Lina Perez Rojas practises commercial and intellectual property law for leading top-tier law firms and as an in-house counsel in multinational companies. Studying at CCLS opened the door for her to work as an international attorney and equipped her with a cross-border mindset to exercise good judgment. Lina shares her profile on International Women's Day.
I am currently the Regional Trademark Counsel for Latam at Abbott based in Bogota, Colombia. I have over 10 years’ experience practising commercial and intellectual property law at leading top-tier law firms and as in-house counsel in multinational companies developing team leadership, project management, and risk assessment. I also became a coach in 2022 and started coaching and mentoring others promoting self-awareness and decision-making as cornerstones for our personal and professional growth. Building my career with a people-oriented approach and working with passion in the IP field, has been very rewarding.
Pursuing a career in intellectual property was directly influenced by my experience at CCLS. The LLM opened the door for me to work as an international attorney and equipped me with a cross-border mindset to exercise good judgment. My career has been defined by the diversity and quality of the relationships that I have been able to cultivate along the way by getting to know people from different backgrounds and raising my cultural awareness with a non-judgmental mindset. I built a strong network of friends and colleagues which was one of the best gifts of this unforgettable year in London and I have been lucky to reunite with some of them for personal and business purposes. This once-in-a-life time experience positively broadened my career and life perspective.
Of course! From very insightful discussions at CCLS classes to dinners, pub nights and parties with good conversations and lots of laughs. I also remember with great fondness the trademark study group we set up with some friends to help each other with case analyses and discussions before the exam of Professor Spyros Maniatis’ trademarks and unfair competition class. Despite long hours of reading, it was a great bonding experience and the beginning of long-lasting friendships.
My piece of advice would be to choose a career path that is fascinating to you, knowing you will spend a huge portion of your life involved in it. If you're passionate and you are constantly learning to improve yourself, you will thrive and surpass what you thought possible. Choosing an international environment would be also key to enrich your experience studying abroad and would allow you to build your own network with talented professionals all over the world.
Follow your own path at you own rhythm and always bring your true self in any sphere of your life. The more you can be authentic the happier you are going to be. Embrace failure, be curious, courageous, flexible and a lifelong learner (learn and unlearn as needed). Don’t forget that we as women, can empower other women, support each other and act as connectors to people and opportunities.
I am lucky to have been surrounded by so many women I admire, but number one has to be my mom. The first and greatest example of how to be a woman. She showed me where the true strength of a woman lies. Her unconditional love, persistence, commitment, and her good work-life balance has been inspirational to me. I also find Marianne Williamson incredibly inspiring. Always empowering other women and clearly conveying the message to choose love over fear in any situation. This has been a powerful driver in my life.
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