Noah Coco '26
Staff Editor
The Law, Innovation, Security, and Technology Society (LIST) welcomed three Washington, D.C. attorneys who specialize in law and technology on Wednesday, October 4. They were invited to discuss their careers and share insights into the broader opportunities available in law and technology. The attorneys composing the panel were Allison Holt Ryan, a partner in the Privacy and Cybersecurity practice at Hogan Lovells; Michael Jones, a patent litigation and prosecution attorney at Rothwell Figg; and Rebecca Weitzel Garcia ’22, an associate in the Privacy and Cybersecurity practice at Wilson Sonsini. LIST President Jeff Stautberg ’25 addressed questions to the panel, and answers to several of these questions are excerpted below.
Pictured, left to right: Allison Holt Ryan, Michael Jones, Rebecca Weitzel Garcia '22 Photo Credit: Hogan Lovells, Rothwell Figg, Wilson Sonsini
What skillsets are most important for your job?
All the panelists reflected on the importance of being able to communicate across stakeholders, ranging from government regulators to software engineers. As Weitzel Garcia articulated, she must “translate legalese into engineer speak and engineer speak into legalese.” They all stressed the importance of the capacity to take complex ideas and explain them in simple terms, whether to argue in court or communicate with regulators. For Jones, it helps to have a background in engineering—he has both bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering—especially in his line of patent litigation work, where a technical degree is required for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) bar. As a partner, Holt Ryan emphasized the importance of building relationships, as this is paramount for engaging with clients and colleagues. She often deals with victims of large-scale data breaches, so the ability to navigate these sensitive issues with panicking clients is a necessity.
What technical expertise is required for your position?
In most contexts, a technical background is not a requirement. It is still helpful, though, to be “tech-curious,” according to Weitzel Garcia. She noted that she often interacts with software engineers who speak about the code they write, so she has had to learn enough to understand and communicate to others what the engineers are conveying. Holt Ryan mentioned that this type of knowledge can be acquired through practices as simple as taking engineers out to lunch and asking them to explain their work through analogies, for instance. This is the type of activity that allowed her—an attorney originally from “the middle of nowhere” Tennessee, with bachelor's degrees in English and Political Science and who did not begin work in her current practice until she was a sixth-year associate—to succeed in her current role.
There are some contexts, however, where a technical background is necessary such as practicing patent prosecution before the USPTO. Although some litigation suits require fewer technical skills, Jones noted, it is otherwise essentially a requirement. Most practitioners have technical degrees, and they often specialize in their relevant areas of expertise.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
No law career panel is complete without this staple. As is often the case, the panelists all expressed that no two days look alike, so they resorted to the classic tactic of describing their most recent day of work.
On any given day, Weitzel Garcia works on a couple of major projects and a few smaller projects. Recently she has been assisting clients through two major Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigations. In the meantime, she had completed a one-off privacy policy for the Technology Transfers group, conducted typical first-year associate doc review, and engaged in research for a data privacy agreement for an educational technology company.
Holt Ryan generally spends most of her days on client calls. She is currently representing clients targeted by the recent Moveit data breach exploitation. The incident has spawned nearly 200 new privacy lawsuits against the software developer and twenty-five related independent companies. She announced the newest development that all the cases were to be combined into a single class action suit in Massachusetts. That particular day, she spoke with clients regarding settlement strategy in response to this case.
Jones’ days do tend to look a little more uniform. He can anticipate spending approximately half of his time helping clients obtain patents, and the other half litigating patent infringement. That particular morning, he worked through discovery disputes, reviewed legal research, and directly assisted inventors trying to protect their innovations.
What new topics do you expect to come down the pipeline?
Recent actions involving the major regulatory bodies are affecting all of the panelists’ practices. Weitzel Garcia alluded to recent rulemaking at the FTC that she anticipates will impact her clients. In particular, she cited the sweeping commercial surveillance rules governing consumer privacy and data security. She noted that there remain unanswered questions regarding the FTC’s role and whether the rules exceed the FTC’s permitted reach. Holt Ryan referenced the FTC as well but expressed her interest in the “turf war” among regulators like the FTC and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over how they are handling issues such as cyber-attacks and the implementation of AI in industry. Jones likewise expressed excitement in following the rulemaking he anticipates from the new Commissioner for Patents, Vaishali Udupa, as she conducts a review of existing rules.
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cmz4bx@virginia.edu