Alexis Cohen, 39

Alexis Cohen was that science nerd who naturally gravitated toward biomedical engineering. But after three co-ops as an assistant research engineer at the Drexel Implant Research Center, where she helped analyze faulty orthopedic implants, she realized engineering “was not the exactly right path” for her to thrive. It turned out that law, with a focus on technology, was — a career she discovered at a Drexel-sponsored panel comprised of patent attorneys. “I had an aha moment and realized this is what I’m meant to do,” says Cohen, an A.J. Drexel Scholarship recipient who graduated summa cum laude. After graduating with highest honors from the George Washington School of Law in Washington, D.C., and serving as an executive editor of The George Washington Law Review, Cohen found her calling as an intellectual property attorney focusing on the medical device and medtech industries and other technologies. She got to combine her interest in tech and science with the excitement of helping clients achieve strategic goals.

“Going into IP law, you get to learn about all these different areas of technology. My background and training come up all the time.”Alexis Cohen

In January, Cohen joined Sidley Austin in D.C. after nearly a decade at WilmerHale, where she made partner in 2023. There, the D.C. “Rising Star,” which she was named multiple times by the Super Lawyers rating service, provided IP counseling that spanned patent prosecution, licensing and litigation for startups to large corporations before U.S. District Courts, the Federal Circuit, arbitration tribunals and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. In one case, Cohen represented a major medical device company against a two-patent lawsuit that settled for a fraction of the sought amount. In another, she was part of a trial team where the client won a $393.6 million jury verdict against a competitor. At Sidley, that mix of technical fluency and legal strategy remains at the center of her work.

In her own words…

My Greatest Accomplishment:

I am extremely proud of the fact that I was able to make partner at a large law firm at the same time as growing my family and having my two children. I am also extremely thankful for my supportive husband and our childcare resources that were able to support me on both journeys.

How Drexel Shaped My Path:

Getting my degree in biomedical engineering showed me that I have a passion for learning and supporting technology and innovation. The co-op program helped me realize that I was not going to be a great engineer. I now take that technical training and knowledge to first learn about my clients’ innovation directly from in-house engineers and then translate those technical details to judges and juries that may lack that technical background.

Where I Hope To Be in Five Years:

I just moved to a new firm where I am excited about the opportunities and the breadth of subject matter expertise. I am excited to see how my practice grows on Sidley’s platform. I’m also excited to see how innovation develops and see what new technologies will be at issue in my cases. DM