Robins Kaplan LLP Announces 2018 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow and Pathfinder

Minneapolis, MN—February 26, 2018—Robins Kaplan LLP^® today announced that Christine Yun Sauer has been selected to the 2018 class of Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows—a program established to identify, train, and advance the next generation of leaders in the legal profession. She is the eighth Robins Kaplan attorney to participate in this program since its inception in 2011. Additionally, Li Zhu has been selected to the 2018 class of Pathfinders, an LCLD program designed to train early-career attorneys in critical career development strategies.

“This is a well-deserved honor for Christine and Li, as they both demonstrate exemplary leadership and dedication to the firm and our clients,” said Brandon Vaughn, co-chair of Robins Kaplan’s Diversity Committee and former LCLD Fellow. “They join several Robins Kaplan attorneys who have been recognized by LCLD for their commitment to enhancing diversity throughout the legal profession, and we are proud to have them represent our firm.”

Named a principal this year, Yun Sauer is a legal technology strategist who practices as an intellectual property trial lawyer and legal technology consultant. She represents technology companies in multimillion-dollar litigation, with particular experience working with semiconductor fabrication/packaging and life science entities, including medical device, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies. She also has experience serving clients in a consultative role, in which she works to analyze and valuate the economic impact of patented technologies both in high-volume patent portfolios and in start-up companies that are beginning their technology development. Yun Sauer has a background in chemistry and is admitted to practice in California, Minnesota, and in front of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

In addition to her legal practice, Yun Sauer plays an active role in her community. She has held multiple positions with the Hennepin County Bar Association, including serving on its Board of Directors, and was recognized with the organization’s Diversity Award in 2015. Currently, Yun Sauer is involved with California Minority Counsel Program, a non-profit organization focused on promoting diversity in the legal profession, and she has also handled pro bono cases for Open Door Legal in San Francisco, California. Within Robins Kaplan’s Diversity Committee, she serves as co-chair of the firm’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity Working Group.

Zhu, an associate at Robins Kaplan, represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex patent and commercial litigation across a variety of markets and technical fields, including computer technology, biotechnology, medical devices, technology outsourcing, DNA sequencing, and food products. He is admitted to practice in California, Minnesota, and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Before joining Robins Kaplan, Zhu worked as a research assistant in the Scripps Research Institute, where he analyzed and verified experimental data relating to Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. He also has an active pro bono practice, driven by his passionate advocacy for indigent clients. His victories include successfully obtaining asylum for a Cameroonian immigrant who was persecuted for her political activism.

Founded in 2009, LCLD is a growing organization of more than 285 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are personally committed to creating a truly diverse legal profession. The LCLD Fellows Program, which has trained more than a thousand mid-career attorneys since 2011, is one of LCLD’s most important initiatives. The LCLD Pathfinder Program is now in its third year as a full-scale program, having been piloted in 2015 among a select number of LCLD Member law firms and corporations. It is an initiative that has filled a gap in LCLD programming, targeting junior associates and the youngest members of corporate law departments. For information, visit www.lcldnet.org.