Sharon A. Hwang, Ex-Officio

Sharon is a Shareholder and a member of the Executive Committee at McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd., a Chicago-based IP boutique. She has more than 25 years of experience helping innovative companies protect their intellectual property, litigating cases in federal district courts across the nation as well as at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a BS in electrical engineering and obtained her law degree from Boston College Law School, where she provided pro bono legal services to Boston’s Chinatown community.

Sharon joined the GCLC Board in 2009, served as Vice President for four years and then proudly as President from 2018 to 2021. She now sits on the Board as Ex-Officio. As a first-generation Chinese-American and Chicagoland native, Sharon is moved by GCLC’s mission of providing access to justice to underserved individuals and families throughout the Greater Chicago community, and she draws inspiration from the unwavering dedication of the GCLC staff to delivering high-quality legal services to those in need. Sharon also serves on other not-for-profit boards directed to helping immigrant communities thrive, improving diversity in the legal profession, and encouraging minorities and women to pursue STEM fields.

In her free time, Sharon enjoys traveling to remote destinations and, together with her husband as new empty-nesters, visiting each of their three daughters at their respective schools.