Final week, I offered Half I of my written interview with Lindzee Barrera, a former Division I school golfer turned entrepreneur. That column offered her reply to the primary of my three questions and centered on the present state of play for Lindzee and her firm, Birdie Lady, on the trademark litigation entrance. What follows are Lindzee’s solutions to my remaining two questions. As common, I’ve added some temporary commentary to her solutions beneath, however have in any other case offered her solutions as she supplied them.
Gaston Kroub: Is there a message you’d provide different feminine founders that discover themselves in an analogous place vis-à-vis an IP case with a competitor?
Lindzee Barrera: In the beginning, know your rights and don’t let anybody intimidate you out of what’s rightfully yours. It may well really feel extraordinarily overwhelming whenever you’re up towards an even bigger or extra aggressive opponent. If we wish to see extra thriving women-owned firms, now we have to push again towards ways designed to put on us down.
Construct a robust authorized staff, but additionally faucet into your community for insights and completely different views on the very best path ahead. Once I first reached out to my feminine founder community, I used to be met with overwhelming help and precious connections that helped information my choices. At any time when doable, pay it ahead by supporting others who could discover themselves in an analogous place.
GK: As a male enterprise proprietor, albeit one with a bit extra of a consolation degree in relation to litigation, I believe Lindzee’s recommendation rings true. When confronted with an unplanned enterprise disaster, it is very important lean on trusted advisors, together with with respect to the choice and engagement of the proper exterior counsel. Right here, Lindzee’s firm is in excellent palms together with her litigation staff. And I’m positive that she is going to stay as much as her suggestion of paying good recommendation ahead to different founders as soon as she has put this dispute behind her.
GK: What did your athletic profession train you about coping with adversity, in life and in enterprise?
Anybody who performs golf is aware of, golf has a means of humbling you. As a university golfer, I had my fair proportion of ups and downs. At occasions, it felt like my total value was tied as to if my rating began with a 7. However the largest lesson I realized is that robust moments don’t outline you, the way you reply to them does.
I additionally watched my dad, who was my solely golf coach, navigate his personal challenges. He was coping with a authorized battle for his personal small enterprise and he finally misplaced. Seeing that as a child caught with me and confirmed me that even whenever you do every part proper, issues don’t all the time go your means. With hindsight, I’ve realized setbacks are by no means wasted. They train you to toughen up and push onerous for one thing higher.
GK: Lindzee’s feedback concerning the humbling nature of golf will resonate with many litigators, who additionally function in a high-stress and difficult setting that usually leads to the sensation that their skilled life is a roller-coaster experience. However, like golf, it’s the unpredictability of leads to litigation coupled with the significance of preparation to put oneself in the very best place of success that gives the moments of satisfaction that may offset all of the frustration inherent within the pursuit. At the very least for the legal professionals, that’s. As a litigant, the problem of navigating an unfamiliar, pricey, and unsure course of is usually a daunting one. Lindzee’s expertise as an athlete, in addition to her recollections of watching her dad battle by means of an analogous expertise, ought to serve her in good stead as her case proceeds. Her expert authorized staff that can also be empathetic and dedicated, coupled together with her personal beliefs within the rightness of her trigger will hopefully place her for achievement in her case.
My due to Lindzee for the insights and cooperation, and I want her and her authorized staff the very best of luck with their pending SDNY lawsuit and TTAB continuing. Whereas the authorized processes play out, I hope that Lindzee will proceed to search out success with Birdie Lady, hopefully in a means that takes her enterprise to new heights. I’m all the time open to conducting interviews of this kind with different IP thought leaders, so be happy to succeed in out if in case you have a compelling perspective to supply.
Please be happy to ship feedback or inquiries to me at [email protected] or by way of Twitter: @gkroub. Any matter options or ideas are most welcome.
Gaston Kroub lives in Brooklyn and is a founding accomplice of Kroub, Silbersher & Kolmykov PLLC, an mental property litigation boutique, and Markman Advisors LLC, a number one consultancy on patent points for the funding neighborhood. Gaston’s observe focuses on mental property litigation and associated counseling, with a robust deal with patent issues. You possibly can attain him at [email protected] or comply with him on Twitter: @gkroub.
