They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40 - Cecilia Sanabria of Finnegan

Please describe two of your most substantial, recent wins in practice.
Defending Chic against Razor’s infringement claims at the ITC was quite memorable. I was the most junior attorney leading the joint defense group and proposing litigation strategies. At trial, I examined Chic’s technical expert and cross-examined Razor’s witness on the economic prong of the domestic industry. The result was a success: no infringement by Chic and failure to show a domestic industry by Razor.

More recently, I represented Lenovo and Motorola at the ITC, district court, and PTAB against Neodron, developing strategies to transfer the district court cases to a more convenient forum and obtain a subsequent stay pending IPR proceedings, as well as working with the joint defense group at the ITC to challenge Neodron’s claims. Ultimately, all matters were settled and dismissed.

What is the most important lesson you learned as a first-year attorney and how does it inform your practice today?
One of the most important lessons I learned as a first-year attorney is that while lawyers are in a service industry, we really are in the relationship business, and a key component of that lesson is building trust. I may not have appreciated the extent of that lesson since I naturally formed and fostered relationships with my peers and partners at Finnegan, as well as my counterparts at other law firms and in-house. What I did understand since the beginning of my career is that I had to instill trust in others in term of my work product and work ethic. Building that trust and forming those relationships early on opened many doors for my professional development and career opportunities. I take that lesson to heart to this day, whether I am dealing with a client or with adversaries.

How do you define success in your practice?
To me, success in my practice means achieving my client’s goals and doing so with integrity. As a litigator, one may think that translates to fighting every fight and taking every battle to court, but that is not always the case. A client’s business is much more complex, and a win may be avoiding court altogether. And when the goal is to fight and win in court, doing so with integrity, particularly when the same is not reciprocated by the other side, equates to being a successful advocate for my clients.

What are you most proud of as a lawyer?
There are so many things, but what makes me most proud of as a lawyer is the ability to affect change. Making partner at a law firm that aligns not only with my values as a legal professional, but also with my commitment to diversity in the legal profession, has been one of the highlights of my career. As one of the co-leads of Finnegan FORWARD and as the chair of Finnegan’s Hispanic Affinity Group, I work collaboratively with several groups at Finnegan and external organizations to further the goal of not only increasing diversity within the legal profession, but also of making impactful change to promote the development and advancement of diverse attorneys.

Who is your greatest mentor in the law and what have they taught you?
One of my greatest mentors and sponsors in the law is Anand Sharma, who currently serves as managing partner at Finnegan. I began working with Anand as a first-year associate in my very first litigation and continue to have the pleasure of working with him to this day. Observing his manner of practicing law, from his professional demeanor when dealing with opposing counsel, to his thoroughness and thoughtful legal strategies, to his zealous representation of clients in court have shaped who I am as an attorney today. Anand has taught me many lessons throughout the years, probably too many to list in 150 words, but one that immediately comes to mind is the importance of sponsorship and of paying it forward to positively impact the next generation of attorneys and ensure they are able to reach their career goals.

Just for fun, tell us your two favorite songs on your summer music playlist.
There are so many! But if I had to pick two, one of them would be a remix of a song that I used to listen to as a child. The song is called “Tan Enamorados,” which means “So in love.” It was originally sung by Ricardo Montaner, who was born in Argentina but moved to Venezuela when he was just a child. Listening to the song brings back feelings of nostalgia from my childhood in Venezuela, where I was born and raised. It reminds me of where I came from, what I have accomplished, and how much I more I want to achieve.

Another song would be “Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. I just love the beat of it and the fact that you have two top women artists collaborating to make one of the biggest hits of 2020. Being a champion for women in the legal profession, I really appreciate and I am proud to see strong and successful women collaborating in other industries as well.