Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP > Washington DC, United States > Firm Profile

Our story

Finnegan Innovation

These healthy statistics don’t happen in a vacuum. The firm works diligently and creatively to hone existing programs and develop new ones, ensuring that when it makes promotional decisions, our attorneys and administrative professionals are given a competitive edge.

For example, our firm has a robust training curriculum (L.E.A.P.: Learn, Enrich, Achieve, Progress), designed to support the continued growth and development of attorneys at all levels. Finnegan believes that training and ongoing education are essential to developing the best attorneys and advocates for our clients. With multiple training and education components, L.E.A.P is designed to enhance the firm’s existing training and mentoring activities throughout the year. This highly ranked program (#12 in Formal Training, Vault 2022) arms our team with the tools and resources necessary to practice law in an ever-evolving legal and business market.

The L.E.A.P calendar includes the following programs: litigation training, advanced legal writing, advanced patent prosecution, practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), advanced technical and legal research, business development training and individualized coaching, billing and timekeeping, budget development, accounting for lawyers, persuasive speaking, law firm economics, presentation skills, leadership, management, and delegation.

Finnegan was one of the first firms in the country to implement a comprehensive new partner training and coaching program. As part of this year-long program, new partners are paired with a share partner advisor, whose charge is to meet regularly with the new partner to discuss workload and business and career development, and to serve as a sounding board and advocate as the new partner progresses to equity partner consideration. The training curriculum includes topics such as: Leadership Development (new partners learn the fundamental tenets of leadership during immersion and capstone training programs and are paired with a leadership/executive coach who works with the new partner one-on-one for a year); Budgets and Finances (including Color Accounting, designed to assist new partners in understanding the business imperatives and finances of firm clients); Advanced Pitch Workshops (new partners emulate the role of the pitching attorneys, and share partner advisors play the role of the client, all under the tutelage of our communications expert/coach); How to Prepare Your Compensation Memo (designed to give new partners up-to-date and transparent information as to how best to present to the Compensation Committee for compensation and elevation purposes); and a roundtable with members of the management committee, share partner advisors, and practice group leaders (designed to arm new partners with best practices for navigating the nuances of partnership).

Diversity and inclusion training includes topics such as The Diversity Wheel (two parts) and Overcoming Bias as a Leader. The firm’s compensation, management, and review partner committees take part in day-long experiential workshop on how to avoid implicit bias in talent management. Finnegan was proud to implement its first-ever, six-part Women’s Leadership Series for female attorneys and female managers/leaders.

Finnegan FORWARD (Focused On Raising Women’s Advancement, Representation, and Development), launched by Finnegan women partners, creates and supports initiatives aimed to address issues impacting women attorneys in intellectual property. Initiatives include enhancing marketing and recruiting efforts to hire and retain high-performing women; offering strategies to overcome the challenges of developing a book of business and identifying business development opportunities for our women attorneys; providing specialized education and training geared to our women attorneys; supporting them in leadership roles; and highlighting their accomplishments. Finnegan FORWARD also spearheads internal initiatives at the firm designed to empower our women and enhance their professional and social relationships, including through formal and informal internal mentoring and networking events, both social and educational.

Finnegan also actively participates in several external initiatives targeting retention, professional and business development, and promotion of our women, minorities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) colleagues, including Charting Your Own Course (CYOC) and the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow and Pathfinder external development programs for diverse attorneys.

As an early Mansfield Rule adopter in 2018, one of 65 law firms nationwide, the firm has been Mansfield-certified every year since. We consider a diverse slate of candidates for purposes of recruitment, promotion, and leadership, including:

• Equity Partner Promotions
• Lateral Partner and Mid/Senior Level Associate Searches
• Practice Group and Office Head Leadership
• Executive Committee and/or Board of Directors
• Partner Promotions/Nominations Committee
• Compensation Committee
• Chairperson and/or Managing Partner

Results matter. Thirty-nine percent of our equity partners are women or attorneys of color; 43 percent of our non-equity partners are women or attorneys of color; women and/or attorneys of color make up 75 percent of the firm’s partnership nominating committee (conducting partnership admission/elevation due diligence/recommendations); more than 63 percent of our management and compensation committees are comprised of women and attorneys of color; and 44 percent of our practice groups/sections are chaired by women or attorneys of color. Five of our office managing partners are women or attorneys of color.

Finnegan provides an alternate/off-track associate program, recognizing the need to offer a variety of career paths for attorneys who possess invaluable skill sets, but who may not wish to pursue partnership at a particular point in their professional or personal lives. More than 20 years ago, the firm established two part-time options (80 percent and 60 percent time), which, regardless of gender or parenthood status, provide attorneys with a continued path to partnership while working a reduced schedule.

Not only do our attorneys have law degrees, but all our patent attorneys have scientific or technical degrees. The firm’s success and growth are proof of the benefits of a collaborative culture that supports a range of initiatives to attract diverse talent. The Finnegan Diversity Scholarship, established in 2003, awards $15,000 per year for tuition and law school fees, as well as an offer to join the firm’s summer associate program. Over $500,000 has been awarded to student applicants since the inception of the scholarship.

Results matter. Typically, more than half of our summer associate programs are comprised of women and diverse students. In fact, the 2022 summer class is 71 percent diverse—women, students of color, and/or LGBTQ+ students.

Finnegan collaborates with and supports several organizations, associations, and educational institutions committed to developing diverse and women attorneys. Our attorneys participate in and support these organizations by teaching, serving leadership roles, and co-sponsoring IP-related events focused on diverse audiences. Finnegan has a strong history of supporting diversity and women in the legal and IP profession.

Finnegan proudly participates in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), hosting Fellows and Pathfinders since 2014 and 2017, respectively. Finnegan has been an annual supporter of the Hispanic National Bar Association and its programs for many years. One example is the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Law Institute (IPLI), which addresses underrepresentation of Hispanics in IP law. The initiative immerses Latinx law students with key members of the federal judiciary and administrative agencies, legal scholars, and attorneys in IP and tech law.

Our relationship with Asian American bar associations is a strong one, regularly sponsoring or supporting a wide range of bar and community events. Finnegan is a long-standing sponsor of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the National South Asian Bar Association (NASABA) Annual Conventions. Finnegan attorneys have held high-level leadership and board positions, including NAPABA, APABA-DC, and APABA Education Fund (AEF).

The firm is active in the AIPLA Diversity Committee and the Women in IP Law group. We have been a major sponsor of the annual Women in IP Law dinner since 2008, and for years we have sponsored the AIPLA Diversity Reception.

Howard University Law School has honored Finnegan for its contributions to the university’s Institute of Intellectual Property & Social Justice, which the firm has proudly supported since its beginning. For nearly twenty years, our attorneys have taught patent law and social policy courses at Howard University School of Law (HUSL). In 2003, the firm began its collaboration with HUSL to present the Intellectual Property & Social Justice Conference, which continues to expand each year in the number of attendees and lecturers with strong collaboration with the judiciary, academia, and industry.

A truly diverse environment is one in which everyone is a teacher—and a learner. This philosophy is the basis of the mentorship program at Finnegan. All our new attorneys are paired with a senior associate and a partner advisor who share similar interests and backgrounds. Our collegial nature ensures that doors are always open, and questions—no matter the nature—are always answered.

As part of Finnegan’s commitment to attracting a strong pool of diverse candidates, the firm established Finnegan IP University. The program is a five-week, free virtual series that introduces undergraduate and graduate students with specific STEM majors, who are not pursuing a career in law, to exciting career opportunities in IP. Students who complete Finnegan IP University are given priority consideration for career opportunities at Finnegan, receive a certificate of completion and badge to add to their resume and LinkedIn profile, and access to a personalized one-on-one virtual information session.

Progress related to diversity and inclusion is not limited to associates and partners, which can often be the focus in many law firms. Finnegan is equally proud of its diversity among support staff and management, and its support of career advancement and promotions for staff.

Finnegan is ranked a top 10 firm for Diversity in Vault’s 2022 Guide, with additional top rankings for Diversity for Individuals with Disabilities, Racial & Ethnic Diversity, Diversity for Women, and Diversity for LGBTQ+ Individuals. The American Lawyer similarly includes the firm in the top 30 in its 2022 survey of the leading 100 U.S. law firms for overall diversity, and in 2022, we earned a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. We are pleased to be identified by Seramount magazine as one of the best law firms for women for the last eleven years.

Much has transpired since the firm’s founding in 1965. What has not changed, however, is the firm’s laser focus on being the best IP law firm in the world; we are a firm populated, managed, and led by diverse attorneys and professionals at every level. This is what our clients expect, and what we will continue to demand of ourselves.

What is the ethos behind the firm’s approach to diversity?

We are committed to promoting and strengthening a diverse and inclusive workplace where all feel welcome and included. By cultivating a work environment of respect and inclusion for individuals from many backgrounds, we position ourselves to offer the most creative perspectives to our broad and diverse client base, attract and retain the finest talent, and grow through the diverse culture within our walls. Our strategy for enhancing diversity and inclusion includes initiatives that focus on recruiting, retention and development, promotion, professional association involvement, and community relations.

What has a more diverse and inclusive workplace brought to your firm, and also to your clients?

Having a more diverse and inclusive workplace provides exposure to differing cultures and points of view. It increases morale, as everyone feels valued and understands they have something to contribute to the overall goal of the firm. It also increases the firm’s chances of attracting even more diverse talent in the future.

Of course, our clients benefit from the different, creative perspectives that come from having a team of diverse talent working on their matters. Our global clients are confident in knowing that we can address any challenge with talented teams that hail from myriad backgrounds and cultures.

How do you encourage a more diverse and inclusive workplace?

We promote a more diverse and inclusive workplace by creating a culture that treats everyone fairly and makes all feel welcome. We host heritage month events throughout the year, honoring various communities and cultures. We make unconscious bias training available to all our employees to raise awareness and to educate regarding solutions that work when facing or witnessing bias. We also periodically review and update policies and procedures to ensure they accomplish inclusivity.

What is needed to help bring more diverse candidates into the legal profession?

This is a continuing effort where we strive to reach students early and often regarding opportunities available in the legal profession, ensuring that they see those who look like them succeeding. Once we bring candidates into the profession, we work with the professional to provide consistent mentoring and development.

Finnegan is always thinking of creative ways to reach undergraduate and graduate students in sciences and expose them to the possibility of a career in IP as a technical specialist, patent agent, or as a patent lawyer. One initiative that resulted from Finnegan’s creative and innovative thinking is Finnegan IP University. Finnegan worked deliberately to outreach to schools across the country, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other underrepresented schools in lesser-tapped regions. The results were overwhelming. Over 100 students applied from over 60 colleges in eight countries. The 2022 inaugural class included a diverse group of over 80 students across 23 states, 57 universities, and six countries. Undergraduate and graduate students pursuing STEM degrees learned from Finnegan attorneys about career opportunities in IP and about patent practice.

What are your policies for recruitment, and what are the major challenges?

One of the hallmarks that clearly defines Finnegan is our focus on intellectual property law. This means over 90 percent of our attorney recruits possess some sort of science or engineering background. Of Finnegan’s nearly 300 professionals possessing a science or engineering degree, more than 60 have a doctorate in a technical field. Women, black, and Hispanic professionals continue to be underrepresented in the STEM workforce. We have worked creatively and aggressively to excel in recruiting, developing, and promoting extraordinary and diverse professionals within its ranks.

As a private law firm, our hiring practices are not subject to many of the affirmative action laws and procedures that mandate certain types of hiring best practices. Nonetheless, we impose discerning best practices on ourselves, always with the goal of hiring and retaining as diverse a workforce as possible. These practices include but are not limited to blind screenings of candidates, generous diversity scholarship awards for our attorney-type personnel, and a proven track record of promoting women and diverse attorneys into leadership positions.

For professional staff hiring, we partner with diverse colleges and universities to expose diverse undergraduate and graduate students to our industry, including outreach to diverse school alumni groups to source for recent graduates. When recruiting attorney personnel, we partner with various national and regional organizations, including diversity professional associations and student groups, schools that serve predominantly diverse populations, virtual veteran career fairs, nonprofit organizations, and state and federal agencies that specialize in the training and placement of people with disabilities. As a way to diversify the candidate pool, ads are posted on online job boards and websites as opposed to only recruiting in the firm’s geographic areas. We minimize biases in the recruiting process by prescreening all candidates before advancing for manager interviews, and hiring managers are coached and trained on best practice hiring and management skills. A few additional initiatives and programs include: discussing recruiting initiatives once a year with a U.S. Army recruiting specialist to source veteran candidates; assigning a mentor to each staff new hire to help employees integrate into the firm socially; offering an Employee Referral Bonus Program to incentivize already-diverse staff to refer friends and family for open positions; and carefully reviewing job descriptions and vacancy announcements when determining the type of experience necessary to be successful in the role, ensuring that the basic qualification requirements are the minimum necessary for the position and higher levels are listed as preferred qualifications.

Retention of diverse staff is a critical issue – what are the programmes your firm has in place that you feel will help retain your staff?

Investing in people at all levels of the organization, professionally, personally, and financially is critically important to us. Recently, more than 12 unique training programs and 13 unique management/leadership training programs were delivered to develop business skills and support professional development in our personnel. Staff development topics ranged from customer service, reducing speaking anxiety, business writing/grammar, building trust, dealing with difficult people and situations, and the gift of feedback. Management/leadership development programs included mentoring: get one and/or be one, talking to employees about sensitive subjects, and productive leadership for team productivity. Training and development in diversity and inclusion topics included topics such as The Diversity Wheel (two parts), Overcoming Bias as a Leader, and Women’s Leadership Series for our female attorneys and female managers/leaders, among others. The firm explicitly focuses on including diverse colleagues among those considered for these opportunities. We also have other internal resource groups, such as an LGBTQ committee and a new parent group, designed to address any issues relevant to the interests of its members.

We also actively participate in several external initiatives targeting retention, professional and business development, and promotion of our women, minorities, and LGBTQ colleagues: (1) Charting Your Own Course (CYOC) external developmental program for attorneys of color; and (2) Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow and Pathfinder external development programs for diverse attorneys.