Breaking Mindsets

In this episode, Lanelle Owens, Chief Trademark Counsel at Cummins, discusses with Brooks Kushman CEO Sangeeta Shah some of the techniques she has used to to find happiness and success in her career. Through navigating a variety of work environments and people, learning to work with different personalities, setting boundaries to face the unique challenges that arise with having a child with special needs, and creating efficiencies in her work are all techniques she will discuss in this episode.

LaNelle Owens is a seasoned legal advisor with a track record of providing practical legal advice for a variety of company strategic initiatives related to intellectual property management. She has proven her command over a wide range of business and legal issues for a variety of clients, making her an exceptional leader in the IP world.

 In this episode, LaNelle Owens, Chief Trademark Counsel at Cummins, discusses with Brooks Kushman CEO Sangeeta Shah the numerous career transitions she has made that have brought her to where she is today. Her decision to make these transitions has always been influenced by the constant pursuit of peace, which she has accomplished by aligning with purpose at every step of her journey. Her role today speaks to everything she has done and valued throughout her history, culminating in a role that is enriching and worthwhile. 

LaNelle Owens is a seasoned legal advisor known for providing practical legal advice on corporate initiatives involving intellectual property management. She has a demonstrated track record of breaking down and advising on complex issues involving a wide range of business clients and legal issues, making her an exceptional leader in the IP world.

Although everyone balances their time and work differently, in this episode Sharon Sorkin, Chief Trademark Counsel at Ford Motor Company, discusses with Brooks Kushman CEO Sangeeta Shah how important it is to be both transparent and reliable, and how setting limits and clear expectations and then delivering on those expectations is critical to being successful in any role.

Sharon Sorkin manages the global automotive and mobility trademark portfolios for renowned brands such as FORD, MUSTANG, F-150, BRONCO, MAVERICK, among others. She is passionate about collaborating across different corporate functions to elevate the role that trademarks can play in brand-building and overall corporate brand value. Before joining Ford, Sharon spent 9 years as Global Trademark Counsel at Mars Wrigley where she had the pleasure of working on sweets brand such as SKITTLES, STARBURST, LIFE SAVERS, ORBIT, EXTRA, and FREEDENT. Sharon is an active member of the INTA community and currently serves on the Professional Development Committee. Sharon is also the mom of two busy children – Charlie (age 10) and Mia (age 8) – who keep her busy when not working. Throughout her career, Sharon has passionately supported the growth and development of those around her and strived for meaningful collaboration with colleagues and clients, recognizing each individual’s unique talents and perspectives and the value those bring to the table.

In this episode, Sharon Sorkin, Chief Trademark Counsel at Ford Motor, discusses with Brooks Kushman CEO Sangeeta Shah some of the struggles she faced early in her career and the personal journey she took to coming into this role. Despite some self-doubts she faced both personally and professionally leading up to her making the transition to her current position, she overcame those to find joy and success, in part due to the advice of a mentor that encouraged her to take on the role.  This experience helped shape both her leadership and mentoring philosophy

Sharon Sorkin manages the global automotive and mobility trademark portfolios for renowned brands such as FORD, MUSTANG, F-150, BRONCO, MAVERICK, among others. She is passionate about collaborating across different corporate functions to elevate the role that trademarks can play in brand-building and overall corporate brand value. Before joining Ford, Sharon spent 9 years as Global Trademark Counsel at Mars Wrigley where she had the pleasure of working on sweet brands such as SKITTLES, STARBURST, LIFE SAVERS, ORBIT, EXTRA, and FREEDENT. Sharon is an active member of the INTA community and currently serves on the Professional Development Committee. Sharon is also the mom of two busy children – Charlie (age 10) and Mia (age 8) – who keep her busy when not working. Throughout her career, Sharon has passionately supported the growth and development of those around her and strived for meaningful collaboration with colleagues and clients, recognizing each individual’s unique talents and perspectives and the value those bring to the table.

Fred Owens, Vice President and Head of Intellectual Property at Harman Intellectual, is a visionary leader in the IP community. His experience and strong desire to help and work with others has made him an influential mentor to many.

In this episode, Fred discusses with Brooks Kushman CEO Sangeeta Shah his style of mentoring and how it is shaped by his own approach to staying true to one’s self, even if it means taking the road less traveled, and both embracing and not embracing structure.

Judy Yee, Assistant General Counsel of Patents at Microsoft, is a tenacious yet humble leader in both her current role at Microsoft and within the legal industry. In this episode, Sangeeta Shah talks with Judy about balancing her personal and professional life, and how she was able to adapt to find success through many changing aspects of her life by setting expectations or sometimes the lack thereof.

Judy Yee, Assistant General Counsel of Patents at Microsoft, is a tenacious yet kind and humble leader in both her current role at Microsoft and within the legal industry. In this episode, Judy shares her story with Brooks Kushman CEO Sangeeta Shah as she opens up about the professional obstacles she’s faced and how she overcame them, the importance of fine-tuning one’s self-assessment, and the incredible story that ignited her passion for pro bono work and how that’s made her a more effective leader.

Clinton Hallman, former General Counsel for LBP Manufacturing, LLC and former Chief Counsel, Global Patents at Kraft Foods now serving as Of Counsel at Brooks Kushman, is a dynamic legal professional with a vast range of legal and leadership experience across many industries. In this episode, Sangeeta Shah talks to Clinton about some of the techniques he recommends for navigating diverse, changing, and political workplaces.

Clinton Hallman, former General Counsel for LBP Manufacturing, LLC and former Chief Counsel, Global Patents at Kraft Foods now serving as Of Counsel at Brooks Kushman, is a dynamic legal professional with a vast range of legal and leadership experience across many industries. In this episode, Sangeeta Shah talks with Clinton about his career trajectory and how by taking every opportunity presented to him has enabled him to not only find unexpected success but also has enabled him to pay it forward through mentoring others.