My journalism background taught me to communicate clearly and understand storytelling
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As companies scale across markets, launch AI platforms, and move at speed, brand protection no longer sits at the edge of the business, it runs through it. A name, a mark, or a signal now carries weight across jurisdictions, products, and partnerships. At Intel, Kristin McNulty operates at that intersection, guiding trademark strategy as part of how the company builds, enters markets, and earns trust.
As Managing Counsel, Kristin helps steward Intel’ s trademark and legal identity across a global portfolio of brands, products, and services. Her work spans global portfolio strategy, clearance, enforcement, licensing, and partnering with business teams to launch and protect new initiatives worldwide.“ What I love most about my work is how directly it connects to Intel’ s business objectives. When we conduct worldwide clearance for a major new trademark like Intel ® Geti™, our AI software platform, we’ re not just satisfying a legal requirement. We help our business teams move quickly and launch globally with confidence,” she explains.
That link between legal work and execution shapes the role. Trademark decisions inform how Intel introduces products, works with partners, and maintains trust.
Finding direction
Kristin did not begin her journey in law. She studied journalism at Arizona State University with plans for broadcasting. The program was named after Walter Cronkite, the CBS Evening News anchor who shaped television journalism in the United States. During her time there, she met him in small group settings. He spoke about the realities of the industry and advised her to consider law school as a long-term step. That advice stayed with her.
Kristin enrolled at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she found her focus through Professor Thomas McCarthy, whose work defined trademark law. His teaching showed how trademarks connect identity, commerce, and legal structure, leading her to commit to the field.
My journalism background taught me to communicate clearly and understand storytelling
That experience clarified what drew her to the specialism.“ Trademark law lets me work with brands and innovation instead of just legal disputes in a vacuum. My journalism background taught me to communicate clearly and understand storytelling, skills that translate to trademark practice, where you’ re protecting the story and essence of a trademark,” she explains.
Early work at a boutique firm gave Kristin direct responsibility across trademark matters, including prosecution and client counseling. She then joined Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, where she worked in intellectual property litigation and gained exposure to patent and copyright disputes.“ I planned to gain litigation experience while staying connected to trademark work, which made strategic sense,” she recalls.
While at Brobeck, Kristin also took on licensing work for Intel, which sparked her interest in moving in-house. At the same time, she was rethinking the long-term demands of private practice and how they would intersect with her personal life.“ I wanted to get back to my trademark roots and build a career that made better room for a family,” she reflects. That realization ultimately led her to join Intel in 2003.
Global complexity
At Intel, Kristin works across a portfolio spanning regions with diverse legal systems and processes. Trademark work means coordination with local counsel, internal teams, and an understanding of how brands operate in each region.“ It takes a combination of strategic thinking, strong partnerships, and ongoing vigilance,” she notes.
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