Ellen Knarr Title: Partner Company: Day Pitney LLP Industry: Legal Services CEO: Stan Twardy Employees: 581 (Includes attorneys and staff) Headquarters: Parsippany, NJ / Hartford, CT Education: J.D., cum laude, St. John’s University School of Law Personal philosophy: 1. Be yourself. 2. Always do your best, and try your hardest – there is nothing more anyone can ask of you. 3. Don’t let the question “What’s in it for me?” guide your decision-making process. Your life and your career will be a lot less fulfilling. Words I live by: Treat others as you would like to be treated. Try your hardest, but remember that no one is perfect. Perspective is everything.
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llen Knarr, a partner at Day Pitney LLP, counsels public companies regarding corporate and securities law matters. Knarr practices primarily in the areas of public reporting, SRO-compliance, corporate governance best practices and executive compensation. She also advises senior management, boards of directors and board committees with respect to these and other legal-compliance matters. Her practice serves NYSE- and Nasdaq-listed clients from a wide array of industries, including retail, hospitality and banking, as well as technology, document and data services companies. As a leader in the firm, Knarr serves as the office managing partner of the New York office. She serves on the leadership committee of Day Pitney’s firmwide women’s initiative Women Working Together (WWT), and she is an active member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
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EVOLVING INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE DID NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. I HAD TO EARN THE RESPECT AND TRUST OF MY COLLEAGUES. I DID THIS BY ESTABLISHING MYSELF AS HARD WORKING AND RELIABLE, AND TAKING OWNERSHIP OF MY WORK. ~ ELLEN KNARR Knarr is also a member of the board of directors of Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York and Long Island. Knarr says her greatest professional accomplishment to date was becoming a partner at Day Pitney at the age of 33. “It was the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, and I am honored to be part of such an impressive group of colleagues.” “Evolving into a leadership role did not happen overnight. I had to earn the respect and trust of my
colleagues. I did this by establishing myself as hard working and reliable, and taking ownership of my work,” Knarr explains. “I learned as much as I could about each matter and went above and beyond to help my clients and colleagues.” Knarr offers advice to other women starting out: “Don’t shortchange yourself. You will only get out of your career what you put into it. Also, take advantage of opportunities to build professional relationships and develop a network. Success isn’t achieved without the help of others.”