Erika Harmon Arner appointed Managing Partner by Finnegan Henderson

Erika Harmon Arner appointed Managing Partner by Finnegan Henderson

Women partners have been growing slowly at the US firms hitting 25.1 percent in 2020

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, the Washington-founded Intellectual Property law firm, having 11 offices, has named Erika Harmon Arner as its Managing Partner.

Arner succeeds Anand Sharma, who now takes the place of former chair Mark Sweet. Arner will handle the day-to-day management of the firm and work with Sharma.

In a statement, the firm said, "The move reflects Finnegan's tradition of rotating firm leadership positions periodically to ensure continuity. The change allows them to balance their management duties and client responsibilities most effectively."

Arner stated that her elevation meant, "Finnegan does not just say we are diverse; diversity is woven into the firm's culture."

Earlier, she led the firm's electrical and computer technology practice group and before that was the leader of the patent office practice. She also served on the firm's management committee.

Arner joins the ranks of the few women who are either Big Law chairs or managing partners, including Jami Wintz McKeon, chair of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and Kim Koopersmith, chair of Akin Gump.

Her legal practice was focused on the Patent Trial and Appeals Board, where Arner represented patent owners and petitioners in over 200 trials. An authority on patent eligibility, she plans to continue her practice in her new role.