University of Miami, School of Law, J.D. 1994
What impact has being a member of the South Florida Women In-House Counsel Group had for you?
As a founding member of this Group with Sira, I am honored to be part of the South Florida Women In-House Counsel. For me it is always important to “give back” as I have been so lucky in my several decade legal career to receive coaching and mentoring from several lawyers along the way. So, the impact for me is to “stop and be grateful” for all that I have learned and accomplished being an in-house attorney, and to meet and mentor the younger attorneys coming behind me. I love the camaraderie and collegiality of this group. We do a combo of fun and learning activities but all within a great group of women.
What inspired you to pursue a career in law?
My inspiration for pursuing a legal career actually came from my career in banking as a corporate loan officer for several years. After earning a Liberal Arts degree from Vanderbilt and spending several years living in Madrid, I pursued an MBA at the University of Miami to deepen my involvement in the business world. Following graduation, I joined Bank of America’s corporate lending program and advanced to an AVP/Commercial Lending Officer role.
In that capacity, I worked closely with outside counsel to structure and document complex lending transactions for corporate clients. Through that collaboration, I discovered a strong interest in the legal side of deal-making—particularly in crafting and negotiating the agreements that bring transactions to life. Encouraged by one of the attorneys I worked with, I made the decision to attend law school at the University of Miami.
From the outset, my motivation for entering the legal profession was grounded in transactions, rather than litigation. More than three decades after graduating from law school, I continue to find deep satisfaction in practicing law—on my own terms within a corporation and in the way that best aligns with my strengths and interests.
How do you align legal strategies with the overall business goals in your company?
In order to align legal strategies to the overall business goals of the company, your first step is to learn as much as you can about the company, its people, its products and services, its history, and its risk tolerance. I would recommend that when you start a new role it is a good idea to meet with persons from the various business areas to obtain background information about the company and its business and goals. Once you have spent a lot of time doing “due diligence” on the company and its people, you can then consider the legal strategies that you would consider important and you will be more prepared to give solid guidance. To me, the most important skill you can work on is getting invited to the meetings all over the company, building trust with the business so that they come to get your advice and input early on and then make sure to publicize your “wins” when you are able to successfully support the business. End goal is to be invited to the meetings where your advice is sought after and not having to be brought in as an “after thought”. You always want to be top of mind to the business leaders. So, a coffee every few months with the leaders is important. It doesn’t have to be so formal, it could be grab a lunch or just a check in session of some kind.