SANDRA FRANTZEN - Vice President

Sandra Frantzen is a partner at McAndrews, Held & Malloy where she is a patent attorney and litigator, assisting Fortune 500 clients resolve worldwide intellectual property disputes and handling proceedings before the US Patent Office and foreign patent offices. Sandra regularly advises clients on IP acquisitions as well as strategic IP development, protection, and enforcement. Her focus is on the medical device, pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnology industries. Sandra immigrated to the United States from Lebanon as a child at the onset of the Lebanese civil war. She is the past President of the Arab American Bar Association of Illinois and currently sits on its Board as well as co-chairs its Judicial Evaluation Committee. Sandra has served as a volunteer with the National Immigrant Justice Center assisting women who were victims of “honor”-based violence seek asylum in the United States.  She has also sat on the Advisory Board of the Iraqi Mutual Aid Society (now the Middle Eastern Immigrant and Refugee Alliance).

Sandra has degrees in chemistry and environmental science from Iowa State University and received her law degree from The University of Chicago Law School where she graduated with honors. Sandra was named to the Chicago list of “40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40,” was recognized as a top woman lawyer by Super Lawyers, and speaks worldwide on patent issues.  She is proud to be a founding member of NAABA.