Education

Law School/Year: St. John’s University School of Law

College/Year: State University of New York at Stony Brook

Bar Admissions

California; New York; admitted to practice in state and federal courts including U.S. Supreme Court

Practice Areas

Civil Litigation; Corporate Business; Intellectual Property; International; Patent, Trademark & Copyright     

Major Cases

At IBM, I managed litigation for 15 years, which included many significant intellectual property and antitrust cases.

I was at Apple for the introduction of the iPhone and helped secure the trademark rights. I also helped in the defense of a European competition authorities’ challenge of the iTunes business model.

I came to Qualcomm in 2007, in the midst of legal battles with the world’s largest handset manufacturer, Nokia, and Broadcom, as well as a multi-year investigation of Qualcomm by the European competition authority. We resolved the Nokia matter in mid-2008 and Broadcom in 2009. The European competition authority closed its investigation of Qualcomm later that year, deciding not to issue a Statement of Objections against Qualcomm.   

Professional Background

I serve as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Qualcomm. I report directly to CEO Paul Jacobs and am a member of the company's executive committee. In my role as chief legal officer, I am responsible for overseeing Qualcomm's worldwide legal affairs including litigation, intellectual property and corporate matters. Qualcomm's government affairs organization also reports to me.

Prior to joining Qualcomm, I served as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Apple Inc. Prior to that I was employed for more than 30 years by IBM Corp., where I held numerous positions, including senior vice president and general counsel. I also served as an adjunct professor of law at New York's Pace University School of Law, where I taught courses in intellectual property and antitrust law.

In 2009 Qualcomm received the International Law Office Global Counsel Award in the Competition Law category. Also in 2009, I was honored to receive the Communications Committee of the International Bar Association In-House Counsel award.

Professional Affiliations

California Bar Association, New York Bar Association, American Bar Association, International Bar Association, Association of Corporate Counsel, Counsel of Chief Legal Officers

Personal Affiliations

Director, board of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; director, board of La Jolla Playhouse