Biographies

Shaping Tomorrow Conference

Grace Aduroja

Manager of Women’s Initiatives, Williams and Connolly LLP

Grace Aduroja is a Michigan native, facilitator and executive coach whose career has spanned multiple industries. After graduating from Wayne State University in Detroit, she began her career as the youngest reporter at the Chicago Tribune. For four years she worked as a journalist at the newspaper before heading to law school at the University of Michigan.

Upon graduation, Grace moved to Washington, D.C. to work as an associate at Williams & Connolly. After a stint working in crisis communications, Grace received her leadership and executive coaching certification from Georgetown University and now works as the Manager of Women's Initiatives at Williams & Connolly. In this role, Grace focuses on all things that empower women attorneys and staff to have fulfilling professional lives. This includes exploring ways to train, retain and recognize female talent across the firm. She also empowers private clients as an executive coach and facilitator of retreats and workshops, serving leaders in a large swath of industries.  Full bio  »

Danielle Allison

President & Chief Executive Officer at Ms. JD

Danielle Allison is the Chief Executive Officer of Ms. JD, where she leads with a vision to create a legal profession where every woman can design and realize her career without limit. A proud graduate of Florida State University and Harvard Law School, Danielle began her legal journey as a law clerk to then-Chief Judge U.W. Clemon of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. She then practiced in the litigation group at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP (now Eversheds Sutherland) in Atlanta, Georgia, where she also served as founding chair of the firm’s “Women Stepping Up” philanthropy initiative, co-chair of the women attorneys group, and a member of the hiring committee.

Under Danielle’s leadership, Ms. JD has expanded its national footprint and influence through the development and implementation of a portfolio of trademarked programs designed to meet the evolving needs of diverse girls and women across the United States. Her innovative and impactful initiatives—Determined to Rise, a law and leadership program for middle school girls; the Law Student Leadership Academy, focused on leadership and professional development for women law students; and LaddHer Up, a distinctive retreat for early-career women law firm associates to engage directly with women general counsel—have garnered national recognition for their ingenuity and effectiveness.

Danielle is a former Fellow of the American Bar Association Business Law Section (2013–2015) and has held leadership roles with numerous organizations, including the State Bar of Georgia Committee to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Profession, Leadership Atlanta’s LEAD Atlanta Class of 2012, the Atlanta Women’s Foundation Destiny Fund Class of 2009, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, and the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers.

A dedicated member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Danielle has served on the Board of Directors of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations and is a past president of the Junior League of Lee County, Alabama. She was also an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where she designed and taught a course on leadership for women in law.  Full bio  »

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Feeding America

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot is a leader and advocate dedicated to combating hunger and strengthening communities. Her decades long service in social justice and humanitarian efforts is emblematic of her unwavering commitment to working alongside people experiencing food insecurity to create sustainable, equitable solutions in the movement to end hunger. Since 2018, Claire has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Feeding America, a network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs, and the largest charity in the United States since 2022, according to Forbes. Prior to joining Feeding America, Claire has been entrusted to lead effective teams for three decades, including 13 years on Walmart's leadership team, most recently as executive vice president and global treasurer where she had global responsibility for tax, treasury operations, capital markets, investor relations, global risk management, casualty, and self-insurance, leading teams across 28 countries and over 1,000 associates worldwide. 

A Louisiana native, Claire holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, La.; and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas. Claire was named one of Time's 100 most influential people of 2020. In 2021, she was honored with PRWeek’s Communicator of the Year award and Southern Methodist University’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Claire was among Forbes 50 over 50 in 2022, and, in 2023, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities honored Claire with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Her relentless pursuit of an equitable, hunger-free America exemplifies her as a trailblazer and a compassionate advocate for social justice.  Full bio  »

Reena Bajowala

Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig

Reena R. Bajowala, CIPP/US, CIPM, CIPT, is a Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP.  Reena has deep experience in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, data privacy, and information technology law. With being named a Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, Reena is a trusted advisor to clients navigating complex data challenges. Her leadership extends to her role on the Steering Committee of the U.S. Secret Service’s Chicago Cyber Fraud Task Force, and as a 2021-2023 Fellow of the American Bar Association’s Cyberspace Law Subcommittee.

Reena helps companies, including those in regulated spaces, stand up AI governance programs, including creating policies, procedures, disclosures, vendor management, and trainings for a defensible compliance program. She drafts agreements for companies that are developing and/or deploying AI tools. She keeps up to date on AI legislation and regulatory enforcement domestically and globally.

When experiencing a data breach, clients turn to Reena to help guide them through the investigation and related legal obligations. She develops InfoSec compliance programs and conducts executive tabletop exercises. Reena also represents buyers and providers of IT services regarding billing and performance disputes, copyright and licensing disputes, and to protect the interests of companies during software audits.

A passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Reena has been widely recognized for her leadership and pro bono work. She has been named a “cornerstone” of SABA North America, a “best under 40” by NAPABA, and a “powerful and influential woman” by the Illinois Diversity Council. Her dedication to justice has earned her accolades from organizations such as the Shriver Center on Poverty Law and the Public Interest Law Initiative. In 2005, she founded the University of Michigan Law School’s Origins Public Interest Fellowship, which has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding to public interest students.  Full bio  »

Michelle Banks

Strategic Advisor and Coach, BarkerGilmore

Michelle Banks is a Strategic Advisor at BarkerGilmore, specializing in providing executive leadership coaching to women general counsels. She also delivers keynote speeches and leads strategic and professional development workshops. For ten years, Michelle was Executive Vice President, Global General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer of apparel retailer Gap Inc. (Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta). Before joining Gap, she worked as legal counsel for the Golden State Warriors NBA team and in Tokyo as American counsel for Itochu Corporation. Her prior law firm practices with Sheppard Mullin and Morrison & Foerster in California and New York focused on corporate finance and international commercial transactions. 

Michelle co-founded UCLA Law Women LEAD, a network of more than 4,500 women law students and alumnae from her alma mater supporting their leadership, empowerment, advancement, and distinction. She also co-founded Ms. JD’s award-winning LaddHer Up retreat, which pairs women general counsel with women law firm associates for inspiring professional development and mentorship. For three years, Michelle served as a Commissioner on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession and she has continued to support their gender equity initiatives since then. 

Michelle has been recognized widely for her professional accomplishments and her dedication to enhancing the careers of others, including receiving the American Bar Association’s Margaret Brent Woman Lawyer of Achievement Award. Michelle and 22 co-authors published a best-selling anthology, Women in Law Discovering the True Meaning of Success, available from Amazon, bookshop.org, and other booksellers. This book chronicles the career journeys of 23 women lawyers and is intended to inspire people to define their own pathways to success in their lives. Proceeds are donated to nonprofit Ms. JD.  Full bio  »

William Bay

Partner, Thompson Coburn LLP and President, American Bar Association

William R. “Bill” Bay, a partner with the St. Louis office of national law firm Thompson Coburn LLP, is president of the American Bar Association, the world’s largest voluntary association of lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals.

A longtime leader in the ABA, Bay co-chaired the Practice Forward initiative, which addressed member concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of the profession. Bay also served as chair of the House of Delegates from 2018 to 2020 and, from 2012 to 2013, chaired the Section of Litigation. He chaired the ABA Day Planning Committee Chair in both 2021 and 2022.

A Fellow in the American Bar Foundation, Bay served on the ABA Board of Governors and chaired its Finance Committee from 2015 to 2016. For more than 20 years, he has been a member of the ABA House of Delegates, serving on numerous committees.

Bay’s leadership has extended to other ABA entities, including its Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services (chair, 2009 to 2012); Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession; Commission on Governance; Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fundraising Committee; Death Penalty Representation Project; and Young Lawyers Division.

Beyond the ABA, Bay is active in several local and state bar associations. He is a past president of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and a past member of The Missouri Bar Board of Governors, where he chaired several committees. He is a Fellow of The Missouri Bar Foundation.

Notably, Bay has been selected to co-chair several statewide commissions focused on increasing access and opportunities for women attorneys; achieving equal access to justice for litigants, regardless of race or ethnicity; and exploring the future of the legal profession in Missouri. He currently co-chairs the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness.

Bay is a highly experienced litigator who has represented major corporations in high-stakes litigation for more than 30 years. His clients vary from major financial institutions to manufacturers to post-secondary institutions, and he regularly helps organizations manage and respond to large portfolios of litigation in multiple jurisdictions. He is also a member of the American Law Institute, the leading independent organization in the United States that produces scholarly work to clarify, modernize and improve the law.

In recent years Bay has been honored with the Spurgeon Smithson award, a top honor given by The Missouri Bar; the Distinguished Lawyer Award, the highest honor awarded by the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; an Excellence in Law Award from St. Louis Magazine; and Missouri Lawyers Weekly’s Influential Lawyer Award. He has appeared in The Best Lawyers in America since 2012 and has been recognized by Best Lawyers multiple times as the St. Louis Lawyer of the Year for Litigation-Banking and Finance.

Bay received his B.A. from the University of Missouri and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.  Full bio  »

Hon. Sharon Bowen, JD-MBA '82

Chair of NYSE, Director of Intercontinental Exchange

Commissioner Sharon Bowen was the first African American to be appointed as Commissioner of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. She was sworn in on June 9, 2014 and served in the CFTC until 2017. Prior to her role in the CFTC, Commissioner Bowen was confirmed by the US Senate and appointed by President Obama to serve as Vice Chair and Acting Chair of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Previous to her work in the Obama administration, Commissioner Bowen had a renowned three-decade career in corporate and transactional law as an associate at Davis, Polk & Wardwell and later as associate and partner at Latham & Watkins. She currently serves on the Board of the Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) and certain of its affiliates, including as Chair of the New York Stock Exchange. She also sits on the Board of Neuberger Berman and serves on its Audit Committee, the Board of Akamai Technologies and serves on its Audit and ESG Committees and Chairs Bakkt Trust. She is a partner of Seneca Women, a global leadership platform dedicated to connecting and advancing women in the economy. She is also a recipient of the 2011 Diversity Trailblazer Award of the New York State Bar Association and was selected as the New York City Bar Association 2007 Diversity Champion and the Metropolitan Black Bar Association 2006 Lawyer of the Year. In 2022, she was inducted into the Futures Industry Association Hall of Fame. She is also the recipient of the 2022 Women in Derivatives Luminary Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2023, Commissioner Bowen received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Northwestern University. Commissioner Bowen holds a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia and a JD-MBA from Northwestern University. Commissioner Bowen has also served as a former Executive Committee Member and Chair of the Law School Board.  Full bio  »

Alpha Brady, JD '86

Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer of the American Bar Association

Alpha M. Brady is the Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer of the American Bar Association. She is the executive staff leader of more than 1,000 staff in Chicago, IL; Washington, DC; Harlingen, TX; Houston, TX; and San Diego, CA; and is responsible for a budget of approximately $220 million, including significant grant funding and 501(c)(3) contributions. Ms. Brady works collaboratively with the Officers of Association to ensure implementation of the mission, goals and objectives of the ABA.

Prior to assuming the position of Interim Executive Director, Ms. Brady served as the Deputy Executive Director of the American Bar Association. She had executive management responsibilities for the Division of Policy and Planning Administration, the Division for Legal Services, the Center for Professional Responsibility, the Division for Bar Services, the Division for Public Education, the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, the Office of the President and the Center for Innovation. These entities provide management, national leadership, legal policy development, and strategic planning for ABA entities and affiliates.

Before serving as the Deputy Executive Director, Ms. Brady was Senior Associate Executive Director and Chief Governance Officer. She has been with the Association since 1988, beginning her tenure with the Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity, where she served as Associate Director.

Ms. Brady received her JD from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and her BS Degree in Business Administration and History from Elmhurst College. She is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois. Alpha Brady has also received an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Elmhurst University.

Alpha Brady is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Association of Women Lawyers, the Association Forum, the American Society of Association Executives (“ASAE”) and the ASAE’s Key Professional Association Committee. She serves on the Law Board of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She also serves as President of the Center for Re-Creation and Family Training, Inc.  Full bio  »

Alfreda Bradley-Coar

Execituve Vice President, Chief Legal and People Officer , Obama Foundation

Alfreda Bradley-Coar serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and People Officer for the Obama Foundation. Alfreda is an accomplished corporate executive, business advisor and civic leader. She is a highly regarded, strategic thought leader known for her enterprise risk and strategy expertise in healthcare, insurance, financial services, and transportation industries.

Alfreda thrives in organizations undergoing dynamic and disruptive change and is a leader in strategy, legal, finance, regulatory matters, operational insights, and human capital management. She was the principal advisor for The Bradley Coar Enterprise Risk & Strategy Group,where she provided confidential C-Suite advisory services for emerging businesses. During her 23 years at General Electric (GE), Alfreda held senior executive, general counsel, and leadership roles in global legal and operations divisions with $2B - $125B annual revenues in over 100 countries. Over the course of her tenure at GE, she managed and transformed business and law departments including legal, compliance, regulatory, product and licensing. Alfreda was an architect of diversity and inclusion, change management and talent development initiatives, including being a National Operating Leader for the GE African American Forum.

Bradley-Coar is a long-time resident of Chicago and is actively involved in civic and community efforts as a Board Director for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and Chicago State University Foundation, and as a Strategy Advisor Committee Member to the CEO and Board of Advocate Aurora Health. She is a member of several national organizations including, Executive Leadership Council (ELC) and Black Directors Health Equity Agenda, Inc.

Alfreda earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.  Full bio  »

Paulette Brown

Former President of the American Bar Association 

Paulette Brown is the first woman of color to lead the American Bar Association (ABA), as its president in its history. As the leader of this 400,000 voluntary member organization, Brown was responsible for governance, advocacy and serving as the voice and face of the ABA. Her presidential initiatives, through her Diversity & Inclusion 360 Commission, resulted in  an unprecedented number of policies developed and approved by the ABA, having a long-lasting impact on diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and the justice system. Brown also made history by  simultaneously serving  as the first person of color to Chair the Labor & Employment Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. 

Brown is  a past president of the National Bar Association (NBA). Brown is a  retired Partner and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at an AmLaw law firm and a former judge in New Jersey. She Chairs the Board of the New Jersey Institute of Social Justice and  is internationally recognized for her dedication and efforts relating to diversity, equity & inclusion, including the impact of implicit bias and is a frequent speaker and educator on both. Brown  is the co-author of three ground-breaking Reports, “Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms”; “Left Out and Left Behind: The Hurdles, Hassles and Heartaches of Achieving Long-Term Legal Careers for Women of Color”; and “Legal Careers of Parents and Caregivers.”  She has also authored several articles relating to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Brown is a graduate of Howard University and Seton Hall University School of Law where she has been honored with their alumni awards and  has received numerous other awards and honors, including the Margaret Brent Woman of Achievement Award from the ABA and the C. Francis Stradford Award, highest award conferred by the NBA. Brown holds three honorary doctorate degrees. She also serves on the Boards of The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. the Community Trust Foundation of NJ and Seton Hall Law School.  Full bio  » 

George Chen

Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP

George Chen is a nationally recognized, award-winning intellectual property lawyer who litigates high-stakes intellectual property disputes and who also helps clients grow their patent and trademark portfolios.  He serves on the global Board of Directors of the law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP (BCLP), which is one of the world’s top 100 law firms, with over 30 offices and 1,300 lawyers worldwide.  George also is the leader of the Intellectual Property Practice in the Phoenix office of BCLP. 

George partners with long-term clients to develop, protect, litigate, and license patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.  He has been recognized by the Chambers and Partners as Band 1 for Intellectual Property in Arizona; Best Lawyers of America as the Intellectual Property Litigation “Lawyer of the Year”, the Patent Law "Lawyer of the Year", and the Copyright Law “Lawyer of the Year”, all in Phoenix; IAM Patent 1000 as a “World’s Leading Patent Professional”; World Trademark Review as a "World's Leading Trademark Professional"; the State Bar of Arizona as the "Member of the Year"; and the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education as a “Top Pro Bono Attorney."

George has testified before a Congressional committee, has appeared in the media (including on NBC News), and is a co-inventor of 4 US patents.  He served as a past President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), which represents the interests of more than 80,000 AANHPI lawyers and judges across the country. 

George has served as a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates, which sets policy for the ABA, an organization that represents the interests of over 1.3 million lawyers and judges in the United States.  George also is a Commissioner on the ABA Commission for Women in the Profession, where he co-chairs the Men in the Mix Committee.  Full bio  »

Karol Corbin-Walker

Partner, Kaufman Dolowich & Chair, ABA Commission on Women in the Profession

Karol Corbin Walker is a partner at Kaufman Dolowich and Chair of the ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession, focusing her law practice on commercial litigation, business and transactional litigation, labor and employment, toxic tort, and product liability matters. Her clients have included many Fortune 500 corporations, publicly and privately held corporations, financial institutions, entertainers, and insurance companies.

With her dedication to the law, community, and volunteerism, Ms. Walker has conquered many barriers to equality during her career. In 1995, she became the first African American woman to attain partner status at any major New Jersey law firm. In 2012, Ms. Walker became the first African American female President of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, and in August 2020, she became the first person of color and first woman, to serve as Chair of New Jersey’s delegation of the American Bar Association’s Nominating Committee of its House of Delegates.  Full bio  »

Kelly McNamara Corley

Principal, The Red Bee Group

Full bio  »

Kelley Cornish, JD '83

Managing Partner, Selendy Gay PLLC

Kelley Cornish is a leading bankruptcy and insolvency lawyer. Over the course of her career, Kelley has represented all participants in bankruptcy cases and corporate restructurings: debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, official and unofficial committees, and acquirers of distressed assets. Her notable representations include Sears, Diamond Sports Group, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Ryze Renewables, Westmoreland Mining, Bumble Bee Foods, Alorica, Jack Cooper Ventures, Triangle Petroleum, The Bon-Ton Stores, Performance Sports Group, AbitibiBowater (now known as Resolute Forest Products), and the acquirors of Brooks Brothers and Lucky Apparel.

As a former litigator, Kelley combines her extensive bankruptcy and litigation experience to guide clients through complex, high-stakes restructuring and insolvency disputes, bankruptcy-related investigations, and litigation involving breaches of fiduciary duty, fraudulent transfers, preferences, and equitable subordination. She advises on investigations of potential prefiling claims and serves as conflicts litigation counsel, as well as counsel to litigation trusts, court-appointed examiners and trustees, and independent directors. She also has extensive experience in matters where litigation intersects with mergers & acquisitions and liability management transactions, and in advising and representing clients in restructuring-related mediations. 

Kelley is consistently recognized by Chambers, The Legal 500, International Financial Law Review, Best Lawyers in America, and other publications. Her representation of the restructuring subcommittee for the board of directors in Sears’ chapter 11 case was named International Financial Law Review’s "Deal of the Year,” and her work for Performance Sports Group was recognized as the most significant restructuring of the year by M&A Advisor and the Turnaround Management Association.  In Chambers, clients praise Kelley as “someone you want on your side when the stakes are high.” They note that “what separates her from others is her ability to manage the human side of a restructuring with equal mastery as the business side.”

Kelley was recently appointed Regent for the Second Circuit of the American College of Bankruptcy’s Board of Regents. She was recently inducted into the Turnaround Management Association’s Hall of Fame and is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Kelley is the chair of the board of Her Justice, which provides free legal services to women living in poverty, and a board member of Lambda Legal, an organization that focuses on LGBTQ+ causes. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Law Board of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and of the Board of Trustees of the Trinity School in New York City.

Crain’s New York Business included Kelley on its list of “Notable LGBTQ Leaders and Executives.” Both the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation and Her Justice have named Kelley their “Woman of the Year in Restructuring.” Kelley received M&A Advisor’s 2023 “Leadership Award,” and she was honored by Tina’s Wish with the “Tina Brozman Mentoring Award.”

Full bio  »

Amy Graham Doehring

Deputy Co-Chair, Litigation Practice Group, Akerman LLP 

A skillful trial attorney, Amy represents clients in a wide variety of complex litigation matters in federal and state courts across the country as well as in arbitration. Her legal practice focuses on the defense of clients in several industries such as healthcare, food and beverage, engineering, manufacturing, and insurance. She also assists corporate clients in disputes arising out of commercial transactions and advises trustees and beneficiaries in trust and estate controversies. She serves on the firm’s board of directors, is Deputy Co-Chair of Akerman’s Litigation Practice Group, and is Co-Chair of the firm’s Probate and Fiduciary Litigation Practice.  Full bio  »

Maria Doughty

President and CEO, The Chicago Network & Special Advisor, ABA Commission on Women in the Profession

As the CEO of The Chicago Network, the premier organization of Chicagoland’s most influential women leaders, Maria Doughty leads with deep personal purpose. She is an ambassador for the organization and its purpose of empowering women to lead and its mission to connect women for personal and professional growth, advance communities, and support and inspire the next generation of women. Having joined in April 2020, she successfully led the organization through the global pandemic, developed a new strategic plan, digitally transformed the operations, rebuilt the employee team, maintained the organization’s fiscal stability, and increased member engagement.  

Maria brings significant industry experience in highly regulated areas, including insurance and financial services. She is a skilled regulatory compliance, governance, enterprise risk management, litigation, public policy, and government affairs strategist. She has considerable board director knowledge in the non-profit and insurance industry association areas.  

She serves on the board of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a nonprofit body dedicated to increasing knowledge and engagement in global affairs. Maria is a Trustee of Roosevelt University. She has an appointment as a Special Advisor to the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession. Also, Maria holds a gubernatorial appointment as Co-Chair of the State of Illinois Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force, whose purpose is to reform existing employment systems via implementation of Employment First, a law addressing subminimum wage, housing, and transportation. Finally, Maria is the Vice Chair of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council for the Archdiocese of Chicago.  

Maria has been on numerous regulatory boards in the insurance sector, including the Illinois Insurance Guaranty Fund (audit committee member), the National Conference of Insurance Guaranty Funds (audit and finance committee member), the Minnesota Joint Underwriting Association (audit and finance committee member and personnel committee chair), the Illinois Insurance Association (board chair, member of audit and finance committee), and the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance.   

She previously served as the Director of Public Policy and Regulatory Examinations for Allstate Insurance Company. She oversaw the public policy team and engaged with the CEO and Senior Executive Leadership Team surrounding local, state, and national issues. In this role, she educated and influenced legislators, regulators, and other stakeholders, saved the company millions of dollars in potential fines, oversaw the legal and compliance issues surrounding ESG reporting, and helped manage public opinion on critical ESG-related issues. Maria also led the regulatory examination team and oversaw market conduct examinations and other regulatory investigations countrywide.  

While at Allstate, Maria managed complex class action litigation, was the chief legal counsel for Allstate’s Midwest field operations and served as the chief counsel for the Claims Department responsible for managing the claims legal issues nationally. She supervised challenging regulatory crises resulting from catastrophes, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires. Maria also counseled the field operations team to identify loss cost and compliance opportunities.  

Maria received her BA in Political Science and Psychology from Emory University and JD from Emory University School of Law. She did post-graduate work as a Robert T. Jones Scholar at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.  Full bio  »

Paula Edgar

CEO of PGE Consulting Group LLC & Commissioner, ABA Commission on Women in the Profession

Paula T. Edgar, Esq. is the CEO of PGE Consulting Group LLC, an organizational strategy firm offering training and education at the intersection of professional development and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Paula is a sought-after keynote speaker and facilitator, delivering presentations for clients across industries. Additionally, Paula hosts the Branding Room Only podcast, dedicated to career stories, strategies, and lessons on building personal brands. She serves as a New York City Bar Board Officer, a Commissioner of the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession, a Diversity Fellow for the ABA's Criminal Justice Section, a past President of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA), and a founding Board Member of The Black BigLaw Pipeline, Inc.

As an attorney, Paula practiced employment and workplace discrimination law for the New York City Commission on Human Rights, with professional experiences in leadership roles focused on talent development and inclusion.

Paula has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Bloomberg Law, Essence Magazine, Shondaland, and Business Insider. Her impact has been recognized by several organizations, receiving the CUP 2023 Law Catalyst Award, the Outstanding Non-Traditional Career Award from the NBA's Women Lawyers Division, the Ruth Whitehead Whaley Service Award from the ABWA, and the Ms. JD "Woman of Inspiration" award. She has also been named a “40 Under Forty” honoree by the Network Journal Magazine and a “Rising Star” by A Better Chance. Paula holds a BA in Anthropology from California State University, Fullerton, and a JD from the City University of New York School of Law.  Full bio  »

Christine Evans, JD '03

Founder, Shared Roots Mediation & President, Evans Family Foundation

Christine  is the founder and principal director of Shared Roots Mediation L3C. Christine is passionate about fostering positive connections and resolving conflicts through restorative and transformative justice approaches, with a particular focus on addressing sexual harm. With over two decades’ experience as a human rights attorney in Chicago and internationally, she draws from her knowledge of the criminal legal system, victims' and gender rights, and issues related to sexual harm to create processes for survivors seeking accountability and justice outside traditional legal systems. Beyond her restorative justice work, Christine also teaches gender rights as an adjunct professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and serves as the president and chief funding officer of the Evans Family Foundation, supporting Chicagoland non-profits. Christine holds a bachelor's degree from Boston University, a JD and LLM in International Human Rights from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, and a graduate certification in Restorative Justice from Eastern Mennonite University.  Full bio  »

Elisa Garcia

Principal, The Red Bee Group

Elisa D. Garcia is an accomplished corporate executive and attorney with more than 30 years of experience  advising management and boards of directors on strategy, legal, business, structuring, activism, capital markets and government relations matters. Until October 2023, Ms. Garcia served as the Chief Legal  Officer and Corporate Secretary of Macy’s, Inc. and as a member of Macy’s Enterprise Committee, which  sets the overall strategic direction for the company. Ms. Garcia led the legal, government relations,  compliance, internal audit, information security, enterprise risk management, business resiliency and data privacy functions. From 2007 to 2016, Ms. Garcia served as the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate  Secretary of Office Depot, Inc. 

Ms. Garcia served as the first general counsel for Domino’s Pizza and prepared the company for its IPO.  She also led Philip Morris International’s Andean Pact, Mexico, Central America and Caribbean legal  operations. She has worked as counsel to GAF Corp., a chemical and roofing manufacturer, and began her legal career with the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher in New York City. Prior to her career as an  attorney, Ms. Garcia was an Energy Analyst working in-country with developing country governments  and the US Agency for International Development. Ms. Garcia served on the Board of Directors of Dollarama, Inc. (DOL:TSX), a leading Canadian value retailer with sales of more than $4 billion and more than 1,800 stores in Canada and Latin America. Ms. Garcia also served on the Board of the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession and the Board of DirectWomen, a non-profit that prepares women lawyers for service on corporate boards of directors.  Full bio  »

Faith Gay, JD '86

Founding Partner, Selendy Gay PLLC 

Faith Gay is a founding partner at Selendy Gay. In a nationally recognized career spanning more than three decades, Faith has been lead counsel in over 35 jury trials and has successfully navigated bet-the-company crises and investigations for scores of Fortune 500 companies. Before founding Selendy Gay, Faith was co-chair of the national trial practice at one of the country’s top litigation firms and a highly respected federal prosecutor.

Faith was recently named one of “America’s Top 200 Lawyers” by Forbes and a “Litigation Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal. She is a two-time recipient of Crain’s “100 Notable Women in Law” award, and on Crain’s list of “Notable LGBTQIA+ Leaders.” Chambers lists Faith as one of the country’s top litigators, citing “significant praise for her work in high-stakes litigation covering commercial claims, white-collar issues and matters of constitutional law.”

With deep experience in plaintiff and defense matters, she divides her time between complex civil litigation, corporate governance, and white-collar and regulatory investigations. In her commercial practice, she focuses on complex contractual and financial instrument disputes, securities, antitrust and bankruptcy litigation, intellectual property disputes, and consumer class actions. She also has extensive experience in Board and Special Committee assignments, representation of C-Suite executives and high net worth individuals in corporate and family law matters, and first and foremost, in resolving litigation that is seriously compromised and requires emergency re-shaping. Her long roster of high-profile clients includes the American Federation of Teachers, Bausch, Bridgewater, Coca-Cola, Colgate, Domtar, Edge & Node, E-Trade, Home Depot, MacAndrews & Forbes, McKinsey & Company, Novartis, Nuance, Pfizer, Regeneron, Revlon, Sandoz, and Schwab. 

Faith has devoted significant time and energy to public interest litigation. She recently obtained settlement of a nationwide class action on behalf of student loan borrowers against one of the country’s largest student loan servicers. In approving the settlement, the presiding judge wrote, “the class has achieved a significant benefit” which will “have a profound impact on all public service employees.” Faith has litigated numerous civil rights, criminal, immigration, and voting rights matters on a pro bono basis.

Faith earned her J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law, where she serves on the Law Board Executive Committee. She is a Trustee of the Public Theater, a member of the American Law Institute, and serves as a board member of the American Constitution Society, Campaign Legal Center, the Clark Foundation, and Union Theological Seminary.  Full bio  »

Tracey E. George

Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education, Vanderbilt University

Tracey George serves as the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education at Vanderbilt University. George is also the Charles B. Cox III and Lucy D. Cox Family Chair in Law and Liberty and Professor of Law and Political Science. She examines empirically how institutional design influences actions and outcomes in state and federal judicial systems. Along with co-authors Mitu Gulati and Albert Yoon, she has brought a political economic lens to elite legal labor markets in work featured in the New York Times and other news outlets. She and Russell Korobkin have published an innovative casebook on contract law, a subject for which she has earned Vanderbilt's student-selected Hall-Hartman Award for Outstanding Teaching eight times.  Full bio  »

Nancy Gerrie, JD '90

Retired Partner and Co-Chair, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice, Winston & Strawn, LLP

Prior to her retirement in 2022, Nancy counseled clients on a variety of retirement plan and other employee benefit plan matters, including the design, amendment, administration and termination of pension, profit sharing, and 401(k) plans, and served as Co-Chair of the practice group at Winston & Strawn. Prior to joining Winston, Nancy was the managing partner of the McDermott Will & Emery Chicago office, and a founding member of the Chicago Women Managing Partner Roundtable. Nancy was recognized as a leader in the field of employee benefits and executive compensation by The Legal 500 United States and one of the "Best Lawyers in America" for 2013-2022. Nancy received the 2022 Lifetime Achievement award in Employee Benefits from the Plan Sponsor Council of America. Nancy is a strong advocate for advancing women in professional and business fields, and enjoys mentoring, training, retaining and encouraging women to excel in their chosen professions. Nancy is a member of the Law Board of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, and serves on the Advisory Council on the school’s Gender Equity Initiative. Nancy is also on the board of the Chicago Bar Foundation, serving as its Treasurer, and is a Trustee of The Adler Planetarium in Chicago, serving on the Executive Committee of the Adler Board.  Full bio  »

Donna Haddad, JD '95

Vice President, Associate General Counsel, IBM Corporation

Donna is currently Vice President, Associate General Counsel, with responsibility for supporting IBM Consulting Americas. Donna is also a Founding Board Member of IBM’s AI Ethics Board, and she led IBM’s Global Pro Bono Program for three years. From 2011 to 2014, Donna worked in Dubai on international assignment as Senior Regional Counsel, IBM Middle East, North and West Africa. Donna has over 25 years of experience in advising her senior business clients on various legal issues as well as more than 25 years of non-profit board service in a variety of leadership, advisory and committee roles. Donna has been involved in AI legal matters since the inception of IBM’s Watson AI business unit in 2014.  Donna is a speaker on AI, AI Ethics, AI and the Law and the intersection of STEM and the Law. Donna holds a JD from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and a BA in Economics and Political Science from Northwestern University. Donna is a member of the Executive Committee of the Law Board at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, chair of the Law Board’s Culture and Inclusion Working Group, past president and current member of the Board of Directors of the Arab American Bar Association of Illinois and founding board member of the newly launched National Arab American Bar Association. She was recently awarded the Chicago Bar Association’s Vanguard Award, which honors individuals who have made the law and legal profession more accessible to and reflective of the community at large.  Full bio  »

Marie Oh Huber, JD '86

Board Member, Portland General Electric & Adevinta ASA

Marie Oh Huber is a public company independent director and Fortune 500 C-suite business and legal/public policy leader.  She has more than 30 years of experience partnering with boards and executive teams of three global public companies as they executed on major corporate transformations.  She is an independent director of Portland General Electric (NYSE:  POR) where she chairs the Nominating, Governance & Sustainability Committee and serves on the Compensation Committee. 

She previously served on the board of European-based Adevinta (formerly ADE.OL), a digital classifieds company that was recently acquired in a $13 billion take-private transaction; the James Campbell Company LLC, a private national real estate company, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where she chaired the CEO search committee and the nominating committee.  She is a member of the University Council of Yale, an advisory group to the President appointed by the Yale Corporation, and the Northwestern Law Board. 

Until recently, Marie was a public company GC at eBay (NASDAQ) and Agilent Technologies (NYSE), and served in senior roles at Hewlett-Packard Company.  Marie led through major transformations of B2B, B2C and C2C businesses during major strategic, competitive and customer disruption:  HP’s IPO & spin-off of Agilent Technologies (largest Silicon Valley tech IPO at the time); Agilent’s spin-off of Keysight, its IPO and spin-off of Verigy, Agilent’s sale of its semiconductor business (became Avago and later Broadcom), major M&A and transformation into a life sciences company; and eBay spinning off PayPal and selling its StubHub, Classifieds and Korea businesses.

She steered global enterprises through disruptive geopolitical, technology, regulatory and public policy developments.  During her role as Chief Legal Officer of eBay for nine years, she led through transformative global M&A; two rounds of shareholder activism; Board, CEO and executive leader succession; complex financial transactions; crisis management; global restructurings; and litigation, union and employment matters.  She navigated dynamic products liability, IP, data privacy, Gen AI, cybersecurity, sustainability, social/political, and risk management developments affecting consumer tech platforms operating at scale globally.  Full bio  »

Steven L. Hunter

Head of Diversity & Inclusion Solutions and Operations, Levi Strauss & Co.

Steven Hunter is an award-winning professional whose servant leadership has been at the center of a corporate career spanning two decades. 

In his current role, Steven serves as the Head of Diversity & Inclusion Operations and Solutions for Levi Strauss & Company. Here he leads the charge in shaping and executing the global inclusion strategy, focusing on embedding D&I into the organization’s talent solutions, ERG development and brand internal and external heritage moments.  

Prior to Levi’s, Steven was the Global Inclusion Director for McDonald’s Corporation, responsible for advancing people strategies, strengthening corporate and community partnerships around the world, and designing innovative talent engagement initiatives to enhance the employee experience and achieve business objectives. During his near 21 years at McDonald’s, Steven crewroom to boardroom career path included Operations, Marketing, and Communications Leadership roles across the US business, including stints overseeing McDonald’s System and Field Communications and National Multicultural Public Relations. 

Steven is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Steven also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Memphis and completed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion studies at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Steven was recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business in Fall 2022 on their coveted List of Notable Black Leaders and Executives.

Full bio  »

Michelle Kallen

Partner, Steptoe LLP

Michelle Kallen, the former Solicitor General of Virginia, co-chairs Steptoe's Appeals and Advocacy practice. Building on her deep administrative law knowledge and her experience in both state and federal government, Michelle helps clients navigate complex matters before federal and state appellate courts. Leading companies in the technology, aerospace and defense, and transportation industries benefit from Michelle's unique insight into multistate and constitutional litigation matters, and award-winning appellate work.

Michelle regularly litigates matters in the US Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Eastern District of Virginia, and other state and federal courts. She achieved notable wins in these venues during her tenure in the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, including defending the Commonwealth against challenges to its COVID-19 response. Michelle also served as lead counsel in the Commonwealth's election matters and in litigation to certify and publish the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution.

Michelle's past public service includes serving as Special Litigation Counsel in the US House of Representatives, where she successfully defended the House, House committees, and individual members in high-profile matters involving separation of powers and the scope of Congressional subpoenas.

Clients benefit from Michelle’s deep understanding of regulatory proceedings, knowledge of the inner workings of government and administrative agencies, and experience both defending and challenging regulatory actions. She uses this skillset to assist clients in strategically navigating litigation crises and controversial challenges at the intersection of law, law enforcement, and government regulation.

Michelle speaks regularly on a wide variety of topics including constitutional law, state and federal regulations, appellate cases, crypto currency, and equal rights. She maintains an active pro bono practice and is committed to serving her community. Michelle serves as a mentor for The Appellate Project and has litigated pro bono cases on behalf of the Center for Reproductive Rights. She is also a founding member of the Ad Idem Corporate Counsel Network, the Washington Area Women Trial Attorneys, and the Women Lawyers on Guard.   Full bio  »

Gabrielle Kohlmeier

Global Head of Legal Innovation + Emerging Solutions, Verizon Consumer Group & Commissioner, ABA Commission on Women in the Profession

As Market General Counsel, Gabrielle leads legal teams supporting Verizon Consumer Markets across the United States. Her work involves leading the legal team on everything from consumer law, physical and cybersecurity, privacy, AI, regulatory, network, and legislative matters. She also leads numerous legal transformation projects.

Previously, Gabrielle was lead counsel for Verizon Consumer Omni-Channel Organization. Before that, she served as associate general counsel for antitrust and led the company’s FTC and competition policy strategy; counseled consumer, business, and media groups on all types of antitrust issues; created compliance programs; and represented the company before US and international competition agencies. Internally, she sits on Verizon’s Global Public Policy & Legal DE&I Council, and is part of the Verizon AI Policy cross-functional team.

Externally, she is a governing officer of the American Bar Association (ABA) Antitrust Section, member of the ABA House of Delegates; commissioner to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession; and co-chair of the ABA Section AI Task Force.  A relentlessly enthusiastic learner with a passion for creating sustainable leadership and inclusive equity, Gabrielle is a leader in various equity creating organizations; a VC Limited Partner in How Women Invest Fund; accredited in ESG Sustainable Accounting; holds a Masters in AI + Law; and is an EqualAI (Responsible AI) Badge holder. She co-hosts the Lifting Up podcast, and is a frequent speaker and writer on competition, technology, compliance, business, sustainability, transformation, and diversity issues.  Full bio  »

Terri Mascherin

Partner, Jenner & Block, LLP

Recognized as one of the most influential trial and arbitration lawyers in the United States, Terri Mascherin gets results. A Fellow of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers and a Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department and Education Practice, she offers businesses, law firms, lawyers, and higher education institutions a full array of litigation tools to confront high-stakes challenges in court. She is equally adept at using alternative dispute resolution to address new or looming business threats and avoid litigation.

Businesses facing disputes involving corporate transactions, partnerships, and joint ventures are drawn to Terri’s reputation as a fierce advocate at trial and in arbitration. They soon find that her ability to pick the right battles is invaluable to their long-term success. In a highly nuanced matter, it’s Terri’s willingness to seek a favorable mediation or settlement over an all-out court victory that helps her clients’ business relationships stay intact.

When she’s not prosecuting and defending cases for clients in the financial, technology, media, energy, education, and legal industries, Terri puts the full force of her experience behind public service and pro bono matters. She served as president of the Chicago Bar Association and her pro bono practice focuses on criminal defense, securing justice for those wrongfully accused and convicted. Terri was instrumental in defending former Illinois Governor George Ryan’s clemency orders clearing death row for 167 prisoners.

She received a JD from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and BA from Duke University. Full bio  » 

Hari Osofsky

Dean and Myra and James Bradwell Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Professor Hari M. Osofsky is Dean and Myra and James Bradwell Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Professor of Environmental Policy and Culture (courtesy) at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. As Dean, her leadership focuses on advancing the innovation that is needed at this time of change in the legal profession and society. This has included ambitious faculty hiring, cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and teaching initiatives, and concrete action to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion and social and racial justice. She also is very involved in mentorship and sponsorship to support greater diversity in law school and university leadership. The American Bar Association’s Legal Technology Resource Center recognized her as one of the 2019 Women of Legal-Tech.Prior to joining Northwestern University, Dean Osofsky served as dean of Penn State Law and the Penn State School of International Affairs and on the faculties of University of Minnesota Law School, Washington and Lee University School of Law, the University of Oregon School of Law, and Whittier Law School. Dean Osofsky received a PhD in geography from the University of Oregon and a JD from Yale Law School.  Full bio  »

Rebecca Piper

Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, Hyatt Hotels Corporation  

Peter M Reyes, Jr.

Judge, Minnesota Court of Appeals 

The Honorable Peter M. Reyes, Jr. is a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He previously served as a judicial law clerk, as an associate at Robins Kaplan, as a senior Intellectual Property lawyer at Cargill, Incorporated, and as a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP.

Judge Reyes has been active in numerous local, state, and national and international bar associations and nonprofit organizations. He served as president of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association (MHBA), on the Board of Trustees for Mitchell-Hamline College of Law, and national president of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA). Judge Reyes is active in the American Bar Association (ABA) as a member of the House of Delegates and as chair of the Judicial Division’s Ethics & Professionalism Committee. He has served on several commissions, including the Commission on Women in the Profession. Judge Reyes serves on the Board of the American Bar Foundation (ABF) and as chair of the ABF Fellows Research Advisory Council. He is currently president of the Executive Council for the Minnesota Historical Society and president of the US National Committee of the International Association of Lawyers (UIA).

Among his recognitions, Poder Magazine named him as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics in America” in 2012 and 2013.  Judge Reyes received the Ohtli Award in 2016, the highest award given out by the Mexican government to a non-Mexican citizen. He received the ABA 2024 “Honorable William D. Missouri Civility” Award, the HNBA 2023 “Lifetime Achievement” Award, the 2019 “MHBA Courage in Leadership Award,” and the 2019 ABA “Spirit of Excellence Award.”

Judge Reyes received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of St. Thomas and his law degree from Mitchell-Hamline College of Law, graduating with honors.  Full bio  »

Lauren Rivera

Peter G. Peterson Professor of Corporate Ethics, Professor of Management & Organizations, Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management

Lauren Rivera is the Peter G. Peterson Chair in Corporate Ethics and Professor of Management & Organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Her research unpacks how the way people define and evaluate merit shapes social inequalities. Her best-selling book Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs (Princeton University Press) investigates on-campus recruitment and hiring for elite professional service firms. She is currently working on a variety of projects examining interventions to reduce workplace inequalities.  

Dr. Rivera’s research has been featured in the Atlantic, Economist, Financial Times, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NPR and has received a variety of awards from the American Sociological Association. She was named one of the world’s top business school professors by Poets & Quants and Thinkers50.

She received her B.A. in sociology and psychology from Yale University and her Ph.D. in sociology from Harvard University. Before entering academia, she worked at Evite.com and Leo Burnett Hispanic, and was a Consultant at Monitor Group London.  Full bio  »

Alexis P. Robertson

Director, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Foley & Lardner LLP

Alexis Robertson is the Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for Foley & Lardner LLP. She provides firm-wide strategic direction and oversight on all diversity and inclusion related matters. In addition to supervising the DEI team, she collaborates with firm leadership, talent development, and business development to address DEI-related concerns and execute the firm’s DEI Strategic Plan.  Alexis is also the host of Foley’s podcast, The Path & The Practice. Each episode, available on all major podcast platforms, features Alexis in conversation with a different Foley attorney, exploring their unique background, path to law school, and legal practice.

Alexis joined Foley from Baker McKenzie, where she was North America manager of Diversity & Inclusion. In this position, she managed the implementation of all diversity-related programing, initiatives, and client reporting in the North America region. Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, Alexis spent two years as a Legal Recruiting Director for The Partners Group where she focused on placing underrepresented attorneys with law firms and corporations.

Alexis earned her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and practiced with Kirkland & Ellis and Seyfarth Shaw following graduation. She earned her undergraduate degree from the American University in Washington, D.C.   Full bio  »

Stephanie Scharf

Partner, Scharf Banks Marmor LLC & Principal, The Red Bee Group, LLC

Stephanie Scharf has practiced law for over 35 years, including as a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, a partner at Jenner & Block and, most recently, founding partner of Scharf Banks Marmor LLC, a nationally prominent women-owned law firm.  She concentrates on litigation of complex commercial disputes, class action defense, product liability and mass tort defense, and employment disputes.  

Stephanie is also founder of The Red Bee Group, LLC, an innovative consulting firm of former General Counsels, Managing Partners, and Corporate Executives, which advises businesses, not-for-profits and law firms on retaining and advancing professional talent, attributes of effective leadership, and strategies for growth and talent development. 

Stephanie received a PhD in behavioral sciences and a JD from the University of Chicago. She has advised about and studied approaches to organizational change, the impact of policies and practices on business goals, strategies for effective leadership, and initiatives for growth and talent development. Stephanie also conducts innovative empirical research about legal careers.  Her  most recent reports (with co-author Roberta Liebenberg), include "Bullying in the Legal Profession" (2024); Legal Careers of Parents and Child Caregivers (2023); "Where Does the Legal Profession Go from Here?" (2022);  "Practicing Law in the Pandemic and Moving Forward" (2021); and "Walking Out the Door: the Fact, Figures and Future of Experienced Women Lawyers in Private Practice" (2019).  

Stephanie has held leadership positions in national and not-for-profit organizations, including as current board member of the American Bar Association (ABA) Retirement Funds Program; Chair of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession; co-chair of the ABA Presidential Initiative on Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in the Law;  Board Member of DirectWomen; and President of the National Association of Women Lawyers.  Full bio  »

Lauren Schwartz

Global General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Cleverbridge

Lauren K. Schwartz is a dynamic leader, C-suite advisor, and advocate renowned for her unwavering commitment to problem-solving and business enablement. With more than 15 years of experience in the tech industry, executives trust her to navigate complex legal landscapes while maintaining a business-friendly approach to maximize revenue growth without sacrificing compliance. As the Global General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Cleverbridge, Lauren leads the Legal & Compliance team where she leverages her deep, global expertise at the intersection of law and tech to tackle even the most daunting challenges with creativity and integrity.

Lauren’s forte lies in adeptly navigating the intricate legal landscapes that often challenge tech executives, including areas such as data privacy (e.g. GDPR, CCPA), intellectual property, Fintech regulations (e.g. PCI-DSS, ISAE, SEC rules), consumer law (e.g. FTC and EU rules), and the evolving legal frameworks surrounding AI (e.g. EU AI Act and U.S. proposed equivalents). Lauren excels in providing innovative solutions to these complex legal puzzles, ensuring that her clients—whether internal or external—can rest easy knowing their legal concerns are in capable hands.

Lauren is deeply committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession and beyond. She serves on the In-House Advisory Board of Chicago Women in IP (ChiWIP) and is a regular attendee, mentor, and speaker at the LaddHer Up Retreat, presented by Ms. JD.

Lauren holds a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining Cleverbridge, Lauren was the Global Head of IP litigation at Groupon; a law clerk to the Honorable Philip P. Simon, Chief Judge of the Northern District of Indiana; an adjunct law professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law, and an associate specializing in patent litigation at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Lauren is licensed to practice in the State of Illinois and Registered to Practice before the United States Patent & Trademark Office. When she’s not solving complex legal and business issues, you can find Lauren out and about with her family in Chicago, taking in the city’s culture and cuisine with her husband, shuttling between her two rambunctious boys’ various activities, or roaming the city with her three rescue dogs.

Cleverbridge is the all-in-one ecommerce platform for global subscription businesses.​We automate digital buying experiences throughout the customer lifecycle in 240+ countries and territories globally. We leverage AI to optimize acquisition, expansion, and retention, ensuring global companies can drive maximum growth with minimal effort.​ To learn more about how Cleverbridge can maximize your company’s customer lifetime value, reach out to Lauren directly at lauren.schwartz@cleverbridge.com or go to https://grow.cleverbridge.com/ to book a demo.  Full bio  »

Michelle Silverthorn

Speaker, Author, Founder and CEO, Inclusion Nation

Michelle Silverthorn is an award-winning global keynote speaker whobelieves each of us deserves to belong, thrive, and succeed. A graduate ofPrinceton University and the University of Michigan Law School, Michellehas lent her expertise to Fortune 500 companies, law firms, Hollywoodstudios, law schools and universities, and non-profits around the world.From eight-person workshops to 1000-person conferences, Michelle equipseveryone with the necessary tools and skills to finally make real progress onbelonging and inclusion.

Michelle is a TEDx speaker, a best-selling author, and was recently named byInc. Magazine as one of the Top 250 Female Founders in the world. You canreceive her newsletter about authenticity, allyship, and inclusion every week at Monday Mornings with Michelle.  Full bio  »

Deborah Solmor

General Counsel, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation & Founder, Ready Set GC

Michelle Speller-Thurman, JD '99

Divisional Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Licensing & Acquisitions, Abbott Laboratories

As head of Licensing & Acquisitions for Abbott, Michelle leads the legal function and team in supporting Abbott’s global M&A, licensing and other strategic transactions. She provides strategic and leadership oversight of Abbott’s business development approach and activities, working closely with the other legal professionals and the company’s stakeholders, especially the corporate Business Development team and Executive Leadership Team. Prior to this role, she was responsible for global M&A, divestitures, private equity investments and licensing transactions for two Abbott divisions. 

Prior to rejoining Abbott in 2024, as the Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, Licensing and Corporate Securities for Organon (a publicly traded global pharmaceutical company in Jersey City, NJ), she led the legal function and team in supporting Organon’s corporate securities regulation and compliance, global M&A, licensing and other strategic transactions. 

As a former corporate partner at Winston & Strawn LLP and Jenner & Block LLP and associate at Kirkland & Ellis, she represented public and private companies in a variety of industries in domestic and international transactions, as well as private equity clients in business acquisitions and mergers. In addition, she advised public and private corporate borrowers, financial institutions, and private equity investors in a variety of corporate lending transactions. Prior to attending law school, she was a manager in the financial consulting practice of Arthur Andersen LLP in Chicago.  Full bio  »

Kalpana Srinivasan

Managing Partner, Susman Godfrey LLP

Kalpana Srinivasan tries cutting-edge cases in courtrooms across the country. She serves as Susman Godfrey’s fourth managing partner in the firm’s 45- year history and a member of its executive committee, helping lead the 200-lawyer litigation firm in its handling of high-profile matters across the nation. A fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Ms. Srinivasan has been described as an “engaging, exceptionally smart and approachable lawyer,” “a strong tactical leader,” and  “strategic, creative and compelling” as first-chair trial lawyer  by Chambers USA; she has been deemed a Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar by Law360; and recognized by Benchmark Litigation as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America, its California Intellectual Property Litigation Attorney of the Year, Plaintiff Attorney of the Year, Trial Lawyer of the Year in California and one of the Top 10 Women Litigators.  The Legal 500, in its Tier 1 rankings, described her work at “the intersection of intellectual property and unfair competition, all while displaying strong know-how of the technology industry.” “She’s incredibly brilliant, but also down to earth, relatable and personable…. [S]he has great courtroom presence,” says IAM Patent 1000. 

Ms. Srinivasan was recognized as Attorney of the Year in 2024 by The Recorder, has been repeatedly recognized as one of the leading 500 lawyers in America by Lawdragon, and has been named an Intellectual Property MVP by Law360. The National Law Journal has recognized her as both a Winning Litigator and an Intellectual Property Trailblazer. Ms. Srinivasan also been named a Power Lawyer by The Hollywood Reporter and was featured in Lawdragon’s Plaintiff Issue.

Ms. Srinivasan and her co-counsel received a California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) award for their work in Flo & Eddie Inc. v. Sirius XM Radio Inc., a copyright class action involving pre-1972 sound recordings. Ms. Srinivasan argued the appeal of the underlying issue to the 9^th Circuit in 2021.   Full bio  »

Miriam Vogel

CEO and President, EqualAI

Miriam Vogel has extensive experience working with C-suite, board of directors, policy makers, lawyers and other key stakeholders to establish best practices for legal and regulatory compliance, as well as establishing and operationalizing best practices in AI governance within Fortune 100 companies across multiple industry sectors. Miriam is the President and CEO of EqualAI, a non-profit created to promote artificial intelligence (AI) governance. She also serves as Chair of the National AI Advisory Committee (NAIAC), mandated by Congress to advise the President and White House on AI policy. Miriam cohosts a podcast, In AI we Trust and has taught Technology Law and Policy at Georgetown University Law Center, where she served as chair of the alumni board. Miriam is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and also serves as a senior advisor to the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT).

Miriam has served in a variety of leadership positions across the U.S. government. Miriam served in the White House in two Administrations, including as the Acting Director of Justice and Regulatory Affairs. Most recently, she served as Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice (DOJ), where she advised the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General (DAG) on a broad range of legal, policy and operational issues. Miriam spearheaded the DOJ’s Intellectual Property (IP) efforts to identify and dismantle IP theft domestically and internationally and worked with the DAG and AG to manage DOJ divisions’ multibillion-dollar budgets, resolve high-level challenges, and represented DOJ before the White House, Congress and other officials on high level policy initiatives and oversight matters. Miriam served as General Counsel to West Exec Advisors and Associate General Counsel at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Prior to that, she practiced entertainment/corporate transactional law at Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles, CA. Miriam began her legal career as a federal clerk in Denver, Colorado after graduating from Georgetown University Law Center and is a third generation alumna from the University of Michigan.  Full bio  »

Teresa Wilton Harmon

Co-Managing Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Teresa Wilton Harmon is co-managing partner of Sidley’s Chicago office, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, and a partner in the firm’s Global Finance practice area, focusing on financial transactions and commercial law. Her financial transactions experience includes secured and unsecured loans, workouts, restructurings, structured finance, and securitization. For several years, Teresa’s practice has placed particular emphasis on financial transactions involving regulated and emerging industries, including derivatives, clearing organizations, exchanges, financial market utilities, student loan companies, electric utilities and fintech companies. Her experience and knowledge allow her to bridge the gap between complex legal regimes and sound financial principles. Teresa takes an active role in counseling regulated industry clients and financial market participants on liquidity solutions, collateral and risk management methods, default scenarios, counterparty risk, netting and adapting to new legal regimes.

Teresa’s commercial law practice includes all articles of the Uniform Commercial Code, with a special emphasis on Article 9 secured transactions. Teresa’s commercial law experience includes using the tools of commercial law to help clients build and navigate blockchain, distributed ledger technology, virtual currency, digital currency and tokenized security platforms. Teresa has honed her UCC knowledge as an active participant in UCC drafting committees, as a member of the Permanent Editorial Board for the UCC and as an adjunct professor teaching Secured Transactions at The University of Illinois College of Law. She is a nationally recognized speaker on UCC and other commercial law issues.

Teresa was recognized in Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2023 and 2024 “Who’s Who in Chicago Business” and 2022 “Notable Women in Law.” In 2022, Teresa was recognized by The American Lawyer as a “Midwest Trailblazer” for her work in the fintech area. Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer jointly honored Teresa at the inaugural “50 Women in Law Awards”  in 2020. Teresa has also been named to Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2019 “Notable Gen X Leaders in Law” list and 2020 “Notable Women Executives Over 50” list. She was also named a “Trailblazer in Finance and Banking” by The National Law Journal (2019).

Andy Zopp

Managing Partner, CAST US

In her current role at Cleveland Avenue, Ms. Zopp leads the organization’s work investing in and supporting minority and women entrepreneurs and their companies. Previously, she served as President and CEO of World Business Chicago, where she led the organization’s mission of inclusive economic growth, supporting businesses, and promoting Chicago as a leading global city. Prior to joining WBC, she served as Deputy Mayor, Chief Neighborhood Development Officer for the City of Chicago.

Ms. Zopp has held executive leadership positions at several Fortune 500 companies. She was General Counsel and Chief Human Resources Officer at Exelon Corporation and served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Sears Holdings Corporation. Ms. Zopp also served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Sara Lee Corporation. As the former President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, she led the nationally-recognized organization's focus on expanding economic opportunity in underserved communities. Andrea also served as a federal and state prosecutor, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney and as the first woman and African American First Assistant in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Ms. Zopp currently serves on the boards of Relativity, a global e-discovery and document management software company; the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, a federally chartered wholesale bank with $90 billion in assets; and Intelligent Growth Solutions, a Scotland-based vertical farm manufacturer. She previously served on the boards of Empowerment and Inclusion Capital I Corp. (NYSE: EPWR), Andrew Corporation (NYSE: ANDW), and Urban Partnership Bank. She is the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Chicago State University and also serves on the boards of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation, and the Black Ensemble Theater. She received her BA in History and Science from Harvard University and her JD from Harvard Law School.  Full bio  »

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