Alumna Eileen Woo (Litigation Patent, 2016 – 2019), Director at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, practiced in the firm’s Litigation Department. Eileen received her B.A. from Harvard University and her J.D. from New York University School of Law.

1. In addition to your J.D., you also have a PhD in cellular and molecular biology. How does your science background help you in your role at Regeneron?

My background helps me to speak the language of my scientist coworkers and expert witnesses, but it's been a silver lining of the pandemic that this knowledge is becoming less exclusive. Now I go to the grocery store and hear people talking about antibodies. I hope the trend continues, and that it will get easier to explain the facts of our cases to judges and juries.

2. What advice would you give a young lawyer who wants to be an in-house lawyer?

Early on, I heard the law firm job described tongue-in-cheek as "helping clients look good in front of their bosses." I've found it to be a surprisingly helpful perspective, for both law firm and in-house success. The mentor who gave this advice is now a trusted outside counsel, so my related advice is to network, be generous, and work with as many people as you can. Those relationships will be gold in the future.

3. What is one word that best describes your outlook? What excites you the most?

Optimistic! It's a strange thing to say given the state of the world, but one thing I love about my job is that it reminds me that medical breakthroughs are happening, and the rate at which they're happening is accelerating. The biotech sector is going to need a lot of good lawyers.