News & Insights

Mary Lou Wakimura, Principal at Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds was Recognized for her Social Impact at the New England Legal Awards

September 26, 2023

Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds is thrilled to announce that Principal Mary Lou Wakimura received recognition in Law.com and Connecticut Law Tribune's inaugural New England Legal Awards, which celebrates professional excellence in law and community impact in Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Mary Lou Wakimura was recognized for her outstanding achievements in the category of Social Impact by an Individual.

Mary Lou and the other winners were honored at a Boston Gala reception at the Fairmont Copley Plaza on September 21st.

The Social Impact category acknowledges work in pro bono and/or public sector roles, aligned with programs aimed at promoting diversity, environmental sustainability, social justice, and public service. The New England Legal Awards showcased an exceptional group of honorees in 11 categories who have gone above and beyond in addressing pressing social issues and advocating for positive societal transformations. 

Mary Lou is currently a member of the Boston Intellectual Property Law Association (BIPLA), the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), the Asian American Law Association of Massachusetts (AALAM), and various startup accelerator programs. Mary Lou has received national distinction from Best Lawyers® for five years and Super Lawyers® for her patent law expertise for three years.

In its inaugural year in 2020 and into 2022, Mary Lou served as co-chair of the Boston Intellectual Property Law Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. During her time as co-chair, Mary Lou participated in several DEI events. She co-presented at the Boston College Law School and Boston Patent Law Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee’s co-sponsored event on the “Introduction to Careers in IP Law.” The event allowed students to learn about different career tracks within intellectual property law. The panelists talked about the importance of IP, how they got into IP law, what their day-to-day work is like, and the need for greater diversity in the field of IP law. 

Mary Lou has mentored startup technology companies through the University of New Hampshire Wild Catalyst, MIT Enterprise Forum, WPI Venture Group, MassChallenge, and local colleges. These startups look to her for advice on patenting strategies that are aligned with their technology. Mary Lou offers the right balance of technology insights and wise patent strategies for these promising startups. She sets a wonderful example of how to give back to the New England communities through these mentoring roles.

The New England Legal Awards have become a platform to celebrate legal professionals who have taken up the mantle of social responsibility and community engagement. This year's event saw the convergence of legal experts from across Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and beyond, coming together to recognize the exceptional contributions made in the field of law. 

About Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds

Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds is among New England’s largest law firms devoted to the practice of intellectual property law. The firm specializes in patents, trademarks, intellectual property litigation, copyrights, licensing, due diligence, opinions, trade secrets, and intellectual property counseling. The firm’s legal staff provides comprehensive intellectual property expertise in a wide range of technical areas such as biotechnology & life sciences, biologics & immunotherapies, bioinformatics, chemistry, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, materials science, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, physics, optics, nanotechnology, and electrical, chemical and mechanical engineering.