Finnegan’s managing partner Anand Sharma was recently interviewed by his law school alma mater, New York Law School (NYLS). In the interview Anand discussed his new role, his experience at NYLS, and diversity.
Anand’s interest in patent law was piqued after he was introduced to patent attorneys at a printing company and realized patent law combined his love of science and the desire to protect and enforce innovation. While his decision to attend NYLS occurred last minute, he immediately felt at home after visiting the school. In the interview he reflected on the professors who had the biggest impact on him—professors who ironically were from fields outside of IP law, but taught different approaches to the law and legal arguments. His experience at NYLS served as the blueprint for what he was looking for in a law firm. Anand said, “Beyond academics, one of the most important qualities of NYLS was the strong sense of collaboration and collegiality among the students. I had heard horror stories about how law school was cutthroat, but NYLS wasn’t that way at all. When I began looking for summer associate roles, I wanted to find a law firm with the same sense of collegiality and collaboration as NYLS. I was lucky to find it at Finnegan.”
Anand also discussed his perspective on diversity and inclusion as managing partner. He said, “In every role I’ve had at the firm, diversity, inclusiveness, and an interest in new ideas have been at the forefront of my mind. When you come up in a law firm as an attorney of color, you look at who holds leadership positions and ask if you can see yourself in them. To me, that’s a very important reason to serve as managing partner, not just for Finnegan but also for the industry. I’m proud that Finnegan supports the full spectrum of diversity in management positions, and I see first-hand how that approach benefits our firm and our work.”
