Irvine, Calif. May 24, 2023 – Congratulations to partner Christy Lea and general counsel Wendy Peterson for being recognized in the Los Angeles Times 2023 Orange County Inspirational Women Forum & Leadership Awards.
Christy Lea is co-chair of the firm’s Medical Device Litigation practice. A first-chair litigator, Ms. Lea is renowned for resolving high-stakes patent and trade secret disputes at both the trial and appellate levels. Ms. Lea holds several positions of management and leadership at Knobbe Martens. She is a founding member of the firm’s Pro Bono and Diversity Committees, and successfully led the charge to increase the firm’s paid parental leave for attorneys. Among other things, she also coordinates the firm’s participation in the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s annual “Women in IP” Global Networking Event that brings together thousands of women IP attorneys from around the world for an evening celebrating women in IP. An avid fundraiser for various non-profit organizations, Ms. Lea recently served as the President of Orange County’s Public Law Center (PLC) Board of Directors in 2022 and is currently serving as Immediate Past President.
Wendy Peterson has been Knobbe Martens’ general counsel for over two decades. In her role, Ms. Peterson provides guidance to the firm on a vast array of legal matters such as ethics, contracts, real estate, employment, loss prevention, and partnership governance, and also assists the Managing Partner in supervising firm operations. Throughout her career, Ms. Peterson has been devoted to giving back to her community. After serving on the board of the Legal Aid Society of Orange County for six years, she has served for nine years on the board of Human Options, a non-profit dedicated to protecting and empowering survivors of domestic violence. Ms. Peterson also has served on the boards of the American Heart Association, Orange County Division, and the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship at the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai’i.
The 2023 Orange County Inspirational Women Forum & Awards recognizes female business leaders who have demonstrated noteworthy success and accomplishments over the last two years. Nominees are assessed by their contributions and leadership within their organization, the business world, and the community at large. Winners will be honored at an in-person event hosted on August 18th at the Irvine Marriott Spectrum.
About Knobbe Martens
Knobbe Martens is one of the most highly respected intellectual property law firms, offering all aspects of intellectual property and technology law. The firm’s litigation group handles cases throughout the U.S. and coordinates strategy for disputes worldwide. Founded in California in 1962, the firm has about 300 lawyers and scientists based in offices located in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. Knobbe Martens serves a diverse international client base, from multinational corporations to emerging businesses of all stages. More information about the firm can be found at www.knobbe.com.
