WWE
Lauren Dienes-Middlen
Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel – Intellectual Property, WWE
Born: Queens, N.Y.
Education: Vassar College, B.A., political science; Western New England University, J.D.
Lauren Dienes-Middlen’s favorite letter is a circled “R,” as in “registered trademark.”
The circled R protects intellectual property, which is what she oversees as senior vice president and assistant general counsel for WWE. The company has nearly 8,000 active trademark registrations and applications worldwide. Dienes-Middlen and her four-person, in-house team work with a global network of outside counsel to combat piracy of WWE broadcasts and counterfeit products, the two biggest IP threats the company faces.
“We devote a lot of time and energy and financial resources to protect our IP,” Dienes-Middlen said, “so that third-party fans are not getting product that they believe to be coming from us that’s in fact actually counterfeit product that would not meet the standards that are set by whatever country, not just the United States.”
Her experience in IP law began in the late 1980s, when she would work during vacations and summers for a boutique law firm in New York City.
Dienes-Middlen said that WWE has always had strong women role models on the business side during her 20 years with the company. She can count herself as one, too. “I’ve always wondered how high I could go,” she said, “and I will tell you from the beginning of my career I wouldn’t know if I could have predicted the role I’m in now, but I relish the role I’m in now.”— Bret McCormick
More about Lauren
Guilty pleasure: As someone who has always sought to “peek behind the curtain,” I am a huge fan of seeing how the proverbial sauce is made. Any and all “behind the scenes” content will completely capture my attention, no matter what the topic. From the making of turkey bacon to documentaries about baseball umpires — I watch it all.
Advice to my younger self: Keep your eyes on the long-term goals, but don’t forget to enjoy yourself along the way.
Attributes I look for when hiring: Intelligence, experience, enthusiasm, honesty, humility, creative thinking and an eagerness to learn.
Woman in sports business I’d most like to meet: Billie Jean King. Not only is she regarded as the greatest women’s tennis player of all time, she is an advocate for gender equality and social justice. True champion on and off the court.
Change I’d make related to women working in sports: I wish that questions like this weren’t even asked, because it would be the norm not the exception.
