Alan M. Grimaldi ’71 was born and raised in New York City, New York. He went to City College of New York — earning a degree in Chemical Engineering. He also had no interest in becoming a chemical engineer. Grimaldi always intended to go to law school, so in 1966, he packed up and headed to Washington, D.C. As a 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Grimaldi shared about his time at Catholic Law and the career he has built since graduating.

Grimaldi attended Catholic Law as an evening student. Early influence from older friends encouraged his interest in litigation and Intellectual Property (IP), “CU Law was a good fit because I like the small class size and it offered good courses in Antitrust, Litigation, and IP.” On top of his course load, Grimaldi also worked full-time in the U.S. Patent Office. Looking back on those years, Grimaldi was thankful for the relationships he built. “My favorite memories and relationships are from Arthur John Keefe and Jon Van Dyke — two icons in the law. They challenged me in class to be a better lawyer, praised me, and offered me jobs in Wall Street firms — which I turned down to stay in D.C. Dean Miller’s memories and jokes brightened up long days — I was full time in the day, and full time at night! And I have fond memories of many others including Fathers Broderick and Granfield, and Ralph Rohner.” He also noted a particularly memorable moment when he and a few others were asked to “chaperone” U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ginsburg and Thomas at the dedication of the then-new law school.

After graduating, Grimaldi clerked for the Honorable Barrington D. Parker in the United States District Court for Washington, D.C. Following his clerkship, he went to the litigation boutique firm, Howrey & Simon. “I was the 45th lawyer there. I was head of the Commercial Trial Group and the Intellectual Property Group — heavy emphasis on antitrust law.” Grimaldi remained at the firm until it went under in 2011. He then joined Mayer Brown as its Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property Group.

Throughout his career, Grimaldi has focused primarily on litigation and IP, and he has navigated the rewards and challenges of his career remarkably. “Each new case poses new challenges, new areas of law and procedure, new teams (and opponents) to work with. The challenge was to be patient and learn from great mentors! Also, both firms were committed to pro bono and that was a passion of mine as well. I have received numerous awards from Human Rights First, Whitman Walker Legal, and Mayer Brown Pro Bono Partner of the Year.” In maintaining his successful career, Grimaldi has also realized the importance of finding a balance between his personal and professional life. “Balance is difficult, but thousands of lawyers do it. You need an understanding partner as well (I’ve been married 53 years). If you are unhappy, find something else to do. Life is too short to be in a job that is not challenging and rewarding.”

In reflecting on his career, Grimaldi shared one last piece of advice. “Find your passion and pursue it — whether in the government, in corporations, or in law firms. Learn and listen.” He concluded, “I am forever grateful also to CU Law for giving me the opportunity to have an incredible career.”