JONES ROBB, PLLC, a boutique patent law firm located in Northern Virginia, has received for the 11th consecutive time national certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE).  In addition to its WBENC certification, Jones Robb, PLLC is also certified as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).

Susie Jones, founding and managing partner of Jones Robb, stated “We are proud to be among a very small number of WBENC-certified firms specializing in patent law, a typically male-dominated area of the law given its roots in representing STEM industries. Diversity can be found at all levels of our firm, in the leadership, attorney ranks, support staff, and even in the vendors we use. We believe our diversity brings a unique perspective to the services and counsel we provide our clients. In addition, we look to assist our clients in meeting their own diversity objectives, many of whom are passionate about bringing meaningful change to the legal industry. We are extremely grateful for our clients, both long-standing and new, who entrust their business to our firm and go beyond just joining the conversation about diversity in the law to being part of the solution.”

Clients praise the efforts of firms like Jones Robb that actively engage in creating diverse firms.  “Jones Robb has been one of our trusted outside counsel for about a decade now, helping Sprint to develop a high-quality patent portfolio,” says Steve Funk, Senior Intellectual Property Counsel at Sprint.  “In addition to the expertise a firm offers, its diversity initiatives are also an important consideration for us when procuring legal services.  But it is often difficult for Sprint to find diverse law firms specializing in intellectual property law.  The Jones Robb law firm has exceeded our expectations regarding IP legal expertise and law firm diversity.”

“As corporations continue to search Big Law ranks for diversity, a variety of corporate initiatives such as the ’new Intel rule,’ and multiple generations of the ‘Mansfield rule,’ have taken center stage. These initiatives largely focus on forcing Big Law to change its practices and reduce the flight of women and minorities from its ranks,” said Liz Burke, partner. “While the end goal – to promote diversity in leadership and all levels of Big Law is admirable – it is not the only way for corporations to achieve diversity in their legal representation. Companies can review their own internal procedures, step out of their comfort zone, and consider legal representation alternatives outside the BigLaw box.”

In announcing the “new Intel Rule” in a blog post of November last year, Steven R. Rodgers, Intel’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel, recognized that patent prosecution, in particular, “presents distinct challenges in the area of gender diversity.” Jones Robb welcomes opportunities to establish relationships with clients and vendors that recognize the benefit of working with a diverse patent prosecution team. We believe diversity encompasses not only differences in gender, race, and sexual orientation, but differences in background, upbringing, education, and life philosophies. Jones Robb values working with companies that recognize, as we do, the importance of bringing a team of varied experiences and different voices to the table.

WBENC Certification validates that the business is at least 51 percent owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women. It is among the most rigorous certification of its kind. For more information about the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and the certification process, please visit http://www.wbenc.org. More about the WOSB certification process can be found here.