human the side of compliance

Assistant General Counsel

Nicole Williams’s successful restructuring of ADS’s compliance program centers on an unlikely ingredient: joy

By KC Esper

WHEN NICOLE WILLIAMS WAS TASKED with restructuring ADS’s compliance program, she decided to take a new approach. Of course, first, she checked the necessary boxes: analyze the business, reorganize the process to make it applicable to the business’s needs, and create a system that encourages longevity by frequently updating people on new policies and procedures. She explains, “I did a big-picture review with fresh eyes and considered everything from our line of business, our size, location, and the regulatory landscape that affected us. Then I did an analysis of the biggest risks to us and prioritized the initial focus on that.”

To complete the project, Williams used the Department of Justice’s newest evaluation of corporate compliance programs memo as a roadmap to determine best practices when it came to putting together the program, auditing processes, and adhering to compliance. With the help of her fellow assistant general counsel, Williams restructured the program to continually support the unique demands of ADS.

She says that since the program has been implemented, ADS has seen more of an interdepartmental union. “Oftentimes, in other organizations, legal is seen as a roadblock or black hole,” Williams explains. “My main goal is to make sure that our legal department is viewed as something that is here to help other departments accomplish their goals and not shut them down. Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen more and more

Serving Those Who Serve

Nicole Williams says the best part of her job is knowing she is helping make a difference for members of the military and first responders. Both inside and outside the office, Williams takes any opportunity to exercise this passion for fostering positive change, especially through her involvement with the ADS Mission Give Back Foundation, a nonprofit that helps support military families and first responders.

As executive director for the program, Williams organizes fund-raising events that raise money to support military, first responders, and their families and heads the scholarship program, which awards scholarships to high school students who are dependents of military or first responders injured or killed in action. Growing up a military child herself, Williams believes this program supports those who give their all to make a difference in the world. She has witnessed many such people throughout her life.

“My husband is a first responder, and my father is a retired Air Force pilot,” she says. “Their service to our country, along with all other men and women who have served and continue to serve, is inspiring. I’ve seen their sacrifices and how it impacts them and their families. Being able to give back to them is especially satisfying for me.” people come to ask questions about how to structure or think about a deal, and it’s been great to see everyone work hand in hand with legal.”

Once the more formal process was in place, Williams’s next step took an approach seemingly impossible for a compliance program: having fun.

To support her mission of ensuring the program was long-lasting, Williams created the First Friday program—a strategic way to encourage employees to participate in ongoing training sessions without feeling burdened or bored by the material. “‘Training’ is not a word that most people like to hear,” she says. “We wanted our First Friday program to create a habit of ongoing learning through defining repeating intervals in a microformat, which makes the material easier to retain and quicker to digest.”

We congratulate on her accomplishments and well-deserved recognition and pro le in Modern Counsel.

Wiley Rein is honored to continue our relationship with in supporting its mission.

Each training session takes less than five minutes and is laced with small elements of humor—a reference to a comedic movie, funny memes, or even games. A training session that came out around Easter, for example, included a mini Easter egg hunt, prompting employees to find the egg in the training for the chance to win a prize. Williams says, “We’ve definitely seen a decrease in the quarterly audits. Now, we can see which areas we need to retrain or focus on, and people are more willing to ask questions for clarification on processes as they see fit.” wileyrein.com

Regardless of the task, whether it’s creating a new program or organizing a fundraising event, Williams welcomes the opportunity to learn, to embrace change, and most of all, to have fun while doing it.

Wiley Rein LLP:

“Nikki is a tremendous addition to the ADS legal team. She has introduced innovative ways to enhance the company’s ethics and compliance program and roll those innovations out to company employees.”

By Anthony Ruth | Photos by Gillian Fry

WHEN SHE ENTERED HER EXTERNSHIP during her final year of law school, Tiffani McDonough Solomon couldn’t have predicted that it would shape her entire career. The premium denim brand 7 For All Mankind had started a new in-house legal department, and McDonough Solomon was the first legal extern, working under Barbara Kolsun, now a fashion law professor and codirector of Cardozo Law’s Fashion, Art, Media & Entertainment (FAME) program.

“Barbara became a great mentor to me,” recalls McDonough Solomon. “It was a milestone experience for me, after which I knew that working as in-house counsel in the fashion industry was ultimately what I wanted to do.” After law school, McDonough Solomon practiced labor and employment law while always looking for ways to direct her work toward retail and fashion. Several years into her career, she heard from Kolsun about a position at Louis Vuitton and made the leap.

Today, McDonough Solomon is the director and senior counsel for employment and litigation at Louis Vuitton Americas, with sole responsibility for labor and employment matters and litigation in the Americas region. In her role, she provides employment and compliance counseling to Louis Vuitton Americas’ operations, including all corporate offices, workshops, and retail locations throughout North, Central, and South America. She also manages litigation for the Americas region and serves as the senior employment counsel for Louis Vuitton affiliate Berluti.

One of McDonough Solomon’s points of pride is working for a company with a zero-tolerance discrimination policy. “The company really gets it right in this area,” she says. “Being an international brand, they understand the importance that all employees in the workplace enjoy a professional and comfortable working environment. Diversity is core to the success of the company, and the company places a premium on creating an inclusive environment for all employees.”

McDonough Solomon works with Louis Vuitton’s human resources team to ensure that the company is ahead of the curve when it comes to compliance and inclusivity, which includes providing antidiscrimination protections that go beyond what the laws require. For example, although only a few cities and states offer protections to employees against discrimination based on sexual orientation, Louis Vuitton extends protections to all employees based on all protected characteristics. In other words, the company has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind, including based on an employee’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

McDonough Solomon’s work extends to employee benefits as well. One of her earliest efforts at Louis Vuitton was to develop paid bonding leave for new mothers as well as fathers. “Now it is more common in the industry, but we were one of the first to lead on this effort and have one of the most generous paid policies I have seen,” she says.

When she was in private practice, McDonough Solomon noticed that most companies need legal mandates to effectuate change, and she feels fortunate to work for a company that is genuinely interested in inclusivity and meeting employees’ needs on a personal level.

“I am pretty passionate about employment legislation and often find myself lobbying my husband over dinner about employment laws in the state,” says McDonough Solomon, whose husband is Jared Solomon, a legislator in the Pennsylvania House. “Fortunately for both of us, we are on the same page when it comes to these issues!”

The other aspect of McDonough Solomon’s role that’s close to her heart is the Louis Vuitton legal externship program, which she oversees and has worked to build into a robust and meaningful experience for law students. Under her leadership, the company has expanded the number of law students it recruits and the number of schools they come from. Her goal for the program is to give students a full understanding of being an in-house attorney in the fashion industry as well as the impact that their work has on the company’s business. “As in-house counsel, in addition to being a trusted legal advisor, you need to be a proactive, results-driven business partner,” she says.

Because of her own externship, McDonough Solomon is cognizant that her program could equally prove to be a turning point for the students she works with. “I have been very fortunate to have wonderful mentors at each step of my career,” she says. “I could not have accomplished my dream without them. I truly hope to carry that forward.”

Holland & Knight joins Modern Counsel in celebrating

Congratulations to Tiffani McDonough

Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP:

“We’ve been working with Tiffani since she joined Louis Vuitton and continue to be impressed with her talent and dedication, which separates her as a remarkable attorney and an integral part of Louis Vuitton’s success.”

—Peter J. Barack, Cofounder and Senior Partner, Fashion, Luxury & Retail Group

Holland & Knight:

“Tiffani has a deep understanding of her industry. This understanding, along with her proactive approach to preventing legal risks, are a winning combination that drive the most positive of results for Louis Vuitton.”

—Tina Tellado, Partner

Carlton Fields

“One of the most responsive and collaborative in-house counsel I have had the honor of working with, Tiffani fashions a legal strategy to creatively and effectively achieve her company’s needs and goals.”

—Mark A. Neubauer, Shareholder

TIFFANI MCDONOUGH, director and senior counsel for employment and litigation for Louis Vuitton and senior employment counsel for Berluti, for her impressive accomplishments, dedication to the legal profession and her commitment to the community.

It is our privilege to work with Tiffani and her entire team. www.hklaw.com Tina

Louis Vuitton on her achievements and contributions to the labor and employment and luxury goods industries, and for her dedication to Louis Vuitton’s success.

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