Two from MoFo Named in World IP Review’s Annual Diversity Awards

Morrison Foerster partner Bita Rahebi and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Natalie Kernisant have been recognized in the Annual Diversity Awards of World IP Review (WIPR). Bita has been recognized as one of WIPR’s 50 Most Influential Women in IP, while Natalie has been named as one of its Change Drivers. According to WIPR, the annual Diversity Awards celebrate the people who have made an inspiring difference in IP and recognize those who have made exceptional contributions to diversity and inclusion in the field of intellectual property.

Bita Rahebi serves as co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s global IP Litigation Group and cross-disciplinary Intellectual Property Group and is a co-leader of its Semiconductor Industry Group. The world’s largest and most innovative technology companies turn to Bita for her trial skills and her strategic direction leading complex, high-stakes litigation matters. Bita is very active in the IP Bar and is a past president of the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA). Bita co-founded LAIPLA’s Women in IP Committee and previously served as a member of LAIPLA’s Diversity Fellowship Committee, which aims to increase diversity in the IP Bar. Bita is also active in the Lead Counsel Summit, a new intensive training initiative created by a group of prominent women intellectual property lawyers to address the first-chair imbalance in patent cases. For nine years, Bita served as a member of MoFo’s Women’s Strategy Committee and previously served as co-chair of the MoFo Summit for Women In-House Counsel.

Natalie Kernisant spearheads firmwide diversity and inclusion (D+I) efforts to break down barriers to equal opportunity and create an inclusive workplace for MoFo employees. Under Natalie’s leadership, MoFo has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus status every year since its launch in 2017; introduced the Gender Inclusive Employment Policy; established an independent D+I Department, which has expanded from one to five professional staff; and launched the MoFo Allies Network, among other major milestones. A former IP attorney who practiced trademark and copyright law, Natalie provides strategic leadership to advance the firm’s inclusive recruitment, retention, engagement, development, and advancement efforts. Through strategic partnerships with external organizations that were established under her tenure (e.g., the Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in IP Law), Natalie helps provide client development and networking opportunities in support of diversity and inclusion.

World IP Review provides news and guidance on the challenges facing businesses and legal practitioners active in intellectual property. Its website publishes the latest must-read articles on patents, trademarks, and copyrights, while its quarterly magazine provides timely news and analysis on the most relevant and important issues affecting brand owners.

To read more about Bita and Natalie, please visit the publication’s website.