Phyllis is a patent attorney at the Penn Center for Innovation, where she focuses on supporting and advising PCI and researchers at Penn on patent matters. She is also an Associate General Counsel of the University of Pennsylvania.
Prior to joining Penn in 2023, Phyllis worked in private practice for boutique intellectual property law firms in California and Virginia, including a solo law practice. Her practice included patent preparation and prosecution, patentability analysis, patent infringement analysis, and trademark and domain name protection.
Before entering the field of law, Phyllis worked as a research chemical engineer for Nano-Tex, LLC, where she developed textile finishes and protocols for testing the performance and durability of treated fabrics; and InnoChem, Inc., where she explored novel processes for manufacturing chemicals used in electroplating baths.
Phyllis received her undergraduate degree from California Institute of Technology (B.S., Chemical Engineering), her graduate degree from University of California at Berkeley (M.S., Chemical Engineering), and her law degree from UCLA School of Law (J.D.). She is admitted to practice law in California, has limited admission in Pennsylvania as in-house corporate counsel, and is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Outside of work, Phyllis enjoys propagating houseplants, writing with glitter ink, and paddleboarding with her three children.