What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have recently been involved in?

In 2022, the company relocated our headquarters from Irvine, California to New York City, New York. I led the efforts to ensure that the relocation was smooth and that everything was set up and ready for our relocation. This was a multi-disciplinary project involving real estate, regulatory, labour and employment, and general corporate law issues. In addition to this project, I handled the company’s ongoing legal issues, including franchise law, contract negotiation, cross-border topics involving Canada and Latin America, intellectual property issues, and managing litigation across the U.S.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

The past two years have taught us that change, even dramatic change, is constant; we must be flexible and adaptable; and we must create contingency plans. Corporate legal teams need to be prepared to ask questions and create solutions to potential challenges, and they need to be positioned to develop guidance that will be relevant in an ever-changing business landscape. As lawyers, we are taught to look at issues from a variety of perspectives and this ability to see different challenges and opportunities will allow the corporate legal team to provide relevant and thoughtful advice as problems become even more complex and interconnected. The corporate legal team can provide stability and strategic advice to assist the company in navigating during turbulent times.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

When you are an in-house lawyer, your clients are your business colleagues. Providing practical and timely advice is imperative. In-house lawyers need to evaluate business considerations, weigh risk, and create solutions that will be effective for the business but will also protect the company. It is important to show your business partners that you care about their goals and objectives and that your job is to assist them to meet those goals, not impede them. An in-house lawyer who understands the objectives of the business and who demonstrates to her business partners that she is interested in supporting those objectives will gain the trust and respect of her business partners. Having the trust and respect of your business partners ensures that in-house lawyers are consulted during the decision-making phase so that their opinions can be considered and addressed. Without this trust, in-house lawyers can be viewed as hindrances to new ideas and left out of the developmental process, leaving the in-house lawyers side-lined to providing advice only after something goes wrong. An in-house lawyer who has a strong relationship with her business partners can be an integral partner in shaping the company’s success.