Angela J. Grayson, CIPP/US, CLP is an accomplished nationally recognized lawyer, speaker, and author. She is a Principal Member and Founder of Precipice IP PLLC. PRECIPICE is an award-winning consultancy and technology law boutique specializing in patent, trademark, copyright, and data law.
Prior to founding PRECIPICE, Ms. Grayson was Associate General Counsel, Intellectual Property and Patent Operations Lead at Walmart Stores, Inc. Before joining Walmart, Ms. Grayson served as in-house patent counsel for several multi-national companies. She also has prior experience as a Patent Examiner for the United States Patent and Trademark Office
She is committed to advancing Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in the legal profession and is equally committed to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) initiatives that focus on better preparing our youth to compete. She is a past Board Chair of the Minority In-House Counsel Association (MIHCA), and previously served on the Board of Trustees for the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law (formerly American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation (AIPLEF)). Ms. Grayson also had the privileged and the honor of testifying before the U.S. Senate on matters of inclusive innovation in a speech entitled “Improving Access and Inclusivity in the Patent System: Unleashing America’s Economic Engine.”
Ms. Grayson is a Director on the Board of the Patent Pro Bono Advisory Council, and a past Chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Special Committee on Pro Bono. Ms. Grayson is the current Chair of AIPLA Diversity in IP Law Committee and is past Section Chair of the Intellectual Property and Sports Law Section of the Mississippi Bar. Ms. Grayson is a Director on the Board of the University of Mississippi Research Foundation and she is an Advisory Board Member on the Southeast XLerator Network Hub. She is also on the Advisory Board of Engaging Researchers and Innovators for Commercialization at HBCUs (EnRICH), an NIH-funded technology transfer accelerator hub, in partnership with Jackson State University and the University of Kentucky
Ms. Grayson serves on the Women’s Empowerment Center Executive Advisory Council and she has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Grayson serves on the Advisory Board for Northwest Arkansas Community and Civic Leadership Institute (NACCLI) and the Northwest Technical Institute Foundation. Ms. Grayson also serves on the board of directors for the Ark Angel Alliance. Ark Angel Alliance is currently the only active angel investment network in Arkansas.
In her free time, Ms. Grayson enjoys spending time with her husband Patrick and their two cocker spaniels, Ari and Archi (a.k.a. the Dynamic Duo).
My name is Angela Grayson. I am a technology lawyer. I am the rare woman of color who is also a registered patent attorney. I have been in the field of patent law for two decades, having started my career as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). I practiced law for almost 15 years as an intellectual property attorney for large multinational companies including Pfizer, Eli Lilly, DuPont, and Walmart. About 6 years ago, I transitioned from corporate America, in favor of small business ownership, and I presently own the technology law boutique PRECIPCE where I have the pleasure of supporting, encouraging, and empowering science and technology startups in the specialty chemical, pharma, software, and medical device fields. I have had the privilege of participating in nearly every aspect of our nation’s innovation ecosystem, and it is from this experienced, diverse perspective that I see the need for access to comfortable PPE to the underserved communities not only during the COVID-19 pandemic but for occupational hazards before, now and into the future.
