aspects of intellectual property law including litigation. Consistently ranked among the top intellectual property firms worldwide, Knobbe Martens serves a diverse group of clients from multinational corporations to emerging businesses of all stages. Headquartered in Orange County, California, Knobbe Martens also has offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle and Washington, D.C. More information about the firm can be found at www.knobbe.com.
