Peggy is Counsel – Global Patents at The Kraft Heinz Company, joining the company from her previous role as an associate attorney for Irwin IP LLC. In her current position, Peggy oversees all agreement work for Research and Development globally, develops and executes intellectual property strategy for “Big Bet” projects, and cultivates invention harvesting from the R&D food scientists and engineers.
She, like many of us, joined IPLAC while she was a law school student, which introduced her to a community of colleagues beyond just her peers at Chicago-Kent. Recently, Peggy has found great satisfaction in IPLAC’s mentorship program.
Her mentor serves as a sounding board for questions and concerns about the profession, offering unbiased help to resolve any issues. Peggy received great advice on how to develop a personal brand/specialty and how to focus her efforts to reach career goals. Understanding the temptation to say “Yes!” to every opportunity, Peggy’s mentor offered an outside view of where her efforts were best spent and how to avoid over-commitment. Beyond these resources, she says “a mentor can be someone you enjoy talking to, a friend.”
Peggy recently served on the Young Members Committee and faced a significant challenge to provide to new members a strong sense of community in the midst of a pandemic, without in-person events. To that end, Peggy is looking forward to upcoming events this year like her favorite, the IP symposium. Beyond (or together with) the professional aspects of IPLAC events, Peggy misses having fun with everyone, “you get some CLE, but can have a cocktail afterward and talk about non-lawyer things too!” Of course, the IPLAC community shares professional connections, but she emphasizes that we are more than just a registration number.