|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
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.
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.
Her team manages trademark activity across a wide range of markets and regulatory environments. “We manage thousands of trademark applications and registrations across jurisdictions with different legal frameworks, timelines, and cultural considerations. You can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach.”
The role includes enforcement tied to infringement and misuse, requiring coordination across internal and external partners. “As a member of Intel’s Anti-Counterfeiting Center of Excellence, I’ve seen firsthand how counterfeit products don’t just dilute our identity; they erode consumer trust. We must be proactive, not reactive,” she observes.
To support that scale, Kristin and her colleagues build systems that reach across the business. Templates, playbooks, and training empower teams to manage routine matters while staying aligned with company standards, which allows legal to focus on high-impact issues. “Protecting our identity means creating room for growth, not restricting it. When we clear new trademarks, negotiate licensing agreements, or support branding efforts, we help our business partners move quickly while still protecting Intel’s interests,” she explains.
Shift in scope
As Intel’s business has moved deeper into AI, software, and new services, the nature of trademark work has shifted. Brand use now extends across digital environments, platforms, and partnerships that did not exist a decade ago. “My work always evolves with Intel’s business priorities,” she adds. That shift changes how her team evaluates risk and clearance. “When we clear brands like Intel® Arc™ or software platforms like Intel® Geti™, we have different considerations than we do for a processor trademark. We need to think about how these trademarks will be used, what the landscape looks like, and how they might be misused in ways that didn’t exist five years ago,” she clarifies.
Kristin’s work reflects the range of Intel’s business. It spans product naming, campaign development, partnerships, and Intel’s sound mark (the famous five-note chime). It has included projects tied to sports and racing initiatives, from broadcast technologies used by leagues like the NFL and NBA to motorsports partnerships. Each demands a different approach aligned to business goals.
To support the evolution of the legal scope, Kristin and her colleagues apply AI to legal workflows. “We’re actively looking at how AI agents can improve our workflows, whether that’s accelerating trademark clearance research, streamlining document review, or identifying enforcement priorities,” she remarks. The work supports faster decision-making while maintaining control.
Partnering first
Kristin frames the legal role as a partnership with the business. Working with teams early in the process helps reduce risk and avoid delays. “The key is understanding that protecting our reputation and business speed aren’t opposing forces; they’re actually complementary when you approach them strategically. My job is not to say ‘no’; it is to say, ‘here’s how we can do this right.’”
The legal team builds frameworks that guide decision-making across the organization. It allows business teams to move while legal focuses on complex issues and supports trust across teams. “When you’ve built trust and credibility as a partner, those conversations are collaborative, not adversarial,” she observes.
Kristin’s leadership approach reflects both mentorship and experience. “Walter Cronkite gave me permission to pivot. Professor McCarthy taught me how to think like a counselor, not just a litigator, and to see the business context behind every legal question,” Kristin shares.
What’s next
Kristin’s focus on AI continues to expand beyond legal workflows. She continues to support Intel’s work in AI and education, including programs that extend access to training and tools. She helps build the legal structure that allows these efforts to scale. “Through trademark clearance and licensing work, I help create the legal framework that allows these programs to reach hundreds of institutions. It’s essential to making these initiatives possible and scalable,” she explains.
That work continues to shape how these programs evolve. Through engagement with students and educators, Kristin sees how those efforts translate into practice. “These aren’t hypothetical initiatives; they’re making a real impact. Knowing my legal work helped make that possible makes it some of the most meaningful work I do,” she reflects.
Her focus remains on anticipating risk while supporting growth for Intel. “My job is to understand where Intel is going and anticipate legal challenges before they arise. I create frameworks that let the business move at the pace it needs without compromising the brand we’ve built,” she says.
That pace needs discipline beyond the office. In recent years, Kristin shifted on how she recharges, trading endurance training for routines that support balance. “I’ve replaced the marathon training and adrenaline junkie ways with lots of walking and restorative yoga,” she shares.
Time with family anchors that shift. “What recharges me most is precious time with my family doing the things we love, like watching my teenage boys play ice hockey, traveling together, and spending time with our beloved pets,” she finishes.
