Michelle A. Cooke

When Cooke started out in soft intellectual property in the mid-1990s, she said, the field was still coming into its own.

"The Internet, software and technology - all of that was just starting to blossom and really seemed like an area of law that was evolving," she said. "You were helping your clients navigate an area where there was no guidance, and it was also fun."

Cooke, who majored in English as an undergraduate, has enjoyed the creative aspects of working with clients in the apparel, consumer goods and toys industries.

She recently counseled Universal Studios, which has extensive licensing programs for its film properties, in assessing and securing intellectual property rights in certain emerging markets. She also helped launch two celebrity-owned fashion labels, including pop music star Justin Timberlake's denim brand, William Rast.

After Southern California's independent television station, KCET, suspended its relationship with PBS in late 2010, Cooke helped the legal team navigate a new slew of intellectual property responsibilities for its televised content and multimedia website. Those ranged from trademark enforcement and prosecution to domain name disputes, copyrights and other Internet-related issues.

Cooke said she likes when clients think of her as a member of the team. "The best clients are ones we interact with on a regular basis," she said. "They might call for five minutes and ask for two minutes of advice. That can help them make an informed decision, whereas if they hadn't called it might be a more expensive problem down the road."

Now with nearly two decades of experience guiding clients through the ever-changing landscape of the online world, Cooke said her newest and most exciting challenges have turned global.

"The international disputes are always interesting," she said with a laugh. "Maybe that's the repressed inner litigator in me talking."

Consumer populations are growing in China, Latin America and India, Cooke said. "Most of our clients don't just expand into one foreign country, they tend to expand into several, and each has its own laws, customs and interpretations."

Anticipating those multifaceted disputes requires careful strategizing and forward thinking - something she said she's ready to take on in the years to come.

- ERICA E. PHILLIPS

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