On February 16, Tonkon Torp partner Parna Mehrbani was a panelist for a virtual workshop on Extinguishing Imposterism hosted by the Leadership Committee of Oregon Women Lawyers. Parna was joined by Oregon Department of Justice lawyer Melissa Chureau, and Career and Executive Coach Susanne Aronowitz. This program was directed to legal organizations and their leaders.
Imposterism is a common experience that results in unwarranted self-doubt. The panelists first summarized how imposterism manifests for legal professionals and how it impacts the workplace. The speakers then looked at how legal organizations can acknowledge and mitigate the effects of imposterism by making organization-level changes, starting with recruiting, and continuing through onboarding, mentoring, training, workload, and evaluation. The presentation concluded with an overview of specific actions organizations can take to identify and manage imposterism.
Parna is Co-Chair of Tonkon Torp’s Information Privacy & Security Practice Group, and a partner in its Intellectual Property Practice Group. Her practice is focused on intellectual property, trademark and copyright registration, licensing and enforcement, and advising on intellectual property portfolios for local, national, and international companies. She also advises businesses on the management and security of personal data and the laws that regulate the collection, use, and protection of personal data.
