Women in Law - On The Record

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

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

Today’s episode is the second in a two-part series featuring graduates from the Ladder Down program in Cleveland, Ohio. Ladder Down is a national year-long program that provides direct training and career development through a combination of coaches, sponsors, and participants to empower women lawyers in three critical areas:  leadership, business development, and mentoring.

In today’s episode, I’m talking with the graduates from the Ladder Down program including Susan Hughes, Jo Tatarko, and Alanna Guy. We talk about the benefits they’ve seen from their participation in Ladder Down, what their big takeaways were from the program, and personal experiences that made a lasting impact on each of them. I truly enjoyed our conversation because it was everything I hope to achieve with this podcast–real conversations with hard working women making it in the legal industry. To those who participated in this episode and to all of you listening - keep up the great work.

Today’s episode is the first in a two-part series featuring graduates from the Ladder Down program in Cleveland, Ohio. Ladder Down is a national year-long program that provides direct training and career development through a combination of coaches, sponsors, and participants to empower women lawyers in three critical areas:  leadership, business development, and mentoring.

In today’s episode, I’m talking with Kelley Barnett who founded the Cleveland chapter of Ladder Down and is the current chair. Kelley and I became friends through this podcast as she was one of my very first listeners. From day one, I have seen first hand that Kelley practices what she preaches and that is to uplift other women in our field. I so appreciate that about her. After Kelley, I have one-on-one conversations with Aanchal Sharma, Janet Stewart Scalley, and Talia Sukol Karas where we talk about their backgrounds and their experience in going through the Ladder Down program.

Today’s episode is a panel discussion with several impressive ladies - including Kelli Roach (General Counsel of Black Mountain Sand), Christina Sanders (General Counsel of NGP ETP, and Casey Moore (Senior Counsel for Litigation at Vistra Corp). Each of them is a member of the Women’s Energy Network - North Texas Division. The vision of the Women’s Energy Network is to provide networking and community outreach opportunities and foster career and leadership development. Although I spoke with lawyers today, the organization invites women from all different backgrounds. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Kelli, Christina, and Casey. They shared valuable advice, interesting experiences, and lots of laughs too. But I think my favorite moments in our conversation were the really specific, tangible examples of how they’ve all managed to overcome challenges and insecurities. They’re all talented lawyers and I so appreciated learning more about how they got to where they are.

Today’s episode is the second part in a two-part series featuring four impressive ladies from the Institute for Energy Law (aka IEL): Tina Nguyen (Partner at Baker Botts in Houston), Kristi McCarthy (General Counsel and VP of the Land Department at Chevron Upstream), Suzana Blades (Managing Counsel - Commercial Litigation and Arbitration at ConocoPhillips, and Daniella Landers (Partner at Womble Bond and Dickinson).

In this episode we talk about IEL. The mission and vision of IEL is to provide superior educational and professional opportunities for lawyers and other professionals in the energy industry through educational courses, conferences, scholarly publications and membership activities. During our conversation, you will hear about what the organization is doing to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the energy law industry. 

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

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

She has a fascinating story and background. I’m confident you’ll enjoy hearing all about it.

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

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

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

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

Today I’m talking with Raven Moore, Managing Counsel of Commercial Litigation for McDonald’s. A native of Chicagoland, Raven grew up thinking she would either be a lawyer or a comedian. As you will hear, we got a chuckle out of her comedic aspirations but, in truth, Raven could have been anything she wanted to be. She followed her instinct to the law. She attended the University of Dayton where she studied communications management, then headed south to Tulane for law school. While she had a passion for human rights, she was drawn towards litigation so she took a job with a Chicago-based firm, Sachnoff & Weaver where she cut her teeth as a young lawyer. 

Raven reflects on some of the key experiences she had from her early years of practice and commends those more senior lawyers around her at the time for giving her meaningful opportunities. Sachnoff & Weaver later merged with Reed Smith, which is where Raven made partner as a new mom. The experience was both a proud moment for Raven, who worked hard for years to obtain that achievement, but also a reflection of the impact Raven made at her firm. Not surprisingly, she continues to make the same type of impact today as in-house counsel for McDonald’s, where she has been for the last 8 years. I told Raven during our discussion that she is truly a role model for me and I think you’ll understand why after hearing her humbly walk us through the admirable career she has enjoyed thus far.

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

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

Today is a really special episode of Women In Law On The Record because I’m sharing an insightful panel discussion regarding how to be successful in business development. The panel featured some familiar faces and voices - like Amy Tu, Chief Legal Officer of Tyson Foods and Catherine MacDonagh, Founder of the Legal Lean Sigma Institute. It also featured Kristin Ng, a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig’s Northern Virginia office. As you will hear, these ladies offer their experiences, advice, and wisdom on all things business development. 

You will hear me talk about this at the beginning of our discussion but I wanted to reiterate my thanks to Avocate and Greenberg Traurig for putting this panel together and giving us all the opportunity to have this important discussion. For those that don’t know, Avocate is a women’s legal mentoring network building a community that connects law students with practicing attorneys. I have been a mentor in Avocate for a couple years now and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested. To find out more about how to get involved, go to avocateforwomen.com. 

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

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

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

Today I’m talking with Amy Tu, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Tyson Foods in Springdale, Arkansas. As you will hear, Amy has great responsibility as she oversees the legal department, ethics and compliance, corporate communications, government investigations, and internal audit. Amy is also the President of Tyson Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in companies developing breakthrough technologies. Amy attended Wellesley College where she studied economics. After graduation, she spent a couple years on Wall Street where she cut her teeth in the corporate world. She moved back to her native Arkansas with the hope that she would work on President Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign. Amy then attended law school at the University of Arkansas. 

Towards the end of her law school career, she applied for a torts job at Walmart. But instead of interviewing for that job, she got a call from Walmart’s General Counsel who was intrigued by her Wall Street experience and asked her what she really wanted to do, to which she answered “international law.” Amy spent a few years at Walmart but attributes many of her career and legal lessons to her time at Boeing where she spent 16 years making a name for herself, building up her own practice, and going through experiences that would prepare her for her current role at Tyson. My takeaway from Amy’s story is that you must ask for what you want and do everything you can to make your goals a reality. That’s exactly what Amy did when she moved abroad while working for Boeing but before they had any attorneys outside the United States. Amy was diligent to create a place for herself in their London office. This effort took many months, a lot of relationship development, and unwavering drive. It’s one of Amy’s proudest accomplishments but just one example of what it took to get to where she is.