Women in Law - On The Record

I've been away from the podcast for about a year but I'm back! And I'm excited to share I've been promoted to Shareholder at my firm, Greenberg Traurig. Today's episode is a little different as it's just me talking about what's happened the last year, how grateful I am for everyone who helped me reach this great milestone in my career, and what to expect from Women In Law On The Record going forward. Hope you enjoy!

Today I'm talking with Lauren Bruning, Associate General Counsel and Global Head of Sustainability and ESG at Energizer Holdings in St. Louis, Missouri. I was excited to talk to Lauren as she was recommended to me by her colleague and prior Women In Law Guest, Kate Dugan. Kate's description of Lauren was spot on - she is passionate, hard working, and someone who makes things happen! She's been with Energizer for nearly 8 years, spending most of her career on labor and employment issues. Now, as both Associate General Counsel and Head of Sustainability, Lauren oversees all aspects of Energizer's global product supply legal work, including patent, environmental, regulatory, supply chain, procurement, and real estate. And beyond the legal department, Lauren brings her women colleagues together in a collaborative and supportive way. You'll hear her talk about her admirable initiative - the Women's Leadership Network, which is a first-of-its kind internal organization at the company. Please enjoy.

Today's episode is the second in a two-part series featuring graduates from the Ladder Down program in Cleveland, Ohio. Ladder Down is a national year-long program that provides direct training and career development through a combination of coaches, sponsors, and participants to empower women lawyers in three critical areas:  leadership, business development, and mentoring. In today's episode, I'm talking with the graduates from the Ladder Down program including Susan Hughes, Jo Tatarko, and Alanna Guy. We talk about the benefits they've seen from their participation in Ladder Down, what their big takeaways were from the program, and personal experiences that made a lasting impact on each of them. I truly enjoyed our conversation because it was everything I hope to achieve with this podcast–real conversations with hard working women making it in the legal industry. To those who participated in this episode and to all of you listening - keep up the great work.

Today's episode is the first in a two-part series featuring graduates from the Ladder Down program in Cleveland, Ohio. Ladder Down is a national year-long program that provides direct training and career development through a combination of coaches, sponsors, and participants to empower women lawyers in three critical areas:  leadership, business development, and mentoring. In today's episode, I'm talking with Kelley Barnett who founded the Cleveland chapter of Ladder Down and is the current chair. Kelley and I became friends through this podcast as she was one of my very first listeners. From day one, I have seen first hand that Kelley practices what she preaches and that is to uplift other women in our field. I so appreciate that about her. After Kelley, I have one-on-one conversations with Aanchal Sharma, Janet Stewart Scalley, and Talia Sukol Karas where we talk about their backgrounds and their experience in going through the Ladder Down program.

Today's episode is a panel discussion with several impressive ladies - including Kelli Roach (General Counsel of Black Mountain Sand), Christina Sanders (General Counsel of NGP ETP, and Casey Moore (Senior Counsel for Litigation at Vistra Corp). Each of them is a member of the Women's Energy Network - North Texas Division. The vision of the Women's Energy Network is to provide networking and community outreach opportunities and foster career and leadership development. Although I spoke with lawyers today, the organization invites women from all different backgrounds.  I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Kelli, Christina, and Casey. They shared valuable advice, interesting experiences, and lots of laughs too. But I think my favorite moments in our conversation were the really specific, tangible examples of how they've all managed to overcome challenges and insecurities. They're all talented lawyers and I so appreciated learning more about how they got to where they are.

Today's episode is the second part in a two-part series featuring four impressive ladies from the Institute for Energy Law (aka IEL): Tina Nguyen (Partner at Baker Botts in Houston), Kristi McCarthy (General Counsel and VP of the Land Department at Chevron Upstream), Suzana Blades (Managing Counsel - Commercial Litigation and Arbitration at ConocoPhillips, and Daniella Landers (Partner at Womble Bond and Dickinson). In this episode we talk about IEL. The mission and vision of IEL is to provide superior educational and professional opportunities for lawyers and other professionals in the energy industry through educational courses, conferences, scholarly publications and membership activities. During our conversation, you will hear about what the organization is doing to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the energy law industry. 

Today's episode is very special as it is the first of a two-part series featuring four impressive ladies from the Institute for Energy Law: Tina Nguyen (Partner at Baker Botts in Houston), Kristi McCarthy (General Counsel and VP of the Land Department at Chevron Upstream), Suzana Blades (Managing Counsel - Commercial Litigation and Arbitration at ConocoPhillips, and Daniella Landers (Partner at Womble Bond and Dickinson). As you will hear, I spoke with each of them one-on-one to learn more about them individually. In part 2 of this series, I sit down with them as a group to discuss IEL, their involvement, and what the organization is doing to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the energy law industry. Enjoy!

Today I'm talking with Danielle Conway - Dean of Penn State University's Dickinson Law School. Dean Conway is a leading expert in procurement law, entrepreneurship, intellectual property law, and licensing intellectual property. She joined Dickinson Law after serving for four years as dean of the University of Maine School of Law and 14 years on the faculty of the University of Hawaii School of Law. Dean Conway also served in the US Army for 27 years of combined active, reserve, and national guard service. She retired in 2016. Her scholarly agenda and speeches have focused on, among other areas, advocating for public education and for actualizing the rights of marginalized groups, including Indigenous Peoples, minoritized people, and members of rural communities.  She has a fascinating story and background. I'm confident you'll enjoy hearing all about it.

Today I'm talking with Christina Montgomery, Chief Privacy Officer of IBM in Armonk, New York. Christina attended Binghamton University where she studied English before going to Harvard Law School. She spent one year in private practice before taking her first in-house job at IBM over 27 years ago. Over nearly three decades, she has held several roles, become a subject matter expert in a variety of areas of the law, and consistently and loyally served her client. Now, as Chief Privacy Officer, Christina oversees IBM's privacy program, compliance and strategy on a global basis, and directs all aspects of IBM's privacy policies, including the IBM AI Ethics Board. Christina's career is admirable and her insight is beyond valuable. Please enjoy hearing all about it.

Today I'm with Lea Ann King, General Counsel of Toyota Material Handling. Lea Ann cut her teeth as a young litigator at Bose McKinney & Evans after attending the University of Louisville for law school. She made her initial move in-house when she accepted a corporate counsel position with Hill-Rom where she would spend the next 7 years of her career. After that, Lea Ann made the move to Toyota almost 8 years ago to become their General Counsel. She now holds that position as well as serving as Toyota's Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary. During our discussion, Lea Ann gave her in-depth view on what it takes to make that first move to in-house and how lawyers can navigate false barriers to entry. As you will learn for yourself, Lea Ann is clearly a natural leader, generous, and bound for continued greatness in her already impressive career.

Today is a very special episode of Women In Law as I sat down with three very impressive young women lawyers: Sophia Mai (Attorney with the US Department of Homeland Security), Ashley Yen (Associate In-House Counsel at Methodist Health System), and Hanna Kim (Associate at Zelle LLP). I brought these women on to talk about The Podium, which is an organization that they each serve in different capacities. For those first learning about The Podium, the organization supports Asian women lawyers by empowering them, advancing and supporting their interests and goals, creating authentic connections, and amplifying their voices. I thoroughly enjoyed my discussion with Sophia, Ashley and Hanna and I think you will too.

Today I'm talking with Amy Guzzy, General Counsel of Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores in Oklahoma City. Amy is from Tulsa, Oklahoma and attended Texas Christian University for undergrad where she studied merchandising and business. Amy then attended the University of Oklahoma for law school. After law school, Amy went into private practice with a focus on real estate but it wasn't long before Amy began diversifying her experience and expertise. She would end up spending five years seeking out meaningful opportunities with her firm and building a resume that few could compete with, which is what made Amy perfect for the job of Love's first in-house lawyer almost 17 years ago. There were many valuable lessons that I soaked up during my discussion with Amy but I'll share two here. First is the importance of continuously educating yourself and surrounding yourself with smart, trustworthy people. Second, is the positive impact that a team or family mindset can have on one's career. As you listen to Amy's story, you'll understand how she became a trusted advisor to the Love's family and built Love's legal department from the ground up. And while she's become an integral part of the Love's family, Amy has built a beautiful family of her own. She's been married to her husband, Christian (who is also a successful lawyer), for 22 years. The two live in Oklahoma City and have three wonderful children: Ellison who is a junior in college, Quincy, who is a high school senior, and Grey who is a freshman. I think I speak for all of them when I say Amy's family has so much to be proud of. And, I'm hopeful, you all will agree with me after listening to our conversation. Please enjoy.

Today I'm talking with Raven Moore, Managing Counsel of Commercial Litigation for McDonald's. A native of Chicagoland, Raven grew up thinking she would either be a lawyer or a comedian. As you will hear, we got a chuckle out of her comedic aspirations but, in truth, Raven could have been anything she wanted to be. She followed her instinct to the law. She attended the University of Dayton where she studied communications management, then headed south to Tulane for law school. While she had a passion for human rights, she was drawn towards litigation so she took a job with a Chicago-based firm, Sachnoff & Weaver where she cut her teeth as a young lawyer.  Raven reflects on some of the key experiences she had from her early years of practice and commends those more senior lawyers around her at the time for giving her meaningful opportunities. Sachnoff & Weaver later merged with Reed Smith, which is where Raven made partner as a new mom. The experience was both a proud moment for Raven, who worked hard for years to obtain that achievement, but also a reflection of the impact Raven made at her firm. Not surprisingly, she continues to make the same type of impact today as in-house counsel for McDonald's, where she has been for the last 8 years. I told Raven during our discussion that she is truly a role model for me and I think you'll understand why after hearing her humbly walk us through the admirable career she has enjoyed thus far.

Today I'm talking with Kelly Nolan, a former lawyer turned productivity and time management strategist. Originally from Minneapolis, Kelly grew up abroad and moved around a lot. Ultimately, she went to Dartmouth College for undergrad and Boston College Law School. After a handful of years practicing patent litigation, Kelly decided to put her learned organizational and detail-oriented skills to work in another way--as a time management specialist. Now, with her own company, Kelly specializes in helping professional women find time clarity and confidence, feel effective, drive their career forward all while soaking in time with family and friends. And, fortunately for all those listening, she shares several good tips during our discussion.

Today I'm talking with Erin Morris from Portland, Oregon. Erin is a partner at Morris, Standard, and Batalden. From the beginning, Erin sought out and obtained valuable experiences in law school. And, as you will hear, she has always been drawn to being THE person who is called on in times of distress, which explains how she has thrived in her family law practice. Wanting more control over her brand and expectations for her firm, Erin started her own law firm last year during the pandemic. Once you hear her story, I think you'll agree with me that Erin's story is an admirable one and it's really just beginning. Please enjoy.

Today is a really special episode of Women In Law On The Record because I’m sharing an insightful panel discussion regarding how to be successful in business development. The panel featured some familiar faces and voices - like Amy Tu, Chief Legal Officer of Tyson Foods and Catherine MacDonagh, Founder of the Legal Lean Sigma Institute. It also featured Kristin Ng, a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig’s Northern Virginia office. As you will hear, these ladies offer their experiences, advice, and wisdom on all things business development.  You will hear me talk about this at the beginning of our discussion but I wanted to reiterate my thanks to Avocate and Greenberg Traurig for putting this panel together and giving us all the opportunity to have this important discussion. For those that don’t know, Avocate is a women’s legal mentoring network building a community that connects law students with practicing attorneys. I have been a mentor in Avocate for a couple years now and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested. To find out more about how to get involved, go to avocateforwomen.com. 

Today I’m talking with Robyn Diaz, Chief Legal Officer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. A native New Yorker, Robyn’s path to success in health law began when she moved to Washington D.C. and worked for a non-profit, The Whitman Walker Clinic. While there, she attended Georgetown Law. After law school, Robyn spent a few years at a law firm where she advised health industry clients on compliance and regulatory issues. She made the move in-house when she took a job with MedStar Health. As you will hear her describe, Robyn wasn’t sure she had the experience necessary for the role at the time. But, she was eager to learn and rose to the occasion when the duty to serve her new clients called. Robyn has been with St. Jude for over 10 years now but her practice continues to grow and evolve. Her journey is an admirable one and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did.

Today I’m talking with Rosanna Berardi, managing partner of Berardi Immigration Law, a boutique immigration firm in Buffalo, New York. A former US Immigration and Naturalization Service immigration inspector and trial attorney, she has extensive experience handling emergency and complex cases, leveraging professional networks at agencies, embassies, and consulates around the world to benefit clients and bring cases to effective conclusions. During our conversation, Rosanna spoke about how she always felt law was her calling. After spending a few years at a big law firm, Rosanna took a chance to start her own law firm, which began as a solo practice in her apartment. Over 15 years later, Berardi Immigration Law is full of team members. But, every step of the way, Rosanna made it a priority to always do her work at the highest level.

Today I’m talking with Kristin Gomez, Senior Manager at Hyundai Motor America in southern California. Kristin is relatively new to her role, which is focused on advising on business and legal strategies as they relate to the company’s green cars. Day to day, Kristin draws on her pre-law experience in environmental policy as well as her legal expertise. As you will hear, Kristin spent four years before law school working with state regulators in the clean air space. After law school, she joined the Jackson Titus law firm where she gained civil litigation experience. She made the move in-house to Honda a few years ago when the great opportunity presented itself. Now with Hyundai, and as a new mom, Kristin is continuing to do what she loves. Kristin is humble, sharp, and genuine. Please enjoy getting to know her.

Today I’m talking with Amy Tu, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Tyson Foods in Springdale, Arkansas. As you will hear, Amy has great responsibility as she oversees the legal department, ethics and compliance, corporate communications, government investigations, and internal audit. Amy is also the President of Tyson Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in companies developing breakthrough technologies. Amy attended Wellesley College where she studied economics. After graduation, she spent a couple years on Wall Street where she cut her teeth in the corporate world. She moved back to her native Arkansas with the hope that she would work on President Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign. Amy then attended law school at the University of Arkansas.    Towards the end of her law school career, she applied for a torts job at Walmart. But instead of interviewing for that job, she got a call from Walmart’s General Counsel who was intrigued by her Wall Street experience and asked her what she really wanted to do, to which she answered “international law.” Amy spent a few years at Walmart but attributes many of her career and legal lessons to her time at Boeing where she spent 16 years making a name for herself, building up her own practice, and going through experiences that would prepare her for her current role at Tyson. My takeaway from Amy’s story is that you must ask for what you want and do everything you can to make your goals a reality. That’s exactly what Amy did when she moved abroad while working for Boeing but before they had any attorneys outside the United States. Amy was diligent to create a place for herself in their London office. This effort took many months, a lot of relationship development, and unwavering drive. It’s one of Amy’s proudest accomplishments but just one example of what it took to get to where she is.

Today I’m talking with Kate Dugan, Associate General Counsel at Energizer Holdings specializing in commercial law, marketing, and intellectual property. Kate started her legal career at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City, Missouri where she learned what it meant to be a litigator and got meaningful pro bono experience. From there, she moved to Chicago where she would spend the next 7 years at Greenberg Traurig. During that time, Kate developed valuable mentor relationships and got the type of experiences that would prepare her for her current role in-house. She’s been with Energizer Holdings for over 6 years now. During our discussion, Kate emphasized the importance of planning in order to become the type of lawyer you really want to be. She shared what she learned about herself is some of the more challenging points in her career and how assured she was that she had been trained and prepared for those moments. Kate was so fun to talk to, I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I did.

Today I’m talking with two lady lawyers - U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas, Alia Moses, and Nicole Westbrook, her former law clerk and litigation shareholder at Jones & Keller in Denver, Colorado. During our conversation, Judge Moses and Nicole emphasized the importance of preparation, advocacy and hard work - all things both of them fully embrace. Judge Moses was raised in a small Texas town, has been on the bench since 2002, and feels like the law was her calling. She takes great pride in how her courtroom is run and the lawyers that her former clerks have become. Nicole, who spent several years with Judge Moses, attributes many of her skills to the judge’s mentorship and guidance. Warding off the pressure to go with the flashiest firm, Nicole moved to a law firm that was the right fit for her. She knew she wanted good, substantive experience and to hit the ground running with her practice. That’s precisely what she got. I was inspired by both of these women’s dedication to the law, standard for professionalism, and deep appreciation for women in our field. I think you will be too.

Today I’m talking to Megan Belcher, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Scoular in Omaha, Nebraska. Raised in the midwest, Megan began her legal career at Husch Blackwell in Kansas City where she cut her teeth and honed her legal skills. She made the jump to in-house counsel when she joined ConAgra Foods in 2014. She would spend the next 9 years with the company, specializing in employment and compliance and learning to lead her business clients. Megan is now at Scoular, where she has been General Counsel for the last 3 years. What I took away from my discussion with Megan was the importance of career growth--Megan has continued to evolve and is driven to be a better leader and communicator every single day. She also walks the walk when it comes to lifting up other women. As you’ll hear, Megan was generous enough to introduce me, a young but ambitious lawyer, to her community of fellow general counsels. This woman has great thoughts and ideas -- I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I did.

Today I’m talking with Heather Hansen, a trial lawyer, coach, author, and podcast host. As an award-winning, 20-year trial lawyer, Heather discusses how courtroom skills can translate to everyday life and how we can all be better about presenting to our “inner jury.” This approach to winning life’s trials without losing yourself is the basis for Heather’s book and podcast, the Elegant Warrior. As a young female attorney, I was comforted by Heather’s authentic approach to practicing law as she emphasized the importance of being who you really are. She is one of the most ambitious, and elegant, women I have ever met and it was a delight to speak with her. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Today I share brief, but meaningful, conversations with 3 women from across the country--all with very different jobs. First, I spoke with a friend and listener of the podcast, Maryann Zaki. Maryann is a litigation associate at Morgan Lewis in Houston and a mom of two young girls. She spoke about the importance of voicing your needs, wants, and concerns in your career. I next spoke with Kimberly Diego, a solo criminal defense lawyer in Denver, Colorado. Kim talked about how to relate and empathize with your clients, which has furthered her efforts to be a trusted advisor. Lastly, I spoke with Nikita Tuckett, Lead Counsel for Product at Facebook. Nikita and I exchanged messages to cover certain talking points, which I will walk you through. As you will hear, Nikita shares some of the best advice she has been given. I hope you enjoy this new approach and if you do, please let me know!

Today I’m talking to Celeste Bruce, litigation partner at Rifkin, Weiner, and Livingston in Maryland and Lisa Borsook, a real estate partner at WeirFoulds in Toronto, Canada. Both women emphasized the importance of being an effective communicator, explained how clients and mentors have acted as sponsors and endorsed their skills, and discussed how they’ve been able to share mentoring advice they’ve received over the years with the young associates they are now helping develop.

Today I’m resharing an interview I did in the fall of 2018 with Brittany DeGan, who is the General Counsel of rewardStyle in Dallas, Texas. I wanted to share this interview again because many of you are new listeners and probably haven’t heard Brittany’s story yet. A few things come to mind when I think of my time with Brittany. The first is how nervous I was! This was only my second time interviewing someone and I was still just figuring things out. Frankly, I’m still figuring things out. But more than that, Brittany's story is a prime example of what it means to seek out new and exciting challenges. And I thought it would be especially fitting to share her journey as we have all been stuck in one shared circumstance the last five months -- the continuing challenge of the Coronavirus. In one way or another, it’s affected our personal and professional lives. So, I thought Brittany’s journey could act as a reminder of how we all are capable of shaking our careers up for the better. After spending 9 years with a tech company in the D.C. area, Brittany moved across the country to join rewardStyle and become a one-woman legal department. She has been with the company for almost three years now but when we spoke she had been there for less than a year. Because Brittany is one of my favorite lawyers I’ve ever had on, I know you’ll enjoy this discussion.

Today I’m talking with Lisa Baker Morgan, attorney turned chef and author. After leaving her litigation practice to focus on her daughters, Lisa found a new, more fulfilling way to live life. In her book, “Paris, Part Time,” Lisa shares how at the age of 38, and newly divorced, she unexpectedly found herself staring down death in a Monaco hospital, nine time zones away from her two young daughters in Los Angeles. After facing mortality and surviving, her life took on a sense of urgency to experience and accomplish all of the things she had ever wanted for herself and her daughters. Top of her list: a life-long desire to live in Paris. The seemingly indulgent and even "crazy" aspiration was part of a journey that set her on the path of recovery of health and of spirit. During the interview, Lisa shared her adventurous evolution of self-creation and determination to overcome obstacles. Her story is one of strength, resilience, and courage. Relatable in sentiment, heart-felt, and humorous, her book bounds with the optimism of infinite possibility and gratitude for life itself. In Paris, Part Time and online, Lisa shares recipes and loads of photographs from her travels. I can’t wait for you to hear this story.

Today I’m talking with my friend and colleague, Katie Tipper-McWhorter, a litigation associate at Greenberg Traurig’s Houston office. Katie attended SMU for undergrad and the University of Houston for law school. She’s been with GT for a little over two years and as you’ll hear, the reason I wanted to sit down with her is that she has quickly developed a reputation as a talented, hard-working, and passionate advocate. Katie also has been incredibly supportive of me, particularly with the podcast. So we spoke about how to effectively support other women in your firm. We also talked about what her motivations are and how she continues to set and achieve her goals. I’m a huge fan of this lawyer and I’m thrilled to share her insight with you.

Today I’m speaking with Helen Dooley, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Tandem Sports & Entertainment in Arlington, Virginia. Helen graduated from Duke University where she obtained both a history degree and her law degree. She spoke about her informative years clerking for federal judges in the 10th Circuit, including Judge Tacha, who taught her the importance of being yourself. It was there that she learned, among other things, how to obtain and maintain the respect of your colleagues. From her clerkships, she went to Williams & Connolly in D.C., where she would spend the next 16 years of practice. While there, Helen’s practice evolved and almost by happenstance, she was asked to help offer real estate advice to Duke alum and basketball superstar, Grant Hill. After spending several years advising sports clients, Helen left the firm to help start Tandem Sports & Entertainment with her long-time colleague, Jim Tanner. Tandem is a full-service sports and entertainment agency with expertise in athlete management, talent representation, marketing, communications and publicity services. Now a Senior VP and General Counsel, Helen serves the agency in a multitude of ways. She spoke about how she has been able to establish such a successful career for herself all while helping home school her three children. Helen has ensured her clients know her level of dedication to her work and has made herself an integral part of any team that she is a part of. Her story is a reminder that so often, we are more capable than what we give ourselves credit for. And with all the challenges we are facing today with coronavirus, Helen’s reminder is nothing short of serendipitous. I think you’ll find her spirit is assuring and her story interesting.

Aparna and I recorded this interview before the corona virus pandemic took over and Zoom became a way of daily life for millions and millions of people around the world. Originally from Michigan, Aparna set out to become a technology lawyer after graduating from Harvard Law School. She comes from a family of engineers and entrepreneurs, who she has leaned on throughout her career for advice. She shared inspiring stories of conversations she has had with her role models, including her Aunt, who was an executive at HP and told her as a lawyer - you must direct your client, give them the recommendations they are searching for, and be in the trenches with them. Aparna’s evolution in law began as a corporate and securities associate at Wilson Sonsini then she went on to be an investment banker for technology companies, and now she is the CLO of a global, powerhouse company -- Zoom Video Communications. Her perspective was humble, honest, and to me as a young lawyer, comforting. Aparna’s journey gives me the confidence to know things will work out how they are supposed to in my career if I value my relationships, be a productive and agile communicator, and don’t sweat the small things. She taught me it’s ok not to know what your next move is going to be and for your long-term goals to be more of about WHO you want to be and less about checking things off your checklist. She was absolutely wonderful and I’m thrilled to share her insight. 

A native of southern California, Michelle attended UCLA for undergrad and UC Berkeley for law school. From there, she became a trial lawyer at Quinn Emanuel at a time when the firm had fewer than 100 lawyers. She gained deep trial experience and positioned herself to take on an in-house role at NBC Universal where she investigated and assisted with IP litigation. Michelle went on to eBay where she would spend the next nine years in the family of companies until she became the General Counsel of StubHub. A change in the organization and strong encouragement from a friend led her to consider the GC role at Turo. She was intrigued by the opportunity and inspired by Turo’s CEO, who she casually met for tea to learn about about the company. It was then that she knew, the Turo team was one she had to be a part of. Reflecting back on her storied career so far, Michelle shared experiences that brought her pride like the Tiffany v. eBay case that created precedent around the country in trademark law. She talked about how she builds and manages her team and how she hires her outside counsel. In fact, before Michelle and I met, I knew her from her groundbreaking efforts in the Women’s General Counsel Network, where she helped author an open letter to law firms regarding diversity and inclusion. Michelle undoubtedly leads by example on those efforts and we could learn something from her extraordinary perspective on these issues.

Bree Vculek is a first-year law student at George Washington University in D.C. Although she will be a lawyer soon enough, Bree is the first non-lawyer who I have featured on the podcast. I thought it was important to share a student’s perspective because things evolve, and we as lawyers are hiring these students. Plus, I have a lot of listeners who are students or people considering going to law school, so I thought Bree’s perspective could bring some comfort to their circumstances. Of all places, Bree and I met through Instagram. She and I have followed each other for a while and I’ve always admired how she shares her “day in the life” journey through law school and working full time through a positive lens. Bree grew up on a farm in North Dakota, where her parents (entrepreneurs) showed her what it was like to run a business. She went to a small private school for undergrad where she studied biology and chemistry. She later obtained her Master’s Degree in Biotechnology from Texas A&M. Working for a Senator, helping shape legislative policy, Bree ventured to D.C. Now, with hopes that she will be an IP lawyer, Bree goes to GW in the evenings and works for a global, biomedical company during the day. In her role, she supports labs in Germany and calls on her science background to serve clients. She was incredibly kind and I think there is a lot we can all learn from her vision, work ethic, and drive.

This is a special episode because it was done in collaboration with the University of Houston Law School student organization for First Generation Law Students. Lavonne is an alumni of the University of Houston Law School but before that, she attended Howard University and Johns Hopkins University where she obtained her Masters in Biomedical Engineering and performed her post-doc work. Lavonne was on track to go to medical school but was drawn to the law in the hopes that she could leverage her engineering background into a career as a patent litigator. She started her career at Vinson & Elkins and as she was mastering her skills as a lawyer, she retooled to become an expert in cybersecurity. Lavonne’s drive and work ethic are unmatched and I am thrilled to share with you how she was able to do it. Special thanks to Latham and Watkins and the University of Houston Law School for making this episode happen.

Allison takes time to talk about the current state of things in light of COVID-19. She shares what is going on with the podcast, some of the positive things that are happening in the community right now, and fun personal things she is enjoying.  

Michelle Banks is currently a senior advisor at BarkerGilmore LLC where she specializes in providing executive coaching to corporate general counsel and their successors in development. Michelle draws on her international legal experience as the former general counsel of Gap and trusted outside counsel to various Latin American and Asian companies in providing guidance to her clients these days. She noted “You have to speak the language of business when you want to be a strong part of the team and be an effective in-house lawyer.” She also shared how she set and was able to accomplish her goal of retiring from practice by the age of 50. I was so impressed by her natural ability to move from one meaningful opportunity to the next and so thankful she shared her valuable insight.

Molly’s kind and caring spirit shined as we talked through her already storied career. It started when she first tested the legal waters working as an assistant at a law firm. She ultimately decided to attend Santa Clara School of Law where she also obtained her MBA. Post-law school, Molly began her legal career working in-house and wearing “many hats” as she handled litigation, employment, human resources, and corporate issues as a young lawyer. She’s been at eBay for 12 years now and is currently their Chief Compliance Officer. Molly emphasized the importance of managing your team with care and empathy. She noted “investing in people is the greatest investment you can make.” Her spirit not only serves her well as a leader at eBay but in her non-profit commitments as well. 

Shruti is a young, rising star lawyer in the DFW area and is General Counsel of Ziosk, the company that brought you the first-ever entertainment, ordering and pay-at-the-table touchscreen tablet for for the restaurant market. Shruti’s journey in the law began when she graduated law school in the height of the recession. She talks about how she powered through that difficult time in the legal market by networking and developing meaningful, lasting relationships. She also shared how she gained the confidence of her company’s leadership, which put her in place to take on her new, exciting role as General Counsel.

Jana is a senior intellectual property lawyer for Louis Vuitton where she has spent the last five years protecting the luxury brand’s iconic logos and products. Before going in-house, Jana spent several years as a litigator at Gibson Dunn and Crutcher in New York City. There, she gained great experience including pro bono experience that allowed her to make a terrific difference in a person’s life and become part of a team of lawyers who would be lifelong friends. 

Robin is the US Head of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Antitrust and Competition practice group. Robin's pragmatic approach to the practice of law is informed by her experience, having served as in-house antitrust and litigation counsel at Swiss healthcare company Novartis before becoming North American General Counsel of Sandoz, the generics and biosimilars division of Novartis. She returned to private practice in 2015 to serve clients. She is incredibly accomplished but most humble. I was so grateful to her for spending time with me and am so excited to share her story with you.

Allison looks back on Women In Law On The Record in 2019, sharing favorite moments, lessons learned, and personal stories. She also previews what is to come in 2020!

This was a special interview and experience for me as we recorded this episode from MMLaFleur’s Bryant Park store in New York City. That night we shared the stories of these two inspiring women, brought female executives and lawyers together, and supported a great cause--Bottomless Closet. The Bottomless Closet experience is all about helping women in need feel confident, prepared, and empowered to ace their job interviews, start a new job, and begin their journey to self-sufficiency. For more information about the organization go to bottomlesscloset.org. I had such a wonderful time getting to know Sarah and Breen. Sarah is the former general counsel of Etsy, was their 17th employee, and helped take the company public. After nine years, she decided to leave to find her next adventure. That’s when she met Breen Sullivan. Breen is the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel for Watermark Insights, an education technology company. Together, the two created The Fourth Floor, an invite-only ecosystem that connects female founders to industry leaders and general counsel who serve as valuable business strategists for growth. 

Jennifer shares her story from her humble beginnings growing up in Arkansas to taking a step back from practicing law so she could start her family to coming back with a bang when she took a great in-house role at Lennox. Jennifer’s perspective was a breath of fresh air as she was incredibly honest, candid, and realistic. She shared advice like “trust your gut despite your desire to impress others” and “if something was a mistake, admit it and move on.” I’m so thankful to Jennifer for her time and I am so excited to share this interview with you all.

In this week’s episode of Women In Law On The Record with five different members of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter. ACC was generous enough to allow me to record at their Annual Meeting. I sat down with various in-house lawyers who reflected on some of the most memorable advice they have been given throughout their careers, what they are proud to have accomplished so far, and what being part of ACC means to them. This was such a fun experience for me, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

A former teacher, Angela has leveraged her legal expertise and passion for healthcare into an in-house role with a healthcare company and started a podcast focused on self care. She is also a personal trainer and health coach. Angela realized her passion for healthcare when she was asked “What’s your biggest pain point in life?” and told “that’s what you should be focused on.” At the time, Angela was struggling with bulimia and depression off and on and she decided to make big changes in her life. She talks about how she worked her way back to a healthy body and healthy mindset. I so admired her candor and am proud to share her story with you all. 

From the time she was a young girl, Eunice knew she wanted to be a trial lawyer. She was fascinated by lawyers on television and aspired to go to law school early in her education. She envisioned herself as an advocate and loved the feeling she got from oral argument and public speaking. But after a temporary secondment with the Texas Rangers, Eunice was bit by the in-house bug. She found a new love for being on the front lines and working directly with the business. Now, she is the General Counsel of the world’s leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. New to the role, Eunice shares how she is gaining the trust of her new clients by observing the business. She talks about the goals she has set for herself personally and how she plans on helping the company tackle its greatest mission.

A proud Texas Longhorn and former trial lawyer, Sandra is General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, and Chief Diversity Officer for Toyota North America. Sandra has garnered significant praise in recent years in the legal community and beyond for her work in implementing diversity and inclusion at Toyota. She is, without a doubt, a role model for leaders in their organizations. Sandra is a great storyteller. She shares sweet memories from her childhood about how her family influenced her and some of her favorite trial victories. Sandra talked about how her investment in her community--from her time at UT to the DFW community now--has been personally fulfilling and has inadvertently paid dividends.

A former law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Judge David Tatel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Kelsi has served as lead counsel in dozens of federal and state court appeals. She has presented argument before the U.S. Supreme Court and 11 of the 13 U.S. Courts of Appeals, including the en banc Ninth Circuit. She shares terrific stories from her time at the Department of Justice, in the White House Communications Department, and now as an elite appellate lawyer.

A former big law rainmaker who specialized in labor and employment litigation, Pat Gillette is now an industry leader on advancing and retaining women and minorities in companies and firms. She strives to put more women in positions of leadership and to train women to use their collective power to make the changes in their organizations that will advance them in their careers.

Heather is an associate at Weil in their M&A and private equity group. She also is the co-host of the Sinisterhood Podcast--a weekly podcast focused on a different true crime, cult, or creepy topic every week. With her background in comedy writing and improv, Heather weaves in comedic moments of relief throughout Sinisterhood. She is absolutely one of the funniest people I know! She is also sharp, talented, and a terrific storyteller. She shared how she is able to balance a big law job while pursuing her passions.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Renee gives us insight on how the diversity she grew up around helped shape her for the role she plays in the MLB today as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Ever since leaving the practice of law, Renee has had a multitude of experiences that she has used to impact the world around her. She speaks about her views on “color blindness” and leadership, noting that “what makes us different is what makes us valuable.”