For-The-Record
The laws of creativity
The road to her dream job as in-house counsel specializing in intellectual property “was definitely not a straight shot out of law school” for Kathryn (Kate) Dachille, L’13. She first explored IP as a 1L student at the Syracuse University College of Law. After discovering her interest in trademark and copyright — what Dachille calls “the fun side of the law” — she made the decision to transfer to Richmond Law.
Richmond’s Intellectual Property Institute was one of the primary factors that convinced Dachille to transfer. She pursued the school’s Certificate of Concentration in Intellectual Property (which she obtained with distinction, also earning summa cum laude honors). Following graduation, Dachille charted her professional course, starting her legal career as counsel for a regional bank in the New York City area before securing a one-year competitive clerkship at NBC. Her next position, as senior legal counsel for PayPal, allowed her to be more hands-on with both IP and marketing matters with the added benefit of moving back home to Maryland.
Those experiences led to her “dream job” today as associate counsel for intellectual property at McCormick & Co., the global spice brand based in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Dachille enjoys an exclusive focus on all aspects of IP within a beloved company from her childhood.
On any given day, she works with inventors on patent and trade secret matters for new flavors, containers, or packaging; copyright and trademark prosecution, licensing, and dispute management; and general marketing matters for clients around the world. Additionally, the opportunity to partner with different business units on problem-solving appeals to Dachille’s sensibility. “It’s a nice way to get that bit of creativity in my day,” she explained.
Plus, there’s an added bonus of the job: free spices.