Legal Lady Boss
Senior Counsel for Reproductive Rights and Health, National Women’s Law Center
As Avocate has grown over the years, many of our mentors I haven’t had the pleasure to meet. However, it doesn’t mean I’m not aware of their stories and the impact they are making on our community. I came to learn about Leila
Jade Levi from an email from her mentee (whom I haven’t met either) about the impact Leila has had on her. As Senior Counsel for Reproductive Rights and Health for the National Women’s Law Center, Leila is focused on advocacy in the professional work that she does. She is also personally committed to advocating for our legal landscape to reflect our society at large with her focus on diversity and inclusion. Thank you to Leila and all our passionate mentors who are so generous with their time.
Counsel, Data Privacy, Sephora
When I first asked Gabriella to share insights into her career path, I was intrigued by her ability to follow an unconventional path as both an attorney and fashion designer. How many people can say they’ve had Colette place orders for their designs? However, it’s her reminder for all women to advocate for themselves and have the courage to ask for what they want that resonated the most with me, and I know you’ll feel the same way.
Francesca Witzburg- Partner, Loza and Loza LLP
The pandemic tested our ability to adapt to new circumstances. It meant spending more time on our devices than we ever had experienced before, and for some attorneys like Francesca Witzburg, it meant finding new avenues to reach a larger “audience” and build her business thanks to this virtual uptick. Francesca’s story speaks to making lemonade out of lemons and that the magic really happens when you bet on yourself. This interview will spark motivation no matter what phase you are in in your life and career.
Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton
Megan Bannigan is very much a renaissance woman- partner, adjunct professor, mom, wife. She does it all gracefully and with total humility, although that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have bragging rights— Megan has worked on some of the most high-profile intellectual property cases. Perhaps you heard about the Nike “Satan” Shoes” case in the headlines over the past few weeks?
Below Megan shares how she made partner right after coming back from maternity leave and words of wisdom on handling uncertainty. Enjoy!
Julie Zerbo- Found and Editor-in-Chief, The Fashion Law
Does the name Julie Zerbo sound familiar? If you’re a lawyer in the fashion space, you’ve undoubtedly heard of her and her media company, The Fashion Law. I first learned about Julie back when I was in law school in Washington DC- you’ll read below that she was attending a neighboring DC law school while I was there. She was then and continues to be a force to be reckoned with. Our networks and careers have had us crossing paths over the years, and I’ll admit Julie’s success can be intimidating. But as you peel back the layers you’ll see that there is a reason Julie has become an authoritative voice in the fashion industry- namely, she’s incredibly smart and her work ethic is unparalleled. Her commitment to her craft and her resilience to take an unconventional path are refreshing, and she serves as an inspiration for all of us to question the unknown, be curious, and stay true to yourself.
Miranda Lam- Partner, McCarthy Tretault
I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Miranda over the past few years, and I’ve always been impressed by how humble she remains even with a dynamic and remarkable career. Her commitment to furthering gender equality at her firm is a testament to passion leading your purpose, and she serves as now and into the future.
Silvia Pastor Finkelstein- Assistant District Attorney at the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office; Director, Office of Immigrant Affairs
When one of our mentors, Amanda Reiss, casually told me about her mom’s move from Spain to the United States to begin her legal career, her story stuck with me. I couldn’t get her out of my head. In a time like this, we all need inspiring stories of those who have persevered despite adversity. People who don’t take “no” for an answer. When I finally got to interview Silvia, I could understand why her passion drives her purpose and was blown away by how she’s handled some of the toughest issues (immigration, children’s rights, and narcotics) with the utmost compassion and professionalism. Most of all, Silvia has words of wisdom for all of us as we’re living through unprecedented times, and it means always remembering gratitude.
Louise Firestone- SVP and General Counsel, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc.
As I reached out to Louise to participate in Legal Lady Boss, I reflected on when I first met her (see below for the full story). She left a lasting first impression on me not only because she is General Counsel to the company that owns some of the largest luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Veuve Clicquot, Fendi, and Bulgari, but she’s been an advocate for other women in the legal field throughout her career. Louise’s inherent curiosity and interest in learning about the different facets of her client’s business is instrumental to her success as in-house counsel and is a takeaway for all attorneys in better serving their clients.
Truth be told, I reached out to Katherine (Katy) Spicer because I was interested in the work she’s doing at Squire Patton Boggs with the Women’s Enterprise. I didn’t expect to me absolutely blown away by her. A former supply officer in the Marine Corps and fierce litigator, she is passionate about uplifting and supporting women in the legal industry- using her leadership skills for a greater cause. She and Squire Patton Boggs have been incredible supporters of Avocate with a series of events in several of their offices this year. I know you’ll appreciate her honesty below.
Roxanne Elings is a a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine in their New York City office. She’s a force in the intellectual property world, but as you’ll read below it wasn’t all planned out. While her career has been wildly impressive- Roxanne was the first to obtain orders that addressed the challenges resulting from online IP theft- none of it came without sheer hard work and persistence. Through her own personal journey she’s had to advocate for herself as a female in the workplace, which has led to her mentoring and sponsoring other women along the way. She says it best in that “you can’t pay it back, you can only pay it forward.” Cheers to her words of wisdom paying it forward to all of us.
Angelique Okeke’s career has taken her from coast to coast for opportunities at companies lawyers only dream of working for. All the time, she’s remained committed to giving back to the community and supporting young attorneys.
Allison Stewart is a commercial litigator in Dallas at Greenberg Traurig LLP and happens to be a mentor in the Dallas region for Avocate. When she’s not in court, she also dedicates her time to interviewing female attorneys for her podcast, Women in Law On the Record. If you haven’t listened yet, stop reading and download immediately (then come back here to finish reading of course). Suggestion on an episode to listen to? Avocate’s founder was featured on one of the episodes , and you can listen here.
Barbara has had an impressive career leading the legal departments of fashion companies like Stuart Weitzman, Seven for All Mankind, and Kate Spade. She’s also an adjunct professor, editor of the pivotal textbook on fashion law, and co-director of Cardozo’s FAME program. Power woman doesn’t even begin to describe her. She’s a trailblazer in the legal industry coining the term “fashion law” and giving lawyers a seat at the business table at fashion companies.