Katie Becker is a lifelong Packers fan, and she even braved the third coldest game in NFL history to see Brett Favre’s last game at Lambeau Field. And while that game is happily frozen in her memories, it’s surprisingly not the coldest she’s ever been. That title goes to the moment when she and her friends made it to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2016. Katie considers that feat one of her biggest accomplishments. Training for that 19,341-foot hike while living in the city was challenging in its own right, too. Katie recalls getting quite a few sideways glances as she threw on her hiking boots and trekked up and down the biggest “hills” she could find in Lincoln Park.
Katie has been involved with ChiWIP since its inception, serving as a committee member and chair of several committees over the years. She is currently serving as the co-chair of the Professional Development committee. She loves how with ChiWIP she does not feel like just a number at events or lost within the organization. Her committee work has been rewarding, allowing her to connect with members on a more personal level.
Outside her time with ChiWIP, Katie is a partner in Banner Witcoff’s Chicago office, where she focuses her practice on litigation, counseling, prosecution, and transactional matters. She enjoys the fast pace of litigation and the teamwork-driven approach Banner uses in its cases. A highlight for her has been working with a particular client from start to finish—starting with the design process for its latest and greatest product, obtaining wide-ranging IP protection for that product, and then helping the client enforce its IP rights.
Asked what advice she would give to the first-year associate version of herself, Katie noted that the IP community is small, and the group of women in that community is even smaller. Building connections in that community, both internally at your firm, and externally, is incredibly important and something that should be started right away.
Over the past two years of predominately working at home, she has found it helpful to start her days by setting aside an hour for herself, un-encroached by work or other distractions, to walk, run, or take a fitness class. Her best pandemic find was a “Pandemic Special” by Happy Camper, a go-to pizza favorite of hers. The deal included a pizza, a pack of seltzers, a boat of ranch, a cookie dough dessert, and a roll of toilet paper! And while working from home has its perks, Katie is definitely looking forward to re-connecting with friends and colleagues in person again in the coming months, and resuming her world travels.
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