Law students take a Plan Your Path field trip to meet counsel at Mattel.
Where the toys are
It’s not every day law students talk trademarks beneath a giant red slide. But when you’re representing one of the largest toy companies in the world, surrounding yourself with the product is a fun perk of the job.
That was one of the takeaways on April 23 as close to 30 UB School of Law students visited Mattel Inc.’s Fisher-Price campus in East Aurora. The expedition brought the students together with the company’s corporate lawyers to discuss career paths to in-house counsel positions, and the joys and challenges of representing an iconic brand. It was coordinated by the school’s Career Services Office, part of the office’s Plan Your Path series, along with Mattel attorneys Racheal C. Irizarry-Sauer, senior counsel, legal and business affairs, and Tara Hart-Nova, director & senior counsel, intellectual property – content and brands.
“We heard from each of them about what brought them to this work and their unique paths and interests,” says second-year law student Linda Roman, who became interested in intellectual property law at UB. “It’s a position where you can take a lot of leadership within a company.
“This was a unique opportunity to get a taste of corporate counsel work. There’s such a wide range of topics and issues that they manage.”
Mattel provided five-star treatment, offering students Uber rides to the campus for those who needed them, breakfast, a panel presentation, and a tour of the lively facilities. Fisher Price was acquired by Mattel in 1993 and makes such childhood mainstays as Hot Wheels cars, the See ’N Say, the Chatter Telephone and Little People figures.
“It was a beautiful facility,” says second-year law student Evangelia Letendre. “The walls were covered with cutouts of all the toys they’ve manufactured, so we could see the evolution of their products. I was really taken aback by how creative the space was. They showed us how their legal work functions in a creative space and what room there is to engage their creative side.”
The lawyers, she says, each specialize in a particular area: licensing, video games, trademark infringement. The company is looking to expand its footprint, beyond toymaking into the broader entertainment sector, and that was part of the discussion as well.
One highlight, says first-year law student Jadan Torcello, was hearing from the company’s in-house lawyers on how they got where they are. “They let us know that it’s very competitive,” she says. “Most of them worked for other firms first, so they had a rather long career trajectory. They talked about where they had worked and how they found their way.
“My biggest impression was how happy the attorneys were. They love talking about their jobs.”
That level of satisfaction is not surprising when your workplace includes its own toy store as well as life-sized stacking rings. Students had the chance to mix a little play into the tour, and every participant left with a goodie bag containing their very own Hot Wheels and a Little People figurine.