Member Spotlight: Lisa Griffith

Written by: Jordan Arakawa*

Introduction

The San Diego FBA is thrilled to feature Lisa Griffith in this month’s attorney spotlight. Lisa began her legal career in Minnesota as a patent attorney with a background in materials science and engineering. Since moving to San Diego 25 years ago, she has opened her own firm, The Griffith Law Firm, A.P.C., and expanded her practice from patent prosecution to general civil litigation. 

From Engineering to Law School

Lisa was born in Columbus, Ohio and, like her parents and siblings, graduated from The Ohio State University. Having excelled in math and science as a child, she entered the engineering program and graduated with a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering. 

Interestingly, Lisa’s path to the law began through her engineering internship at Battelle Memorial Institute, where she worked during college. She saw how much time engineers at the Institute dedicated to writing grant proposals and, as she neared graduation, told her supervisor that she was considering going to business school rather than becoming an engineer. Her supervisor suggested a law degree instead and introduced her to one of the Institute’s patent attorneys. At the time, she did not know precisely what a patent was, but her conversations with the patent attorney led her to apply to law school.

Finding the Right Mentors

Lisa earned her law degree from the University of Minnesota, where she set out to become a patent attorney. Knowing her goal from the start helped her focus during law school, and she began working as a patent law clerk in-house at Honeywell after her first year. Soon after that, she became a full-time patent law clerk for a law firm. She worked after class, during holiday breaks, and during the summer, and she credits this time with teaching her how to do patent prosecution work.

During law school, Lisa set her sights on working in-house at 3M following graduation. Her background in material science engineering made her a good fit for the company’s technology, and she wanted the opportunity to work on larger teams and learn from senior attorneys. Because companies typically do not hire patent attorneys directly from law school, Lisa decided to move her patent law clerkship to 3M’s preferred outside counsel. There, she worked under Ann Mueting, a well-known IP practitioner. The move both cemented Lisa’s belief in the importance of surrounding yourself with good mentors early in your career and helped her achieve her goal. 3M hired her straight out of law school.

Opening Her Own Firm in San Diego

In 2001, after working for several years in Minnesota, Lisa decided to leave the summer mosquitos and winter cold behind and fulfill her dream of moving to California. She and her family came to San Diego, where she worked at a large law firm for a couple years before deciding to begin her own practice. She made that decision—after having joined the firm at its peak—when Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, LLP unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy and laid off all employees.

Since 2003, Lisa has managed The Griffith Law Firm, A.P.C. Her practice initially focused on patent law, and particularly U.S. and international patent prosecution, as well as counseling companies seeking to grow their intellectual property portfolios. As the firm’s clients began to recognize the value of branding, her work branched into trademark applications. The firm has since taken on intellectual property litigation as well, including federal trademark litigation, patent infringement cases, and arbitration. And in recent years, Lisa’s practice has expanded further to include more general civil litigation and arbitration. 

Community Involvement

Lisa engages with the broader San Diego legal community in a variety of ways. In 2013, she began serving as a Temporary Judge for the San Diego Superior Court. In this role, she adjudicates small claims and traffic and minor offense trials one to two times a month. She has found that the role is a great way to serve the community while learning from experienced judicial officers. Since 2021, Lisa has handled fee arbitrations through the San Diego County Bar Association, State Bar of California, and Wyoming State Bar. She also is a member of the San Diego FBA, San Diego Intellectual Property Law Association, and the newly formed San Diego IP Inn of Court. She enjoys getting to meet and interact with lawyers and judges at all levels in the community.

Lisa also finds time to enjoy the outdoors and enjoys horseback riding, riding dirt bikes, hiking, and sportfishing with her son.

Advice to Young Lawyers

The expansion in Lisa’s practice over the course of her career—from a tight focus on patent prosecution in law school to her present-day engagement with a variety of litigation projects—gives her a unique perspective. Her advice to young lawyers is not to pigeonhole themselves. “Always keep an open mind that there could be a type of legal practice or law that you might excel at and find interesting, and keep doors open.” She also emphasizes that finding good mentors along the way is crucial. As she puts it, “surrounding yourself with good people you can learn form, especially early in your career, is really important.”

*Jordan Arakawa is a Public Relations Committee Member of the Federal Bar Association’s San Diego Chapter. She represents the United States in criminal matters as an Assistant United States Attorney. Prior to joining the Department of Justice Department, she was an associate attorney at Jones Day.