Lilian Ficht graduated from the University of Illinois in 1987 with a BS in Electrical Engineering (bioengineering concentration) and from the University of Michigan in 1988 with a MS in Electrical Engineering (Systems).
After graduation, she worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories/Lucent as a development engineer, system architect, and supervisor. Currently she works in the field of intellectual property law as a Patent Agent at Marshall, Gerstein & Borun, LLP, a boutique intellectual property law firm in Chicago. In this position, she secures domestic and foreign intellectual property rights; develops, assesses, and manages patent portfolios; investigates patentability and freedom-to-operate issues; and counsels clients. Lilian particularly enjoys continually learning about a variety of new technologies and inventions, and helping clients utilize intellectual property to achieve their business goals. She is also interested in exposing engineering students to patent law as a potential career path.
In her spare time, Lilian enjoys reading, music, and traveling, as well as returning to campus to spend time with her daughter (Rebecca Ficht, Bioengineering, class of 2017) and attending various events such as EOH. Read more about her career here.