Brown Bag CLE

By Melissa Pasha

Meet Amy Stipe, a trailblazing female executive and lawyer in a highly competitive and male-dominated industry based in the Midwest. Not only is she the first female President of GableGotwals — a midsize fullservice law firm of 100 attorneys based in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, OK — she was also elected to the then all-male, eight-member Board of Directors two months aftergivingbirthtoherthirdchild,inadditiontohaving two young children at home.

Many female partners at law firms are passed up for leadership opportunities, scale back, or even end up leaving, however Amy felt supported and encouraged to lead despite all the challenges that come with being a working mother in the high-pressure legal industry. She attributes her success to important mentorship from Sid Dunagan, a retired Shareholder at GableGotwals. “To say he's taught me everything I know is an understatement,” said Amy. “You’re told to make sure you have mentors and sponsors to help guide you in your profession. Not only did Sid provide his 45+ years of experience and wisdom, but he also helped advocate on my behalf.”

Amy also attributes her success to having an amazing support system. She said, “like most people, I think one of the more important things that I had to learn early on was that you cannot manage all of your demands