2024 Diversity in Business: Katherine Franco
Blank Rome partner Katherine Franco was recently recognized as an Outstanding Diversity Champion as part of the Houston Business Journal's 2024 Diversity in Business Awards. The honor recognizes individuals who “have shown initiative to promote diversity and inclusion either within the community or their for-profit and nonprofit organizations.”
Below is an excerpt of Katherine's honoree Q&A profile, as published in the Houston Business Journal.
Title: Partner
Company Name: Blank Rome LLP
Why is it important for you to continue to emphasize diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
As attorneys, we use our skills to contribute to the success of our clients. As a Latina attorney, I have found that my unique experiences enhance those contributions. My unique viewpoint has been particularly beneficial in my position as a patent attorney representing high tech corporations, as I am often the only Latina in the room.
How have your efforts to increase diversity impacted your business or workplace?
When I first began my legal career, there were very few other women in patent law, much less women of color. When I look around today, our community looks different, and feels different. I certainly can’t take credit for all of it, but I do hope that that my experience has opened the doors and inspired others in my field to stay the course in intellectual property law.
To read the full profile, please click here (subscription required).