Mackenna Dunn leverages a strong educational background in biomedical engineering and the law to support IP strategy for companies who want to transform innovative ideas into protected assets.

As a summer associate at Foley, Mackenna drafted and prosecuted patent applications across diverse technologies, conducted legal research to support intellectual property strategy, and reviewed legal documents for accuracy and compliance. She is a registered patent agent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and a member of the firm’s Mechanical & Electromechanical Technologies Practice Group (METPG).

During law school, Mackenna gained experience as a judicial extern for Judge Franklin Valderrama at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and worked as a summer associate and law clerk focusing on IP prosecution and litigation matters.

Before going to law school, Mackenna worked as a human systems engineer at a U.S. aerospace and defense company subsidiary. She researched artificial intelligence and biometric tracking to enhance decision-making and applied human factors to submarine design.