HOUSTON – Mar. 3, 2021 – Dwayne L. Mason, Head of the Texas Intellectual Property Litigation Practice at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, was named an honoree of the inaugural 2021 Houston Intellectual Property Law Association’s (HIPLA) “Excellence in Diversity” award. The organization recently featured Mason as the first guest on its new “conversations with diverse members” podcast. Mason, a Shareholder in the firm’s Houston office, is also an active member of Greenberg Traurig’s firmwide African American Inclusion Network, GAIN.
According to HIPLA, award recipients show exceptional leadership in diversity and inclusion, and make an impact in their organization and/or in the Houston-area IP community by significantly advancing diversity and inclusion efforts. The honorees of the inaugural awards and scholarships were announced on Feb. 23 during the HIPLA February Webinar, HIPLA communicated that it will hold a reception to honor the award recipients as soon as it is safe to do so.
“Dwayne is intentional in his efforts to build diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal community, and we are proud that HIPLA has recognized him and his work,” said Mary-Olga Lovett, Senior Vice President and Co-Regional Operating Shareholder of the firm's Texas offices. “Through his continued actions, he has made a lasting impact on the field and has created equitable opportunities for qualified individuals, regardless of their backgrounds.”
HIPLA is an organization of intellectual property lawyers, patent agents, and law student affiliates primarily in the Houston, Texas area. Mason has been a member of HIPLA for many years since he began practicing law in 1993. He has served on HIPLA’s Board, was the Chair of the 2020 36th Annual Fall Institute on Intellectual Property Law, currently serves on the Diversity Committee, and served on the scholarship committee for many years. Mason is also a Founding Member and Master of The Honorable Nancy F. Atlas Intellectual Property American Inn of Court where he serves as a Co-Leader of the Diversity, Inclusion, Equal Access in the IP Community Group. Additionally, he is a founder of the Houston Minority Intellectual Property Law Association, the American Intellectual Property Law Association (“AIPLA”) Committee on Diversity in IP Law, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for The Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law (formerly known as the AIPLA Educational Foundation).
“I am honored to receive HIPLA’s inaugural ‘Excellence in Diversity’ award. Inclusivity through the advancement of diverse lawyers in IP has long been a passion of mine, and I count myself fortunate to marry my legal acumen with social justice initiatives. I have had the pleasure of mentoring many law students and young lawyers over the years and I look forward to continuing those efforts long into the future. I want to thank HIPLA for shining a spotlight on diversity and inclusion, particularly as we celebrate Black History Month. I look forward to continuing this critical work,” Mason said.
Mason’s practice focuses on patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and technology-based commercial litigation. He also manages patent and trademark portfolios and assists companies in protecting and commercializing their intellectual property, including many transactional matters in the technology, media, life sciences, energy, and natural resources industries. Mason has litigated numerous intellectual property disputes in various state and federal district courts, the International Trade Commission, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal and 5th Circuits, and in domestic and international arbitration proceedings before the American Arbitration Association and International Chamber of Commerce.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firm’s efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 3.0 certification, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/general/our-firm/diversity Twitter: @GT_Drives.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice: With more than 200 intellectual property attorneys and agents in the United States, Asia, and Europe, Greenberg Traurig provides a broad range of patent, trademark and copyright protection and strategic counseling. Greenberg Traurig was named “Law Firm of the Year” for Trademark Law and a “National Tier 1” Law Firm for IP Litigation, Patent Law and Litigation, Copyright Law, and Technology Law by U.S. News and Best Lawyers, 2020 “Best Law Firms."
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2200 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certified. Web: www.gtlaw.com