Cindy Brazell: Rising Through the Ranks to Partner at Kilpatrick Stockton LLP

Summary

Cindy Brazell, a partner of Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, is a leading legal expert in the field of intellectual property. She excels in patent prosecution and content protection, trademark and copyright matters, legal research, and counseling on IP strategies. She provides her clients with forward-thinking advice on cutting-edge legal developments and assists them in protecting their intellectual property.


Brazell has achieved many successes in her career. She served as the Director of the USPTO Silicon Valley Office from 2008 to 2010. She worked in the Silicon Valley office to ensure that USPTO examiners had the most up-to-date information and training necessary to protect the intellectual property of her clients. She also served as an examiner for the USPTO and worked in private practice focusing on intellectual property litigation and patent prosecution.

Upon becoming a partner of Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, Brazell continued to provide valuable legal advice and counsel to her clients. She has extensive experience with all aspects of intellectual property, including patent prosecution, trademark and copyright protection and enforcement, IP litigation, and licensing. She has successfully handled cases involving patent infringement and copyright infringement.

Brazell is also a dedicated community leader. She has served on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of San Francisco, volunteered at the San Francisco Legal Aid Society, and taught patent law at Golden Gate University School of Law. She has also been involved in various pro bono projects to help those in need of legal assistance.

Brazell's commitment to excellence and dedication to protecting the intellectual property of her clients has earned her a well-deserved reputation in the legal community. She is an asset to Kilpatrick Stockton LLP and her clients alike. With Brazell's skill and expertise, she has proven to be an invaluable partner for those looking for strategic intellectual property advice.

Cindy Brazell is a highly respected partner of Kilpatrick Stockton LLP. She is an expert in patent prosecution, trademark and copyright protection and enforcement, IP litigation, and licensing. Additionally, she has served as the Director of the USPTO Silicon Valley Office, an examiner for the USPTO, and taught patent law at Golden Gate University School of Law. Her commitment to excellence, dedication to protecting the intellectual property of her clients, and involvement in pro bono projects has earned her a well-deserved reputation in the legal community. She is an asset to Kilpatrick Stockton LLP and a valuable resource for those looking for strategic intellectual property advice.
 

Cindy Brazell, Partner at Kilpatric Stockton LLP

Cindy Brazell is a dedicated and experienced partner at Kilpatric Stockton LLP, a prestigious law firm located in Atlanta. With practices in corporate and business law, Cindy has dedicated her career to helping individuals, businesses and nonprofits make well-informed legal decisions. Cindy's diverse experience and commitment to excellence has helped countless clients navigate the legal system, and she continues to make a significant impact in the legal industry.
 

CIndy Brazell's Background in Corporate and Business Law

Cindy Brazell obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law in 1991. After graduating, she was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1992. Shortly after, she went on to become a member of the Georgia Bar in 1995, which allowed her to practice law in the state of Georgia. Since then, Cindy has developed a diverse range of experience in corporate law, transactional matters, business acquisitions, venture capital and related matters.
 

Cindy Brazell's Career in the Legal Industry

Since entering the legal industry in the early 1990s, Cindy Brazell has held a variety of legal positions. She began her career serving as an associate attorney for two large law firms located in Florida and New York. She then moved on to briefly practice law with a small firm in Atlanta, before becoming a partner at Kilpatrick Stockton. In this position, Cindy provides strategic legal advice to numerous clients throughout the United States.
 

Cindy Brazell's Commitment to Professional Excellence

Throughout her career, Cindy Brazell has remained committed to delivering top-notch legal advice and counsel to her clients. She is an active member of the Georgia Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the American Corporate Counsel Association. Additionally, she is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an exclusive organization which recognizes lawyers who have successfully negotiated multi-million dollar settlements for their clients.

<<Brazell, a partner and head of coaching and professional development at Kilpatrick Stockton in Atlanta, said successful attorneys must strive for that harmony in their lives.

"Probably the biggest message I preach to new associates is balance," said Brazell, a 1989 graduate of Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, GA. "Balance is very, very important. A well-rounded lawyer is very important. A billing machine is not necessarily going to be the most successful lawyer down the road and not necessarily going to make the most successful partner down the road."

Developing hobbies, nurturing relationships with friends and family, and even having pets are all just as important as burning the midnight oil at work.

"You're a much more effective lawyer," she said, "if you get outside the firm and get away from it for a while."

Q: What other advice do you give new associates?

A: I try to give them some advice about how different the practice of law is from law school. Their training is really just beginning when they take their first job. They should not expect to know much of anything, and that's okay. They should be comfortable asking lots of questions. No question is too stupid. They should, at a very early age, recognize that while the firm is very invested in their career and their development, no one should be more invested in their career than they are.

I preach to people that you have to draw boundaries early. If you are available and willing to work 24/7, then people will allow you to work 24/7, and you'll burn out and be no good to you or to us. I think community involvement is extremely important. I think pro bono is extremely important—bar activities, practice development, marketing, things like that. All of those are important and are things young lawyers should learn to do at an early age.

Q: What do you look for when hiring applicants?

A: I look for personality. When I'm interviewing a candidate, I usually try to engage them on the non-law part of their resume to try to get a sense of what's important to them, talk about community involvement or things like that. It gives you a sense of what kind of balance they currently have in their life and what things are interesting to them. If they take a summer off and go to Europe, that shows a lot of initiative in a different way than having a nifty summer job.

At the intelligence level that we're interviewing, everybody is going to have the ability to do the work. The difference is how they do it, how they deliver that, and those are more interpersonal skills than just pure intelligence.

Q: What are common stumbling blocks for young associates?

A: One is thinking they know more than they really do. Another is not recognizing that they are just part of a team and the importance of staff people— secretaries, paralegals, and other lawyers. We all play an important part of what ultimately is the end product. Sometimes you'll get a lawyer coming out of law school thinking, "Well, I have this law degree, so I know everything there is I need to know." It is sometimes quite entertaining to watch a longtime secretary or paralegal educate that young lawyer.

I think being reticent to raise your hand and ask questions or not being as willing to ask for help, assuming that you know more than you do—those are probably the biggest stumbling blocks

Q: What's one thing they don't teach in law school but should?

A: The business side of the practice of law. I don't think that's taught anywhere. It's the personal side of the practice—responsiveness, client service, practice development. Not only just the dollars and cents business side of it, but all of the factors that come into play.

Q: Who's your favorite lawyer in movies, books, or television?

A: For mindless entertainment, it probably is Andy Griffith as Matlock. I actually like Ben Matlock, seersucker suits and all.