Matteo Capponi LL.M. '16, Co-Founder of CubePit: On Developing a Global Vision of IP Law
Capponi graduated from William & Mary Law School in May 2016, after completing studies for his LL.M. degree. He is co-founder of CubePit, a company that manages intellectual property rights connected to 3D printing. In this profile, he described how he first heard of William & Mary, his student experience here, and his entrepreneurial career.
Before beginning the LL.M. Program at William & Mary, Matteo Capponi graduated from Bocconi University in Milan and worked at Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale, a Milan-based law firm specializing in technology, telecommunications, media and intellectual property.
Capponi first heard of William & Mary while conducting research for his dissertation on 3D printing in Italy. It was by chance that he came across a William & Mary Law Review article from across the globe. “At that time, I was looking for LL.M. programs in the U.S., so I checked the university website and I liked the courses,” said Capponi. “A partial scholarship also helped me decide on William & Mary.”
While an LL.M. student here, he tailored his coursework to include intellectual property courses as well as those that were necessary for admission to the New York Bar. “I really liked Professor Laura Heymann’s and Professor Sarah Rajec’s classes [because] I could compare the Italian and European IP systems with American law,” said Capponi. “Professor Stevenson also was very helpful towards my quick integration into the law school.”
Capponi felt he had the real American experience while in Williamsburg: “Being in the same classes with the American students was very useful for having a real experience of law school and being part of university life, even if I was there for only one year. I was lucky I had a great roommate who invited me to his home for Thanksgiving and helped me throughout the year. I also met many other people with whom I am still in touch and I hope to meet again.”
Completing the LL.M. degree at William & Mary proved invaluable for his academic and professional pursuits, he said. “It helped me better understand American law and look at the European system from a different perspective,” added Capponi. Upon returning to Italy, Capponi co-founded CubePit, a company that manages intellectual property rights connected to 3D printing. “After the year at William & Mary, I gained a more global approach to IP law, and in our strategic decision-making I think more about what would work well outside Italy. Even small companies need to have a global vision to grow.”
Capponi has advice for future LL.M. students: “I would tell them not to be afraid in class. Most LL.M. students do not speak English as their first language, and it is normal to feel a little inadequate. All professors were really understanding and tried to include me and the other foreign students in discussions.”
He also recommended getting involved in the community by participating in as many university activities and other events as possible. “Focusing only on studying means missing an important part of the experience in the U.S.," he said.
About the LL.M. Program
Our innovative LL.M. program is designed for foreign-educated students and attorneys who want to compete in an increasingly globalized legal world. We have been welcoming students from all over the world since 1989.
About William & Mary Law Schooll
Thomas Jefferson founded William & Mary Law School in 1779 to train leaders for the new nation. Now in its third century, America's oldest law school continues its historic mission of educating citizen lawyers who are prepared both to lead and to serve.