Malaika D. Tyson
McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd.
Intellectual property

Malaika Tyson’s peers call this intellectual property specialist a rising star. And the evidence backs them up.

Tyson has already achieved partner status at one of the most prestigious boutique intellectual property firms in Chicago. And she has proven herself as not only a tireless advocate for clients, but as a leader among the city legal community.

“It is rare to find such a well-credentialed attorney who is as involved as Malaika,” said Manish Mehta, with Chicago’s Sheppard Mullin. “If I was in-house counsel, she would be one of the first people I’d call in on an IP matter. To me, this is the ultimate compliment.”

Such praise for Tyson is not unusual. Her peers have long respected her abilities. With both a law degree and a Ph.D. in chemistry, along with her natural legal talents, it’s not surprising that the American Intellectual Property Law Association has chosen Tyson as co-chair of the organization’s PTAB Actions Subcommittee, a role in which she helps to educate that organization’s membership in biotechnology-related decisions of the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

The attorneys at Tyson’s law firm, McAndrews Held & Malloy, also have great respect for her talents. The firm has selected Tyson to work with associates, income and equity partners, to enhance McAndrews’ development opportunities. Tyson has also been selected to serve on the firm’s diversity and recruitment committees.

Sandra Weida with Abbott Laboratories said that Tyson’s strong technical background combined with her substantive legal knowledge has made this young attorney a trusted partner.

“Her work product is typically exactly on point,” Weida said. “She is very dependable and highly responsive. She provides consistently high-quality work. She manages to do this in a timely manner usually on an expedited basis to meet the demanding needs of her client.”

Tyson provides top service to her clients. For instance, for Abbott, Tyson has established networks with foreign counsel in key countries. She frequently meets with Abbott employees and foreign counsel during non-United States business hours to resolve problems.

Despite her busy career, Tyson has also found ways to give back to her community. She serves as a founding member of the associate board of Bottom Line Chicago, a nonprofit that helps low-income, first-generation students get into college and successfully graduate. She is also the immediate past chair of the associate board of the Chicago Committee and vice-chair of the American Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Law Patent Legislation Committee.

“During the time I have known her, Malaika has lived a life of integrity,” said Leslie Richards-Yellen with Chicago’s Hinshaw & Culbertson. “She is a well-rounded person who honors her commitments. Malaika is known for her intelligence, maturity and commitment. She is not afraid to utilize her talents to enhance her legal practice and pursue racial equality. Her firm values her for her multifaceted skill set.”