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Kimberley Chen Nobles: Partner with Crowell & Moring, LLP, Irvine, CA [By Kenneth Davis] Before becoming an attorney, Kimberley Chen Nobles worked as a research and design engineer for several years at Rockwell International, where she and her team supported the space station, space shuttle, and space-based interceptors. In addition, her engineering experience includes work in the areas of communications and antennae. Nobles said she worked at three different locations while with Rockwell: Anaheim, Seal Beach, and Downey.
Nobles got interested in law when she
“Well, every day I do a lot of different
speak to you. They feel that you understand
was working on her doctorate in electrical
things, from procuring patent trademarks
them. Not so much from a linguistic
engineering at the University of Southern
to licensing to helping others with their
standpoint really; it’s more cultural.”
California. While doing research, she met
investments to doing due diligence to
some intellectual property attorneys who
preparing for litigation—preparing both to
Nobles was born in Singapore and moved
piqued her interest in law. Also, halfway
either defend or to file lawsuits—and then
to the United States to study electrical
through her doctoral program, the professor
we litigate in multiple jurisdictions,” she
engineering at Ohio University in the early
advising her on her thesis drowned. Nobles
said. “And we go all the way to international
80s. She received her B.S. in Electrical
said that her work was so specialized that
arbitration. And the common thread going
Engineering from the college in 1984 and
she would almost have had to start her
through is technology; it’s IP-driven.
earned her M.S. in Electrical Engineering
thesis all over again, as well as move out of
Every day something different happens, so
there the following year. From 1986 to
state, and she was still working for Rockwell
you don’t solely spend your time on just
1989, she was enrolled in the electrical
at the time.
one thing. In what I do, every day there’s
engineering doctoral program at USC before
something new.”
starting law school in 1989.
she said. “There’s Michigan, Ohio, and
Some of Nobles’ clients include Gigabyte
Nobles said she studied engineering because
Arizona that conduct this sort of research.
Technology, Jazz Semiconductor, and Sony
she has been fascinated with sciences and
Rockwell sort of sponsored my studies, and
Electronics.
math from the time she was seven years old.
“We help [Sony] with their IP portfolio,” she said.
“It’s just curiosity and a joy in learning and
“There are really three main places,”
so I took a little time off and just started looking around to see if there were any complementary areas that I could work in.
discovering about things that work around One of the cases that Nobles and her
us,” she said. “Engineering is like a puzzle.
colleagues are currently working on is an
You’ve just got to put it together. And
Nobles enrolled at the University of Southern
international arbitration involving a large
sometimes you can be very creative with it
California Law School in 1989 and earned
petrol chemical company.
because you have all these little pieces that
So it just fell into place.”
you can build with.”
her law degree in 1992. She practiced intellectual property (IP) law at a few
Nobles, who is fluent in Mandarin,
different law firms before joining Crowell &
Cantonese, and Taiwanese, said she has a
Nobles discussed the differences between
Moring’s Irvine office in 2004.
lot of clients from Asia and that her ability
law and engineering:
to break through the language barriers has At Crowell, Nobles’ practice covers a
been very beneficial in working with them.
“In engineering, you’re always looking for a precise answer,” she said. “In law, you don’t
variety of business transactions, as well as the protection and management of
“I think what they’re comfortable with is the
have a precise answer. Sometimes you just
intellectual property, including patents,
fact that they can find an IP lawyer with a
give arguments that you have to make, and
trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and
technical background who understands them
you analyze all the issues; and there are
related litigation.
culturally and linguistically,” she said. “I think
many different issues that could come at you,
the language part is really cultural because
and any one of them can suddenly become
Nobles discussed what she does on a daily
the thought process is a little different. The
very important. And in engineering, it’s a
basis in her practice:
way they do business is a little different, so I
little different. You design things. You come
think they are more comfortable when they
up with a structure, and then you need to
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be very precise in obtaining your answers.
easier to bridge the two cultures. I enjoy
“There’s a lot of creativity in that,” she said.
The tolerance is not very wide. In law, the
that tremendously.”
“It’s a lot of fun, especially with an overlay
tolerance is huge; the variance is big.”
of science. And you’re always learning Nobles said many of her colleagues at
Nobles said that her technical background
Crowell & Moring have had significant
has been beneficial in her IP practice at
influences on her as an attorney.
Crowell & Moring.
something new.” In her free time, Nobles said she likes to spend time camping and hiking with her
“I’ve had very good mentors,” she said. “And
two sons, aged 14 and 16, who are both Boy
“The training was very valuable,” she said.
I learn from everyone that I come across
Scouts. She said one is an Eagle Scout, and
“Because I think that the training that
because I feel that everyone that you meet
the other has recently finished his Eagle
engineering gave in analysis gave me a very
has something to contribute. We have very
project and is set to go before the Eagle
strong foundation. And it depends on what
good leaders here who have not just taught
Board of Review.
you do sometimes. Sometimes it helps,
me about deal-making and litigation but also
and sometimes it doesn’t make that much
management of cases and management of
Nobles also really enjoys traveling and
difference. If you are writing applications
your team, which I think is very important,
seeing the rest of the world. “[Y]ou get to
or discussing a technology or doing due
because you’re only as good as your team.”
meet people, and you find out what they do,
diligence, you sort of need to know. It helps you get up to speed faster.”
and you learn from them,” she said. Nobles points to Crowell & Moring Chairman Kent Gardiner as an example of the firm’s
Nobles advised law students to stay open to
strong leadership.
new opportunities and learning experiences.
a very community-based, collegial law firm.”
“He’s an inspiring man,” she said. “Young,
“Try a little bit of everything, get a sense,
She added that she likes the fact that the firm
sharp mind, very dedicated, and, yet, I think
you know?” she said. “And sometimes
is committed to doing pro bono work.
he keeps the firm very collegial. It all comes
you hit it and say, ‘Okay, this feels
from the top, you know.”
right,’ and you continue in that. I found
She said one of the things she likes most about working at Crowell & Moring is that “it’s
“We have one partner here who’s devoted solely
[that] in the beginning you gather data,
to pro bono work,” she said. “What I really like
Nobles said that she believes two of the most
gather information, and then you slowly
about this place, besides the fact that I have a
important issues facing the legal community
develop a liking or perhaps an inclination
lot of friends here, is that it’s [...] committed to
today are changes in technology that often
towards something. You just need to find
giving things back to the community.”
move faster than the law can keep up with
a department and start learning, get
and the globalization of the legal community.
experience. I think even before you start
Nobles said her practice requires her to do a
working, and I know it’s not always possible,
lot of traveling, particularly to Asia. She said
“Technology moves at a faster pace [than
you just need to find out as much as you can;
that over the past year she averaged one trip
law],” she said. “So the changes in technology
talk to people, read. There’s no substitute for
per month to China. One month she traveled
are faster, and when technology changes,
experience. But the first two years will give
to Asia twice.
sometimes existing law does not provide for
you an idea of what it’s like out there.”
some of the remedies. For example, when we “And there was one month where I
started to do business on the Internet, it was
traveled to Asia one week and [to] Europe
a completely different system. And so that
another week,” she said. “I think I did that
happened way before the law was changed
for about three months. And a lot of little
to accommodate those changes. So that’s
Crowell & Moring
trips in between.”
one aspect. The other aspect is that we’re no
www.crowell.com/content/Firm/Welcome/
longer just the U.S. It’s now globalized, and, in
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ON THE NET
She said that working with clients in China has
view of that, we have to think about how we do
been one of the highlights of her legal career.
business as lawyers.”
“I like helping people with a different
Nobles said what she enjoys most about
cultural background,” Nobles said. “It’s the
practicing IP law is that much of it is similar
Jazz Semiconductor
same as mine, but I kind of sit in the middle
to engineering, in that you take something
www.jazzsemi.com
of two worlds. And that makes it a little
apart and put it back together again.
Gigabyte Technology www.gigabyte.com.tw
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