Modern Counsel #34

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Our fourth annual Purpose issue features in-house counsel dedicated to promoting positive change in the world

Implement

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Celanese’s Mike Sullivan is a firm lawyer turned vital, in-house practitioner who managed to thrive in the most challenging business environment of the last century

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Destiny Washington encourages her team to empathize with each other in her role as senior counsel of employment at Southwire

Feature

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Michael Martinez’s own struggles make him an empathetic and compassionate leader at Toyota North America

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A $100 million pledge for DEI initiatives means the PGA TOUR means business. Neera Shetty is leading innovative initiatives to make an impact both on and off the course.

Lead

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Benjamin Alley’s success at Techtronic Industries lies in helping translate ideas across design, business, and legal functions

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At ConocoPhillips, Managing Director Kelli Jones is committed to the success of her team, her company, and young professionals

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Julie Yarbrough (Washington), Jason Kindig (Martinez), Jack Thompson (Jones)

P20

P34

Pivot

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Zachary Raimi of HH Global built his entire legal career in Chicago. To make it work, the Detroit native focused on relationships to create a specialized professional network.

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As senior director, associate general counsel, and head of IP at eBay, Amber Leavitt brings personal experience and empathy to the forefront while building strong teams

Focus

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With a wealth of big law experience under his belt, Erick Rivero spearheads new initiatives and encourages his team members at Intuit to think outside of the box

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For Darren Dragovich, purpose is all about finding alignment between the personal and the professional at Western Union

Evaluate

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Kathy Madigan aspired to be a corporate legal leader and forged her own path to get there. Today, she helps Ulta Beauty execute its aggressive growth plan.

P161

For Vontier’s Cathi Hunt, building a new company from the strong roots of a parent company was a unique best-case scenario for her career

P94

P123

P161

Despite never watching a golf

tournament from start to finish, I know a lot about Tiger Woods.

My late grandfather (or Granddaddy as we affectionally called him) was a lover of books, dentistry, his six children, and his seventeen grandchildren, but I question if anything came close to his obsession with golf. He rewatched tournaments, spent hours on the golf course, encouraged everyone he met to take up the sport, and built an impressive collection of memorabilia that he referred to as his “museum.” He even started an infamous April Fools’ Day annual golf tournament that gained quite a following in the St. Louis area.

When a young Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters tournament, Granddaddy’s adoration for the sport hit an all-time high. Family gatherings always included lectures proclaiming Woods wasn’t just the first Black athlete to put on a Masters jacket, but he was the greatest player to ever play the game of golf. I picked up random bits of trivia pertaining to Woods’s childhood, his unique golf game, and his dad’s coaching style. Admittedly, my preteen mentality got in the way appreciating the sport and the phenom of Woods, but I look back on Granddaddy’s sheer joy and long-winded pontifications with a smile.

I was reminded of these fond memories while editing the Purpose issue of Modern Counsel . The issue celebrates in-house counsel who advocate for positive change in the world and demonstrate a commitment to a wide range of causes. Among the featured executives is Neera Shetty, who has been a key team member of the PGA TOUR in her dual role as executive vice president and deputy general counsel. While discrimination in golf is an undeniable part of its storied past, Shetty, the child of Indian immigrants, runs the organization’s office of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Shetty spearheads efforts to help the PGA TOUR leverage its size, power, and influence to drive change throughout golf as well as in world of professional sports. Her purpose is clear.

“There has been some progress, and there is more we can do,” Shetty proclaims. “We can do more because there is huge potential for impact, and the PGA TOUR knows we can lead by example.”

As an adult, I realize my granddaddy’s fascination with Tiger Woods wasn’t just based on his impressive golf game. Woods represented the sport’s entrance into a modern era, perhaps even shedding the unflattering and discriminatory nature of its past.

Brittany Farb Gruber Managing Editor

Sheila Barabad Sarmiento

Implement

Celebrating legal leaders’ latest efforts and achievements, including transactions, expansions, negotiations, and inclusion initiatives

Sustainability, Stakeholders, and the SEC

Mike Sullivan takes on a full-global gamut of activity at Celanese

By Billy Yost

Courtesy of Neiman Marcus Group

Mike Sullivan VP and Deputy General Counsel Celanese

NO MATTER THE STORE, YOU’RE PROBABLY

only a few feet away from a Celanese product. The chemical and specialty materials company is one of the world’s leading producers of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications.

“It could be packaging, it could be food flavoring, or it could be paint or a part of your car. We sort of do it all,” says Mike Sullivan, vice president and deputy general counsel at Celanese. “Coming to Celanese provided me the opportunity to work for a company with a large global footprint that makes complicated products you find everywhere you look.”

While he was excited to join Celanese, the timing of the move proved interesting, Sullivan says. His last interview quickly changed into a virtual meeting, as companies across the country adapted to the COVID-19 lockdown. He started his role remotely, learning Celanese’s wide array of business from afar, and in a time of great transition.

The pandemic accelerated a trend already taking place. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) expectations of companies continue to take higher priority for investors, stakeholders, and businesses alike. However, Sullivan says many initially thought those considerations would get pushed to the backburner, while companies confronted the absolute chaos and unknowns of a worldwide shutdown.

“At Celanese, COVID really illustrated the opposite of those assumptions,” he says. “While I was tackling bank and treasury issues, capital markets issues, and the impacts of reduced stock prices, we also were all thinking very

hard about what kind of company we want Celanese to be in terms of its ESG position.”

While sustainability has always been a built-in component of Celanese’s products and strategy, the VP says increasing expectations from investors and stakeholders mean that environmental and other sustainability impacts are taken just as seriously as the bottom line.

“It’s no exaggeration that ESG issues have become primary investment criteria for either equity or debt investors; it’s something we hear all the time,” Sullivan says. “In my entire career, I haven’t seen the extent to which people are diving into everything from details of proxy statements to SEC disclosures, websites, and other information. I think it’s a really positive development for corporate America overall, and it really aligns with what the company had already been working toward.”

This is where Sullivan is most effective. He manages Celanese’s fall shareholder ESG outreach program, where the company seeks to connect with as many shareholders as possible to understand their expectations, their priorities, and how they align with Celanese’s broader mission. The lawyer says building those relationships is critical for both the boom times and more challenging ones.

Sullivan has his share of both at present. In February 2022, Celanese announced an agreement to buy DuPont’s engineered thermoplastics and elastomer business for $11 billion, a landmark moment for the company. The lean, in-house legal team certainly had its work cut out for it, but came through with flying colors.

“Coming to Celanese provided me the opportunity to work for a company with a large global footprint that makes complicated products you find everywhere you look.”

“We are preparing for the largest and most complicated acquisition that Celanese has done in recent history,” Sullivan says. “I’m really proud of what our legal department has been able to accomplish, working together, while being all over the world. As we prepare for integration, everyone on the team has a significant amount of work and a significant role to play in making it happen for the company.”

While working closely with the broader legal team to ensure legal readiness to support the acquired business from day one, there are other developments keeping Sullivan occupied. The lawyer does his best to stay abreast of a US Securities and Exchange Commission that’s recently been more active than ever.

“It feels like SEC has issued more, and more meaningful, rulemaking than in the prior five or six years,” Sullivan explains. “The robust proposed climate disclosure rules are some of the momentous and impactful regulations we’ve seen in a long time. And while you never know exactly what the final form will be, it’s so big that we can’t just wait to see what happens.”

With new rules around cybersecurity and corporate trading plans, Sullivan says if it’s a business interest in his purview, there are probably new proposed rules through which he needs to help the company work. His job isn’t just to check the pulse of SEC propositions, but to help navigate a global organization toward proactive adaptability. It’s trying to hit the bullseye on a moving target, but his deep securities experience comes in handy.

Sullivan went looking for a challenge and found it. The firm lawyer turned vital in-house practitioner has managed to thrive in the most challenging business environment of the last century. “The next couple of years are going to be pretty interesting,” he says. “It’s an incredible time of change, and this is the kind of work I love to do.”

“It’s great to feel connected to the people at Celanese.”

Jean-François Findling Partner Benjamin van Kessel Partner

Baker McKenzie:

“Over the years, we have worked with Mike on many international projects. Mike is not only a very knowledgeable in-house lawyer with great managing skills, but also a very pleasant person to work with.”

—Benjamin van Kessel and Jean-François Findling, Partners

Law Is About Culture

Sarah Sandok Rabinovici initially wanted to be a litigator. But with a businessperson’s instincts, she’s thrived as a commercial attorney, supporting business growth.

By Russ Klettke

SOCIAL SCIENCES MAJORS DON’T ALWAYS get the respect they deserve. Parents may question whether a child should pursue a degree in anthropology, history, linguistics, or even political science. But Sarah Sandok Rabinovici is perhaps the best example of why such an undergraduate major is smart preparation for a law career.

Today, Sandok Rabinovici is general counsel for the Americas of security and data privacy for Resideo, a home security, comfort controls, energy efficiency and wholesale distributor of low-voltage

security products company. The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and she is based out of Melville, New York, a Long Island suburb of New York City.

One can see how her degree in anthropology and Spanish, with significant coursework in political science, prepared her for the job.

“Being a lawyer means being a critical thinker,” says Sandok Rabinovici. “As a lawyer, we are presented with problems. We have to ask questions and come up with interpretations, often in the context

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Sarah Sandok Rabinovici General Counsel Americas, Security & Data Privacy Resideo

of different cultural interpretations. An ability to understand issues is an ability to communicate better.”

Indeed, the recent history of Resideo, which includes acquisitions and the merging of technologies and brands into the company, seems cut out for anthropologists. Sandok Rabinovici explains that not only is the US more diverse than ever before, but so too are the varied assets and organizations that have been combined to form Resideo. “We have to understand the commonal-

ities as much as the differences in order to bridge between them,” she says.

Resideo was spun off from Honeywell in 2018 as a publicly traded entity.

In 2019, as assistant general counsel of procurement, Sandok Rabinovici was tasked with adjusting the strategy and leverage and purchasing power that a large company has and retaining those advantages. She also worked to ensure they remained nimble as a smaller technology focused company, working to bring new and innovative products

and services to customers. These are the kinds of things she enjoys about being an attorney.

“I’m not an engineer, but I have to understand technical things,” she says. “I like to dig into problems, find ways to solve them, and move forward.”

Her initial interest in law came from a classmate, also a social sciences major, who told her their studies were good preparation for studying law. She initially saw herself being a litigator, but over time she was exposed to labor and

employment related issues, touching on topics from some political science classes from her undergraduate studies, that drew her to counseling and antitrust work.

“I was assigned documents reviews in a big case in my first firm,” she says. “I dug into it, learned more about antitrust, and fell in love with it.” She further honed that expertise in firm work, transitioning to in-house counsel after about a decade.

The mergers and acquisitions work doesn’t end at the closings, as anyone who has been through one can attest. For example, there are technical integrations as well as a cultural blend that comes along with them. Sandok Rabinovici sees the set of variables that she walked into, the spinoff and the mix of an established business and building something new, as offering a fresh start.

Then, 2022 brought something different: buying and blending First Alert. Sandok Rabinovici was intimately involved in this acquisition—it was worth nearly $600 million, which included an established business and brand on a larger scale than the previous deals Resideo did—and continues to work with that business on a day-to-day basis. The mix of products and services from the company straddle the business-to-business and business-to-consumer world, with independent distributors in the mix.

Her work not only taps into the technical details of these various businesses and systems, but also supports the business teams doing the work. “I see myself as a businessperson first,” she says. “I get asked about financial risks. I have to understand the goals and paths to get

there, helping them to tweak it to contain relative costs and mitigate risk.”

Outside of Resideo, Sandok Rabinovici has also established a strong reputation. “It’s terrific working with Sarah,” says Russell L. Leaf, partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. “She’s smart and strategic, and she has a remarkable ability to quickly distill complicated issues and get to the heart of a matter. We have had a great partnership on a number of significant corporate transactions, and I look forward to continuing to work with her in the future.”

Sandok Rabinovici sees her vocation as a lawyer supplemented by her avocation: being the first vice president on the executive board of the Manetto Hill Jewish Center. Her recent work includes managing her fiduciary duties to its members and supporting the synagogue as it figured out how to provide services and reopen in the pandemic era. Sandok Rabinovici focused on listening to different points of view. She says her anthropology degree helps her with this role as well.

“I always ask, what perspective are they bringing?” she says. “We try to make the best decisions, even if we can’t please everyone.”

Back at Resideo, she was tasked with supporting the business in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East during the pandemic, working across time zones while she managed her own family in work-from-home conditions.

It was grueling, but she liked the responsibility. And somehow in the process, she acquired some great recipes for cabbage, noodles, and cookies from her European counterparts. Which sounds like the fun side of understanding the human experience.

“I’m not an engineer, but I have to understand technical things. I like to dig into problems, find ways to solve them, and move forward.”

We proudly salute Sarah Sandok Rabinovici on her outstanding accomplishments as General Counsel Americas Security and Privacy at Resideo.

The Power of Conversation

Rori Robison encourages transparent communication and streamlined legal processes to keep up growth at Pinterest

By Maggie Lynch

PINTEREST’S RORI ROBISON BELIEVES IN THE

power of conversations. To the assistant general counsel, conversations enable efficiency, transparency, and understanding. She leads with an attitude of putting people first, in every sense, and conversations bolster that.

“One of the things I stress with everyone on our team is to communicate regularly and be transparent,” Robison explains. “If we have a business partner that is frustrated with an experience, let’s reach out and figure out why. Don’t ignore the problem—communicate, reach out, and be that bridge.”

With her belief in communication and putting people first, Robison has been successful in leading her team as it works to align with the scale Pinterest is growing at. “We’re growing really fast. We are constantly asking ourselves how do we implement things that make whatever we’re doing down the line better for our users, better for our business partners, and allow us to really keep moving with velocity and doing really good work,” she says.

Robison has worked as in-house counsel before but in her current role at Pinterest, “the focus on scale is different than what I’ve had in previous roles; it is a real pivot,” she says. “I’ve pulled up to a higher-level view, there’s so much more than just negotiating a deal that’s necessary for our team to be successful and it’s been really fun to explore those.”

A people-first approach doesn’t just apply to organizational communication. Robison encourages her team to find a balance with work while still growing. “One of our favorite sayings is ‘win or learn,’” she says. “We regularly discuss what enables us to push ourselves or take chances on things without being afraid to fail. Then we attempt to build in the space and ability to do those things.”

To ensure Pinterest can continue to grow at the rate it intends, Robison recognizes the impact cross-functional work can have on efficiency. She explains that it’s crucial that every team have the tools, trainings, software, and services that they require to do their jobs in the best possible way.

Robison also works to guarantee that collaboration involves every member of her team. “The more transparent that we are with one another enables us to understand we’re working toward the same goal,” she says.

The assistant general counsel is implementing new workflows in existing tools to continue to align legal as partners in the procurement process. She explains that this allows all cross-functional stakeholders the ability to work with one workflow to perform their deal reviews and approvals.

“The process should be the same for all of our business partners, which allows an understanding of the expectations and what the process looks like, how long it takes, who to go to with questions, etc.,” Robison explains. “We’ve written standard operating procedures for our most leveraged processes so we’re consistent in our approach. When someone contacts us to help with something, or to start the process, they should have a consistent experience.”

Robison’s team recently rolled out a new automated workflow for nondisclosure agreements. “We want to make sure that our business partners who are under tight timelines to engage vendors or have some sort of strategic discussion can do that quickly.”

While ensuring efficiency and cross-functional communication, Robison is also focused on making sure her team is still reaching work/ life balance, especially following the COVID19 pandemic. “People as a whole were burning out,” she says. “It was just too much. There was no delineation between work and home. When people are happier, you see them enjoying their jobs, you see them wanting to take more on, because there is some balance.”

Baker McKenzie:

“Rori is an extremely smart, experienced and practical attorney. She has an excellent approach to visualizing global solutions to the cutting edge issues she is confronted with. Above all, she is lovely to work with and we’re really pleased to partner with her.”

—John Groom, Senior Associate

Destiny Fulfilled

Military service prepared Destiny Washington for her role as senior counsel of employment at Southwire

By Donald Liebenson

Destiny Washington, senior counsel of employment at Southwire Company, is a firm believer in this credo spoken by small Georgia town lawyer Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird .

“When someone opens themselves up to someone else’s perspective and puts themselves in someone else’s shoes, they learn so much,” she says. “That’s genuinely how I feel, and it’s how I encourage people to look at life. Don’t be in your own bubble.”

Washington continues, “During the pandemic, we were all in the same boat. People were feeling job insecurity, dealing with childcare issues, or stressing over internet

Julie Yarbrough

“YOU NEVER REALLY UNDERSTAND A PERSON until you consider things from his point of view . . . Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

interconnectivity issues working at home. We should all empathize with each other—the world could be a better place.”

Washington, a New Orleans native, now lives in Georgia, where Southwire is based. She recently marked her first anniversary with the company, which bills itself as one of the leading manufacturers of wire and cable used in the transmission and distribution of electricity around the world, according to its website.

“Southwire was a client of my old law firm,” she explains. “I have a personal attachment to Southwire, because my father is an electrician. He was so excited when I told him about my interview with them. It was his chance to share electricity jargon and all of the Southwire products he has seen at Home Depot.”

At Southwire, Washington is focused on the company’s people and culture (human resources) function. “This includes anything that has to do with the employment lifecycle, from hiring and benefits to discipline, termination, and retention,” she says. She also counsels on compliance and supports merger and acquisitions due diligence.

Washington enjoyed her time working in private practice, but prefers her in-house role. “I feel like I’m part of a team that is working toward one goal, to make the company the best place it can be,” she says. “The teamwork and collaboration is genuine, in part, because there is a personal aspect. We are working to improve an organization that employs us. There is a laser

Julie Yarbrough

Destiny Washington Senior Counsel, Employment Southwire Company

focus on ‘the people behind the power,’ as Southwire puts its people first.”

Perhaps the overriding aspect of Washington’s role, she says, is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). While in her previous position at a boutique law firm, she was named a 2020 fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, an organization committed to increasing diversity in the legal profession. Through this council, legal leaders committed to DEI gather together to share ideas regarding increasing diversity amongst their organizations.

Through perfectly tailored training, they explore concepts like “design thinking,” which encourages a people-centered approach to problemsolving. “Design thinking starts with empathizing with the population for whom you are seeking to problemsolve,” she says. “A starting point in empathizing with a person is to actually listen to them and put yourself in their shoes.”

Washington credits her experience in the military—first in the Louisiana Army National Guard, and then the US Army—with instilling in her an

appreciation for different perspectives and different cultures. At seventeen, she joined the military as a way to pay for college.

“As a public affairs specialist, I interviewed fellow soldiers for feature articles in our field publication,” she remembers. “Through conducting those interviews, I immersed myself in the experiences of so many people of different races, religions, ethnicities, and ages. I even learned to salsa when I was deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s one of the most valuable things I got out of my military experience. It helps me as I partner with people and culture to create a culture of collaboration.”

Washington also credits her unique career trajectory with growing her network, key to practicing empathy. She began her legal career representing and organizing union members, then spent several years litigating on behalf of state and local governments, including advising law enforcement and public school districts. She did not work at a large law firm until thirteen years into her legal career.

Now, she serves in the senior employment counsel role with Southwire. While she applauds Southwire for looking beyond the traditional career path of in-house counsel in hiring her, she acknowledges that her “wellrounded” background provides a huge asset to the company.

“You won’t often find a mid-career employment counsel who knows the steps to annex a parcel of land into a city, who has drafted occupational tax ordinances, who can litigate a Section 1983 case, and who knows the defenses to a hostile environment sexual harassment claim,” she says.

In addition to DEI initiatives, Washington focuses on office culture post-pandemic. “It was easy to go from working in an office to working remotely. It’s not so easy to go back,” she says. “[People are] realizing how much unproductive time is spent commuting and are configuring their lives around being at home. We are working to find creative ways to retain talent and to keep them motivated. At Southwire, we recognize that employees are the backbone of a company.”

“When someone opens themselves up to someone else’s perspective and puts themselves in someone else’s shoes, they learn so much. . . . it’s how I encourage people to look at life. Don’t be in your own bubble.”

Cara FitzPatrick Polizzi

The Value of Mentorship and Collaboration

As executive vice president and general counsel, Jeffrey Rosenstein encourages teamwork at AECOM

By Joseph Kay IN MULTIMILLION- (AND SOMETIMES

billion-) dollar infrastructure projects, complications are a given, risks are considerable, and tensions can run high. Jeffrey Rosenstein reminds himself and his team that legal must be part of the solution, a collaborator to the business, and more than a drop-box for review of legal documents.

Rosenstein serves as executive vice president and general counsel for AECOM in the Americas, which includes the firm’s Canada, US West, US East, and Latin America regions. AECOM performs planning, design, engineering, and program and construction management services for public- and private-sector clients across the globe. This includes the transportation, buildings, water, new energy, and environment sectors.

Rosenstein and his team of legal professionals are focused on minimizing unnecessary and unreasonable risk on AECOM’s complex infrastructure projects across the Americas. In particular, he is proud of the guidance provided by his team to the firm’s disaster recovery and response efforts. For example, at the start of the pandemic, they delivered critical legal support to help the company stand up emergency alternative healthcare facilities. Rosenstein also regularly supplies strategic guidance on AECOM’s multifaceted design-build pursuits in both the transportation and water spaces.

“It can be challenging to balance the business side and the legal side, but we like to think of ourselves as part of the solution, a partner to the business,” Rosenstein explains.

“Our goal is to protect the company while, at the same time, not being an obstacle to growth. I think our team does an especially good job of that. We provide timely, ethical, high-quality advice and we keep track of the big picture.”

AECOM’s legal groups are organized by region; Rosenstein oversees the Americas with sixty staff members, as well as the federal business services unit with an additional seventy-five staff dedicated to compliance with US government contracting requirements. With support of AECOM’s business objectives his central priority, he’s especially proud of the team-driven culture he’s helped cultivate, where respectful collaboration is key.

“Everyone has a voice, and I listen to everybody,” he says. “Given the complexities of the legal landscape, one person can’t possibly know everything, so we rely on specialists in a variety of fields. They know how to best support the business.”

“Jeff is unique in that he goes beyond just understanding the legal aspects of a contract in his role,” explains Beverley Stinson, chief executive of AECOM’s global water business. “He’s extremely instrumental in managing and balancing risk and reward. He’s a very significant adviser to the business.”

Rosenstein had legal ambitions as early as undergrad, and briefly

explored opportunities in politics and government. He’s worked in architecture, engineering, and construction since 1992, with a role as an intern at Patton Boggs in Washington, DC, first piquing his interest in the field. While there, he assisted on a construction case regarding a cogeneration power plant, which set him up for a long, colorful career in the industry. The work still appeals to him because the issues and impacts are so demonstrable.

“Jeff’s depth of experience with both design and construction law is a great asset in managing AECOM’s contracts and risk profile,” says John J. Cardoni, EVP and enterprise risk committee chairperson at AECOM. “His practical perspective from both sides of many of the issues we encounter is particularly valuable as the industry evolves to more designbuild delivery projects.”

“These projects have tangible impacts on our society,” Rosenstein says. “Transportation hubs, water and wastewater management, disaster relief, and projects addressing vital environmental concerns—our projects are quite meaningful to people’s lives, and that’s the most significant and exciting thing about working for a company like AECOM.”

“I’ve worked closely with Jeff on AECOM’s most significant legal matters, including the recent

“Everyone has a voice, and I listen to everybody. Given the complexities of the legal landscape, one person can’t possibly know everything, so we rely on specialists in a variety of fields.”

JFK Airport redevelopment deals at Terminals 1 and 6,” adds Daniel Faust, chief executive of AECOM’s US East & Latin America region. “He has a unique ability to develop strategies that navigate complex legal and financial risks. Jeff’s advice and counsel have been critical to AECOM’s success over the past five years. He is a true partner to me and my colleagues.”

Rosenstein’s father, an engineer, jokingly counseled him to avoid a career in engineering. Looking back, he considers his father his first career mentor and continues to follow his example in

his treatment of others. “No matter who he was dealing with, he always treated everyone with fairness and respect,” Rosenstein says.

For emerging professionals, he recommends identifying a mentor early— someone invested in your success who can provide opportunities and identify goals along the way. Rosenstein was fortunate to have an excellent industry mentor early in his career. Following that model, he keeps his own door open to young attorneys and gives them as much work and wisdom as they desire.

“The most important thing I learned from my mentor was to always stay calm,” he recalls. Since complications inevitably arise, lawyers must be strategic in their thinking and should always be prepared to search for creative solutions. He adds, “Lawyers should be the voice of reason when things aren’t necessarily going the way everyone would like.”

Another part of Rosenstein’s impact on AECOM’s legal approach has been in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). In early 2021, AECOM’s chief legal officer, David Gan, implemented a strategic direction to hiring within the department: each slate of candidates for an open role must include a woman and a member of an underrepresented minority group. A diverse interview panel is also involved in the selection of a candidate. This is one element of the company’s broader EDI strategy: not only is it a priority within the legal department but AECOM at large is focused on driving EDI across its operations and in partnership with its clients.

“Within legal, we’re doing everything we can to support AECOM’s EDI efforts overall, including seeking out the National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms to represent

Jeffrey Rosenstein EVP and General Counsel AECOM Americas

us,” Rosenstein says. “It makes sense to bring different voices to the team and to hire firms with different perspectives. It’s important to the company, it’s important to me, it’s the right thing to do, and it’s just good business.”

Ultimately, Rosenstein advises, it’s crucial that industry leaders continue to grow, evolve, and remain open to new ways of doing things without discounting the possibility that proven approaches may often work best. The industry and legal issues are complex, and with changes coming at a rapid pace, he stresses the importance of embracing uncertainty, being flexible and nimble, and focusing on actions that will move the needle.

By championing fairness, openness, and collaboration, leaders create teams that succeed. “I want my team to consider me an advocate,” he says, “and to view our department as a space for them to do their best work.”

Cozen O’Connor:

“Congratulations to Jeffrey Rosenstein for his professional accomplishments and leadership within the legal profession. With a shared belief that infrastructure creates opportunity for everyone, Cozen O’Connor stands ready to support the current and future needs of AECOM Americas.”

—Larry Prosen, construction litigation and government contracts attorney

Finding Her Path

After spending nearly a decade in private firms, Elia DeLuca found her passion for global employment law at Autodesk

By Keith Loria

ELIA DELUCA IS CURRENTLY DIRECTOR and global head of employment law for Autodesk, but she took a circuitous path to the global design and make software company. She spent time practicing family law and civil litigation, and even served as a human rights advocate for the United Nations.

Her mom was a lawyer and often the only female lawyer at her firm. While she enjoyed the work, she always urged her daughter to take a different path because she saw so many lawyers who were unhappy in their careers. Despite her best efforts—DeLuca started college as a science major—her daughter was drawn to political science from an interest level and wound up following in her mom’s footsteps.

DeLuca worked as an intern at NBC during college, and it was there that a producer who she respected told her that she had gone to law school, which helped her career in broadcasting, so she saw law school more as a way to open up different opportunities.

“I worked during most of law school in the family law group of a local firm, and I found I really liked the practice of law. So, I took the bar exam and started practicing,” DeLuca recalls.

It took her about five years from when she began practicing to find a niche in employment law.

“I never took an employment law class in law school, and yet I can’t think of an area of the law that interests or excites me more,” she enthuses. “What

I love about employment law is the opportunity to advise and partner with the leaders who shape a workplace. It entails so much beyond just counseling and litigation.”

After taking on a bit of employment law work at her first firm, DeLuca took a sabbatical to do human rights work. She spent seven months with the United Nations, helping to prosecute war crimes from the Bosnian war.

“What I saw there was the impact you could have in the legal world when you’re working on issues about people and their basic human rights. For me, it was a change from products and device litigation to cases focused on people and their lives and livelihood,” DeLuca offers. “It was after that sabbatical that

I came back to the US and shifted toward a more human-focused area of the law.” She went to a law firm dedicated exclusively to employment law.

DeLuca spent the next five years advising companies on employment law, working with everyone from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. She came to a point in her career where she could either continue advising a broad range of clients through a firm or join a company. At the time, she had a number of clients who were willing to pay her rate to have her “seconded” as their interim employment counsel. This brought clarity to the decision, and DeLuca ultimately decided that she wanted to move in-house. She set out to find a company to her liking.

“Going in-house means choosing a single client, so I was very selective about that decision,” DeLuca remembers. “I was looking for a mid-size company and was drawn to Autodesk, which at the time was eight thousand employees and had just one employment attorney, so I knew coming in I would get a great diversity of work. I was also passionate about Autodesk’s mission to create software for the people who design and make a better world.”

DeLuca encourages others to remain open to opportunities and not become tunnel-visioned in their careers, a quality to which she attributes much of her professional success. She only recently realized that her UN human rights work was the bridge that

Elia DeLuca Director and Global Head of Employment Law Autodesk

Gustavo Fernandez

connected her from being a general civil litigator to a global employment lawyer.

“That important work impressed upon me the unique impact you can have in an area of the law that deals with human experience,” DeLuca shares. “I often tell lawyers early in their careers to remain open to opportunities because you never know where those roads might lead. It’s only in retrospect that you can connect the dots and see how your career evolves in a certain direction.”

In her opinion, it’s an exciting time to be an employment lawyer. “When I first started practicing employment law, it was largely litigation and class action work; that is very little of what I do today,” she explains, “especially amid the pandemic, where companies are chartering new territory around how and where employees work. I love advising on these novel issues related to the future of work. Most of my time is spent proactively advising on issues and training related to policies, growth, and building a diverse workforce and a culture of belonging.”

One of her main responsibilities over the last two years has been advising on Autodesk’s approach to managing hybrid work, which has been a key initiative for the company. She and her team advise internal clients across the many global divisions of Autodesk, which is currently in almost fifty countries.

“I have an incredible team at Autodesk who help to tackle the work,” she proudly states. DeLuca has colleagues abroad who focus on country-specific issues as well as a dedicated global employment team in California.

“I have two fantastic lawyers on my team who I am training to be global employment lawyers, because a big focus of mine is developing my team to address issues on a global scale,” she adds. “Autodesk has grown a lot since I started—we are nearly thirteen thousand employees now and are entering new countries each year. I’m proud of the work my team has done to support this growth and change and look forward to what comes next.”

Congratulations to Elia DeLuca for her ongoing contributions to Autodesk’s success.

Seyfarth is proud to partner with Elia on Autodesk’s international employment law needs. We salute Elia upon her recognition by Modern Counsel and look forward to supporting Elia and her colleagues in 2022 and beyond.

www.seyfarth.com

P U R P O S E

How seven in-house counsel live resolute lives both in and out of the workplace through their commitment to a variety of noble causes

34 44 48 52 56 60

Michael Martinez

Toyota North America

40

Neera Shetty

PGA TOUR

Thea Kelly

Cummins Elizabeth Winiarski

LAZ Parking

Jason Yurasek

craigslist

Ean Sewell

Synopsys

Kyle Hermanson

Invenergy

Photos by

Supplemental

Sheila Barabad Sarmiento

Advocating for the Underdog

Michael Martinez’s own struggles make him an empathetic and compassionate leader at Toyota North America

By Billy Yost

Michael Martinez Managing Counsel of Labor & Employment

Toyota North America

Simply put: It’s easy to like Michael Martinez. The managing counsel of labor and employment at Toyota North America is the kind of person who you can talk to. That’s not always a hallmark of an attorney, but maybe that’s what makes Martinez such an asset to his company.

The son of a union president and grandson of yet another union president has always felt a connection to the underdog. Coincidentally, his family has fostered dozens of actual dogs.

Martinez’s struggle just to land an employment law job in his early years also inspires him to advocate for removing potential hiring roadblocks. He’s helped Toyota—a company he considers to be on the front lines of thinking outside the box when it comes to hiring—lean into that reputation.

The lawyer’s easy-going demeanor and unalloyed recounting of his own struggles underpin a commitment to doing the right thing, and it’s clear Martinez’s own strong moral compass guides his judgment. While remnants of the Reagan era still dictate healthy portions of music, fashion, and the arts, Martinez says companies have let the “War on Drugs” mentality dictate too much of a potential candidate’s future.

“I think companies are coming to the realization that they have to think of issues that used to be hard lines, and since they’re late to the game, that can often be done

sloppily,” says Martinez, who handles criminal background checks as part of his wider responsibilities at Toyota. “There is a difference between a concern about a person being impaired at work and disqualifying a potential strong candidate because of something they may have done three Saturdays ago.”

To Martinez, it makes much more sense to strengthen reasonable suspicion testing at the workplace and evolve preemployment testing when more than a majority of US states have legalized marijuana use in some capacity. “I think it’s important for society to take a pulse check every now and again and ask ourselves, ‘What are we doing and why are we doing this?’” he says.

Martinez also has deep Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Americans with Disabilities Act experience, and he’s put it to work at Toyota by helping make the company as open to wide swaths of candidates as possible.

“I’ve seen some incredible and creative work from our company when it comes to our approach to disabilities, even on the manufacturing side,” the lawyer explains. Martinez supports the company’s West Virginia facility where he says the company moved heaven and (literally) earth to ensure that two of Toyota's frontline leaders who use wheelchairs can easily navigate the workplace.

“We know we have talented people and potential talent who are living with disabilities,” Martinez says. “Why wouldn’t we do everything we can to make sure we retain that talent? It’s also just the

“I think it’s important for society to take a pulse check every now and again and ask ourselves, ‘What are we doing and why are we doing this?’”

right thing to do. Respect for people is paramount at Toyota, and I think we’re better than anywhere I’ve ever seen in living that commitment.”

The lawyer’s motivation to make his employer as open to as many people as possible, at least in part, stems from Martinez’s own struggle to find his way earlier in his career. There were no lawyers in his family, and the attorney found himself constantly trying to find employment law roles over and over again.

“I didn’t go to a prominent undergrad program, I didn’t go to a well-known law school, and I didn’t go to a big firm,” Martinez says. “Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know.”

Sometimes the hard way is the best way. Martinez remembers his first in-house role, managing labor relations at a railroad company where he was arbitrating fifty grievance cases a year along with somewhere around five hundred total grievances to address. It was a lifetime of arbitration in a very condensed period of time, and the lawyer knew exactly what he didn’t want out of the rest of his career.

Martinez struggled to move into a space where he knew he belonged. He says that Toyota’s willingness to take on talent who has demonstrated passion, and whose journeys may not be the traditional path, is a hallmark that strengthens his own commitment to building out a diverse and wide-ranging team.

Thankfully, Martinez found a place to thrive. Just like the dogs he fosters, sometimes it just takes time, guidance, and a commitment to doing the right thing.

Driving Change

A $100 million pledge for DEI initiatives shows that the PGA TOUR means business. Neera Shetty is leading its DEI initiatives to make an impact both on and off the course.

By Zach Baliva

Hall of Fame golfer Tiger Woods was just twentyone years old when he won the Masters tournament in his first full season as part of the PGA TOUR in 1997. Sports writers called it the “greatest performance by a professional golfer in more than a century.” The 270 score, 18-underpar broke the tournament record set by Jack Nicklaus in 1965. Woods accomplished many firsts that day, and as he put on the green jacket, he became the first Black athlete to win the Masters.

It was an important moment that transcended sports. Woods’s victory came at Augusta National, whose chairman Clifford Roberts once said, “As long as I’m alive, all the golfers will be white and all the caddies will be Black.” The Georgia golf club founded by nine-time PGA TOUR champion Bobby Jones barred non-white members until 1990. It wouldn’t admit female members until 2012.

While discrimination in golf is an undeniable part of the past, Neera Shetty envisions a different future. Shetty is the PGA TOUR’s executive vice president and deputy general counsel. She also runs the organization’s office of social responsibility and inclusion. The PGA TOUR is a global company with members hailing from around the globe. In 2021-22, there were ninety active international members from twenty-eight countries and territories outside the United States. And while the group is not responsible for the problematic history at places like

Augusta, golf’s most cherished courses have hosted PGA TOUR events since the 1930s.

Shetty, the child of Indian immigrants, is spearheading significant efforts to help the PGA TOUR leverage its size, power, and influence to drive change throughout golf and the world of professional sports. “There has been some progress, and there is more we can do,” Shetty says. “We can do more because there is huge potential for impact, and the PGA TOUR knows we can lead by example.”

Shetty joined the organization in 2008 and quickly started talking about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The PGA TOUR’s diversity journey matured over the years as leaders looked to represent the country’s shifting demographics in its workforce and provide a product that interests people from all backgrounds.

In 2020, Shetty was instrumental in creating an inclusion leadership council made up of eight PGA TOUR executives who report to senior leaders. The team identified eleven initiatives and recruited sixty volunteers to participate in elevating DEI practices.

The outcomes were tangible. Commissioner Jay Monahan announced a ten-year, $100 million pledge to support causes related to inclusion and racial equity. In less than three years, the PGA TOUR’s tournaments have already raised more than $30 million towards its commitment. The organization is collaborating with the Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour to help African American amateurs go pro and is working with corporate partners such as

United Airlines to establish travel grants for teams from historically Black colleges and universities. Additionally, the PGA TOUR is introducing diverse on-air talent to its media platforms.

As players, employees, fans, and partners responded to Monahan’s pledge, Shetty and her colleagues realized they could build upon the PGA TOUR’s momentum. “When the golf industry comes together, we can accomplish a lot,” she says. “We wanted to work with other organizations to take DEI to the next level.”

“When the golf industry comes together, we can accomplish a lot. We wanted to work with other organizations to take DEI to the next level.”

Tracy Wilcox/PGA Tour

Neera Shetty EVP and Deputy General Counsel PGA TOUR

The PGA TOUR joined forces with organizations including the Ladies Professional Golf Association and the United States Golf Association as well as companies like Titleist and Callaway to create Make Golf Your Thing. The industry-wide effort exists to bring greater diversity to golf and attract new athletes of all backgrounds. Six work groups built around education, talent acquisition, procurement, human resources, player development, and marketing help “welcome more people into the game in their own way.”

Shetty worked behind the scenes to manage all legal aspects of the collaborative effort while also executing a longterm plan to reduce energy consumption and implement sustainable practices. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, she turned her attention to making sure the world’s best golfers were still able to play on the game’s biggest stage. With countries in lockdowns and foreign nationals facing various restrictions, she led a delegation that successfully lobbied the White House for a travel ban waiver.

While these measures are leading to more long-term results, progress can seem slow. However, Shetty knows that change will come. It takes time, purpose, persistence, and repetition. Golfers perfect their game by getting out on the greens every day and practicing. They must establish a rhythm. Shetty is taking the same approach when it comes to DEI.

Akerman applauds Neera Shetty for her visionary leadership and impressive career. We are proud to work with Neera and the PGA TOUR.

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Miami, FL

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samantha.kavanaugh@akerman.com

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We help the world’s most successful enterprises to navigate change, seize opportunities, and overcome barriers to innovation and growth.

Forging a Path

A willingness to take on challenges put Thea Kelly on the fast-track to Cummins, where she now serves as assistant general counsel

By Zachary Brown

It’s hard to believe that an accomplished assistant general counsel with three academic degrees was discouraged from college by her high school counselor. As the first in her family to attend college, Thea Kelly had a lot of obstacles to overcome.

But the first-generation college student enrolled at Michigan State University and graduated in finance. Her background taught her to challenge the status quo and not accept things as they are just because it has always been that way. Kelly later moved to the Hoosier state where she earned a master’s degree in public administration and a JD from Indiana University.

Today, Kelly is assistant general counsel at Cummins, where she advises senior business leaders, manages day-to-day legal matters, negotiates complex contracts, implements corporate policies, and directs work with outside law firms. With nearly 60,000 employees, Cummins designs, makes, and sells vehicle engines and related components through 7,200 dealers and 600 distributors that reach customers in 190 countries.

Kelly spoke with Modern Counsel about her resilience and how her

background established the foundation that has made her a strong leader at Cummins.

How did you get interested in the work that you do today?

As long as I can remember, I wanted to be more than what I witnessed.

I saw law as a way to effect change. Before law school, I took on a large department store and challenged the standard of stocking only white baby dolls when shopping for my daughter. I questioned why and demanded a change. When local managers refused to respond, I wrote to the corporate office to set change in process. I was fighting corporate status quo even before I became a lawyer. It worked for that instance, but it is frustrating that representation for people of color has to be demanded or a special order. Dolls, toys, Santas, and angels should be diverse and more inclusive.

Now, as a lawyer, I have the opportunity implement policies that are fair and equitable.

What were some important milestones earlier in your career?

After working in accounting, I entered and finished law school as a single mom with two small children. My kids like to say we went to

law school together, and in a way we did. When they were out of school for breaks or teacher in-service days, they literally sat in class with me since I was attending school away from my family and didn’t have a local support system.

After law school, I became a tax lawyer at Ice Miller. I then realized a dream of becoming a corporate attorney, joining the Dow Chemical Company. I worked in the chemical company’s agriculture division and spent sixteen years at the organization. This was an incredible opportunity as I was tapped early to take on leading manufacturing operations despite having no prior operations experience.

Having a finance and tax background along with demonstrated business acumen certainly helped make me an effective business partner. Taking on assignments outside of my wheelhouse was pivotal for my career, provided me with tremendous growth opportunities, and prepared me for my roles at Cummins. In addition to being the lead counsel for our emissions solution business unit, I have also led the information technology and cybersecurity legal function where I worked closely with the data privacy team.

“I make a difference just by being me, but to make an impactful difference, I have to be intentional about creating a space for more who look like me to succeed.”

Thea Kelly Assistant General Counsel Cummins

Zachary Mc Crory

What brought you to Cummins?

When the Dow Chemical Company and DuPont merged in 2017, I seized the opportunity to make a change and joined Cummins as assistant general counsel. Cummins is a dynamic company whose core values are diversity, teamwork, and caring. This, coupled with its strong reputation throughout the communities where its employees live attracted me to the organization.

I have always sought to align myself with organizations whose goals align with my own. I am active in the community serving on several boards. I’m drawn to organizations committed to providing access and opportunity for others and improving their lives. Through the Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity Initiative, I am able to effect change and make even more of an impact. I serve as colead for the housing section of our social justice lane where we address racial discrimination and inequities in housing. We are working to build generational wealth by increasing Black home ownership.

I was also drawn to the opportunity to work for one of the nation’s few African American female general counsels, Sharon Barner, who is now Cummins’ chief administrative officer and interim chief human resources officer. Nicole Lamb-Hale, another woman of color, has succeeded Barner.

What has made you passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)?

Since business school, I have experienced being the only one or the only one of a few in the class, on the team, on a project, or in the room that looked like me. Law school and law firm life were similar experiences.

Law is still one of the least diverse professions. I make a difference just by being me,

but to make an impactful difference, I have to be intentional about creating a space for more who look like me to succeed.

I lead DEI initiatives for my business unit, and I have mentored younger lawyers of color who I’m proud to now see as law firm partners. I am also a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) alumni. LCLD is an organization dedicated to developing diverse layers. I am personally committed to remaining a mentor, leading by example, and forging a path to follow that women like Barner and Lamb-Hale have started.

What’s next for you?

I want to build upon and keep the momentum going to increase diverse representation. We must have women, in particular women of color, at the decision-making tables in corporations and law firms.

At Cummins, we are reducing our carbon footprint by creating cleaner fuels and developing processes that reduce emissions and produce renewable fuel sources. Additional evolving technology in the industry is on the horizon for Cummins and I am poised to take on the new challenges it will bring.

Foley & Lardner LLP:

“Thea is a talented, practical attorney and one of the best in-house partners we have had the pleasure to work with. Her knowledge of the business and excellent judgment make her an invaluable contributor and trusted advisor.”

—Steven R. Cade, Partner

FromFlashlight

to Spotlight

By Donald Liebenson

Elizabeth Winiarski finds her space at LAZ Parking

Let’s be honest. If you were asked to compile a list of the most exciting and leading-edge industries, parking would not be the first thing that came to mind. However, Elizabeth (Liz) Winiarski might disagree.

The deputy general counsel for LAZ Parking has been with the company for over two years. In that brief time, which included the pandemic, she’s witnessed technology’s transformation of the industry. The advancements have allowed the forward-thinking company to expand its services in shuttle and transportation, healthcare services, and Proximity On Demand Services (PODS).

“I’m never bored,” she says.

Winiarski grew up in Connecticut just outside of Hartford. Her father owned a heating and oil delivery and HVAC service company, and her mother retired as a special education and elementary school teacher. They instilled in her “a strong work ethic and a desire to help others. I’m passionate about helping people,” she explains. “That’s what drove me to go to law school—advocacy was something I was drawn to.”

Reading was another source of inspiration for Winiarski, especially books with strong heroines or lawyers committed to justice. “Reading spurred my own creativity, which played an integral role when I became an advocate for others,” she says.

Winiarski came to LAZ from private practice. She oversees all litigation and non-property damage claims on behalf of the company. She also provides advice and counsel in

managing risk in other areas including labor and employment and data privacy.

“Being in-house allows me to do more strategic thinking and offer creative solutions to problems before they occur, as opposed to solving problems for clients after they happened,” she says. “When you are in private practice at law firms, your practice is like a flashlight in that you’re a subject matter expert on a specific aspect of the law. When I went in-house, my practice became like a spotlight, expanding into new areas based on the needs of the business.”

At LAZ, new needs were necessitated in large part by the pandemic, during which working remotely became the new normal and parking lots sat empty. LAZ, whose roots go back just over 40 years ago, operates over 1.3 million parking spaces in nearly 3,500 thousand locations in 39 states and more than 455 cities across the country, according to the company’s website.

Its traditional services include managing and operating parking for its clients, including office and residential buildings, airports, and government agencies. The company also manages parking for hospitals events, as well as shuttle and transportation services.

While company’s primary focus remains exceptional parking management services, it has recently expanded its service offerings into different areas.

“On our own and in collaboration with other companies, we are actively deploying new technologies that will transform traditional parking locations into multiuse hubs, where other services are offered,” Winiarski says. “For example, we are working with Diamond Communications to market more than 3,400 parking garages and related properties for leasing to wireless service providers to create a better more reliable wireless grid. We are also working with Skyport to enable takeoffs, landings, and recharging of electric air taxis in Los Angeles.”

“When you are in private practice at law firms, your practice is like a flashlight in that you’re a subjectmatter expert on a specific aspect of the law.”

Elizabeth Winiarski Deputy General Counsel LAZ Parking

PODS, another recent initiative that emerged from the pandemic, adds value to the company’s current portfolio of parking locations that LAZ manages on behalf of their clients. “Monthly urban commuter parking was down because people weren’t going into the office,” she says. “So, we utilized parking spaces in other ways, such as installing charging stations for electric vehicles and scooters, delivery services, and even modular kitchens.”

Another technological advance that emerged during the pandemic was the development of touchless parking by which users could reserve a parking space online.

Winiarski calls LAZ very entrepreneurial. “This corporate mindset trickles from the top all the way down,” she says. “Everybody at the company is passionate about providing exceptional value to our clients. It’s a great place to work.”

The deputy general counsel manages overall risk and compliance. For example, in May 2022, Connecticut became the fifth state to enact consumer data privacy legislation. “Part of my job is to keep with changes in the law so LAZ can ensure compliance.”

In her more than ten years practicing law, the best advice Winiarski says she received is to work hard, be yourself, and help others. She has passed this on to other fledgling attorneys seeking her mentoring.

But to women attorneys, especially, she encourages confidence. As a former

“When I went in-house, my practice became like a spotlight, expanding into new areas based on the needs of the business.”

Micaela Malmi

Chicago resident, Winiarski has been a long-time member of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, and other groups focused on the promotion and advancement of women. “My advice to women is to be confident in their ability and the value they add,” she says. “Women sometimes hesitate to apply for a promotion or speak out. I would say that women should be confident in their ability to take the risk and be confident in themselves.”

Winiarski has left a lasting impression on industry partners throughout her career, as well. “Liz has an incredible combination of professionalism and kindness, and we are grateful to be able to partner with her,” says Steven J. Zakrzewski, partner at Gordon & Rees. “She is a true teammate, who brings valuable experience and insight to every engagement, helping distill complex legal issues to their core elements. Working with Liz gives us a competitive advantage— she identifies winning strategies early on and then actively helps drive them forward.”

As the only law firm with offices and attorneys in all 50 states, Gordon & Rees delivers maximum value to our clients by combining the resources of a full-service national firm with the local knowledge of a regional firm.

grsm.com

Gordon & Rees is proud to recognize Liz Winiarski for her leadership and expertise. We are honored to work with her and the LAZ Parking team.

Writing His Own List

Although Jason Yurasek works for craigslist, he has his own list that guides all that he does as general counsel

By Zach Baliva

It’s not that Jason Yurasek can’t or won’t follow the rules. He is a lawyer, after all. In fact, Yurasek has a healthy respect for the rules.

At least the ones that make sense.

The rest exist to be questioned and need to withstand his scrutiny. Yurasek nurtures a bit of a rebellious spirit. It’s something that’s always been there. And while he always operates within the bounds of the law, he prefers to follow a different playbook—his own.

Some who knew Yurasek during his childhood remember him as “strong-willed” and “argumentative,” but he prefers “creative” or “precocious.” He grew up acting, singing, and performing, and was always the only kid sitting with the adults to debate law, politics, and religion.

Those interests compelled him to double major in English and philosophy before continuing on to Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. That’s where an influential final lecture from Robert P. Burns helped him understand the importance of professional boundaries.

Burns, who has now taught at Northwestern for more than forty years, is a renowned legal ethics expert. He challenged Yurasek and his classmates to take the time to define their own “moral compass” and protect it with a strong wall that would withstand the storms that threaten to erode it over the course of a legal career. Yurasek heeded the advice and created a few principles that continue to guide his career today.

Follow Your Own Instincts

Following his instincts is easy for Yurasek because it was something he has always practiced. “I have not followed conventional wisdom and done the obvious things everyone tells you that you have to do in order to succeed,” he says.

While Yurasek’s peers rushed to join the law review, he volunteered for Legal Aid. Why would he spend all his time reading and editing a pro-

fessor’s writing when he knew he wanted to be in court? His decision paid off. In Yurasek’s third year, the clinic appealed a case and the young student found himself arguing before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Don’t Play Games

Yurasek started his career at Jenner & Block LLP and later spent eight years at Bingham McCutchen LLP. He was in court on a high-profile tech case involving a hostile takeover and trade libel when something he overheard surprised him. The judge told a senior partner to seek forgiveness rather than permission. Despite the invitation by the judge for his side to bend the rules to see what they could get away with, he recalled Professor Burns’s admonitions and doubled down on his commitment in law school to never alter the truth or sacrifice his integrity in favor of convenience.

“Lawyers don’t have control over the facts, even though many of us think we do,” he says. “We have a high duty to be truthful and honest. We have to take the facts, argue what the law should be, and let the judge decide the results.”

Be Yourself

As Yurasek continued moving up through big law firms, something interesting happened. He noticed that everyone vying for partner started acting a certain way. The closer they got to partner status, the more they suppressed their own thoughts. They seemed quieter in meetings. They were hesitant to speak hard truths to partners or risk disagreeing with a client. They even seemed to dress more formally than before. Everyone except for Yurasek, that is.

“I realized that if I was going to be true to myself, I would never be the person they wanted me to be to become a partner,” he says.

His peers wore conservative hairstyles and dark colored suits. Yurasek grew his hair out and dressed in denim. He even played music

Jason Yurasek General Counsel craigslist

in his office until the wee hours working on briefs and occasionally cracked an inappropriate joke.

“You can’t pretend to be someone you’re not just to get a job, because then you’re stuck being that person for the rest of your life,” he says. Instead of begging for a promotion, Yurasek would let his work product speak for itself.

Refuse to Settle

The strategy worked. Yurasek had made partner in 2004, but in 2007 he decided to switch firms and joined Perkins Coie LLP.

He was still moving into his new office on his third day on the job when a senior partner approached him after hours. The partner needed urgent antitrust advice for an online classified platform in a dispute with a digital auction site. eBay, a minority shareholder, had just launched a competitive service and it appeared it had used its inside position at craigslist to unfairly compete and craigslist wanted to know its options.

At the time, Perkins Coie represented craigslist, and after that first meeting, the iconic website became one of Yurasek’s main clients.

Yurasek litigated against eBay in both California and Delaware, and his performance for the company over the next seven years caught the attention of craigslist’s founder Craig Newmark and CEO Jim Buckmaster. craigslist wanted to hire Yurasek as its general counsel, and although Yurasek was interested, he hesitated. “I never wanted to live the big firm lifestyle, but I also didn’t want to abandon my other clients and interests” he says.

Together, craigslist and Yurasek came up with a unique arrangement: instead of becoming an employee as most general counsels do, Yurasek left Perkins Coie and created the JY Law Firm to act as general counsel to craigslist. This arrangement gave Yurasek the opportunity to serve as GC while continuing

“You can’t pretend to be someone you’re not just to get a job, because then you’re stuck being that person for the rest of your life.”

Sarah S. Eskandari

to represent his other corporate clients and enjoy some flexibility.

Think Beyond Profits

Today, Yurasek, through the JY Law Firm, handles all legal issues for craigslist, from litigation to corporate, including privacy, free speech, Communications Decency Act Section 230, data handling, corporate governance, employment, tax, government, and law enforcement relations.

He also helped craigslist’s founder create Craig Newmark Philanthropies, a charitable foundation that has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to promote trustworthy journalism, protect election rights, secure the internet, assist veterans, battle food insecurity, promote education, and increase diversity in tech.

Yurasek, a single father, says he enjoys providing a worthwhile service for good people who support one another. He manages his own schedule, helps guide strategy, all while being present for school drop off/pick up and varsity basketball games and choir performances. He also serves on and for nonprofit boards, takes pro bono cases, and serves as a judge pro tem in San Francisco, and offers mediation and arbitration services.

Keep Having Fun

There’s no denying that being a lawyer is hard work, even for those who try not to take themselves too seriously. Volumes are high, cases are stressful, and clients have a lot on the line.

Yurasek understands the importance of enjoying hobbies and meaningful community outside of work. During the pandemic, he joined an improv troupe. After months of remote rehearsal, they took the stage and recently had their first post-pandemic in-person show.

—Nicole Atkinson, Litigation Shareholder

As one of Florida’s oldest and largest law firms, Gunster is committed to strategic growth that accommodates the evolving needs of Florida’s most prominent organizations and companies.

Gunster, Florida’s Law Firm for Business: “Jason is an exceptionally talented general counsel who manages complex litigation with ease. We are proud to partner with him in representing craigslist.”

Integrity as Retention Strategy

Ean Sewell talks his long journey to Synopsys and what has kept him there for over a decade

By Billy Yost

The urge to go to law school hit Ean Sewell with the same force as, say, a van blowing a stoplight and plowing into a Honda CRV at fifty-five miles per hour. If the description still seems a little vague, Sewell can provide the details—or at least, what he can remember—from the accident that would unknowingly propel him to pursue his JD.

“If you would have looked at my vehicle after the accident, you would have assumed that I died,” the recently promoted director of IP at Synopsys recalls. “I was driving to the bank I was working at during college, and someone wasn’t paying attention and ran a red light.”

The accident was so destructive that Sewell would have to receive speech therapy and extensive rehabilitation. He had a steady headache for ten years, a symptom of an undiagnosed broken nose that disappeared as soon as the break was spotted a decade later.

The silver lining, Sewell says, was found in the personal injury attorney tasked with helping him recoup his medical bills. “He was a genuine and good person,” Sewell says. “And it really gave me some direction as to what I wanted to do with my career.”

Sewell has come a long way in that time. Four promotions internally at Mountain View, California-headquartered Synopsys have brought the lawyer far from Joliet, Montana (population: 623), where Sewell grew up as a teenager. He’s been at the company since 2012, when he scored a desperately needed summer associate position that grew into far, far more.

“I had spent my entire on-campus interviewing experiences at DA offices, and by the end of the summer, I didn't want to work at a DA’s office anymore,” Sewell says, laughing. “I hadn’t pursued other firms or opportunities,

Ean Sewell Director of IP Synopsys

but I was able to find the Synopsys internship program through a friend.”

The young lawyer’s hard work was rewarded with a position that, a decade later, has made Sewell an integral part of Synopsys’ IP team. And while the director says he could have just as easily pursued other opportunities, the reasons he has stayed are easy to see every day.

“Everyone you run into here functions with this high level of integrity,” Sewell explains. “If they don’t, you don’t see them around here for too long. Not because they’re forced out, but because I think they recognize that there is a strong culture here that you either connect with or you don’t.”

Integrity matters to Sewell. The lawyer whose first job as a carpenter’s apprentice at twelve years old earned him $2.50 an hour (he’s had a job ever since) is imbued with a strong work ethic, and he knows he works best in an organization where his values can be truly aligned with his day job.

These values are evident in the company’s Synopsys Foundation and Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Outreach Foundation, which was founded to help encourage students in STEM in the Bay area.

“The foundation helps students and young aspiring engineers, particularly those from disadvantaged communities, follow their dreams,” Sewell explains. “I think those values of compassion and giving back to your community are phenomenal.”

The experience of the underprivileged is not far from Sewell’s wheelhouse. His father worked as a laborer before pursuing his degree after

“Everyone you run into here functions with this high level of integrity. If they don’t, you don’t see them around here for too long. Not because they’re forced out, but because I think they recognize that there is a strong culture here that you either connect with or you don’t.”

Courtesy of Ean Sewell

to school, and looking back, it was one of the greatest things anyone has ever done for me.”

Sewell’s Great Plains humility won’t allow him to admit it—he jokes that given the rise of his own organization and the talent within, his résumé would get him laughed out of the building—but his rise is significant. And it’s not his success that defines him. It’s managing to create a life and career that merge seamlessly. The right organizations can spot those with the integrity and drive to develop hard skills. Synopsys was lucky they caught Sewell early.

Charles River Associates:

“Ean is a pleasure to work with. He exudes confidence, positivity, and integrity as senior corporate counsel at Synopsys. I value the opportunity to assist Ean and Synopsys in their digital investigation needs.”

—Dan Roffman, VP, Forensic Services

Hogan Lovells is proud to join Modern Counsel in recognizing Ean Sewell on his many accomplishments at Synopsys. We wish him continued success.

Green Energy Starts with Contracts

Business law might not sound like a place where environmentalism starts, but Invenergy attorney Kyle Hermanson is passionate about renewable energy

By Russ Klettke

Kyle Hermanson VP and Deputy General Counsel Invenergy

Not all superheroes wear capes. And not all attorneys working to create sustainable, renewable energy are environmental lawyers.

Case in point: Kyle Hermanson, vice president and deputy general counsel at Invenergy, a Chicago-based, multinational power generation development and operations company. The firm develops, builds, owns, operates, and sells power generation and energy storage globally, with a particular focus on wind, solar, natural gas, and energy storage. The company has developed 191 projects across four continents.

Hermanson’s job is in contracts, as he is a business lawyer. And despite the fact his own father, an engineer, worked for utility companies in his native state of California, his original career goals didn’t necessarily involve energy or

sustainability work. Simply interested in the law, he found work in business transactions to be most appealing.

But shortly after receiving his law degree in 2011, Hermanson joined an independent power generating company; then, subsequently, a building materials company; and next, Invenergy in 2017. He found it natural to return to what, it turns out, is a family industry.

And it fit an ethos of environmental sustainability that had always been there. He recalls that as a child, he was intrigued by an early sustainable practice in the plant where his father worked. His dad’s team figured out how to capture waste production heat and use it to make ammonia, which in turn was used to cool a commercial agricultural operation. “I learned then there was more you could do with energy,” he says. “It was about using it more efficiently.”

Today, he’s resolutely happy to be in the renewable energy business and hopes it will define his career from here on out. He’s a contracts lawyer making sure those plants get built, go into operation, and are owned by whichever entity can make the most of them.

That means contracts to build, contracts to sell, and seeing through power purchase agreements that help utilities deliver green solar and wind energy without having to develop the production capabilities themselves. Most of Invenergy’s wind and solar farms produce between two hundred and three hundred megawatts from investments in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The company’s biggest project to date, however, is the Traverse Wind Energy Center. It cost one billion dollars to build, will produce almost a gigawatt of electricity—998 megawatts

Courtesy of Invenergy

EMPOWERED BY PARTNERSHIP.

At McDermott, we know that impactful teams are driven by committed individuals. Chris Gladbach and the Energy & Project Finance group are proud to sponsor this issue of Modern Counsel and congratulate Invenergy’s Kyle Hermanson for being recognized for his significant contributions to the renewable energy industry.

MWE.COM/RENEWABLEENERGY

to be accurate—from 531 turbines, and power the equivalent of 440,000 homes. Part of the work involves 80 miles of transmission lines, stretching from the windy central plains of Oklahoma to Tulsa, where the utility is based.

Hermanson is almost electric himself when discussing the excitement of renewable energy in this moment. “We work toward long-term goals,” he says, “but we get discrete accomplishments along the way with projects like the Traverse wind farm.” That project, now owned by American Electric Power, is the biggest wind farm built in a single phase in North America.

His excitement stems in part from the improving technologies of the past decade, as well as what’s on the near-term horizon. He cites several developments—storage (batteries) for when the sun sets and the winds die down, green hydrogen, and high-voltage direct current transmission lines—as significant innovations that he hopes to support as soon as they become feasible.

That said, there are obstacles. The ill-considered US solar tariffs imposed in 2018, which failed in its purported goal to boost domestic solar panel production, to outcompete Asian producers, continue to create supply chain difficulties. “It put uncertainty into the market, which effectively drives producers to sell more in Europe and Asia than the US,” Hermanson says.

Lawyers can and do play a rescue role here. They negotiate contracts for solar farm construction that take out some of those uncertainties. This matters a great deal in the complex, many-moving-parts nature of renewable energy construction.

“With different builders, different equipment, and different materials connecting at just the right time, everyone can work together on a schedule,” Hermanson says. “We make the contracts connect, working in close coordination with construction project managers.”

Invenergy has mastered the process in ways sufficient to draw big investors to their business, including a $3 billion infusion of development cash from Blackstone Infrastructure Partners, announced in early 2022. “This funds the years it takes to hire people, buy land, study environmental impact, and identify interconnection positions for a project, which happens long before we generate power and revenue,” Hermanson explains.

We never learned if superheroes have lawyers. But we do know that super green energy infrastructure does.

McDermott Will & Emery:

“Kyle is a tremendous practitioner, team leader and counsel to his client. He evaluates risks with a keen eye on the business practicalities and has superb judgment. We congratulate Kyle on his success.”

—Chris Gladbach, Partner

Lead

Portraits of today’s top legal executives, the remarkable careers they have cultivated, and the management strategies and best practices they employ to succeed both individually and collaboratively

Lifting as She Climbs

The Vanguard Group’s Ginene Lewis believes that to give people

a seat at the table, they first need to know where the table is

By Lucy Cavanagh

“IT’S NOT JUST A MATTER OF ENSURING that people have a seat at the table, but making sure they know where the table is, how to get there and that the table exists in the first place,” reflects Ginene Lewis of the Vanguard Group.

As head of defensive litigation and legal spend management, Lewis leads two separate teams at the investment company. She emphasizes the role that mentorship has

played in her career and how it has inspired her to pass on that spirit of advocacy and access to the next generation of students. Initially, Lewis confesses, she didn’t specifically want to go into law, but she's always had a passion for understanding issues and unpacking them for people. “I'm not certain I knew at a young age what a lawyer really was,” she remembers. “I wasn’t exposed to lawyers and didn't see a lot of lawyers on

Ginene Lewis Head of Defensive Litigation & Legal Spend Management The Vanguard Group

Jared Gruenwald

television. But I was always asking questions to understand why things are the way they are.”

By the time she was at Spelman College, she understood how her interests and disposition towards justice could help her zero in on law as her vocation. Around that time, she also became a mother. “As a young mother around peers who did not have the same responsibility at that particular time, I was determined to push through,” reflects Lewis. “I credit my success to my own mother and the spiritual strength that she gave me as well as the mentors that have always rooted for me.”

Lewis went on to receive her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where she explored many different areas of the law. Upon graduation, and before heading to Drinker, Biddle & Reath as a litigation associate, she clerked with the Honorable Petrese B. Tucker in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The clerkship had an immense impact on Lewis’s formation.

Through Judge Tucker, Lewis saw up close the sacrifices that came with being a “first” and how, even in her position, Tucker deeply respected every member of her team. “She said to me that the best of the best will walk into my courtroom and as my law clerk, I want you to never forget that you are one of the best of the best,” Lewis remembers.

About five years into her tenure at Drinker, Biddle & Reath, Lewis was offered the opportunity to go in-house at Vanguard. “I call it a leap of faith when describing my transition to Vanguard,” says Lewis, who originally planned on pursuing the partnership track.

In addition to juggling the dual roles of head of defensive litigation and legal spend

management, Lewis is passionate about boosting equity and access through meaningful efforts in opportunity awareness among young diverse students.

“One of my proudest moments at Vanguard was working with colleagues in our black employee resource group to lay the foundation for Vanguard’s talent attraction strategy at historically Black colleges and universities [HBCUs],” she says. “This was especially meaningful to me because I am the product of a HBCU.”

Lewis fondly recalls how mentors and advocates in both her professional and personal life helped her. She affectionately refers to them as her “personal board of directors.” “My mentors continue to root for me,” she says. “They are not rooting for Ginene, the head of defense of litigation and legal spend management, Ginene the lawyer, or Ginene the Vanguard employee. They are rooting for Ginene the whole person and want to see me at my best.”

Her mentors’ commitment also taught her the importance of lifting as she climbs. “For me, true success is being in a position to pay it forward,” she says. “This journey is about using my influence to make a positive influence in the lives of others just as others have done for me.”

Faegre Drinker:

“Destined for greatness. When Ginene Lewis left our firm to join Vanguard, we knew she was destined for great things. We have watched her career bloom and have reveled in her successes.”

—Sandy Grannum, Partner

Stradley Ronon:

“Ginene is the perfect client. She is smart, intuitive, no nonsense and decisive. She challenges herself and others to do better every single day. Ginene will never compromise her own values or those of Vanguard.”

—Paula D. Shaffner, Chair, Securities Litigation

“I credit my success to my own mother and the spiritual strength that she gave me as well as the mentors that have always rooted for me.”

Destined for Greatness

When Ginene left our firm to join Vanguard, we knew she was destined for great things. We have watched her career bloom and have reveled in her successes. We now look forward to great things yet to come for her, and today we congratulate Ginene on this honor. It is well deserved.

Vanguard

Counseling clients since 1926, Stradley Ronon attorneys have helped private and public companies — from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations — achieve their goals by providing pragmatic, value-driven legal counsel.

www.stradley.com

Pennsylvania Washington, DC New York

New Jersey Illinois Delaware

– Sandra Grannum, Partner, Faegre Drinker

Stradley Ronon is proud to recognize the achievements of Ginene Lewis Head of Defensive Litigation & Legal Spend Management

Anticipating opportunities, creating solutions

Dechert is a leading global law firm that delivers practical commercial insight and comprehensive legal solutions on matters and transactions of the greatest complexity. We’re always grateful to partner with someone like Ginene Lewis, whose foresight, energy and creativity perfectly match our firm’s core principles.

dechert.com

Women Leading in the Electrical Industry

SHAWNA FULLERTON AND ALLISON

Riter, both attorneys, are pretty happy about working at nVent, a Minneapolis-based provider of electrical connection and protection products. Their enthusiasm comes from several factors: not least among them is they work in a company that has a female CEO.

The company also has a female chief financial officer and chief human resources officer; half the board of directors are women as well. Remarkably, the female executives are operating and thriving in an industry where leadership roles traditionally are held by men.

Their situation, working in the closest thing to a gender parity company as one might find, wasn’t something either was able to engineer or even envision. Fullerton and Riter both came from traditional law backgrounds, spending time working in law firms and later going in-house. Riter joined the company’s predecessor in 2014 and Fullerton joined the team just before nVent was spun off from its parent, Pentair, in 2018. The spinoff resulted in a new publicly traded company, which resulted in an opportunity to take the strong foundation Pentair provided and use it to build and explore new ways to innovate.

By Russ Klettke

nVent’s CEO, Beth Wozniak, who leads the $2.5 billion publicly traded company with ten thousand employees working in thirty-five countries, initially attracted the duo to the company. Wozniak had previously served as president of one of Pentair’s business units, and before that as a unit president at Honeywell. She holds an engineering degree and an MBA. Wozniak and her leadership team have consistently delivered results for nVent.

“Strong leadership is a priority here,” says Riter. “It’s who we are, and from an inclusion and diversity perspective, it defines our policies and our actions. The focus we, and our leaders, have on

Because their company, nVent, has women leading in senior management and on its board, as well as a supportive culture, in-house attorneys Shawna Fullerton and Allison Riter can do more and better

I&D [inclusion and diversity] is important. It’s a genuine priority, and I think our employees respond to the authenticity.”

Fullerton echoes that sentiment, observing how having an effective leader who happens to be a woman was a strong draw to her and others recruited to work at the newly formed company. She says that such things as an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ethos being woven into the culture keeps a pipeline of diverse candidates vying to work at the company.

As for the company’s board of directors, with half its ten members being women, Fullerton sees it as another indication that the company values all employees, regardless of differences. Employees see a leadership team with strong female representation as well as a board with strong gender and racial diversity, which supports a culture that promotes what companies working in nVent's space value. “The creativity that comes with inclusion and diversity,” says Fullerton.

Fullerton’s primary responsibilities relate to public company matters including corporate governance, finance, and disclosure to shareholders in the public company. The company’s annual proxy statement is a good example. “This document, years ago, was primarily a legal document,” she says. “But we have continued to advance the content and we now do a lot to communicate company values. The executive team wants to share what we’re doing on ESG and I&D, and to demonstrate what a fantastic board we have, in terms of experience, skills, qualifications, and diversity.”

Riter’s responsibilities include oversight of the legal designs and processes that mitigate and manage compliance risk. This includes the company’s code of conduct embedded in nVent’s culture, yet another example of how her work applies to all employees everywhere. “Employees in various functions observe policies and documents relating to compliance,” Riter explains. "That’s where compliance starts, but not where it ends. At nVent, the culture of compliance is embedded in the organization and is part of how we lead each day.”

Fullerton and Riter serve together on nVent’s general counsel’s legal leadership team. Both have the perspective of previously working during less progressive times where the work culture wasn’t as diverse and inclusive. Leadership was often male-dominated, which Fullerton says included effective mentors who invested in junior

Shawna Fullerton VP and Deputy General Counsel nVent

Allison Riter VP and Associate General Counsel nVent

Move forward, with a forward-thinking firm

attorneys, women, and men, which had a different net effect on their work. “For a while, I tried to mimic them,” says Fullerton of her male bosses. “I tried to speak with the same tone, and even use the same gestures. But it didn’t always work for me.”

Now, at this new company, which includes people from the former parent but also many new hires from outside, it feels different to her. “People are so relatable here,” explains Fullerton. “And it’s not without criticisms or authentic compliments. We get quick feedback from senior management, then we move forward.”

Outside of nVent, the leading duo has garnered positive attention from the organization’s partners. “Working with Shawna is great,” says Christopher McLaughlin, partner at Arthur Cox. “She knows the business and its needs extremely well and, in addressing legal issues, always takes a pragmatic and commercial approach to achieve the right outcome. Friendly and unflappable, she is an excellent role model.”

They realize their good fortune from this confluence of circumstances: a young company that values female leadership in the executive suite and on its board of directors, and an active effort in the ESG and I&D realms. It lends itself to being a modern company that operates in a whole different way.

Given the firm’s stake in sustainability and efficient energy sectors, that’s something every one of us can appreciate.

Blazing His Own Trail

Jordan Flournoy didn’t take the usual route to an in-house role, but his experience as a homeschool student and early college graduate helped him find a niche at Samsung Electronics America

By Zach Baliva

JORDAN FLOURNOY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A fast learner. He had over eighty college credits by the time he graduated high school at age seventeen. Despite the busy academic schedule, he still found time to excel in team sports and practice the piano up to six hours per day. He graduated college shortly after his nineteenth birthday.

The same aptitude, drive, and determination that served Flournoy well in his youth help him succeed as senior director of litigation at Samsung Electronics America, where he’s been since 2015. The ability to process information quickly and adapt to any new setting is critical in the broad role because Flournoy supports a consumer electronics company that sells everything from phones to refrigerators.

Flournoy’s agile team handles a high volume of matters primarily relating to mobile products, including class actions, product liability, antitrust, intellectual property, and other

commercial disputes. Additionally, the team handles IP matters relating to nonmobile product categories.

“As a litigation lead at Samsung, I touch everything that comes in the door,” he says. “That means I have to be focused, prepared, and ready to address whatever issue arises on any given day.”

It’s a tough task, but one for which Flournoy has been preparing his entire life. He grew up as the youngest of four siblings in a small, east Texas town. Flournoy’s mom, a former schoolteacher, decided to homeschool

her children when it was still a fairly uncommon practice.

Living outside of the traditional system for his entire K-12 experience afforded Flournoy the chance to work at his own pace, which turned out to be torrid. He worked with minimal oversight, taught himself algebra and trigonometry, opened his own piano studio, started college classes at age fourteen, and tested out of several subjects.

How did this unusual experience shape him? “I never wait for anyone to tell me to pick something up or learn

Jordan Flournoy Senior Director of Litigation Samsung Electronics America

something or solve a problem,” he explains. “I always take the initiative to find a way to do something.”

There was just one problem. When it came time to attend college, admissions officers didn’t know what to do with someone like Flournoy. After careful investigation, he discovered that Skidmore College would accept almost all of the credits that he had accumulated and allow him to create an individualized year-round program to earn an interdisciplinary degree in music and communications.

Although Flournoy, who had been inspired by reading about renowned civil liberties lawyers, knew he wanted to go to law school, he also needed a break after completing his undergraduate studies. He decided to take some time off from his formal education to work as a paralegal and teach piano lessons to pay for law school, and to complete a fellowship program in Washington, DC—all prior to enrolling at the University of Michigan Law School at age twenty-one.

Flournoy began his legal career as an associate at Baker Botts and spent five years in general litigation. As he handled IP litigation and class actions, among many other types of matters, the young lawyer developed a particular interest in the tech sector. When Flournoy saw an opening at Samsung, he jumped at the chance to transition to an in-house role due to the organization’s reputation as well as the opportunity to focus on litigation.

Doing so forced Flournoy to learn new things all over again, but he’s enjoyed the challenge. “In-house lawyers see a variety of issues, and that keeps me on my game. It keeps me motivated and mentally focused,” he says.

Samsung’s management gives Flournoy the autonomy, tools, and resources he needs to effectively take on a leadership role, and he’s developed a precise method for tracking and managing the high volume of work that comes across his desk. “You have to find a way to make order out of chaos that comes with managing a litigation docket as complex as Samsung’s,” he says. Flournoy may not personally handle each issue, but he takes pride in an organizational system that ensures the team is responsibly handling everything as it moves through legal from start to finish.

Over the past seven years, Flournoy has devoted himself to churning out quality work product as well as building relationships that matter. “I want my internal stakeholders to know me as a person before they ever know me as a lawyer,” he says. “That will

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ultimately lead to better results as they come to legal instead of seeing the department as an obstacle.”

“I’ve worked with many in-house counsel over the years, and Jordan stands out as simply extraordinary,” says Richard A. Edlin, vice chair at Greenberg Traurig LLP. “He has a tremendous grasp of not only the technical side of things but also how a strategy will play out in the real world. What I also admire about Jordan is how committed he is to his family and to making sure that they come first while always getting the job done at work. It’s quite an achievement and he makes it seem easy. It isn’t.”

Strong external relationships and a good reputation matter, too. While Flournoy works for Samsung, he feels an equal obligation to serve its customers. “I have to zealously advocate for my internal client, but that should not come at the cost of ensuring we are also doing our best for the people who use our products. The two should work in tandem,” he says. The solutions he and others in the legal department pursue must safeguard the company, but also protect how it engages patrons and tech enthusiasts.

Flournoy, of course, recognizes that his own personal and professional path has been anything but traditional. Still, he says that others looking to exit law school and eventually step into an in-house role should do whatever they can to prepare for the journey ahead.

“Make yourself indispensable,” he advises. “This was the single most impactful thing that was told me to as a young associate, and I have told it to many others since. Look for ways to add value and that will take you far, and always stay open to learning something new as you go.”

his innovative leadership, insightful approach to litigation and trial presentation, and professional dedication.

“I touch everything that comes in the door. That means I have to be focused, prepared, and ready to address whatever issue arises on any given day.”

On the Cutting Edge of Creation

Benjamin Alley’s success at Techtronic Industries lies in helping translate ideas across design, business, and legal functions

By Billy Yost

BENJAMIN ALLEY WOULD LIKE TO conduct a small reality check for those looking for in-house roles because they seem cushy.

“I think there is a misconception that the pace in-house is more relaxed than that of a firm,” the chief patent counsel at Techtronic Industries Power Equipment (TTI) explains.

“I certainly haven’t worked everywhere, but I can say that is not the case at TTI, and the intense pace is one of the things I enjoy most about being here.”

Benjamin Alley Chief Patent Counsel Techtronic Industries

The lawyer has been part of the leading cordless technology company since coming in-house as a patent attorney in 2010. He was initially tasked with working with engineers and product designers on the daily, and that pace and need for collaboration have only continued to increase since he was promoted to his current role in 2017.

“The teams around here just do not slow down,” Alley explains. “If they were the best last month, they want to be the best next month. To help them do that, the legal

team has to be in step. We work hard, side by side with the various teams, in an effort to help them achieve their respective goals.”

Earlier in his role, Alley had the chance to watch engineers adjusting designs, working to create differentiators that would make their products

stand out in the market. He knows what it means to ask an engineer to alter their design, and how hard the process can be.

Alley understands the mind of an engineer: he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering before pivoting to law school to pursue an interest in patent law. He displays a deep understanding of translating the needs of engineers, lawyers, and the rest of the business to create a viable path forward for innovation.

Successfully conducting this threeway translation is imperative for anyone hoping to move a business forward and avoid having the legal team being seen as an inhibitor of progress, Alley says. Some days, the engineers are going to be happier than the business, and some days the business side is going to be happier than the engineers. But there’s one mood that can be relied upon: “The legal folks are never going to be happy,” Alleys says, laughing. “That’s just because we’re always thinking about any possible risk, but you have to approach these issues with an open mind and know that everyone is going to have to give a little for the greater goal.”

Alley explains that there are several specific qualities that he looks for on his team. He wants a lawyer who isn’t going to instinctively lock into an “avoid risk at all cost” mindset at the first sign of a challenge.

“We’re always looking for people that are going to go that extra mile and think outside the box,” the lawyer says. “There are usually multiple paths forward from a legal perspective, but you have to be willing to take the time, think a little differently, and ensure that the path moving forward aligns with

Anthony Castro

the business objectives and timelines while mitigating any risk.”

The lawyer highlights four qualities that characterize TTI: powerful brands, innovative products, exceptional people, and operational excellence. Those qualities underpin the importance of intellectual property at the company.

“Two of those four qualities are IP-based,” Alley emphasizes. “There’s a huge focus on IP and innovation here, and you can see that in our products. We’re always pushing the envelope, and the culture here is defined by that constant move forward.”

In his own role, the attorney says that being an effective in-house counsel means truly understanding the role. Some outside counsel have the tendency to suggest the path having the least possible risk, not fully appreciating the business objectives.

“As in-house counsel, you really have to act more like a holistic problem-solver and partner with the business,” Alley says. “You’re part of a team and you have to keep that in mind. Part of your role is to mitigate risk, but when you’re presenting the business team with associated risks, you need to always be presenting potential solutions as well. Our company makes innovative products that meet the needs of people, whether they are enjoying hobbies, maintaining their properties, or earning their livelihood, and our job is to support the business and facilitate getting these products to the market.”

Dority & Manning, P.A.:

“D&M celebrates the well-deserved recognition of our client and friend, Ben Alley! Having worked with Ben for several years, I can attest to his exceptional leadership and guidance at TTI."

—Thomas Huycke, Principal

Centered on andLoyalty Transparency

Sarah Super considers multiple perspectives in her leadership role at Jack in the Box

By Joseph Kay SARAH

SUPER NEVER EXPECTED TO become a business executive. After completing undergraduate studies in European history, she considered a PhD. However, she ultimately chose to attend law school, as her most impactful experience had been an internship with a public defender—an experience that piqued her interest in law.

Super went on to work in law firms for thirteen years, handling product liability and employment law before seeking another way to balance her blooming career with her growing family.

Today she serves as senior vice president, chief legal and risk officer, and corporate secretary at Jack in the Box, the San

Diego-based fast-food brand known for its eccentric marketing and bold menu items. The company was previously a client of Super’s former firm, and when an in-house lawyer left, she saw an opportunity she had never considered before.

“I was a practicing lawyer for many years, and it was a satisfying career,” she explains. “But when I started working for Jack in the Box and learning the different aspects of running a large public company, I felt more challenged and invigorated. When I became a leader of multiple departments, I knew this was what I was meant to do. I never quite felt that doing defense litigation.”

Sarah Super SVP, Chief Legal & Risk Officer, and Corporate Secretary Jack in the Box

Super joined Jack in the Box as corporate counsel, but other executives in the company recognized that she had untapped executive potential and business skills. Aided by their confidence and her courage, she took the leap into an executive position in March 2020, just before major pandemic response measures were rolled out in the US.

“My leadership skills didn’t really come out until people empowered me and helped me understand that I have them,” Super recalls. “I had the ability to build solid relationships with various stakeholders across the organization. Those relationships, coupled with my ability to see issues and situations from different perspectives, really helped to propel my career.”

Early on, Super and her team were able to mediate conflicts between major stakeholders and reset crucial business relationships at a pivotal moment. “Especially when there’s conflict, I found the ability to come in and help both sides get aligned,” she reflects. “That solidified my peers’ confidence in me.”

Transparency is another key value for Super. First, she makes clear how her team is contributing to the business. Legal and risk associates don’t always see the impact of their actions on the overall business, so it’s important to remind them that their value provides purpose and motivation. Taking that time builds cohesion and trust and solidifies their role as partners to the business.

“My teams are integral to the execution and success of the strategic initiatives of this company, but they’re immersed in the risk and transactional side of strategy and they don’t always see how important their contributions are,” she says.

Further, she doesn’t put on a performance when issues arise and changes direction when necessary. Super continues to be as upfront as possible and values an honest approach (as opposed to broadcasting the idea that everything is fine). It’s what her associates deserve for their loyalty. “Transparency is a critical part of building relationships and establishing trust and loyalty,” she says. “Those things together lead

“Transparency is a critical part of building relationships and establishing trust and loyalty. Those things together lead employees to be more productive and be proud of their work.”

employees to be more productive and be proud of their work.”

Coming from litigation, Super had to learn to consider business priorities. Now, she reminds herself and her team to see the bigger picture and value-add opportunities as well as risk. It took time and effort to undo old habits, but now she comfortably navigates uncertainty between legal, marketing, food safety, and other teams.

“When you first go in-house, the tendency can be to let the potential risks lead you to say no to the business people, so I had to change my thinking,” she says. “Instead of saying no to risk, it was about discovering a way to mitigate risk and move the business forward.”

Super is taking a more active role throughout the business to propel Jack in the Box forward. On her arrival, the company did not have a formal comprehensive ESG (environmental, social, and governance) framework, so she kicked off the process of integrating and augmenting extant policies.

Since then, under the direction of one of her team’s senior lawyers, they have formed an ESG steering committee, assessed the company’s current policies and practices, and created a draft of the company’s ESG report. It was considerable progress over just two years. And with the brand’s recent acquisition of local chain Del Taco, they have an opportunity to incorporate another company into a framework for yearover-year progress.

Super is also passionate about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. “We remain focused on diversifying the workforce, celebrating difference, and giving people a voice,” she says. “There’s a lot that we can learn from each other, and I think that people really appreciate that at Jack in the Box.”

Across her work, she encourages her colleagues to center growth and compromise in order to get results. “My hope is that people will understand that we want to make this a company where everybody feels included,” Super adds.

“This is the sort of thing that helps to make companies successful.”

At Tremblay Beck Law we represent our clients as ethically, e ciently, and economically as possible in a variety of personal, business, and employment-related legal matters. As a boutique law rm, we provide personalized service while remaining cognizant of your time and money. We keep you informed of updates in the case, prepare you for what to expect nancially and legally, and remain fully accessible during our work together.

Pay It Forward

As managing counsel at ConocoPhillips, Kelli

Jones is committed to the success of her team, her company,

and young professionals

By Keith Loria

Jack Thompson

THROUGHOUT HER LIFE AND LEGAL career, Kelli Jones has benefitted from the help and guidance people have offered her on the path to success. There was the governor who wrote back to her, the connections who have told her about job opportunities, and the supervisors and colleagues who have supported her and her work.

And now that she holds the position of managing counsel of general litigation, legal operations, data privacy, and security for ConocoPhillips, Jones is doing her part to encourage the success of the next generation of leaders.

“I serve as a mentor for law students at the University of Houston Law Center, where I attended law school,” Jones says. “It’s been really rewarding to develop relationships with people who are just coming out of the law school experience and learning new ways of thinking from them.”

She understands young lawyers and their uncertainty about their career paths. In fact, Jones never expected that she would become a tech, data, and privacy lawyer, so she encourages them to try new things.

“Almost everything I have accomplished professionally has been because someone was there for me—whether that’s a great boss, committed team members, or mentors,” she explains. “I want to pay it forward both professionally and personally.”

Jones’s practice at Houston-based ConocoPhillips has always been varied. She is open to trying new things, which is why she has been able to add legal operations, litigation, data privacy, and security to practice areas she manages.

“We’re trying really hard to build out our legal operations functionality,” she

notes. “ConocoPhillips tends to be a very innovation-forward company, and we’re in the middle of a digital transformation to optimize our business with digital technologies to make our assets and processes more intelligent and automated.”

The legal department very much wants to be a part of and contribute to that, she points out, by developing ways to continue to embrace technology to work as effectively and efficiently as possible, while responding to the needs of clients and maintaining costs.

“We’re very focused on that,” Jones explains. “We don’t necessarily invest in technology just for the sake of it, but we invest in what we need to be effective and meet our efficiency goals for the department. I have such an innovative, smart team of people who constantly are bringing ideas forward, like incorporating a legal chat bot, implementing AI in discovery, or automating core workflows.”

Jones’s interest in the law was sparked at a young age by her uncle, a Texas lawyer turned politician who knew then-governor Mark White. Jones asked her uncle if he could put her in touch with White for information for a research paper she was working on. He encouraged her to simply write a letter to the governor.

“He wrote me back and I just remember being so amazed that I could have that kind of access to the governor,” Jones remembers. “I’m sure it was written by his staff, but the letter was signed by him, and it always stayed with me.”

After graduating law school, she secured a job at Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, where she contributed to a variety of litigation work.

Kelli Jones Managing Counsel of General Litigation, Legal Operations, Data Privacy & Security ConocoPhillips

“There was a lot of insurance defense work for young lawyers to cut their teeth on and get litigation and courtroom experience,” Jones recalls. “The team that I was assigned to also had a few partners who had relationships with aviation companies, insurers, and manufacturers and maintained an aviation practice within the litigation group, and I handled several cases representing those clients.”

One of the stronger relationships she built during that time was with a client at Continental Airlines, who told her about an in-house litigation position that was available and asked her if she knew anyone who would be interested in the job. Jones replied that she would

think about it and hung up the phone. Just thirty seconds later, Jones realized that she wanted it and immediately called back, which led to her working for Continental for four years.

She describes her work with the airline as “fascinating,” as she contributed to litigation following September 11, 2001, as well as litigation related to some high-profile incidents.

“That experience really helped develop an expertise in emergency readiness, crisis response, and dealing with federal regulations and agencies,” Jones says. “It was really deep and valuable litigation experience.”

It has also translated over to her work at ConocoPhillips, where she has worked

Jack Thompson

on numerous challenges the company has faced—most recently she provided legal support for teams working to protect against and prepare for cyberattacks.

She notes that she is excited to be practicing law within the technology, privacy, and cybersecurity space, and she’s motivated to help the company address issues arising from these emerging areas and support its digital transformation in service to clients. She also takes pride in being part of the ConocoPhillips team.

“It’s a wonderful place to work,” she shares. “It’s a company that really cares about its people, provides opportunities, and really seeks to do what it does with a commitment to safe and responsible development.”

And the accomplishments of Kelli Jones and her team play a big role in ConocoPhillips’ success.

Stout:

“Kelli Jones has been a great partner to collaborate with in moving the needle forward on the COP legal department’s digital transformation. Kelli’s pulse on what is needed to get things done is such a strategic advantage to COP and proves you can achieve positive results and enjoy working together at the same time.”

“Almost everything I have accomplished professionally has been because someone was there for me—whether that’s a great boss, committed team members, or mentors. I want to pay it forward both professionally and personally.”

—Stacie Neeter, co-leader of Stout’s Legal Management Consulting Practice

Kelli Jones

Stout Legal Management Consulting

Simple Man

SK

hynix’s

Steve Son may have learned English from Lynyrd Skynyrd, but his deep and international legal expertise is anything but simple

By Billy Yost

THE PACIFIC OCEAN IS HOME TO ENDLESS and exotic forms of life. The body of water that covers more than 30 percent of the earth’s entire surface is also the deepest— the Challenger Deep section of the Mariana Trench is nearly 36,000 feet deep. There are countless mysteries in the depths of the ocean that have yet to be unlocked by man, but one thing is certain: Steve Son must be tired of staring at the Pacific.

The vice president of international trade and regulatory affairs at SK hynix Inc. has regularly ping-ponged across the Pacific. A South Korean native who grew up in the city of Daegu, he also spent eighteen years of his life in the United States. There was his master’s degree at the University of Georgia; five years at Hyundai Semiconductor Manufacturing in Eugene, Oregon; another nearly five years on behalf of SK hynix Memory Solutions America in San Jose, Texas; and the past four years in Washington, DC, in his present role.

Most of those roles were segmented by return stints to his home country. It’s a taxing routine that Son admits that his wife is not crazy about, but he doesn’t mind.

It’s not just the constant relocation, but also the fact that Son’s family has effectively toured every climate the US has to offer. It’s the challenge of being the South Korean company’s resident US expert—a title that has been well earned.

Like his legal expertise, Son’s fascination with the culture of the United States runs deep. It started early, learning English

via Southern rock—more specifically, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Everyone around him was listening to Korean pop music, but Son had fallen in love with “Sweet Home Alabama.” They’re still his favorite band.

Son started watching American football on the Armed Forces Korean Network. He even bought a rule book to better understand the strange and brutal game.

“For those with interest in other cultures, I think you have to practice a great deal of openness,” Son explains. “You have to be open to new people, new languages, and new knowledge. To be successful in multiple settings and different circumstances, you just have to keep learning.”

The VP’s legal work has earned him accolades along with his relocations. Son won a prestigious Star Award from his present organization after securing three separate joint alliance agreements with Samsung, IBM, and HP along with another strategic acquisition all in the same year.

Son was intricately involved in the litigation surrounding the well-publicized dynamic random-access memory price fixing scandal of 2002, and he aided SK hynix US’s 2022 $9 billion acquisition of Intel’s flash memory business that required European Union approval. His trade remedy experience is world class.

As the attorney enters his fifth year in Washington, DC, he’s helped establish the critical headquarters in a city where SK hynix previously had little interest.

“You have to be open to new people, new languages, and new knowledge. To be successful in multiple settings and different circumstances, you just have to keep learning.”

SK hynix’s Sommelier

Steve Son isn’t just a global trade and regulatory law expert. He’s the man friends and colleagues will call from South Korea whenever they have a question about wine. While working for the American branch of Hyundai Semiconductor Manufacturing in Eugene, Oregon, Son started educating himself on the fine pinot noirs of the Willamette Valley. His interest quickly grew, and the lawyer found his palate being consulted almost as much as his legal advice.

Son has even taught an advanced wine class for SK hynix employees. While he says presenting in front of a group can still make him a little self-conscious about his language skills, it was a perfect opportunity to share one of his true loves with a wider audience.

“Washington, DC, used to just be about politics, not business,” Son explains. “But as US-Chinese relations continue to escalate and the geopolitical situation continues to grow more complex, I think more companies have moved to the city to focus on governmental relations. I was literally buying the furniture for our first office here.”

The nation’s capital is home to embassies for countries with which Son is tasked with cultivating relationships and collaboration among businesses and governments alike, be it South Korea, Japan, or European partners.

Although export control, foreign investment, and other priorities for the semiconductor business continue to grow, Son’s not sure where the next year will take him. If history is any indication, his expertise will require a move, either somewhere in the US or back to South Korea.

“Either way, I’m still excited about future opportunities in my career,” Son says. “Staying here is fine. Going home is okay, too. I hope to be able to grow my team more here, but I’ve found that anywhere can be home.”

Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP:

“Steve is a talented and savvy executive at the forefront of the semiconductor industry. His wide-ranging knowledge of international trade issues enables him to guide SK hynix seamlessly through increasingly complex global markets.”

—Dan Porter, Matt McCullough, and the Curtis International Trade team

VP, International Trade and Regulatory Affairs, SK hynix America Inc.

Pivot

Showcasing prominent in-house attorneys who capably adapt to changes in their companies, industries, and personal and professional lives to carve out new paths through imagination and reinvention

Man with

Zachary Raimi of HH Global built his entire legal career in Chicago. To make it work, the Detroit native focused on relationships to create a specialized professional network.

By Zach Baliva

ZACHARY RAIMI KNOWS THE POWER OF connections. As he’s gone from local government to a law firm to in-house roles, he’s seen the importance of professional networks first-hand. Today, as general counsel of the Americas region for outsourced marketing provider HH Global, he leverages the relationships he’s built to give new opportunities to younger lawyers and help his company thrive.

It’s an approach Raimi has nurtured from the start. He was born near Detroit and studied English in nearby Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan. But Raimi wanted to see more of the country and experience life in a big city. That desire took him to Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Without roots in the city, Raimi had to build his inner circle from scratch. “Who you know matters in a career, especially at the start,” he says. “I didn’t have friends or family in the area to help me get a foot in the door.”

Raimi came up with a plan. He volunteered as a clerk in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The move paid off. Just being inside the nation’s second-largest prosecutor’s office helped Raimi quickly meet various lawyers,

judges, paralegals, government officials, and law enforcement officers. He researched applicable laws, sat in on witness interviews, and gathered facts. After earning an Illinois 711 license, Raimi was able to interview witnesses and victims of crimes, prepare briefs, appear in court, and try cases under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

The young student volunteered in the criminal division and focused on his studies. He worked on the Consumer Law Review, participated on moot court teams, and made the dean’s list. When it came time to graduate, Raimi stepped right into a full-time position as an assistant state’s attorney. He prosecuted juvenile offenses, wrote dozens of appellate court briefs, and argued seven cases before the Illinois Appellate Court.

After about four years, Raimi moved to a midsized downtown Chicago firm to represent insurance companies and others in civil litigation, insurance defense, and other matters. In 2007, he took his first in-house position with Allstate. The transition helped Raimi round out his experience and learn how to spot issues that affect a large employer.

Jovanka Novakovic

a Plan

Zachary

He advised leaders on employment and labor issues, drafted contracts, worked with international subsidiaries, and was the lead insurance compliance lawyer for various business units.

In 2015, Raimi joined HH Global for the chance to operate in a smaller environment where he could make more of an impact. The organization leverages its own proprietary technology to produce advertising materials and campaigns for leading brands around the world. Raimi, who was hired as the first and only lawyer in the Americas, had to quickly learn the full details of HH Global’s industry and internal operations. That again caused him to focus on relationships.

“I had to rely on others here and push myself to learn new areas of the law,” he says. “When you don’t have a massive legal team, everyone has to be diverse and wear many hats, which means we have to maintain willingness to learn from one another.”

In addition to his work at HH Global, Raimi is an active member of the Chicago chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, connecting him to contacts within the industry. “Some of whom have provided career and substantive legal guidance to me that has been quite useful,” he says.

In 2015, HH Global had about one thousand employees globally. The company has since acquired its largest competitor, InnerWorkings Inc., and now has 4,500 employees spread across sixty-four countries. They manage about 72,000 digital assets and $2 billion in spend.

As the company continues to grow, Raimi works to streamline legal operations and integrate acquired companies. He’s overseen the creation of numerous new legal entities in South and Central Americas, negotiated multimillion-dollar commercial contracts, created training materials, coordinated governance matters for numerous subsidiaries, and managed outside law firms.

After the InnerWorkings deal, HH Global retained a lawyer in Brazil who acts as managing counsel for Latin America. Raimi’s team also includes one attorney in Mexico City, another in Colombia, and another in the United States. Although they are separated by distance, he makes sure everyone feels connected. Raimi may rely on videoconferencing and the occasional in-person meeting, but knows that real connections are more important than ever before.

“I want the lawyers on my team to build strong relationships because that’s been undeniably important at every stage in my career,” he says. “And I know it will prove to be true for them, too.”

Campos Mello Advogados:

“Zack has always showed great leadership skills, intelligence, closely involved in all discussions. He stands out among our clients for his proactivity and ability to work with different jurisdictions/ cultures, seeing the big picture and working closely to find the best solution.”

—Juliana Nunes, Partner

Consilio:

“Consilio is proud to be a partner to Zack Raimi and his global team. We congratulate Zack on his success at HH Global and his recognition by Modern Counsel.”

—Cherisse M. Lake Esq., Director, Business Development

CMA in cooperation with DLA Piper is a reference for specialized legal advice, due to its local service and globally reaching platform.

Plan B

By Donald Liebenson

WHEN YOUNG LAWYERS ASK MAGDAlena Jablonski for advice, she is sure to tell them, “Don’t expect the world to cater to your likes, dislikes, and preferences. Be open to environmental challenges and changes and make sure to have a Plan B.”

Law was Jablonski’s own Plan B. “I had the idea of becoming an architect,” the senior intellectual property counsel at Bosch says. “I wanted to create. As a teenager, I perceived practicing law to be dry and boring. Personal experiences changed my view, and I developed a strong desire to become a lawyer.”

A couple of things changed her perception. First and foremost, it was her parents’ own Plan B to move the family from their native Poland to Germany when Jablonski was about nine years old.

“I was born into communist Poland during the 1980s. My parents wanted to make sure that my brother and I had the chance for a better future and better opportunities. I remember as a little kid standing in line with my mother in front

of a grocery store to get food,” Jablonski says, adding that her father was often working abroad in West Germany as a technician and construction worker to provide for the family.

“That’s how we were able to move to Germany,” she says. “He would bring home sweets and other Western food we could never get in Poland. When we came to Germany, my parents developed their careers basically from scratch, dealing with obstacles related to moving to a new country as immigrants.

“My mother had been a midwife in Poland and after moving to Germany, she build up her career to become a well-know and reputable midwife in the city we lived in,” Jablonski continues. “I remember, there was a US Army base in our city. All the American women would choose to go to my mother. I was inspired by my parents’ confidence and strong will to develop their careers and our life in a foreign environment with little to no language skills, and by doing so to create wonderful opportunities for us as a family.”

Architecture had appealed to Jablonski’s creative side, but she admits that she was not too good at math. Law and IP rights represented a win-win for her. “When deciding on the subject for my career, the IP area was a growing field where I not only would deal with innovative topics and creative people, but I could also utilize my creative side in my legal work when consulting on intellectual property rights in the areas of copyrights, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets,” she says.

Jablonski was first introduced to IP during her two-year legal training in Germany that prepared her for the Second Legal State Exam. In Germany, as part of their training, aspiring lawyers must complete various legal assignments while working in a court system with a judge, law firm, or government agency. She chose a well-established midsized law firm in Cologne that primarily handled IP rights.

“I was exposed to various interesting work assignments in the field of IP, was mentored by one of the law firm’s

Magdalena Jablonski owes much of her legal career to being open to learning and growth

partners and had the most outstanding experience in my legal education,” she says. After completing law college and before joining Bosch, she earned her master’s degree in IP rights.

Jablonski joined Bosch in 2005 as an IP lawyer and has been senior IP counsel for almost a decade. She is currently based in Detroit after transitioning to the United States in 2010 on what was to be a short-term work assignment in Chicago.

“Working for an international company opened the doors for a career abroad. I was grateful Bosch enabled me to work in the United States, in a different jurisdiction,” she says. “As a lawyer, this is an exceptional situation. Moving to the US was not such a dramatic departure. I had already experienced a transition from one culture to another as a child, although coming to a new country as a child is different than going to a different country to work.”

Jablonski adds that Bosch’s internal processes are consistent across different geographical regions. “This made my transition from Bosch Germany to Bosch US rather easy, especially also due to the great support within the company and my department,” she explains. “What stood out the most for me during the first years was how impactful cultural difference are. I was able to adapt, and looking back, it was a great learning curve for me, professionally and personally.

She encourages inquiring young lawyers to be open and curious. For example, Jablonski says, working with international teams and in different legal systems is challenging if you are not open to leaving your comfort zone, experiencing new challenges, and continuously learning and growing. “Acquiring new knowledge in legal fields and improving my personal skills has always been important and inspirational, two key drivers in my career as well as in my personal accomplishments,” she says.

Jablonski credits attending Michigan State University College of Law with equipping her with the knowledge to take and pass the New York bar, enabling her to become licensed attorney in the United States. The experiences she gained through her legal education in Germany as well as while

Magdalena Jablonski Senior IP Counsel Bosch

“Acquiring new knowledge in legal fields and improving my personal skills has always been important and inspirational, two key drivers in my career as well as in my personal accomplishments.”

WWW.PATTISHALL.COM

working as a German attorney provided the backbone for her to advance into a second legal career in the US. Transitioning to Bosch North America opened career opportunities and not only allowed her to gain highly valuable working experiences, but also equipped her with unique skills and tools to become a more excellent attorney and master any challenge.

“Overall, transitioning from the German legal system to the US legal system was an amazing experience for me,” she says. “Understanding and applying my newly acquired knowledge about the US common law legal system, utilizing my existing knowledge of the German law, which is based on the civil law system, being able to compare these two legal systems, and particularly acknowledge the differences in law while supporting my clients at Bosch, made me a better lawyer, rendered my assessments and decisions as a lawyer to be more creative, effective and valuable.”

We look forward to continued partnership with Magdalena, supporting her many dynamic and innovative contributions as Director and Intellectual Property Counsel at Robert

When Jablonski joined Bosch in Germany, she observed that there were more male employees than female. The company now takes gender diversity very seriously, she says, and it is now common to find women in leadership and top management positions. She says she remains focused on her goals and the big picture when it comes to career development.

“Take challenges as they come,” Jablonski advises. “Learn from experiences, good or bad. Trust yourself to find a solution and use opportunities to improve yourself and the situation at hand. Most important: never underestimate your own capabilities and the power within you to achieve whatever you strive for in your career and life. This has helped me to always remain confident about what I’m bringing to the mix and how I can best serve my clients and the organization.”

CONGRATULATIONS to our friend and colleague, Magdalena Jablonski , on her well-deserved recognition by Modern Counsel.

Bosch LLC.

Gaming the System

Dan McDonald stays close to his gaming roots at Unity Technologies by staying true to himself

By Billy Yost

DAN MCDONALD WAS DEEP INTO A game of Tomb Raider. It was his first year in law school and he had recently reconnected with his first love: gaming. To be honest, he wasn’t even sure why he was in law school, but he hoped he might find a way to marry his budding interest in the law with his lifelong love of gaming: the Atari 2600, Commodore 64, ColecoVision, Adam computer, the Sega Master System, Genesis, PC, and, later on, PlayStation.

“One of my roommates basically told me that I needed to figure out what I wanted to do in life,” McDonald says, laughing. “I just went back to playing the game, but later noticed the little copyright symbol in the bottom of the intro screen. I figured someone had to be involved in that and why not me.”

The now senior managing counsel and head of IP at Unity Technologies,

whose game engine is used to create video games and real-time 3D experiences for a variety of industries all over the world, managed to line his career and passion up in a way that many lawyers may find enviable, but it certainly wasn’t easy.

How does a Canadian national wind up in a rundown Japanese share house with twenty other foreigners trying to piece together professional careers? Games. How does a Saskatchewan-native end up earning his LLM in England and passing both the New York and California bars before credentials in his own country? Games. How does a native-English speaker wind up passing what is widely considered to be one of the most challenging language proficiency exams (Japan) in the world? Well, studying—and games.

“My parents let me play a lot of games growing up, but I don’t think they

McDonald

ever really understood it,” McDonald explains. “Whenever I could find a way to make money, it would be put towards a new game, a new console, a game guide, whatever.”

Despite his interest, McDonald wasn’t into the hard science of the creation, at least initially. He didn’t pursue computer science or engineering in college, even though he considered it. Bitten by the philosophy bug (at least the Friday beer and pizzas), he found himself with a bachelor of arts degree and work experience largely confined to student jobs at the university and a photo lab.

His father worked as a lawyer, but McDonald didn’t initially see himself going in the same direction. He applied to law school anyway and was accepted. He needed a way to raise money for tuition, so he answered an ad in the newspaper and wound-up teaching English in South Korea for over a year and a half, saving money by living on the super cheap—at one time in an actual pantry for six months.

During McDonald’s first summer of law school, he went teaching again, this time in Taiwan, but he also found a side gig at an IP firm in Taipei. He worked for free, though he got to do a

lot of things not possible in a traditional summer law job setting. “I figured I was going to be stuck in a law firm full time for the next thirty, forty years, so I might as well do something different while I can,” McDonald says.

Following that, he got a summer job in Singapore. These early experiences provided a glimpse into the lawyer’s future career, which included almost a decade working in Japan in some game-related capacity.

McDonald spent the bulk of his career tied into working with engineers, developers, and game companies to grow their brands and protect their

“If it makes sense for you and is something you really want to do, you just have to pursue it.”

Dan

Senior Managing Counsel and Head of IP Unity Technologies

products. In a previous role at DeNA, the lawyer helped pioneer the age of freemium gaming of the early 2010s, games—including Rage of Bahamut and Marvel War of Heroes free to play but allow in-app purchases. And after being lured to Unity in 2016, he helped the company build its IP portfolio, protect its global customers, and continue Unity’s organic and significant growth.

The culture at Unity, McDonald says, is first and foremost about the user. It’s an approach that may seem vastly different from some US-based start-ups, where growth is prized over anything. “It reminds me very much of the Japanese companies that I worked for,” he explains. “Whatever the issue, the first concern is the user, and how we can make our company work for them. It felt very right coming here.”

McDonald hasn’t found himself chained to much of anything during his legal tenure, though he worried about it earlier in his career. A personal success, he feels, results from taking advice with a grain of salt.

“I think you’ll find a lot of people in your life who think they know what you can’t or shouldn’t do,” he says. “In most cases, I found that people who tell you those kinds of things are coming at this from a point of view heavily influenced by their own careers and lives. And I think it’s really important to ask yourself, ‘Is that really true?’ If it makes sense for you and is something you really want to do, you just have to pursue it.”

It’s a choice that has taken him across multiple continents, thousands of virtual galaxies, and one very successful career. There should be more journeys like McDonald’s, no chains in sight.

The Pursuit of Happiness

When Frank Nuzzi traded the corner office for life as a corporate IP lawyer at Siemans, he discovered a wealth of joy

By Zach Baliva

Frank Nuzzi Principal Counsel Siemens

FRANK NUZZI HAS DISCOVERED ONE thing throughout his life and career— the secret of contentment. “Happiness matters,” he says. “You have to be happy about where you are in your life. If you’re not, don’t settle until you are. Keep striving for more. It’s worth it.”

It’s a lesson Nuzzi has learned over and over again. Repairing gadgets made him happy early in life. Nuzzi was born in Queens, New York, and raised with eight older siblings in a crowded house. As early as age ten, he was on the hunt for broken clocks and other devices in need of repair.

It wasn’t unusual for Nuzzi’s brothers and sisters to find him with parts spread

In the early part of his career, Nuzzi was climbing the ranks inside big city firms first in Chicago then Manhattan. While he was flourishing as an IP attorney and litigator, the long nights and weekend hours were starting to take a toll at home where Nuzzi had a wife and small child. Still, he decided to pay his dues.

Before long, Nuzzi was a mid-level associate and understood the career path and its expectations. “Working in a firm is like building widgets,” he says. “You’re billing by the hour, you need to increase your rate and your number of hours, and there’s a correlation between those two factors and what you make and your perceived value.”

all over the kitchen table. At first, they thought it was cute child’s play. Then, they were concerned. But eventually, they learned not to worry. Nuzzi quickly grew skilled at putting everything back together and restoring items to their proper working order.

What started as a hobby turned into a passion, and that passion for tinkering with mechanical things took Nuzzi to Lehigh University, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. After a few years working as an engineer, he continued on to New York University School of Law to combine his technical background with legal skills and pursue a career in patents and intellectual property.

Nuzzi noticed another correlation as he observed in both himself and others that the more time he dedicated at work, the worse his personal relationships seemed. When his toddler started referring to an action figure as “daddy,” Nuzzi knew it was time to make a change. He traded the big firm lifestyle for satisfaction at home. That decision led Nuzzi to Siemens more than twenty years ago. Because Nuzzi had experience as a patent litigator, he moved into the IP department where he handled patent prosecution (the process of applying for a patent) and patent litigation. It soon became clear that he was a rare talent as someone who could handle both roles simultaneously. Leaders subsequently centralized the IP litigation under Nuzzi’s

“You can make a lot of money prosecuting patents and hitting singles all day long, and I respect my fantastic colleagues in those roles. But I prefer the high profile of litigation.”

guidance, which allowed Nuzzi to still work with his amazing colleagues who were focusing on patenting inventions while allowing him to broaden his in-house litigation skills beyond patent law.

While litigation activity increased, Nuzzi and others faced a turning point. The company built up its litigation group with a specialized team of litigators. Nuzzi opted to move from the IP department to the litigation department and never looked back. “If you get really good at one thing it can define your career,” he says. “I wanted to become so knowledgeable that my business colleagues would see how I added undeniable value and rely on me to help them move projects forward.” And that’s exactly what he’s done.

Now, as principal counsel, Nuzzi can leverage the full scope of his background, experience, and interests to make a difference at the large and international manufacturing company. As he’s moved through the organization, an ongoing desire for happiness has led him to stay on the litigation side and craft his career in a very purposeful way.

“You can make a lot of money prosecuting patents and hitting singles all day long, and I respect my fantastic colleagues in those roles,” he says. “But I prefer the high profile of litigation, including areas outside of patent law.”

That’s what the challenge of complex litigation affords Nuzzi. He puts himself in the crosshairs and gets deeply involved while managing outside counsel on multimilliondollar proceedings. At times, and with the full support of his client that understands the potential risks and benefits, he’ll take wellcalculated risks to turn down a compromise and litigate a case out of principle. He’ll do this with the full support of both the client and excellent outside counsel.

As technology, innovation, and competition increase, IP matters are more important than ever before. Nuzzi coordinated over five years of patent litigation, which

Klarquist congratulates

Frank Nuzzi, Klarquist congratulates

Senior Counsel –IP Litigation and Disputes for Siemens, on his accomplishments, leadership, and recognition by Modern Counsel.

Principal Counsel –IP Litigation and Disputes for Siemens, on his accomplishments, leadership, and recognition by Modern Counsel.

Klarquist is honored to partner w ith Frank and Siemens for IP litigation and counseling.

Frank Nuzzi, is honored to partner with Frank and Siemens for IP litigation and counseling.

resulted in a damages and interest award exceeding $51 million for his company concerning a patent covering crystals used in medical imaging equipment.

“The five-year litigation shows the importance of teamwork and perseverance, while demonstrating the value of Siemens’ intellectual property,” Nuzzi says. The litigation was before three courts—a trial court, an appellate court, and the US Supreme Court—and Siemens won at each stage, with the support of many including the excellent work of Kirkland & Ellis.

“Frank and I have worked together on a wide variety of Siemens disputes over twenty-plus years, from pre-suit negotiations to arbitrations to jury trials to appeals, and one constant has been his exceptional level of engagement on all aspects of the case and across all levels of the team,” says Gregg LoCascio, partner and member of the executive committee at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. “He works to build camaraderie and a true partnership between Siemens and its outside law firms.”

Nuzzi is right where he wants to be. He certainly has the skills, the knowledge, and the seniority to shift positions and apply for patents all day long. Instead, he stands on the frontlines. Why?

“It’s more exciting. It’s unpredictable. It’s fun. And the scope of work is more diverse,” he explains.

Others may not understand, but for Nuzzi, it’s simple—the work makes him happy.

Amber Leavitt Exceeds DEI

AMBER LEAVITT DIDN’T ALWAYS HAVE HER mind set on becoming a lawyer. In fact, up until her junior year of college, Leavitt believed she’d be a physician.

By Claire Redden

She was just a year away from graduating and heading to medical school when she started the Care Extender Program at the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica. The program was designed for volunteers interested in pursuing careers in the medical field to work with healthcare teams.

“I got exposure to several different areas of medicine, and every single doctor I spoke with discouraged me from going to medical school,” Leavitt says. “It scared me. I was already nervous about going to school for that much longer knowing that I wanted to start a family.”

As senior director, associate general counsel, and head of IP at eBay, Amber Leavitt built a team around diversity that transcends gender and ethnicity

Lindsay Salazar

Amber Leavitt Senior Director, Associate General Counsel, and Head of IP eBay

Inspired by her father, Leavitt set her sights on becoming a patent attorney. “I’d heard law school was miserable, and I thought I can at least do it in an environment where I can run on the beach or enjoy the sunshine—not the most traditional considerations in picking a school,” she says.

With that in mind, Leavitt applied to law school at Pepperdine University. Situated in the hills of Malibu, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Leavitt got through law school, and even met her husband in the process. The two of them shared a love for the outdoors, and after graduation, looked for jobs together in areas where they could do the things they enjoyed.

Eventually landing themselves in Salt Lake City, Leavitt and her husband settled into the mountainous climate, surrounded by national parks. There, she worked in an IP firm for almost four years, until she had her first daughter.

“I had recently returned from maternity leave, my daughter was about six months old at the time, I was getting three hours of sleep a day, and living a very grueling schedule,” she remembers. “I was sitting in my office pumping, in tears, thinking, ‘What am I doing? This is not sustainable.’ And my phone literally rang.”

The call was from an attorney on the IP team at eBay. They wanted her to be a part of the expansion of eBay’s legal function in Salt Lake City. “It was like the heavens

Expertise Spotlight

FIG. 1 Patents is proud to work with industry and thought leaders Amber Leavitt and eBay.

FIG. 1 was founded in 2021 and is a boutique IP law firm with the goal to put patents first. The firm invests in people, tech, and infrastructure needed to prepare and prosecute high quality patents for clients.

After only its first year, FIG. 1 was ranked by Patent Bots in the top 10 for patent quality among firms with at least 250 issued patents.

And FIG. 1 aspires to grow. In addition to continually seeking new clients and rock star practitioners, FIG. 1’s growth efforts include developing new patent practitioners from the ground up. With eBay and Gonzaga Law, FIG. 1 provides the Diversity in Technology & IP Law Scholarship and Internship. Each year, the award offers one incoming student scholarship aid from Gonzaga and a summer internship between the student’s 1L and 2L years, training with both FIG. 1 and eBay. The award also includes a $10,000 stipend from FIG. 1.

FIG. 1’s patent attorneys have extensive experience in patent drafting and prosecution as well as technical backgrounds in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, and biomedical engineering.

“The misperception is that you need to be a mathematician or an engineer, but I think some of the more sophisticated IP attorneys I’ve worked with are very creative individuals.”

opened up,” she says. The timing right, and because eBay had a local office, Leavitt and her family were able to stay in the city they loved.

As Leavitt climbed her way up eBay’s ladder over the past twelve years, she is most proud of the teams she’s built. “Especially in the IP space, and even more so when you get into patents, finding an interesting variety of candidates is one of the biggest challenges,” she says. “The misperception is that you need to be a mathematician or an engineer, but I think

some of the more sophisticated IP attorneys I’ve worked with are very creative individuals.”

For Leavitt, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goes beyond gender and ethnicity to consider aspects like life experience and socioeconomic backgrounds. “As we’ve interviewed and hired people, I’ve always prioritized having a melting pot of people, because it will always bring you to a better endpoint than if you have a group of people who think exactly the way you do,” she explains.

Leavitt not only commits herself and her team to these DEI standards but also ensures that eBay’s vendors share the same perspective. In a partnership with their main outside counsel, Holland & Hart, they started a pilot program to recruit law students who didn’t fit traditional requirements. “We hired a great intern that first year, who’s still at Holland & Hart,” she says. “It was such a positive experience—we knew that was the pipeline of students we should be building.” Since then, the program has only grown.

Another initiative that Leavitt spearheaded was a partnership with FIG. 1 Patents. Founders Mark Niemann and Patrick Walsh collaborated with her to develop creative programs for improving diversity in patent law, which can be challenging especially for boutique IP firms that lack the resources of larger firms. “Amber has ensured that the recipients of our Diversity in Technology & IP Law Scholarship and Internship have been able to complete in-house portions of their summer internships with eBay, despite the challenges of the pandemic,” they say.

Today, Leavitt leads with an emphasis on empathy. “Sometimes people mistake empathy for weakness, especially in a corporate environment,” she says. “But you have to have it. If you’re expecting the best out of people, they need to be whole.” For her, this all starts with looking inward.

“You have to take an honest look at yourself,” Leavitt advises. “Unless you are in a place where you’re able to stay mentally and emotionally healthy, you’re not going to be able to lead your team.”

“Sometimes people mistake empathy for weakness, especially in a corporate environment. But you have to have it. If you’re expecting the best out of people, they need to be whole.”

Change Without Fear

Ignacio Salvarredi helps Philip Morris International move into new areas and away from its smoky past

By Billy Yost

IN MAY 2022, PHILIP MORRIS INTERnational (PMI) submitted an offer to acquire Swedish Match AB, a European nicotine pouch manufacturer, for $16 billion. As an increasing number of companies that amassed their global presence through tobacco evolve along with a world that continues to smoke less, there is a high-stakes race for what smokeless products and cigarette alternatives will dominate the landscape in the future. PMI’s offer to acquire Swedish Match AB was a bold step ahead in that race.

Ignacio Salvarredi has helped enable that pivot at PMI since 2009 when he joined as counsel for the organization’s operations in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, and Paraguay. He currently works in the litigation and investigations global team, based in New York, managing critical cases in various jurisdictions.

The past decade-plus has seen the greatest evolution in the tobacco industry, and Salvarredi has seen the transition from cigarettes to smokefree products, which went from being

a research and development project, to now being the present and future of the company.

“I witnessed that gradual transition into new products, and especially recall the 2016 letter to shareholders in which the company spelled out its intention to move beyond cigarettes,” Salvarredi says of PMI’s then-public declaration to focus on phasing out products that focus on burning tobacco. “We’re transitioning into new spaces, and it’s a very exciting time.”

That transition includes the pharma space, where PMI has already made in-roads. In late 2021, the company acquired Denmark-based Fertin Pharma, whose advanced oral delivery technologies will play a major role in PMI’s creation of new smokeless

products. The acquisition is the latest of the company’s move into pharma and includes the acquisition of inhaled drug specialist OtiTopic along with a bid to acquire UK pharma company Vectura.

“As an in-house lawyer at PMI, this evolution has been incredibly interesting,” Salvarredi says. “It just proves that to be effective as in-house counsel, you need to be willing to learn and not be afraid to be flexible and adaptable, because your role and focus change constantly. I’ve moved from product liability to advising the company on deployment of new products, as we continue this transition into new spaces.”

Salvarredi credits his willingness to be fearless with a trainee program offered at his first firm, Marval O’Farrell & Mairal in Argentina. The lawyer

was moved every six months to a new team, helping him become more familiar with every part of the law in which he might someday interact. In fact, one of the companies he did work for back then was PMI, as a litigator.

“That program taught me to not fear change,” Salvarredi explains. “It taught me new skills and the importance of adaptability. Being in-house requires different skills day in and day out, and I think that’s only going to increase as companies continue to adapt to fast-changing business landscapes. I’m thankful every time I think of that trainee program.”

At PMI, one of Salvarredi’s proudest accomplishments has been the establishment of an official pro bono program for the legal department.

Ignacio Salvarredi Senior Counsel, Litigation & Investigations Philip Morris International

Courtesy of Ignacio Salvarredi

He says pro bono efforts were much more non-systematic in the past, and the creation of a pro bono committee, and a formal program, should provide direction, focus, and accountability for PMI’s efforts that aren’t always focused on a bottom line.

“We wanted to be able to track everything that we do in pro bono,” Salvarredi says. “We created a framework in November 2021 and are moving ahead this year with concrete projects. I’m incredibly proud of this company and our general counsel for backing this initiative. I think it speaks to the PMI’s culture of transformation and doing the right thing.”

Culture is an important component of what has kept Salvarredi at PMI. The leader says that the company is a true reflection of its global operations and markets in which it operates. Respect for others is fundamental at PMI and its leadership.

“This can be a difficult job at times, but I think making sure everyone is treated equally and respectfully, and that people’s work is valued, is incredibly important,” Salvarredi says.

“The leaders that inspired me most were the ones who listened to all members of the team and were open to their contributions. I think that human side of leadership is critical, especially when you’re constantly working with people in different parts of the world, and from a wide variety of cultures.”

It’s no wonder that Salvarredi sits on the board of the European Justice Forum on behalf of PMI. The coalition of businesses, individuals, and organizations works to promote fair, balanced, transparent, and efficient civil justice laws and systems throughout Europe. For Salvarredi, it’s a chance to continually help his organization be part of a more equitable world.

Shook Hardy and Bacon LLP:

“What sets Ignacio apart is his ability to unite lawyers from multiple law firms, based in numerous countries, and with different perspectives into a single team to achieve a common goal in litigation.”

—John Lyons, Partner

Building the Department of “Here’s How We Can”

Abigail Romero leads a practice of offering alternatives—not just limited legal advice—and is a trusted business partner at Arrow Electronics

By Frederick Jerant

IT’S EASY TO SAY “NO.” AND, TOO often, that’s the tack taken by corporate lawyers—so much that corporate counsel is often considered the “Department of No.”

But as legal counsel of employment at Arrow Electronics, Abigail Romero strives to overcome that common perception.

“I see myself as an adviser, so one of my goals is to really understand an issue and what’s needed to resolve it,” she says. “If I simply say ‘no’ from a legal standpoint, that’s not very productive. Whenever I can, I offer alternatives. I often say, ‘yes, we can address this,’ and advise business partners to focus on potential resolutions with a lower legal risk profile, which may not always be the first option put on the table. Fortunately, my business partners are open to considering different ideas.”

Romero earned a bachelor of arts in political science from Chapman University and a juris doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles. She immediately went into private practice with Wargo & French LLP (now Wargo French Singer) in Los Angeles. “I primarily defended companies in consumer protection cases. In fact, I’ve [defended companies] throughout my career,” she explains.

Romero later transferred to the main office in Atlanta, and then joined a new law firm, Kabat Chapman & Ozmer LLP, formed by a group of attorneys who left Wargo & French. “That’s when I began specializing in employment law,” Romero recalls. “I did lots of work with individual cases and class or collective actions involving large, sophisticated companies.”

Concurrently, she was a lecturer for the Georgia Institute of Technology’s prelaw seminars. She remembers those

years as the highlight of her time in private practice. “You get many different perspectives from students, because of their backgrounds and experiences,” she says. “And that experience helped me be a better attorney.”

Romero relocated to Denver and joined Arrow Electronics in 2021. “Arrow hit the sweet spot for me,” she says. “I was looking for a company that was big enough to have a decent-sized legal department, but with a relatively smaller team for employment matters.”

Arrow’s bread-and-butter is in electronic parts distribution, but the company offers digital services and

consulting services, such as designing customized components. The company’s engineers and designers sometimes find themselves in esoteric projects, such as its semiautonomous motorcar, a fully customized Corvette that quadriplegic racer Sam Schmidt controls solely by moving his head.

Her in-house position is immersed in a lively environment. “In private practice, I had plenty of time to research and analyze a case,” she says. “Today, I might have to provide guidance in a single, thirty-minute phone call. I had to learn to trust my gut and rely on past experiences that were similar.”

Abigail Romero Legal Counsel, Employment Arrow Electronics

On the other hand, by staying on top of changes in the legal landscape, Romero can often spot possible red flag issues and offer suggestions to mitigate them.

“We often must walk fine lines,” she says. “For example, if you want to increase minority representation, you can’t do so by discriminating against other qualified candidates; hiring quotas are out of the question. As alternatives, we can issue job postings to broader audiences, increase our presence at job fairs, and reach out more to targeted populations. Those situations can be tricky, and employment counsel can help management navigate them properly.”

Romero’s key responsibilities include broad personnel issues, such as layoffs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, medical or religious accommodations, recruiting, conflicts of interest, and a variety of other compliance matters that implicate state, federal, or Canadian provincial regulations.

Arrow’s employee populations—professionals, salespeople, engineers, technicians, warehouse workers—can each be subject to a multitude of unique regulations, so it’s easy to see that Romero’s days are packed. “It’s common for me to book fourteen phone calls in a single, eight-hour day,” she adds.

She’s found that building solid relationships is a key to her effectiveness. “In my experience, people are hesitant to talk with attorneys,” Romero says. “So, I communicate openly to be sure I understand their needs. And I offer rationales for my thinking, so they’ll know it’s not just a knee-jerk reaction. They understand that it’s my best advice on the situation. It’s part of not just saying ‘no.’”

The legal counsel has found many benefits to working in-house, but advises that it’s not for everyone.

“Private practice is stressful, but so is in-house work,” she says. “And, while in-house practice may require fewer hours, you’ll still be encountering many tricky situations, often with fewer resources at your disposal.

“You’ll need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, relying on your instincts and experiences,” Romero adds. “You can’t let that paralyze you. You need to forge ahead without perfect knowledge, but with the awareness that you’re providing reasonable recommendations.”

Andrew Shapiro has always volunteered for tough assignments. He taught himself finance, studied the markets, and now leads complex, international transactions for Moody’s Corporation.

by zach baliva

Andrew Shapiro had already been through rigorous legal training as a student at Fordham University School of Law, where he was a research assistant and domestic violence advocate. But when a newly minted partner at his first law firm job asked him to join the capital markets group, he knew he was in for more long nights of studying.

The firm was Proskauer, whose eight hundred lawyers serve top-tier clients, including entertainment icons, sports leagues, and Fortune 500 companies. “I knew that if I put the work in, I would develop a deep knowledge of a specific skill set and work on many high-profile deals in a great firm at an exciting time,” Shapiro says.

First, he had to formulate a plan to give himself a crash course on markets and securities. Shapiro did what any savvy law school graduate would do—he turned to the internet.

Simple searches like “what is finance law” and “best books on accounting” helped Shapiro get his bearings. He put his social life on pause, bought a treatise on capital markets, selected rush delivery, and read it cover to cover. Then he read it again and studied every related area during breakfast, at lunch, on the train, at dinner, and in every single spare second he could find.

The practice became a habit that stayed with Shapiro throughout his career. “It’s important for lawyers to stay curious and maintain a willingness to explore,” he says. “I’ve had to teach myself things that I would never otherwise have the chance to learn.”

As the capital markets function became more transactional in nature, and the team started getting more international work, Shapiro led cross-border deals. He later moved his family to the United Kingdom and helped build a robust capital markets office for the firm.

When Shapiro returned home, he went to another firm to counsel clients on matters related to corporate governance and risk management. That’s when he developed a working relationship with Moody’s Corporation. He joined the well-known business and financial services firm on a full-time basis in 2017.

Since then, Shapiro has continued his habit of professional development and lifelong learning, while applying his expertise to lead the legal aspects of numerous major acquisitions. He also spent three years drafting commercial agreements, negotiating transactions, and advising Moody’s in-house incubator that founded, nurtured, and developed internal and external business opportunities.

Andrew Shapiro Head Counsel, Global

M&A Moody’s Corporation

Duane Morris LLP, a law firm with more than 800 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally, is asked by a broad array of clients to provide innovative solutions to today’s legal and business challenges.

For more information, please contact:

James J. Coster Partner

Duane Morris LLP 230 Park Avenue, Suite 1130 New York, NY 10169-0079

212.404.8712

jjcoster@duanemorris.com

www.duanemorris.com

Most recently, senior leaders tapped Shapiro to lead global M&A and integration activities. In the new role, he oversees strategic expansion and works with a dedicated team that handles all deals from concept to due diligence to integration. Shapiro says the team is looking for companies that will enhance Moody’s suite of products to help the organization become a true “one-stop shop” for all risk analytics solutions and services.

Although Shapiro never set out to have a mergers and acquisitions practice, he is thriving in his role. “There is nobody anywhere else who is less prepared for the job they actually ended up doing,” he jokes. “But the constant learning process keeps me going.”

Deals can feel monotonous at times, but laws and rules and regulations change. Whether Shapiro and the M&A team are doing a simple transaction in Asia or a mega-deal in the United States, there are always new nuances to master. He stays updated by reading trade and financial publications, and even watching his colleagues debate current events on social media.

At Moody’s, continuous learning is a valued part of its culture. Shapiro and his colleagues are partnering with an outside firm to develop an internal training program to familiarize people from all departments with documents, terms, concepts, and the “Moody’s way” of doing deals.

During his tenure, Shapiro has helped Moody’s close some big deals. He joined the organization right as it was completing a $3.3 billion transaction for Bureau van Dijk and was instrumental in the $2 billion agreement that landed a risk modeling firm known as RMS. And he is constantly working on other deals and projects to enhance Moody’s status as the global leader in integrated risk assessment.

It’s important for lawyers to stay curious and maintain a willingness to explore. I’ve had to teach myself things that I would never otherwise have the chance to learn.”

Duane Morris proudly congratulates ANDREW SHAPIRO for his outstanding contributions and accomplishments as Head Counsel at Moody’s Corporation.

From Performer to Strategic Leader

Erick Rivero grew up passionate about music and performance. Today, he puts his natural creativity to use at Intuit, spearheading new initiatives and encouraging his team to think outside of the box.

by brittany farb gruber

Erick Rivero Assistant General Counsel Intuit

For as long as he can remember, Erick Rivero has been a performer. He spent his childhood in musical theater and excelled at playing the trombone, oboe, bassoon, and piano. He further developed his stage presence through his experiences in choir, band, and orchestra. Rivero’s childhood experiences directly influenced his future career—but not in the way most would expect.

His passion for music and performance as well as a natural sense of creativity led him not to a role as a professional musician or actor but to the law, a profession that (on the surface) seems to be as far from the arts as possible.

“I saw lawyers on television in court, and the creativity that they were scripted to convey really resonated with the performer in me,” remembers Rivero, who currently serves as assistant general counsel for corporate securities and mergers and acquisitions at Silicon Valley-based Intuit. “That’s how I, in my mind, chartered this course of wanting to be a lawyer before actually really knowing what it meant.”

A passion for writing, storytelling, and solving puzzles would make him believe that he was meant to practice litigation, but it wasn’t until the end of Rivero’s first experience as a summer associate at Winston & Strawn LLP that he realized his true calling.

“I was talking to one of my summer program partner mentors for what must have been one or even two hours, and he walked through all of the experiences that I had and discussed what I liked from those experiences,” Rivero recalls. “He gave me what was probably the best advice that I received. He said, ‘It sounds like you want to be a transactional lawyer.’”

This feedback would guide the entire trajectory for Rivero’s career. Following his graduation from Hofstra Law, he joined his mentor’s practice group and spent nearly a dozen years honing his craft at the firm’s New York City office.

In 2019, Rivero joined Intuit’s corporate securities and M&A group, bringing along many lessons from his private practice days. In this role, he drives governance and reporting across the organization. “This includes SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] reporting, communications with our investors, our compensation and benefits program, ESG [environmental, social, and governance] and corporate responsibility, and our political accountability practices,” he explains. “Really, almost anything that touches our board of directors or any of

our investors is under the umbrella of things that I do.”

The transition proved to be, as Rivero says with a chuckle, “huge.”

“When you’re an attorney at a law firm, your practice is a primary business driver,” Rivero says. “It’s different when you’re working in-house at a company. You are part of a team that helps to enable the strategy of the business. There’s just a different way that the perspective you have is valued and there’s definitely a learning curve.”

However, that shift in mindset instilled a new sense of professional confidence in Rivero. “You do a lot of building when in-house,” he notes. “You build processes, you build relationships, and you help to build the reputation of the company.”

When you’re an attorney at a law firm, your practice is a primary business driver. It’s different when you’re working in-house at a company. You are part of a team that helps to enable the strategy of the business.”

Erick Rivero Assistant General Counsel

Rivero estimates about 95 percent of his time is spent collaborating across Intuit’s organization, not just within the legal department. One of Rivero’s current priorities is fleshing out the concept of stakeholder empathy. “I’ve been trying to shift the idea of stakeholder empathy from what some folks may see as a soft skill to a business skill that we can teach and measure,” he says.

Alongside his team, Rivero is creating a framework around several critical areas. These include leading with inquiry, asking the right questions, and understanding stakeholders and their problems from the very beginning. This allows faster response rates and the development of trust with all key stakeholders.

www.gibsondunn.com

Beijing  Brussels  Century City

Dallas  Denver  Dubai  Frankfurt

Hong Kong  Houston  London

Los Angeles  Munich  New York

Orange County  Palo Alto  Paris

San Francisco  São Paulo

Singapore  Washington, D.C.

“In a year from now, I would like to be able to say that we’ve done the alpha version of that,” Rivero says. “We have a curriculum, we’ve taught it to folks at our organization, and we see folks using that in their everyday practice, and that’s creating even greater impact and better results for the company.”

Out-of-the-box thinking has come naturally for Rivero throughout his legal career and has contributed to his success.

“I have worked with Erick for over three years and admire the thoughtful and collegial way he looks for opportunities to reframe, streamline, and improve on the conventional way of approaching legal issues ranging from board self-evaluations to transaction closings to addressing the evolving requirements for disclosure of ESG practices,” says Gordy Davidson, partner at Fenwick & West LLP.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities at Intuit, Rivero is focused on providing mentorship

I’ve been trying to shift the idea of stakeholder empathy from what some folks may see as a soft skill to a business skill that we can teach and measure.”

to up-and-coming attorneys. Reflecting on the importance of his own mentor, who shaped the course of his career, Rivero takes his role as mentor very seriously. Currently, he works with the Law in Technology Diversity Collaborative, a unique legal internship program where first-year law students can split their summers between leading technology companies and law firms in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Boston. Rivero guides students in the program from the initial interview process through their internships and beyond.

“The goal of this program is to increase the population of lawyers that are from historically underrepresented communities, especially in legal leadership roles,” he says. “We focus on creating opportunities for folks who are Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, women, Indigenous, disabled, and first-generation law students.”

While he may no longer be performing under the bright lights of his high school’s auditorium, Rivero has found a place to exercise his natural creativity at one of the fastest growing global tech companies.

Editor’s note: At the time of press, Erick Rivero was promoted to senior assistant general counsel

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP:

As assistant general counsel for Intuit, Erick has an excellent grasp of complex securities and corporate law issues. His expertise, coupled with his practical and businessoriented approach, make him a real pleasure to work with.”

—Lori

Zyskowski, Partner

For 50 years, Fenwick has been focused on the technology and life sciences industries.

Stepping Forward

A long and diverse career prepared David Fein to take the reins of a large legal team at Standard Chartered Bank. Now, he’s bringing his expertise to Paul Weiss.

by zachary brown

David Fein

Former Group General Counsel Standard Chartered Bank

British multinational banking and financial services company Standard Chartered Bank is complex. It started as Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China in 1853.

Although now based in London, the organization doesn’t provide retail banking services in the United Kingdom. In fact, its profits come almost entirely from operations in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Standard Chartered has 776 branches worldwide and present in 59 markets, and its 85,000 employees generate about $14.7 billion in annual revenue.

Managing the varied and nuanced legal matters at Standard Chartered requires a

seasoned leader who stays fully engaged and takes an inclusive approach. From 2013 to 2021, that responsibility fell to David Fein.

Fein studied at Dartmouth College and later graduated from New York University Law School. He served as a law clerk to Judge Frank Coffin in the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit before working as a litigation associate at Debevoise & Plimpton.

He then spent six years in the US Department of Justice as an assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York. In 1995, Fein left Manhattan for Washington, DC, to join the Clinton administration as associate

Photo Courtesy of Standard Chartered Bank

counsel to the president. There, Fein and his colleagues were instrumental in crafting regulations to limit tobacco advertising and raise awareness regarding the harmful effects of smoking.

These moves helped Fein deepen his skills, talent, and leadership. He left the White House and made partner at Wiggin and Dana. There, he established and led the prominent firm’s white-collar practice. Before long, Fein had developed significant subject-matter expertise and found his services in high demand.

He spent a decade lecturing at Yale Law School, sharing his knowledge with students through his original class on federal prosecution and related criminal investigations.

In 2010, Fein returned to the Department of Justice for a second stint in Connecticut. These combined experiences prepared him to lead Standard Chartered Bank’s high-performing legal team.

During his time in London, Fein collaborated with the bank’s CEO and other leaders to develop overall strategy. He also managed legal services, leading six hundred professionals. While the bank grew during Fein’s tenure, he was also tasked with helping the organization navigate considerable challenges and negotiate settlements related to money laundering charges.

While coordinating services and responding to various issues in numerous global jurisdictions, Fein surrounded himself with talented legal professionals whom he trusted to perform without the need to micromanage. He also maintained an open-door policy and was always careful to make himself and his

colleagues in legal available to business partners for any questions or concerns.

Fein strongly advocates the need for mental health awareness in times of change and uncertainty. The unique challenges created by the pandemic meant Fein looked for external expertise and worked with London-based Cognacity, global experts in mental health and performance, who specialize in providing performance training and coaching within law firms both in Europe and the US.

The general counsel worked closely with Rob Archer, a performance psychologist on inclusive leadership and the importance of staying engaged, focused, and connected when implementing this type of leadership. Fein has had to maintain resilience to consistently prioritize inclusive leadership, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Archer supported Fein and his legal function at both team and individual level and comments. “It was a privilege to work alongside David Fein at Standard Chartered Bank and support him through difficult and challenging circumstances,” Archer says. “Working together, David and I were able to implement some exciting evidence-based strategies which included high performance routines and leadership behaviors that had a measurable impact on his team.”

Working at Standard Chartered gave Fein an opportunity to get involved with philanthropy. He spent six years as chair to Seeing is Believing, which addresses preventable blindness in Asia and Africa. Fein and Standard Chartered have raised funds and led key projects involving Peek, a smartphone app for

portable eye exams. He is also a board member at Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit organization that provides guide dogs to people with vision loss free of charge.

In January 2022, Fein left Standard Chartered to serve as special counsel in the litigation department at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where he focuses on government and internal investigations, corporate governance, and regulatory matters. He will also manage issues related to cybersecurity, white collar, privacy, crisis management, and environmental, social, and governance.

“I am delighted to join Paul, Weiss, with its unparalleled commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, excellence in the practice of law, and service to the community,” Fein said about his move in a statement. “Having known and worked with many of the firm’s partners for years, I am excited to practice alongside them now.”

Although Fein stepped down from his role as general counsel at Standard Chartered, he will continue at the bank as a special advisor to the CEO and Board and spend more time on creating important public-private partnerships that address financial crime and international wildlife trafficking.

For Darren Dragovich, purpose is all about finding alignment between the personal and the professional at Western Union

by natalie kochanov

Darren Dragovich VP and Deputy General Counsel Western Union

Pete Eklund/Western Union

When Darren Dragovich first joined leading money transfer provider Western Union in 2003, he didn’t spend much time thinking about the company’s purpose. In the almost two decades since then, he has come to appreciate that purpose—“moving money for better”—for the ways in which it resonates with his own.

“It’s something that has kept me at Western Union,” says Dragovich. “One of the reasons I’ve stayed so long is because of the company’s alignment with the values I have and the things I’m trying to do in my life in general.”

Dragovich’s promotion in November 2021 has brought purpose even more to the forefront of his work. As vice president and deputy general counsel, he focuses on the services Western Union provides and the people delivering and receiving those services. His commitment to helping others, especially those most in need, is just as apparent in his efforts outside the company—and in the advice he offers here to attorneys still searching for purpose in their careers and their lives.

In his early days at Western Union, Dragovich negotiated large commercial contracts for the company. He aided in standing up the new corporate governance function when Western Union spun off from First Data Corporation in 2006 and went on to lead the function beginning in 2011. He also continues to serve as assistant corporate secretary after his most recent promotion, which has seen him return to his commercial roots.

Today, Dragovich oversees the business legal team for North and South America. As a result, he has attained a new level of proximity to the business. “My current role connects me directly to the agents, the relationships, and the

services we’re providing,” he says. “It has really connected me back to the business and to how we serve our customers.”

For Dragovich, being closer to the business means being closer to Western Union’s purpose. He sees “moving money for better” as a call to serve and uplift customers, with an emphasis on communities whose access to financial services has historically been limited. “A lot of the customers we focus on are in many ways underserved by the traditional financial system. For instance, we serve a lot of migrant customers who are trying to start a new life in a new country and who are facing challenges because of that,” he elaborates.

The company’s purpose is a perfect match for Dragovich, who strives to give back in his personal as well as his professional life. “Every year our family travels to Juárez, Mexico, to partner with local community programs for children and help build homes for families who lack safe housing,” he says of his charitable endeavors. “My wife and I also helped form Hope for the Fatherless, an organization serving orphaned and vulnerable children in Ethiopia that rescues kids from institutional care and places them in families through reunification, kinship placement, foster care, domestic adoption, and small group homes.”

On the national level, Dragovich sits on the board of ElevateUSA, a nonprofit that places teacher-mentors in urban public schools to build long-term, life-changing relationships with urban youth, equipping them to thrive and contribute to their community.

“These things line up nicely with what I do at Western Union because, in all areas, we’re trying to serve people who are facing economic

You have to identify what your purpose is for your career and what your purpose is for your life . . . . If you can define that purpose for yourself, then you can start to look at your job and your career and see how you can use your training to contribute to your purpose.”

and other challenges in their lives,” Dragovich says. “I think we get the most satisfaction and fulfillment, ultimately, from serving others. It’s rewarding to see other people accomplish their goals or rise above challenging situations and circumstances—and even more so to know that, in some small way, we helped them to succeed.”

As fortunate as he is to have landed at a company that shares his values, Dragovich recognizes that not all attorneys have found the right fit yet. “You have to identify what your purpose is for your career and what your purpose is for your life,” he advises. “That may sound like a simple thing, but sometimes we don’t just sit back and think about our purpose and the ways we want to spend our time. If you can define that purpose for yourself, then you can start to look at your job and your career and see how you can use your training to contribute to your purpose.”

Dragovich’s idea of purpose is a holistic one. He encourages attorneys to consider how a prospective job would align with their purpose, but emphasizes that this purpose shouldn’t be tied exclusively to their career.

Although he has no plans to leave Western Union any time soon, Dragovich knows that his purpose will be waiting for him once he does. “At some point I assume I’ll retire, but I’ll never stop trying to serve other people,” he says. “What I want to achieve is not going to change based on my job or my retirement or anything else. I’m going to keep trying to achieve that for my entire life.”

As legal director of DLL, Ben Copley is growing his legal team to keep pace with the company’s rapid expansion

by billy yost

Though headquartered in the Netherlands, DLL calls Iowa home for true consumer finance along with the company’s US construction business unit and food and agriculture business unit, among others.

But the Midwest location that felt more like an island than an arm of a global business has expanded on a massive scale. The expansion resulted in newly promoted legal director Ben Copley working

to fill roles on his team in one of the tightest labor pools in recent history.

“Since July 2021, I’ve hired four different attorneys,” says Copley, not so much weary as relieved to be where he is currently. “The pandemic and the truly bizarre labor market was a significant challenge, especially as I was stepping into a role where I feel like I still have a lot of maturing to do.”

If you’re picking up on the legendary Midwest modesty, that’s Ben Copley to a tee. The nearly ten-year veteran at DLL has grown

up in the business and has had the opportunity to branch out in new directions as it continues to grow.

The lawyer spent the early chunk of his career in transactional law, but eventually had the opportunity to take on shared services duties like cybersecurity, privacy, corporate governance, and regulatory matters.

“I had one manager in particular here who was so great at providing us opportunities,” Copley explains. “She helped keep us up to speed and made us feel materially important to the business. DLL is a place where I feel like we are empowered to grow our careers with a lot of support around us.”

Since stepping into the director role, Copley has been sprinting to get his team back to full speed. Between backfilling his role and working to build out the new headcount for his team, the director is just starting to feel like his team can try and get ahead of the curve. The team’s new additions are the first round of hires who are helping DLL establish a new normal when it comes to “going” to work.

Copley says between the current opportunities in private practice and the quickly shifting environment of remote work, the lawyer had to rethink recruiting for his team. “We expanded our recruiting footprint to include the entirety of the US, so that we could take advantage of talent that would be the right cultural fit for DLL as long as they were comfortable working remotely,” Copley explains.

Culture was the key differentiator. Subject matter expertise, while greatly valued, is more of an expectation than a differentiator. Moreover, Copley says he’s much more apt to vie for a candidate capable of learning on the job, and whose work style and personality fit are the right fit.

“I tried to fill our team with people who are easy to approach, comfortable approaching others, and are both willing to ask for help and lend a hand when they can,” the director

Ben Copley Legal Director, US Des Moines DLL

Minniette Milligan

says. “I think we’ve done that, and I think the best part is that while the team fits that profile, everybody’s a little bit different.”

With his team finally assembled, Copley says he wants his team to be able to work as proactively as they can, not always the first word that comes to mind when one thinks of a legal team being constantly inundated with new challenges.

The business operates nationwide so Copley says it’s imperative for his team to create guidance for the business when it comes to compliance and operating standards in individual states. Creating those self-help resources would free up the legal team to work on higher-level matters and act as more of a partner to the broader business. “I call this ‘working in the margins,’” Copley says. “It’s a chance to not just provide good legal advice that can be easily accessible, but it allows us to add more value to the business process itself.”

The legal director is also very clear with the team members about where their priorities should lie, and his direction might be surprising. “It might seem a little funny to say this, but I always tell our team that if your job at DLL is number one on your priority list, you need to take a time out and reconsider what you’re doing,” the director says. “We’re all incredibly dedicated and very proud to do what we do, but it’s my opinion that this should never be the most important thing in your life. It’s part of my recruiting strategy, frankly, to find people who are not going to prioritize work to their personal detriment.”

Copley may feel like he’s got a lot of growing to do, but it’s clear that he knows the value he wants his team to add, and he knows how to get there.

I tried to fill our team with people who are easy to approach, comfortable approaching others, and are both willing to ask for help and lend a hand when they can.”

Evaluate

A look at the logistical challenges, evolving regulations, industry shifts, and cultural concerns outside the office that lawyers must analyze and navigate to manage their impact inside the office

Building Winninga Foundation

David Katz works to create a better employee environment at Related Companies

By Keith Loria

FOR THIRTEEN YEARS, DAVID KATZ was getting big law first experience, representing employers in all aspects of labor and employment law across various industries. So, by the time he came to Related as its employment counsel in 2016, he had the skill set and know-how to succeed as in-house counsel.

His interest in law dates back to his high school days. Watching his stepfather run a small practice—particularly

his work ethic in addition to the interesting projects—impressed Katz. “From that point, moving into college, I had a job one summer pushing a mail cart around a large Newark, New Jersey law firm, and got to know some of the lawyers there,” Katz recounts. “Talking with them was really interesting, and I decided to go to law school.”

He wound up going back to the firm—this time interning as a law clerk—and many found it humorous

that the former mail cart guy now worked as a summer associate.

“I decided early on that I wanted to be a litigator,” Katz shares. “That always seemed more up my alley. I enjoy the arguing, the sparring, and the debate. When I focused on the areas of litigation I was interested in, I was always drawn to the areas that were more personal to people.”

Employment law quickly became a love of his, and Katz set out to make

Katz SVP and Chief Counsel for Litigation & Employment Related Companies

David

Expertise Spotlight

Greenberg Traurig’s Global Labor and Employment Practice serves clients, including Related Companies, from offices throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Practice members have numerous trial wins and are frequently called upon to handle complex; bet-the-company; and large, highstake cases, including nationwide class and collective actions. On the labor side, a leading group of lawyers regularly represents management with labor-relations matters. Labor and Employment team members assist clients with complex employment issues and design practical, proactive strategies that can be implemented readily by today’s human resources professionals. In addition, the practice is recognized by The Legal 500 United States in the areas of labor and employment litigation, labor-management relations, ERISA litigation, workplace and employment counseling, and trade secrets litigation.

that the focus of his career. Katz had always admired Related Companies from a far, and he routinely tracked the organization’s growth in the real estate development world.

“I was working in law firms as outside counsel, I had some clients in the real estate development field, and I found the industry to be really interesting,” Katz explains. “I found Related Companies to be a very entrepreneurial place—a large company that’s run in a lot of ways like a smaller one, and this is the type of environment that I wanted to be a part of.”

Today, Katz serves as a strategic and trusted advisor to the organization’s senior leadership in areas of human capital, HR compliance, risk mitigation, and dispute resolution.

“I was hired to do labor and employment—a position that never existed before I joined Related Companies, so not only to oversee the employment litigation, but all aspects of employment law,” he notes. This entails working closely with the human resources department and legal department.

Karen Sterling

In February 2021, his role transitioned into something more.

“I raised my hand to take on more responsibilities,” Katz explained. “I saw an opportunity for oversight of commercial litigation across the organization, so my portfolio has significantly expanded since then, as I oversee not only employment litigation, but litigation firm-wide.”

During his time with Related Companies, Katz has helped the company save a lot of money with efficiencies implemented in litigation and how it oversees outside counsel and tracks all litigation matters.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what Katz accomplishes in his day-to-day role. He provides creative and pragmatic counsel and project management on the full spectrum of HR matters, including policy and process design. He also conducts and advises on investigations and leads manager trainings.

Katz also implemented a full suite of Related Companies’ COVID-19 safety protocols, from June 2020’s return to offices, to health screenings, to testing, to contact tracing, to the company’s first-in-industry vaccination mandate, and everything in between.

“Given the industry that we’re in, which is a mix of real estate development and residential and commercial property management, the vast majority of our workforce—from construction to property management—are considered essential workers who have been on the front lines of our properties every step of the way,” he says. “I vividly remember the beginning of all of it in March 2020 when

“I decided early on that I wanted to be a litigator . . . I enjoy the arguing, the sparring, and the debate. When I focused on the areas of litigation I was interested in, I was always drawn to the areas that were more personal to people.”

the corporate employees were briefly working from home to comply with state and local mandates. We needed to figure out how to get the corporate workers productively working from home, while safely keeping our frontline workers working.”

That required him to study a patchwork of state and local executive orders in the twenty-five states where Related Companies operates and develop a plan suitable for all.

“I have had the privilege to work with Dave and observe his tremendous growth as an accomplished attorney,” says Robert Bernstein, shareholder at Greenberg Traurig LLP. “Dave’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic showcased his deep understanding of the law, as well as ever-changing regulations, creative approach to solving problems, and ability to turn challenges into new

opportunities. Dave is an absolute pleasure to work with. Greenberg Traurig is fortunate for the opportunity to work closely with Dave and the Related Companies team.”

Over the past couple of years, through counsel on interviewing and hiring practices, training, employee engagement, and other areas, Katz also helped further the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which formalized about two years ago.

“We’re working to bring more DEI not only into Related Companies but the real estate development industry as a whole, which sometimes can look a little homogenous,” he states. “We’re working on bringing in more diversity in our internship program. Last summer, we had by far the most diverse class of interns, and we hope to improve on that again next year.”

Training is another big focus in the year ahead. Alongside his team, Katz plans to dig a little deeper into unconscious bias training, which has been rolled out to about one thousand corporate staff team members.

The chief counsel also anticipates growing more into his role of leading the company’s litigation and trying to create synergies throughout the legal department, specifically creating efficiencies geographically in the law firms Related Companies is hiring.

“Career development-wise, I’m just looking to continue building relationships among leadership across all of our wide array of platforms,” he shares. “I like to think of myself as a trusted adviser, and there are some geographies and segments of the business that I want to build on more and create greater impact, so that will be an area of emphasis.”

“We’re working to bring more DEI not only into Related Companies but the real estate development industry as a whole, which sometimes can look a little homogenous.”

Driving Technological Innovation

Brightspeed strives to provide reliable internet service to underserved rural communities.

Wyre Marshall brings a wealth of experience from Lumen Technologies to support this mission.

By Josephine Adele

FOR AS LONG AS HE CAN REMEMBER, WYRE Marshall’s average workday has consisted of a tornado of answering questions.

As the former vice president and deputy general counsel of corporate transactions at Lumen Technologies, a telecommunications company that offers communications, network services, security, cloud solutions, voice, and managed service, the attorney’s responsibilities spanned multiple areas. His dynamic tasks included overseeing the organization’s treasury, corporate development, drafting of nondisclosure agreements, and billing for the legal department’s outside spend.

Marshall recently brought his extensive experience to a new role as vice president and

deputy general counsel of centralized services at Brightspeed. Despite moving companies, Marshall maintained ties with Lumen Technologies. In August 2021, Apollo Global Management and Lumen Technologies entered an agreement for Apollo to acquire Lumen’s Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier assets and associated operations across twenty states for $7.5 billion. Brightspeed soon formed to provide high-speed Internet to customers in those states.

Brighspeed’s innovative vision states, “to accelerate the upgrade of copper to fiber optic technologies, bringing faster and more reliable Internet service to many rural markets traditionally underserved by broadband providers, while delivering best-in-class customer experience.”

Marshall reports directly to Brightspeed’s general counsel and assists the relatively new internet provider on managing its corporate transactions and providing legal advice to the company’s leaders for centralized services, including treasury, procurement, supply chain, IT, network, and real estate.

Along with bringing his acquired knowledge from Lumen to his new role, Marshall has decades of in-house, as well as in private and public sectors, under his belt. As a student the Georgetown University Law Center, Marshall served as editor of the Journal on Legal Ethics

Following graduation, Marshall joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as an associate in the firm’s corporate securities group. He went on to spend a couple of years as corporate counsel of the San Antonio

Water System, where he negotiated transactional agreements for the procurement of ground and surface water rights, as well as the development and operation of large water resource projects covering the state of Texas.

In 2003, Marshall found his calling in telecommunications and joined CenturyLink as corporate counsel. He spent fifteen years at the company and moved up the legal department hierarchy.

Ultimately named director of corporate strategy and business development, he oversaw the identifying, initiating, and negotiating of relationships with national and international strategic partners. These included strategic alliances, go-to-market commercial offerings, and minority investments.

Marshall describes himself as positive, but realistic, and credits much of his decades of success to developing relationships with mentors. He encourages new attorneys to seek out environments that are supportive, prioritize employee wellbeing, and celebrate mentorship.

He cautions lawyers against dedicating endless hours to simply working hard and billing, believing it’s more productive to focus energy on finding mentors who can offer career-long guidance and support.

The lawyer also emphasizes the importance of remaining flexible and being to tackle new challenges. A firm believer that when one door closes another often opens, Marshall stresses the importance of welcoming new experiences and remaining positive about unexpected hurdles.

When you need sound legal advice, you want more than words in a memo. You deserve attorneys who understand your business, your industry, and your goals.

Kean Miller congratulates our friend and client Wyre Marshall of Lumen Technologies on his recognition in Modern Counsel

LINDA PEREZ CLARK, MANAGING PARTNER

Kathy Madigan VP and Assistant General Counsel, Real Estate Ulta Beauty

Driven by Determination

Kathy Madigan aspired to be a leader within a corporate legal department and forged her own path to get there. Today, she helps Ulta Beauty execute its aggressive growth plan.

By Zach Baliva

THE PATH TO CAREER SUCCESS IS NOT always linear. Kathy Madigan can attest to that. Today, Madigan is flourishing as vice president and assistant general counsel at Ulta Beauty, the nation’s largest beauty retailer. But finding a dynamic team and ascending to a leadership position required her to take a few carefully planned risks.

Madigan embraced what many would consider lateral moves to ensure her career was robust and allowed her to develop the necessary skills to achieve her ultimate goal.

“I continued steadily advancing over the years, but sometimes there were not opportunities to jump to the next level, so I prioritized moves that ensured I was growing as a legal professional, honing skills in certain areas by taking on slightly different roles,” she says.

It’s an all too familiar internal dialogue for any corporate lawyer. The Chicago native and Loyola University School of Law graduate excelled in tax and real estate law and knew early on she wanted to go in-house. While working as part of an internal team brings certain advantages, including a deeper understanding of the business and collaboratively working across the organization,

it’s important to note that legal degrees are increasingly valuable in the modern corporate setting and advancement opportunities can be limited at times.

Prior to joining Ulta Beauty, Madigan spent the majority of her career at McDonald’s. As managing counsel and senior director, she led the asset management and new restaurant development practice groups. In addition, she took on general counsel responsibilities for the operating company, served as regional counsel over operations in Latin America, and supported the US sustainability team.

By raising her hand, Madigan sustained her professional momentum and continued to diversify her skillset. “It’s important to keep growing, and that responsibility falls to each of us,” she says. “Extra assignments, beyond the scope of your everyday responsibilities, help in-house lawyers understand the business more granularly. Seizing every opportunity that comes your way elevates your strategic leadership and abilities.”

In 2019, Madigan came to Ulta Beauty to lead its real estate practice at an important time for the retailer. With more than 1,300 stores across all 50 states today (and adding 50 more

stores in 2022), Madigan supports the company’s growing portfolio with necessary leadership as the demand for legal services increases. She does that with agility, a drive to automate manual processes, create efficiencies, and by partnering with a network of strong regional firms to provide local expertise, where necessary.

Although Ulta Beauty is a large company, its in-house legal team is relatively small. Madigan works with two other attorneys; one paralegal; an executive administrative assistant; and an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) senior manager. She expertly identifies opportunities for professional development by individual and consistently promotes continuous learning.

Creating Ulta Beauty’s first ESG report, alongside General Counsel Jodi Caro, brought some of those opportunities to life for Madigan and her team, who assisted with the major initiative in concert with company leadership and subject matter experts.

Ulta Beauty’s ESG work focuses on “leaving a positive legacy” and comes to life across four, key pillars: people, product, community, and environment. “People” represents how the retailer works to ensure all associates and

guests feel as though they belong at Ulta Beauty. “Product” reflects how the company empowers guests to make informed choices across its unparalleled assortment, especially highlighting Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty™. “Community” underscores Ulta Beauty’s philanthropic efforts, and “Environment” defines how Ulta Beauty will reduce energy consumption and minimize its impact on the world.

Shortly after issuing the 2020 report, Madigan and others began fielding feedback to build upon its foundation, which resulted in more data, disclosures, and governance information, in addition to specific commitments and goals in the 2021 version. Early success indicators include the company’s commitment to have all packaging sold at Ulta Beauty be recyclable, refillable, or made from recycled or biosourced materials by 2025. In 2022, the company doubled its diversity, equity, and inclusion investment to total a $50 million investment, and it committed to setting an emissions reduction target in accordance with the terms of the Science Based Targets initiative.

As Ulta Beauty moves forward, Madigan and her team are managing various legal issues spanning retail,

ESG, and key partnerships. The company saw record profits in the final quarter of 2021 and sustained momentum into 2022 as annual sales spiked 40 percent to $8.6 billion. This accelerated growth is only amplified by the disruptive Ulta Beauty at Target partnership, which brings yet another touchpoint for beauty enthusiasts to discover. Together, the companies plan to roll out 250 more locations this year.

While ecommerce is strong, the value of human connections in-store remains critical to the beauty and retail categories. Reflecting on her own beauty shopping experience, Kathy recalls feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of brands in higher-end department stores. She had a vastly different experience at Ulta Beauty as the associate created an authentic and personalized experience. Today, Madigan takes great pride in having a hand in others having similar experiences.

“At Ulta Beauty, we unlock beautiful possibilities rooted in human connections,” she says. “Our teams are dynamic, agile, and driven to create and nurture meaningful engagement.”

Outside of her role, Madigan serves as a board member at Bridge Communities, where she helps connect those experiencing homelessness in DuPage County to support services. She also mentors junior lawyers and law students and vows to share openly and transparently with the next generation of leaders.

“I tell them about the choices I made throughout my journey, and the impact that created, personally and professionally,” she says. “I remind them to trust their instincts, remain curious, and always continue learning. I live by that and hope it inspires others to keep growing, as well.”

“At Ulta Beauty, we unlock beautiful possibilities rooted in human connections. Our teams are dynamic, agile, and driven to create and nurture meaningful engagement.”

We congratulate Ulta Beauty’s

Kathy Madigan Vice President

Assistant General Counsel,

Real Estate on her career accomplishments and this well-deserved recognition.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve as outside counsel to help Kathy and her team ensure the possibilities are beautiful every day.

Parker Hudson Ken Kraft khk@phrd.com

Brown Rudnick Tom Phillips tphillips@brownrudnick.com

Bartko Zankel David Matthews dmatthews@bzbm.com

Smith Robertson Mike Robertson mrobertson@smith-robertson.com

Empowering the Future

Former EPA lawyer Michael Healey helps Schneider Electric in its mission to reduce customer carbon emissions

By Zach Baliva

MICHAEL HEALEY BUILT HIS CAREER IN environmental law and even worked in Washington, DC, as an attorney/advisor at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). At first glance, it might sound strange that someone with that background now serves as an associate general counsel at Schneider Electric (SE), but Healey says it’s the perfect fit.

Consumers may think SE is a power company, but SE doesn’t make electricity. Instead, it specializes in bringing digital solutions and automation to energy management for residential and commercial properties. Through business lines in industrial automation and power management, SE brings low- and medium-voltage power products and services to oil and gas, utility,

George Ross

Michael Healey Associate General Counsel, US Commercial Operations Schneider Electric

transportation, banking, insurance, IT, and telecommunications customers.

“Everything we do targets energy efficiency and how to make power less expensive and more accessible,” Healey explains.

Healey first joined SE as legal counsel in 2013 and says his friends and colleagues from the EPA approved of the transition once they saw the company’s goals and visions. SE’s purpose is to “empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all.” It pursues that purpose by partnering with businesses to help them realize their full potential in both efficiency and sustainability.

SE announced environmental targets and six, long-term sustainability commitments built around the categories of climate, resources, trust, equality, generations, and local. Its leaders are implementing a robust decarbonization program to assist their top one thousand suppliers in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent before the end of 2025. An annual sustainability report brings transparency and accountability as progress is tracked through quantitative performance indicators.

In 2022, Healey became SE’s associate general counsel of US commercial operations. He manages a team of seven legal professionals providing full legal support to a variety of internal business units. In addition to coordinating all legal matters,

he collaborates with the business units’ executive leadership teams to manage risk, introduce efficiencies, and improve SE’s speed to execution.

While the company is known for bringing innovation to the marketplace, the COVID-19 pandemic caused Healey and other leaders to realize they needed to shore up some of their tech platforms.

“The company and our workload kept growing during the pandemic, and we saw that we could leverage some existing tools to better manage the requests we were getting from our internal clients,” he says. Healey and his IT counterparts united to create a portal intake system designed to streamline how the business units he serves submit and track requests.

Since it was built with software SE already had access to, which had licenses in place, the platform came at a low cost. Leaders are using the system to look at turnaround times, provide metrics, and make a case for more headcount or other resources, when necessary. It worked so well that Healey says other North American legal teams adopted it and are now starting to share the tool with teams in Europe and other parts of the world.

Although a strong company culture and corporate vision attracted Healey to SE, he also was interested in returning home to work in his native Rhode Island. Healey was raised by a single mother in the smallest city in the smallest state. Living within the 1.29 square miles of

“Everything we do targets energy efficiency and how to make power less expensive and more accessible.”

LEADING WITH ENERGY

Congratulations to Michael Healey for his exceptional leadership. We are proud to partner with Michael to build smart, strategic legal solutions that allow Schneider Electric to be successful in its mission to make the most of the world’s energy and resources.

Central Falls gave him a desire to experience more. After studying history and secondary education at the University of Rhode Island, he ventured out for law school at the California Western School of Law.

As a midsize full-service law rm with a national reach, Hinckley Allen attorneys consistently provide effective legal counsel and savvy business guidance to clients across industries. We listen carefully and work closely with you to understand your business and achieve your objectives.

Our litigation attorneys are among the most experienced and effective in the nation. We strive to nd the most practical and sensible way to achieve results that align with our clients’ business interests.

During his time in San Diego, Healey met an influential property law professor, who was also the head of the school’s environmental law program. The area sparked his interest, and Healey decided to finish his JD at Vermont Law School. He worked for Senator Diane Feinstein, went to the EPA, joined a title company, and opened his own firm.

These experiences prepared Healey well for his work at SE. Over the last decade, he’s built legacy knowledge by supporting every business at the large, multinational company. In doing so, he’s developed important relationships with key leaders, gained their trust, and turned himself into a respected business advisor.

In the meantime, Healey credits the company’s senior vice president and chief legal officer, Peter Wexler, with driving the legal department to be less reactive. They’re looking to implement more tools for increased customer satisfaction and will find additional ways to add value.

“I’ve always considered Michael a diligent, team-oriented leader. He is a key member of the Schneider America North America legal team and with the support of Chief Legal Officer Peter Wexler, his legal prowess and experience have helped support the continuous growth of Schneider Electric North America,” says Germaine Gurr, partner at White & Case LLP.

The implementation of new tools and other similar efforts are improving services so SE’s

“Our workload kept growing during the pandemic, and we saw that we could leverage existing tools to better manage the requests we were getting from our internal clients.”

legal department can support the company as it partners with major clients. SE recently worked with Danone Evian to make bottling more ecofriendly. A multiyear maintenance and modernization plan helped drive sustainable outcomes and optimize costs.

Schneider’s teams provided consulting and audit services; power monitoring; and products like MV circuit breakers, MV switchgear, and ECOFIT solutions to reduce energy consumption, minimize downtime, and replace outdated and inefficient equipment. The certified carbon neutral plant reduced energy use by 34 percent per liter of water, with an estimated savings of 315 metric tons of CO2 equivalent and 372 m3 of water.

It’s just one example of the impact SE can make. The French and Fortune Global 500 company has 135,000 employees in 115 countries and annual revenues of €28.91 billion. As the company pursues additional growth, Healey will do all he can to support its important commitments to both innovation and sustainability.

White & Case congratulates

Michael Healey on his recognition by Modern Counsel

White & Case is a global law firm with longstanding presence in the markets that matter today.

Standing Guard

As an attorney who frequently leads the defense of student loan servicer Navient, Associate General Counsel Mark Raschess is ready for any fight that comes his way

By Zachary Brown

DELAWARE-BASED NAVIENT IS A LEADER

in the student loan servicing space. In fact, the company that spun off from Sallie Mae in 2014 now services the loans of millions of borrowers across the country. The volume can result in an active litigation portfolio. And although Navient employs about six thousand employees, a small, but mighty team of litigators guides all major disputes.

Mark Raschess is one of those litigators. He manages a portion of the lawsuits threatened or filed against Navient and its affiliates, and runs point on determining appropriate responsive strategies.

Often, that involves keeping matters in-house and finding effective ways to resolve cases without having to hire counsel and incur the expense of protracted litigation. When that’s not possible, he engages outside firms and oversees their handling of suits, ensuring that matters proceed in a strategic and cost-effective manner.

Representing Navient in these matters is a big responsibility for any lawyer, especially one at the mid-stage of his career. Raschess, practicing law since 2009, says it was experience with high-stakes litigation and mentors at big firms that prepared him for the role.

“I’m lucky to have had people take a special interest in me throughout my career, and supportive senior attorneys make a huge difference in the life of a young lawyer,” he says.

Hard work came naturally to Raschess. His family fled the former Soviet Union

when he was just six years old. They settled in Philadelphia and watching his immigrant parents navigate their new land made a lasting impact.

“Their work ethic—scratching and clawing for everything and ultimately advancing on merit, something not frequently possible where we were from—instilled an appreciation for the opportunities available to me in this country and a drive to excel,” he recalls. In college, Raschess majored in economics and accounting before enrolling at the University of Miami School of Law.

After starting his career with large Miami-area firms, Raschess returned to his hometown as an associate with a prominent Philadelphia firm, where he represented banks, student loan servicers, credit card companies, and other entities in the consumer finance space. Working for large law firms proved invaluable, as it allowed Raschess to obtain extensive litigation experience in both state and federal courts.

Largely running his own files, Raschess drafted motions and pleadings, responded to discovery, prepared witnesses for depositions and trials, took and defended depositions, and appeared before numerous courts and arbitral forums. These experiences allowed Raschess to develop strong relationships with many firm clients, including Navient, who eventually hired him for his first in-house role.

Nine years in private practice helped the litigator get himself ready to defend

“I’m lucky to have had people take a special interest in me throughout my career, and supportive senior attorneys make a huge difference in the life of a young lawyer.”

Navient

Counseling clients since 1926, Stradley Ronon attorneys have helped private and public companies — from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations — achieve their goals by providing pragmatic, value-driven legal counsel.

www.stradley.com

Pennsylvania Washington, DC New York

New Jersey Illinois Delaware

Navient against high-profile claims. Raschess’s mentors taught him how to strategize with all stakeholders, ask specific questions to elicit the right responses, determine the most opportune time to file motions, and the types of arguments judges are most likely to find compelling. Those skills and knowledge help him today as he manages lawyers from outside firms and works to achieve Navient’s litigation objectives.

In addition to managing his own litigation portfolio, Raschess oversees a team of professionals supporting Navient’s bankruptcy and collections lines of business. Employing a collaborative approach, he works with his direct reports to reduce legal spend, minimize case cycle times, and drive favorable outcomes.

Raschess also helps advise the business on litigation trends to facilitate implementation of compliance procedures and is steadily becoming a go-to voice within Navient’s legal department. All the while, Raschess pushes himself to continue his professional growth. He advises others to do the same and not be afraid to ask questions, even those that seem to have “obvious” answers.

“One of an in-house litigator’s primary responsibilities is mitigating risk. In order to help guide the business in this area, you need to accumulate information, evaluate it, and, ultimately, disseminate it to the appropriate stakeholders. That’s much harder to do if you don’t have a complete picture of the risk points involved,” he says.

That strategy has brought Raschess far and will help him this year and beyond. Navient is navigating issues related to COVID-19, potential student loan forgiveness, the ever-changing legal landscape, and shifting economic conditions. Through it all, he stands ready to help mitigate risk, prioritize strategic goals, and deliver great outcomes at Navient.

Stradley Ronon:

“I enjoy working with Mark because he has both an attention to detail and a big picture approach to place any case within the broader frame of the company’s best interests.”

—Eric M. Hurwitz, Cochair, Financial Services Litigation

Stradley Ronon is proud to recognize the achievements of Mark Raschess

Associate General Counsel

Cathi Hunt builds culture from the ground up in her role as vice president and associate general counsel at Vontier

By Billy Yost

Be Open, Be Adaptable

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) HAVE been a meaningful part of Cathi Hunt’s practice for years. The vice president and associate general counsel for global labor, employment, and litigation chaired the diversity committee for the Washington State chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, and now serves as the state chapter’s president elect. She also was a fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, an organization focused on increasing diversity in the legal profession, and

she led the Equal Opportunities Initiatives team at Starbucks, focusing on diversity and equity efforts across the workforce.

Hunt says mentoring those early in their careers is an ideal place to make an impact, particularly to give insight to a new narrative for what a legal career “should” look like.

“I think there’s a common mindset among many in law school that the brass ring is law firm partnership,” she explains. “Law firm partnership may be

the most satisfying career for some, but what’s expected may not always match with your passion. If you are open to experiences and directions you hadn’t initially thought of, I think you may have a more fulfilling career.”

The message Hunt works to impart to the next generation of lawyers is one she herself has lived. The lawyer’s experience evolved widely, from the public defender’s office to a civil defense litigation firm to in-house counsel with a Fortune 250 energy company to a director role at Starbucks, and now a defining role on multiple fronts at Vontier. This includes being part of the company going public in late 2020 and leading integration efforts during the heart of a pandemic.

“I’ve had the opportunity to be part of some well-established companies, but this has been a chance to approach company needs from the opposite end

of the spectrum,” Hunt explains. “It’s a chance to help shape a company from the onset with a business that has the ability to develop and grow in many directions.”

Vontier, a spinoff of Fortive Corporation, is a global industrial technology company focused on smart, sustainable solutions and composed of six operating companies operating in over 150 global locations. Vontier’s portfolio includes businesses centered on retail and commercial fueling, fleet management, telematics, vehicle diagnostics and maintenance, tool sales through a network of franchised mobile distributors, digital payments, and smart cities.

Building a new company from the strong roots of a parent company was a unique best-case scenario Hunt. She was eager to tackle the challenge when she received an offer to join the general counsel’s leadership team before the

company went public, even when it meant accepting the role at the onset of the pandemic in February 2020. This timing, arguably the most challenging moment of modern history, would provide Hunt a chance to impact the organization almost immediately.

The lawyer was tapped with leadership of the global, cross-functional COVID-19 task force that would become responsible for all aspects of Vontier’s pandemic response across its diverse and global employee base.

“Leading the task force was an incredible opportunity to both understand the needs of our businesses and global teams and support continued operations during a public health emergency,” Hunt says. “The Vontier COVID-19 team has devoted great effort to create standardized work to assist all of our employees in their different environments, from those on

Shelly Oberman

Cathi Hunt VP and Associate General Counsel, Global Labor, Employment & Litigation Vontier

manufacturing plant floors to those who travel in the field for service and sales work to our office employees. Our task force impact is something I’m very proud of.” Last year, the team was recognized with the CEO’s first Mobilizing the Future Team Award for Excellence.

Hunt also has worked to establish Vontier as a premier employer in DEI efforts. She lauds President and CEO Mark Morelli for making both vocal and actionable commitments to DEI at Vontier, and Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Katie Rowen for her strong commitment to DEI.

“We’ve been focused on these priorities from day one, which says a lot,” Hunt explains. “We want our culture to reflect our values, and it’s been a very important part of helping people understand that this is who we are and how we work.”

Hunt says the ability to have this kind of impact on a new company is why she joined Vontier. She was able to act as a creator, influencer, and decision-maker from the start, rather than trying to change the established course of the organization. As the future of the company continues to unfold, Hunt has a hand in shaping it.

At present, the word that most immediately comes to mind is “growing,” as Vontier completed its first acquisition (of DRB Systems) at the end of 2021. The obvious challenge is continuing to build out culture, while adding new faces, new expertise, and new businesses, but it’s a challenge Hunt says she’s excited about.

“This is part of what I mean about diversity of experience,” the lawyer says. “I haven’t had a lot of exposure in growing a new company, but that’s part of being adaptable, agile, and collaborative. I see this is a new opportunity for growth and development, and I hope it will make me a better practitioner and business partner in the long run.”

Hunt loves a challenge, both inside the office and out. She is a three-time marathon runner and mountain climber with dreams of reaching the summit of some of the world’s largest mountains. With her track record, there’s no doubt she’ll be seeing the top very soon.

People & Companies

Benjamin Alley P76

Techtronic Industries

Ben Copley P136

DLL

Elia DeLuca P29

Autodesk

Darren Dragovich P132 Western Union

David Fein P128

Standard Chartered Bank

Jordan Flournoy P71

Samsung Electronics America

Richard A. Edlin

Shareholder

Greenberg Traurig, LLP 212.801.6528

edlinr@gtlaw.com

Richard is a trial lawyer with broad experience in both trial and appellate courts, successfully trying numerous cases in federal and state courts.

Shawna Fullerton P68

nVent

Michael Healey P152

Schneider Electric

Kyle Hermanson P60 Invenergy

Cathi Hunt P161 Vontier

Magdalena Jablonski P98 Bosch

Kelli Jones P84 ConocoPhillips

David Katz P140 Related Companies

Robert Bernstein Shareholder Greenberg Traurig, LLP 973.360.7946

bernsteinrob@gtlaw.com

With over 35 years of experience, Rob Bernstein focuses his practice on labor and employment exclusively for management, with an emphasis in litigation and counseling.

Thea Kelly P44

Cummins

Amber Leavitt P109

eBay

Ginene Lewis P64

Vanguard Group

Kathy Madigan P148

ULTA Beauty

Michael Martinez P34

Toyota Motor North America

Wyre Marshall P146

Lumen Technologies

Dan McDonald P101

Unity Technologies

Frank Nuzzi P104 Siemens

Sarah Sandok Rabinovici P14

Resideo

Russell L. Leaf Partner Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP 212.728.8593

rleaf@willkie.com

Russell L. Leaf focuses on advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, activist matters and other significant corporate matters. Russell also regularly counsels corporations and their directors on securities law, corporate governance and finance matters.

Zachary Raimi P94

HH Global

Mark Raschess P158

Navient Solutions

Allison Riter P68 nVent

Erick Rivero P123 Intuit

Rori Robison P18

Pinterest

Abbie Romero P116 Arrow Electronics

Jeffrey Rosenstein P24 AECOM

Ignacio Salvarredi P113 Philip Morris International

Ean Sewall P56 Synopsys

Andrew Shapiro P120 Moody’s Corporation

Neera Shetty P40 PGA TOUR

Steve Son P90 SK hynix

Mike Sullivan P10 Celanese Corporation

Sarah Super P80

Jack in the Box

Destiny Washington P20

Southwire Company, LLC

Elizabeth Winiarski P48

LAZ Parking

Jason Yurasek P52 craigslist

For Your Consideration

“Be present. Be engaged on calls and don’t spend that time returning emails or instant messages, sometimes from other people on that call. Listen more closely instead of preparing to talk (a bad lawyer trait). When not at work, let work go and be present with friends and family. Multitasking is a myth; it’s just giving multiple things a portion of your attention when everything deserves your full attention. Failing to be present and quickly moving on to the next task saps joy out of the moment. The best quote I’ve seen on this is from Eckhart Tolle, ‘Most humans are never fully present in the now because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.’”

—Michael Martinez, Managing Counsel Labor & Employment, Toyota Motor North America, P34

“Professional growth! When you have been practicing law for a long time, it can become easy to rest on your laurels. I resolve to take advantage of an executive education program to sharpen my financial acuity and enrich my leadership skills. Most top graduate business schools offer impressive programs both live and virtual. My resolution is to enroll in and complete an executive program that best serves me.”

—Thea Kelly, Assistant General Counsel, Cummins, P44

—Jeffrey Rosenstein, EVP and General Counsel, AECOM Americas, P24

“Eat more pizza.”

“Rekindle two of my hobbies: drawing and playing piano.”

—Sarah Super; SVP, Chief Legal & Risk Officer, Corporate Secretary; Jack in the Box, P80

“Be more present and live in the moment.”

—Andrew Shapiro, Head Counsel, Global M&A, Moody’s Corporation, P120

“Take time each day to walk. Self-care is important to recharge and get your creative juices going to solve problems. It’s easy to skip it because we are so busy, but it’s vital to success.”

—Sarah Sandok Rabinovici, General Counsel Americas Security & Privacy, Resideo, P14

“Visit someplace new with my family.”

—Elizabeth Winiarski, Deputy General Counsel, LAZ Parking, P48

“Disconnect from my electronic devices more and be more present in the moment.”

—Mark Raschess, Associate General Counsel, Navient Solutions, P158

“I want to continue enhancing my change management skills and help improve those skills for the rest of our legal team to help approach a number of topics, including the rapidly changing regulatory environment and any potential new or changing internal processes and controls. I’d also love to run my first half marathon and teach my daughters how to play the wonderful game of golf!”

—Ben Copley, Legal Director, DLL, P136

—Dan McDonald, Senior Managing Counsel and Head of IP, Unity Technologies, P101

“Take a proper vacation and disconnect from devices for at least forty-eight hours!”

—David Katz; SVP, Chief Counsel for Litigation & Employment; Related Companies, P140

“One, being grateful for the blessings surrounding me every day and the opportunities life has to offer. Two, focus on a methodological and systematic study and development of my personal skills in order to continue growing as a human being to utilize my full potential as a legal professional.”

—Magdalena Jablonski, Senior IP Counsel, Bosch, P98

New year, new you! Check out some of our featured executives’ personal and professional resolutions for 2023.

“Look for opportunities to develop and expand my personal and professional relationships and foster stronger connections with my team. I’d also like to get on the ski slopes a bit more.”

BIGLAW REDEFINED.

When your world changes, your legal partner can make all the difference. At GT, we help clients anticipate and adapt to uncertainty through responsive, transparent service. Agile teams enable faster, more confident decisions. And our global platform lets us work together closely–especially when working remotely. Together, we’re changing how your lawyers work for you.