Courtney Dabbiere: How To Be An Ally

Sidebars

In this episode, hosts April Abele Isaacson and Kate Geyer welcome fellow Kilpatrick Townsend patent litigator Courtney Dabbiere for a conversation about allyship.
Courtney’s litigation practice, which includes cases in both federal court and the ITC, encompasses patent matters in a wide range of technologies, including telecommunication systems, electrical and mechanical systems, pharmaceutical products, textile products, athletic footwear, oil drilling software systems and medical device technologies as well as design patents. She has experience in many aspects of litigation, such as infringement and validity analyses, motion practice, claim construction, expert discovery, pre-trial and trial practice, and appellate briefing. Courtney is also a Registered Patent Attorney before the USPTO. She has prepared and prosecuted patent applications in a variety of technologies and has represented companies in inter partes review proceedings. In 2022 and 2023, Courtney was recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” for Intellectual Property Law by The Best Lawyers in America®.
While attending Emory University School of Law, Courtney was Managing Editor of the Emory International Law Review. She also participated in the TI:GER® Program, a collaboration between the law school and Georgia Institute of Technology which focuses on technology commercialization in a multidisciplinary context.
In this conversation, April, Kate, and Courtney discuss what it takes to be a true ally for women in the legal field. Using their personal experiences as well as the trends they see in the industry, they highlight the difference between being an actually meaningful ally and merely having good intentions. This episode, sparked by the recent remarks of Douglas Emhoff, Vice President’s Kamala Harris’s husband and a partner at DLA Piper (currently on leave), identifies the practical aspects of how men can support women and the roadmap to building a welcoming place for everyone through impactful allyship.
Highlights include:

• Realizing that the law – and litigation – is not just for loud, outgoing people
• Allowing women to determine for themselves the type of support they need
• Recognizing one’s limitations and others’ strengths
• Being a good ally may mean setting one’s ego aside
• A supportive communication style when providing opportunities goes a long way
• Recognizing that some people are born on third base while others must work to get there
• The disparate impacts of parental leave on the careers of women vs. men
• Allies who help decode the unspoken rules of the old boys’ club
• Building strong teams, not just checking boxes
• Being willing to risk political and social capital
• Being your auth

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**The opinions expressed are those of the attorneys and do not necessarily reflect the views of the firm or its clients. This podcast is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.