Choate, Hall & Stewart Announces Dr. Brenda Jarrell and Melissa Tearney Named 2016 “Women Worth Watching” by Profiles in Diversity Journal

Boston, MA, July 21, 2016 – Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP announced today that partners Dr. Brenda Herschbach Jarrell and Melissa Bayer Tearney have received the 2016 “Women Worth Watching” award from Profiles in Diversity Journal (PDJ).  The award recognizes women who are “trailblazers leading the way to excellence in the workplace, marketplace, and world.”  This year’s winners include a diverse group of high-powered women from a wide range of well-known companies including: 3M, AT&T, Alcoa, American Express, Cisco, HP Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, SAP, and The Walt Disney Company to name a few.

Dr. Jarrell is one of the most sought after IP attorneys in the country. As co-chair of Choate’s Intellectual Property and Life Sciences Groups, she regularly pioneers new strategies to help her leading life sciences clients protect and commercialize their groundbreaking scientific discoveries.  With scientific training that spans the disciplines from synthetic organic chemistry to molecular biology to theoretical quantum physics, Dr. Jarrell is revered by companies that are developing technological innovations in areas such as immuno-oncology, stem cell therapeutics, gene therapy, and vaccine technologies. She also works with leading investment firms to help them assess the most promising life science companies in which to invest.

Tearney is a top national white collar and criminal defense lawyer with 25 years of experience representing corporate executives and companies against allegations that they have violated federal statutes, such as the False Claims Act or the Anti-Kickback Statute. She routinely represents clients before state and federal grand juries and investigative bodies, and has extensive trial and appellate experience.  Tearney brings a strategic and multi-faceted approach to each case, many of which have become a model for how these complex litigations can be successfully resolved.

“Collectively, these women are forging ahead with global acclaim in strategies that are making a difference in their workplace, marketplace and around the world,” said PDJ publisher James Rector. “These leaders bring an array of life experiences and views that consistently produce a variety of new concepts and ideas.”

Dr. Jarrell has served on Choate’s Executive Committee. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1998, her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of California, San Francisco in 1993, and both her A.B. and M.A. in chemistry, magna cum laude, from Harvard University in 1988.

Tearney is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Outside the office, she is president of Greater Boston Legal Services and serves on its Board of Directors and Executive Committee.  She also is a member of Hebrew SeniorLife’s Board of Directors, serves on Camp Bauercrest’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and is a Trustee of Thayer Academy.  She received her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1991 and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Harvard College in 1988.

Profiles in Diversity Journal is dedicated to promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion in the corporate, government, nonprofit, STEM, and higher education sectors.