Ms. DeFranco is a partner with the law firm of Foley Hoag in Boston, Massachusetts, where she represents high technology companies throughout the country in complex patent litigation matters covering a broad range of technical specialties, including telecommunications, digital video editing, intranet software, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. Ms. DeFranco began her career at the United States Patent and Trademark Office where she worked for three years as a Patent Examiner in the biomedical arts, and then two years in the Office of the Assistant Commissioner for Legislation and International Affairs. Ms. DeFranco has been a leader in several national intellectual property bar associations including the ABA, Intellectual Property Law Section and the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).  Ms. DeFranco earned her J.D. with Honors from George Washington University in 1991, and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University in 1985.