There was a time, when female attorneys used to fight for justice and pave the way for other women in the field, whether they were representing corporations, defending clients in court, or rendering important decisions. In the last few years, several women advocates have succeeded and have left indelible marks on the legal profession. Having that in mind, we are bringing to you the tale of an accomplished female attorney and her efforts to push forward the legal industry.
Susie Arnesen, the owner of Arnesen IP Advokatfirma, is a next-generation attorney with over three decades of experience who focuses primarily on advising Danish and foreign businesses on the establishment, maintenance, and enforcement of trademark and design rights on a national and international level while always keeping a keen eye on the business implications of IP.
Her determination and tenacity in the face of obstacles have opened up new growth opportunities for Arnesen IP Advokatfirma. Her contributions to the industry are noteworthy and worthy of recognition.
Susie Arnesen is an excellent professional to work with—responsive, realistic, and extremely competent. Her guidance is comprehensive, insightful, and simple to implement; it guarantees the acquisition of valuable multijurisdictional registrations and the oversight of expectations. She is a valuable asset for any team. After serving various enterprises for over 30 years, the magnificent lady formed her own IP boutique firm on 1 Dec 2019, most recently as a partner and attorney-at-law with the Copenhagen IP boutique firm of Løje, Arnesen & Meedom (formerly Sandel, Løje & Partners).
The Genesis of an Industry Pioneer: Ushering a New Era of Legal Services
Susie’s schooling did not initially include law, and career preparation was never a priority. She began by earning a degree in business languages (German and English), and after completing her coursework, she by chance found a position as a trademark assistant. She thought the field was fascinating and gradually advanced to the position of trademark agent or attorney by “learning by doing”.
The aspiring businesswoman, however, eventually grew weary of having to turn over cases to the lawyers whenever they became particularly interesting and enjoyable (infringement, cease and desist, etc.), so she made the decision to return to school and pursue a law degree. Susie studied, while working full-time, for five years before earning her Master of Law in 2001. Susie credits her husband, who was a constant supporter and essentially took over everything relating to the family during those years, a ton of credit for this.
Susie moved to Sandel, Løje & Wallberg, the first IP law boutique firm in Denmark, in the same year after spending 14 years with Plougmann & Vingtoft. This firm later changed its name to Løje, Arnesen & Meedom. She delayed starting her own business until the spring of 2019 when she was confident enough that she could succeed on her own.
“Fortunately, I could see good and reliable growth with a growing clientele of loyal clients who essentially all came with me. Four years later, the company is still a small IP boutique that is steadily expanding at the pace I wanted”, Susie remarked.
Susie’s Insights on Leveraging Advance Tech
Over the past year or so, there has been a lot of buzz about AI, and I do not completely disagree that it will have a significant impact. However, I do sincerely believe that it will take some time before these new technologies replace more than simply routine tasks, yet the demand for careful review by attorneys will continue to exist for a considerable amount of time to come as errors and misleading information in documents generated by AI are still quite common.
An AI that can help in the creation of logical and pertinent lists of products and services for a certain client is something I would love to see in my lifetime.
Defeating the Obstacles in the Way
Keeping dependable and effective employees on board is undoubtedly crucial to business success. In this regard, Susie considers it vital that she, as a leader, pays attention to and comprehends the younger generation of lawyers. They no longer desire or will tolerate working 60 to 80 hours a week in order to one day become partners. Even though the phrase is overused, work-life balance is becoming more and more significant, not only for the younger but also for the older, more seasoned members of your team.
Nurturing Innovation and Creativity
Some of the key strategies for nurturing an inspiring workplace, Susie assures, are to foster the freedom to operate, to use a term from the patent world, and to have faith in the team, both in terms of their potential for success and in their ability to carry it out.
Susie’s team currently works from home three out of five days, and the woman in charge believes that even while working from home, the team is attentive and effective. Again, maintaining a healthy work-life balance gives you more energy to think of fresh and/or improved solutions.
Further sharing her insights on diversity and inclusion within the industry, Susie stated, “Fortunately, the world of trademarks is, in my perspective, quite inclusive of women—and has been for a very long time. This is something that I believe is really important for the business. Many of the attendees at conferences on trademarks, for instance, are women, with about half of them holding leadership positions. Even though there may still be work to be done, especially in traditional, big legal firms, I think we are moving in the right direction when it comes to partnership roles.”
The Key Driving Force Behind Susie’s Victorious Journey
They say what you do goes a long way, especially when it comes to overcoming obstacles and adapting to a developing market. Additionally, it’s critical to stay in touch with other industry leaders, both professionally and personally. Last but not least, “it’s the economy, stupid”—it’s crucial to keep track of the company’s financial status so that Susie and her team are always ready should issues arise.
Words of Wisdom by the Inspiring Woman to the Aspiring Women
Before signing off, the founder shares words of wisdom for all young entrepreneurs aspiring and working hard to establish themselves: “Don’t give up! Believe in yourself and in what you do.”
Achievements and Planning for the New Beginning
Sharing her future plans, the visionary lady said, “At my age and with my many, many years in this field of work, I have pretty much achieved all that I could dream of. My only remaining goal for the future is to see my company expand and continue to be successful since I became a lawyer when I was over 40 and opened my own practice when I was 60 when many others were entering retirement.
The Concluding Note by the Luminary
Stay positive. It’ll all work out in the end.