Shows
The AbstractEp 114: Building Outside the Box: Monica Zent on Legal Ops, AI, and Bold BetsWant more contracting insight to see how your team compares? SpotDraft recently launched their 2025 Contracting Efficiency Report! Download the report: https://hubs.la/Q03DNYkH0 In this episode of The Abstract, Monica Zent, serial entrepreneur, legal tech investor, and legal innovation pioneer, shares her journey of founding ZentLaw and helping shape modern legal operations before the term even existed. She unpacks the founder’s mindset, how to lead through ambiguity, and why taking bold bets early pays off. Monica also shares guidance on embracing AI, identifying scalable legal tech ideas, and forging unconventional paths in a traditionally ris...
2025-09-1142 min
The AbstractEp 112: Risk, Reward, and Reinvention: Viraj Joshi on Law, Policy, and StartupsWant more contracting insight to see how your team compares? SpotDraft recently launched their 2025 Contracting Efficiency Report! Download the report: https://hubs.la/Q03DNYkH0 In this episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn sits down with Viraj Joshi, VP: Legal & Regulatory at Zerodha , India’s largest bootstrapped brokerage firm. Viraj shares his unconventional career journey—from big law to public policy, and finally to building cross-functional impact at Zerodha. He reflects on lessons from working across law, finance, and government, the role of community in shaping careers, and Zerodha’s growth philosophy. The conversation also dives into hi...
2025-08-2851 min
The AbstractEp 111: Lessons from Ola's Former GC: Leadership, Risk, and ReinventionWant more contracting insight to see how your team compares? SpotDraft recently launched their 2025 Contracting Efficiency Report! Download the report: https://hubs.la/Q03DNYkH0In this episode of The Abstract, Tyler Finn sits down with Rohit Kumar, former SVP and General Counsel at Ola and a seasoned in-house leader. Rohit reflects on his journey from corporate law firms to building scalable, tech-driven legal teams in high-growth companies. He shares insights on embracing legal technology early, managing global litigation, navigating regulatory challenges, and shaping team culture. From career pivots inspired by Charlie Munger to implementing CLM solutions...
2025-08-2156 min
The AbstractEp 109: Books That Stay With You: Legal Leaders Share Their ShelfWhat’s on the bookshelf of today’s top legal leaders? In this special bonus episode, host Tyler Finn asks general counsels, founders, and legal innovators one simple question: What book would you recommend to our listeners?From legal thrillers to leadership classics, personal growth memoirs to spiritual texts — the answers are as wide-ranging as the roles these leaders play. Hear how books like Give and Take, The Culture Code, Ikigai, The Hard Thing About Hard Things, and 100 Saturdays have helped shape how these professionals think, lead, and live.Whether you're looking for your next busine...
2025-07-2428 min
The AbstractEp 103: Building What Doesn't Exist Yet: Inside the Legal Career of Tommie Tavares-FerreiraIn this special episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn speaks with Tommie Tavares-Ferreira, newly appointed Chief Strategy Officer at Lawtrades and longtime legal ops leader, community builder, and podcast host. Tommie walks us through her unconventional path from the music industry to Peloton, Rakuten, Cedar, and now the executive team at Lawtrades. She shares lessons on scaling companies, embracing curiosity, balancing parenting with leadership, and how legal ops leaders can (and should) step into strategy roles. It’s a personal, powerful conversation about evolving careers, future tech, and the next phase of legal work.Rea...
2025-06-0551 min
The AbstractEp 102: What Comes After Legal Ops? A Conversation with David CowenIn this special live-recorded episode of The Abstract from CLOC in Las Vegas, host Tyler Finn sits down with David Cowen, founder of The Cowen Group and creator of the SOLID Summit Series.David shares his journey from staffing to shaping the legal ops ecosystem, the moment he foresaw the rise of e-discovery, and why community is the most powerful response to chaos. He discusses the evolution of legal operations, the future of AI and agentic teams, and why trusting your talent matters more than ever. From frameworks on scaling legal to using ChatGPT as an executive...
2025-06-0352 min
The AbstractEp 101: How Legal Ops Became the Center of Strategy with Adam Becker, Cockroach LabsWhat does it mean to lead legal operations when there’s no clear blueprint?In this episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn sits down with Adam Becker, Director of Legal Operations at Cockroach Labs and board member at CLOC, for a candid conversation about evolving careers, scaling legal departments, and the growing scope of legal ops. From breaking the “lawyer mold” to embracing AI-native strategies, Adam shares personal lessons on confidence, curiosity, leadership, and why legal ops is entering a new season of strategic impact.The discussion also explores how CLOC’s community and resource...
2025-05-2938 min
The AbstractEp 100: Community as Strategy: Your Guide to Growth with Tyler FinnIn the 100th episode of The Abstract, the mic flips as SpotDraft’s Chief of Staff, Nakta Alaghebandan, interviews our podcast’s usual host and creator, Tyler Finn. From his start in public policy to shaping one of the most influential legal communities at SpotDraft, Tyler shares the pivotal career moments, risky leaps, and trust-building lessons that defined his path. He reflects on navigating early career detours, becoming a privacy leader despite skepticism, and building trust from scratch with executive stakeholders and customers. The conversation dives deep into community-building philosophy, the value of calculated risk, and ho...
2025-05-271h 13
The AbstractEp 99: Resilience, Wellness, and the Law: Keita de Souza on Building a Sustainable Legal CareerDownload the AI Impact Report now: https://www.spotdraft.com/ai-impact-report-2025What does it take to thrive in law without losing yourself in the process? In this episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn is joined by Keita de Souza, General Counsel of Ryse and a former big law attorney turned wellness advocate, for a conversation that redefines what it means to be successful in legal practice. From pushing herself to burnout in her early law firm years to navigating the emotional toll of winding down a startup, Keita opens up about how personal health cri...
2025-05-2251 min
The AbstractEp 98: Breaking the Silence: Legal Leaders Talk Mental HealthMay is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we’ve pulled together some of the most vital stories from some of the star legal and business experts we’ve featured on The Abstract about managing stress, achieving a healthy work/life balance, dealing with tragedies at home, leaving toxic working environments and more. Keep listening and feel inspired to make a positive change in your life and career.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-98TopicsIntroduction: 0:00 Ryan Nier, General Counsel at Nova Credit on imposter syndrome and feeling like an outsider in th...
2025-05-1423 min
The AbstractEp 97: From First Legal Hire to EMEA GC with Volker Weisshaar, SonosWhat's it like to be the first European legal hire for a fast-growing tech company? How do you build out a European legal team? And where is the European tech sector headed?Join Volker Weisshaar, General Counsel EMEA at Sonos, as he talks about establishing and scaling European legal teams for US tech giants NetApp and Sonos, and what it takes to help these companies thrive in the regulation-heavy and culturally diverse landscape of the EU.Listen as Volker discusses his approaches to hiring at NetApp and Sonos, taking on an operator function and getting...
2025-04-3054 min
The AbstractEp 96: Scaling Teams from 80 to 800 with Jordan Hatcher, Co-Founder, CLO, and COO of The GridHow do you make the move from building a legal career in the US to one in Europe, scale one of Europe's hottest unicorns, and transition to launching your own start-up?Join Jordan Hatcher, co-founder, CLO, and COO of The Grid, a blockchain-based tech start-up, as he shares his experience as a Texas-born lawyer living and working across Europe in senior counsel roles at Optimizely, ARM, and Hewlett Packard before joining Staffbase as GC and ultimately co-founding his own cutting-edge Web3 company.Listen as Jordan discusses his early work writing and advocating for open data l...
2025-04-2457 min
The AbstractEp 95: How Adidas Is Scaling Legal Ops with Alex Herrity, Director, Global Legal SolutionsWhere is the legal innovation space headed? Is this an area where European businesses are actually investing more deeply than their American counterparts? And how can you transition your team to focus more on innovation and a little less on the law?Join Alex Herrity, Director of Global Legal Solutions at Adidas, as he offers expert takes on the future of legal tech and legal ops, including adopting new technology like AI, leaning into change management, scaling innovations globally, and more.Listen as Alex discusses his transition from lawyer to “legal tech guy,” the growing acce...
2025-04-1752 min
The AbstractEp 94: Why Legal Teams Break and How to Fix Them with Manu Kanwar, CEO LexSolutionsHow important is the culture of an organization to its success? How can legal leaders cultivate high-performing cultures for their teams and their companies? And why is this something that a lot of legal teams struggle with?Join Manu Kanwar, Founder and CEO of LexSolutions, as he shares how he improves his clients’ legal teams and why he focuses on strategy, culture, and relationships as the cornerstones of legal innovation.Listen as Manu discusses strategies for changing work cultures, fixing toxic situations, and maintaining a healthy self-image, why he left Yahoo! after ten years to st...
2025-04-1559 min
The AbstractEp 93: Legal's Crisis Stories: SVB, Uber & MoreHow do you navigate a crisis? Data breaches, bank collapses, CEO transitions, and global recessions are just a few of the hazards that can challenge general counsels and other executives and threaten the future of their businesses. In this episode, we’re sharing stories of resilience and tough lessons learned from some of the legal and business leaders who have joined us on The Abstract. Keep listening for advice that could prove handy in an emergency. Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-93 TopicsIntroduction: 0:00Vanessa Wu, GC at Rip...
2025-04-1027 min
The AbstractEp 92: Why I Left the Big Firm Life to Feed Dogs with Tim Hirsch, GC of Mars Science and DiagnosticsCan your pets inspire you and shape the direction of your career? How can practicing abroad open doors? And what personal and professional lessons can you draw from training for and completing an Ironman triathlon?Join Tim Hirsch, General Counsel at Mars Science and Diagnostics, as he talks about making transitions: from practicing law in the EU to practicing in the US; working in-house at huge companies like Mastercard to becoming Head of Legal at Collibra, a ten-person start-up; taking the leap to co-found his own business, DoggyChef; and leveraging that experience in pet care into his...
2025-04-0355 min
The AbstractEp 91: Why Legal Work Will Never Be the Same with SpotDraft's Shashank Bijapur and Akshay VermaWhy is technology the right leverage point for improving how a legal team works together? What did it take to start and sustainably grow SpotDraft? And how do you transition from a more traditional legal career to one leading a legal tech business?Join Shashank Bijapur, SpotDraft’s Co-Founder & CEO and Akshay Verma, SpotDraft’s COO as they sit down with Tyler Finn at the SpotDraft Summit 2025 and break down their journeys from lawyers to tech executives and legal innovators.Listen as Shashank and Akshay discuss the origins of Spotdraft, offer their expert predictions on the...
2025-03-2744 min
The AbstractEp 90: From Engineer to Top Lawyer at Adobe and Microsoft with Dana RaoHow do you make the transition from IP lawyer to general counsel in a typical path? Help Adobe navigate a transition to the cloud, and then the AI era? And make time for your family through all the ups and downs?Join Dana Rao, former general counsel at Adobe and IP and Licensing expert at Microsoft, as he discusses how he capitalized on his electrical engineering background to skyrocket himself from a patent attorney to the forefront of some of the most consequential technology decisions of the last two decades—including topics like copyright, AI, litigation, and mo...
2025-03-2158 min
The AbstractEp 89: From Hackathon to Legal Game-Changer with Hannah Konitshek, Founder, Legal.ioHow do you build a legal marketplace with more than 75,000 community members? Find the right investors to join you on the journey? And help the business navigate the inevitable pivots that will come along with its growth?Join Hannah Konitshek, COO and Founder of Legal.io, Business Operations and Strategy, as she dives deep into the business of legal tech, and how a relationship built during a hackathon transformed into the premiere marketplace for in-house legal talent.Listen as Hannah explains how attending law school in San Francisco guided her legal career, founding and growing...
2025-03-1343 min
The AbstractEp 88: From Prosecutor to Security Leader – Joe Sullivan (ex-CSO: Uber, Facebook, Cloudflare)How do you make the transition from federal prosecutor to security leader? Help secure some of the world's largest technology companies? And build yourself back up after being convicted by a federal jury for your company's handling of a data breach?Join Joe Sullivan, CEO of Joe Sullivan Security and the non-profit Ukraine Friends, as he reflects on the trial and sentencing he endured for a data breach at Uber to interpret the manifold challenges the chief security officers face each day.Listen as Joe shares his journey from the first full-time cyber federal prosecutor...
2025-03-1154 min
The AbstractEp 87: Building a Culture of Integrity with Rob Chestnut, former Airbnb Chief Ethics OfficerWhat role does integrity need to play in your company's culture? How can legal teams and corporate leaders foster it? And where do you get started if you want to write a book on it?Join Rob Chesnut, author of Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead an Ethical Revolution, as he discusses his path from prosecutor at the Department of Justice to tech industry legal leader at eBay, Chegg, and Airbnb, and how integrity and ethics became the cornerstone of both his career and his personal philosophy.Listen as Rob discusses scaling global legal...
2025-03-0651 min
The AbstractEp 86: Why In-House Lawyers Need Each Other with Shai Mehani, CEO In-House ConnectWhy build a big tent community of in-house lawyers without restrictions on who can join? How do you manage the transition from in-house lawyer to founder? And can you keep space for your religious faith during the process?Join Shai Mehani, co-founder and CEO of In-House Connect, as he shares why he left his career as a corporate counsel behind to lead a thriving community of more than fifty thousand in-house lawyers that offers connection, education, professional advancement and more.Listen as Shai discusses his journey from matrimonial law to corporate counsel, transforming a regular...
2025-02-271h 03
The AbstractEp 85: From Coding to the C-Suite with Ryan Nier, GC Nova CreditWhat if you never really wanted or expected to become a lawyer? How do you navigate imposter syndrome? And where do you find meaning in your work?Join Ryan Nier, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Head of People at Nova Credit, as he shares his career path from being a self-taught computer programmer who founded his own start-up to a decade as a litigation associate at a global law firm, eventually landing as a general counsel at companies with a positive impact on the world.Listen as Ryan discusses his struggles with imposter syndrome...
2025-02-251h 00
The AbstractEp 84: Why Lawyers Struggle with Communication with Briefly CEO Adam StofskyIs it possible to carve out a meaningful career in law by following your passions? What's harder: building a non-profit or a business? What do lawyers have to learn from animators?Join Adam Stofsky, CEO of Briefly and founder of the New Media Advocacy Project, as he shares how he used high-production documentary video to advocate for human rights across the globe and started a company to help lawyers better communicate with their clients.Listen as Adam discusses the challenges of non-litigation career paths, founding nonprofit and for-profit companies, the trauma of human rights work...
2025-02-201h 04
The AbstractEp 83: The 2025 Legal Ops Playbook with Brightflag's Kevin Cohn & Priori's Matt WheatleyWhat does 2025 hold for legal tech and the legal ops profession? Will legal ops ever become a standard part of every in-house legal team?Join us in this very special episode as Tyler invites Kevin Cohn, Chief Customer Officer at Brightflag, and Matt Wheatley, VP of Client Strategy at Priori, for a very special, no-holds-barred discussion about legal operations in an ever-changing industry.Listen as Matt and Kevin share their thoughts on legal ops conferences, gender and wage disparities, whether legal ops is more of a legal role or an operational role, 2025’s uncomfortably tight lab...
2025-02-141h 16
The AbstractEp 82: How Carta Built a Legal Team from Scratch & Scaled 10X with April Lindauer, GCHow do you build a fintech juggernaut and redefine how employees think about ownership in businesses, navigate regulatory roadblocks along the way, and build a global team to make it happen?Join April Lindauer, General Counsel at Carta, as she discusses her start-up’s tremendous journey from 200 employees to more than 2000, as the software platform that allows users to manage equity, build businesses, and invest in the companies of tomorrow as they expand into an ever-growing list of international markets.Listen as April offers tips for working with regulators, navigating several financing rounds, building out le...
2025-02-0631 min
The AbstractEp 81: What Every GC Should Know About Working With Founders with Sarah IrwinHow do you advise founders and learn to speak their language? Build a thriving legal community in Europe? And navigate the ups and downs of starting your own business?Join Sarah Irwin, CEO and Founder of Irish Tech GC, as she discusses her career as a consultant for tech founders, adviser for GCs looking to build better relationships with their fellow executives, angel investor, and global legal influencer.Listen as Sarah shares how she founded the Irish Tech GC community, why she decided it was time to leave her GC role behind and go all-in...
2025-01-3142 min
The AbstractEp 80: Insights on Privacy with Ron De Jesus, the Industry's First Field Chief Privacy OfficerHow do you become a leader in the privacy space? Use video and content to make privacy and the profession more accessible? And define a whole new type of privacy role?Join Ron De Jesus, Field Chief Privacy Officer at Transcend, as he shares what it’s like to be the first in the compliance industry to take on his innovative new role leading dialogues and creating spaces for discussion about the future of privacy. Pulling from his experience leading privacy at dating app companies like Grindr and Tinder and fashion houses like Tapestry and Coach, Ron le...
2025-01-2845 min
The AbstractEp 79: Understanding the Future of Patent Law with Patsnap's Matt VealeHow is the rise of AI going to affect the intellectual property field and patents? What are some common mistakes that GCs make when setting up a patent strategy? Or tips that our guest has learned from years as a patent examiner?Join Matt Veale, European Patent Attorney and UPC at PatSnap, as he leads us into this podcast’s first-ever deep dive into all things patents and IP, sharing expert advice on the best way to work with examiners to bring your innovations to the world.Listen as Matt discusses why he thinks IP is...
2025-01-2328 min
The AbstractEp 78: Blueprint for the Ultimate Legal Ops Team with Steph Corey, CEO UpLevel Ops & Co-Founder LINKHow can general counsels and legal operations leaders work better together? How do you cultivate a high-performance culture across your legal team? And what makes for a thriving community of legal ops professionals?Join Steph Corey, CEO and Co-founder of UpLevel Ops and Link, the Legal Innovators Network, as she unpacks her career leading legal operations, starting at HP in the 90s, leading operations at Flex and VMware, co-founding the game-changing CLOC and Link conferences, and launching her own consultancy.Listen as Steph discusses how she built community in an isolating legal role, whether or...
2025-01-2153 min
The AbstractEp 77: Thriving Through Change: Insights from Ron Bell, Collective Health CLO and Former Yahoo! GCHow do you help one of Silicon Valley's most iconic companies, Yahoo!, navigate years of change, stay engaged over almost two decades there, and make the move to health tech when you're ready for something new?Join Ron Bell, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer at Collective Health, as he shares his journey from Chicago litigator and software programming hobbyist to in-house lawyer at some of the hottest tech companies in the world during the dotcom renaissance.Listen as Ron offers his insights on how to navigate the constant and radical changes he’s seen in th...
2025-01-141h 01
The AbstractEp 76: Lawtrades Co-Founders on Creating a Gig Economy for LawyersHow are marketplaces for legal work transforming the way that we work and the way that we live, creating opportunities for a better match between what you need from work and the work that you do?Join Lawtrades co-founders Raad Ahmed and Ashish Walia, as they discuss their path from dissatisfied law school graduates to running a powerhouse legal services startup that links white collar freelancers to legal departments, with $9.7 million in venture backing and $12 million in annual recurring revenue.Listen as Raad and Ashish talk about taking the leap to start a company, making...
2025-01-0957 min
The AbstractEp 75: Must-Read Books for Legal Professionals in 2025 | Bonus EpisodeWhat are the top books that every legal leader needs to read to succeed in the new year? At the close of each episode, Tyler asks our guests what book they would recommend to our audience, and we’re kicking off 2025 with this year’s list of must-read books that you need to check out. Listen to hear titles that these CEOs, start-up founders, and GCs can’t live without. Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-75 Topics: Introduction: 0:00 Joe Green, Chief Innovation Officer Gunderson Dettmer, recommends Leading Professional...
2025-01-0318 min
The AbstractEp 74: Advice to Young Lawyers | Bonus EpisodeWhat’s the best advice you can offer to young lawyers who are just starting their careers? What do you wish you’d known then that you know now?These are the questions we ask each of our guests at the end of every episode of The Abstract. Listen to some of our favorite answers from the legal leaders and C-suite executives who visited the podcast in 2024 and hear tips about trusting your gut, building strong relationships, taking surprising career paths, and much more.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-74Topic...
2024-12-3015 min
The AbstractEp 73: All Things Contracts with Laura Frederick, CEO of How to ContractHow do you avoid common mistakes in commercial contract negotiation? What about in drafting? And how can you get better at and find more joy in commercial contracting?Join Laura Frederick, Founder and CEO of How to Contract, as she goes deep on all things contracts—everything from how to avoid common mistakes to tips for supercharging your negotiating skills.Listen as Laura talks about her career in contracts working for top energy and renewable companies like Tesla and SolarCity, making the leap to start her own law firm and training business, establishing a yearly co...
2024-12-2357 min
The AbstractEp 72: Lobbying for Better Telehealth Regulations with GC Adam GreenbergWhat do you need to know about managing government affairs for heavily regulated, high growth brands? Is it perhaps the most interesting part of a GC's job? And will it actually lead you to Washington D.C. or maybe other slightly less glamorous cities?Join Adam Greenberg, Advisor and Fractional General Counsel at APG Advising, as he shares lessons from years as top in-house counsel at healthcare start-ups Warby Parker and Ro about lobbying state legislatures to make telehealth more accessible to customers across the United States.Listen as Adam discusses the legal needs of...
2024-12-1855 min
The AbstractEp 71: Privacy, Facial Recognition, and Semi-Pro Football with DPO Paul CollierWhat does a Data Protection Officer do? How is it different from your privacy counsel? And how might a DPO help your company with cutting-edge issues like regulations around facial recognition or biometrics?Join Paul Collier, data protection officer at The DPO Centre, as he shares how the skills he gained as a front-line police officer have helped him counsel clients on how to balance complex privacy regulations with business goals.Listen as Paul discusses how companies can use facial recognition technology while safeguarding privacy, how in-house legal departments can work best with DPOs, his...
2024-12-0935 min
The AbstractEp 70: Why GCs need to care about ESG with Christine Uri, Founder ESG for In-house CounselIf you're in the C-Suite, what do you really need to know about ESG? Is ESG the new privacy? And should ESG really be so controversial?Join Christine Uri, founder of ESG for In-house Counsel, as she explains the importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) to both public and private companies in today’s global regulatory climate.Listen as Christine draws on more than a decade offering sustainability solutions to her corporate clients to explain how GCs can advocate for ESG to fellow executives, why ESG is great for the bottom line, and why, as...
2024-12-0542 min
The AbstractEp 69: Leading Teams Across Borders with Manuel Martinez-Herrera, BetterCloud GMWhat does a general manager role involve? How do you establish your company's first international office? And what skills from lawyering can you draw on to do it well?Join Manuel Martinez-Herrera, General Manager and General Counsel at BetterCloud, as he shares his journey from law school in Spain to offices in Argentina and the U.S., to earning an LL.M at Harvard, jumping from big law to in-house counsel, moving beyond the GC role, and opening his company’s first office in Mexico City.Listen as Manuel offers tips for lawyers who want to...
2024-11-2640 min
The AbstractEp 68: From Litigator to Spin Instructor to Chief Legal Officer with Jasmine SinghHave you ever considered quitting your job outright because you felt like you were being pulled farther and farther away from your calling? And then finding your way back through a career change that's very different?Join Jasmine Singh, former Chief Legal and People Officer at Binti, as she shares lessons she learned after taking time away from the legal profession about how to recalibrate your career to align with your principles and passions, and how a year instructing a spin class landed her the in-house role that led her all the way to the executive suite.
2024-11-2149 min
The AbstractEp 67: The Future of Crypto Regulation with Heath Tarbert, Circle CLO and Former CFTC ChairWhat is the transition like from government service to a C-suite leadership role at a cutting edge tech company? How are regulators thinking about crypto and other financial innovations? And is public service something that's still inspiring or something that we ought to aspire to?Join Heath Tarbert, Chief Legal Officer and Head of Corporate Affairs at Circle, as he draws on his extensive and prodigious career in public service–serving as Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commision, associate White House counsel, Supreme Court clerk, special counsel to the Senate Banking Committee, and more–to break down...
2024-11-1958 min
The AbstractEp 66: Tennis & Media Law with Peter Steckelman, SVP, Tennis ChannelWhat lessons from tennis can you apply to your day-to-day life? How do you build a career as a dealmaker working with high-profile talent? How has the entertainment industry, and what it needs from its lawyers, changed over the years?Join Peter Steckelman, Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at the Tennis Channel, as he shares stories from his uniquely wide-ranging career in entertainment law, including working in-house work at Disney, Fox Entertainment, Warner Brothers, Mattel, and Konami.Listen as Peter serves up stories about his lifelong love for tennis, negotiating with celebrity...
2024-11-1451 min
The AbstractEp 65: Why GCs Need to Understand Geopolitics with Sean WestDo general counsels need to care about geopolitics? Is now the right time to start a legal tech company? And should you consider growing your team in a place other than Silicon Valley, like Rwanda?Join Sean West, Co-Founder at Hence Technologies and writer at Geolegal.substack.com, as he explains how he became a geopolitical forecaster for corporations and hedge funds at Eurasia Group, then chose to co-found a tech company that brings geopolitical insights to general counsels and executives at a time of rising international volatility.Listen as Sean explains why CEOs are...
2024-11-0749 min
The AbstractEp 64: How to build and scale legal teams?As top legal leaders across a variety of industries, our podcast guests are no strangers to building teams from scratch and scaling them to adapt to the needs of a rapidly expanding business. Listen as we share some of our favorite words of advice from past episodes about hiring and growing elite legal teams from some of the most seasoned general counsels and executives working today. Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-64 Topics: You’re starting a leadership role at a new company. What’s your first move?: 0:06 You’re a...
2024-10-3126 min
The AbstractEp 63: From Prosecutor to GC at Enfusion with Matt CampobassoHow can the general counsel become a true partner to the executive team? How about in the context of a public company? How can the general counsel ensure that that same can-do attitude that they bring to the table pervades the rest of their legal team?Join Matt Campobasso, General Counsel at Enfusion, as he shares stories and lessons from his unique legal career: starting as a prosecutor outside of Chicago, litigating at a firm for more than a decade and becoming partner, then transitioning to in-house and leading legal at a publicly-traded fintech company....
2024-10-2955 min
The AbstractEp 62: From Serving in the Army to becoming a CEO with Ethena CEO Roxanne PetraeusHow can corporate leaders make compliance training entertaining enough that their employees will pay attention? How do you know if compliance training is effective? What has a founder in this space learned about building for and selling to HR and legal?Join Roxanne Petraeus, Co-Founder and CEO of Ethena, as she discusses how her company is changing compliance training by making it more personalised, effective, role-based, and specific to scenarios happening in her clients’ companies. Starting her career as an officer in the U.S. Army, she made the leap from consultant to founder and built a pl...
2024-10-2439 min
The AbstractEp 61: How to lead Legal without a JD with Zoe McMahon, HP, Head of Legal OpsWhat skill set should the Chief of Staff to a Chief Legal Officer of a major international corporation need? How do you build trust with a Chief Operating Officer? How do you cultivate the right culture with a large legal and compliance team?Join Zoe McMahon, Chief of Staff, VP of Legal Strategy and Operations at HP, as she shares stories and lessons from her thirty-year career at the world’s second largest computer manufacturer. Starting her career in environmental responsibility, Zoe has transferred her skills to a diverse roster of teams, including HP’s global human righ...
2024-10-1735 min
The AbstractEp 60: Sharing Legal Secrets Onstage with Playwright and ex-Etsy and Vroom GC Sarah FeingoldWhere's the intersection in a career as a creative and as a lawyer? What stories would you tell if you were writing a play about your career in startup law? How do you go and convince some accomplished actors to sign up and perform it off-broadway? Join Sarah Feingold, the legal expert and playwright behind Dirty Legal Secrets: Based on True Startups—running Off-Broadway this October in New York City—as she shares her experience collecting and staging anonymous stories from startup lawyers that they can’t tell themselves. She leveraged her own experience as the first general...
2024-10-1034 min
The AbstractEp 59: From Lawyer to Angel Investor, Advisor & Dealmaker with Sunjay MathewsHow do you turn your passion for sports into a career? What does it take to advise pro athletes and celebrities on investments and deals? And how can you start to angel invest yourself?Sunjay Mathews, investor, advisor, and dealmaker in the sports and media sector, was able to make the leap from in-house counsel at FanDuel and DAZN, the biggest names in sports betting and streaming, into a legal and business consulting powerhouse. With his deep understanding of the complex (and often outdated) regulations surrounding sports betting, he began leading at the intersection of crypto and...
2024-10-031h 01
The AbstractEp 58: How a lawyer built an AI company with Cecilia Ziniti, founder GC AIHow should General Counsel and legal teams be leveraging generative AI? How do you get started on your AI journey and what mistakes should you avoid? Where is the AI revolution heading?Join Cecilia Ziniti, Founder and CEO of GC AI, as she discusses how and why she made the leap from working as a corporate lawyer to creating a generative AI product specifically designed for in-house counsel. Find out how her years leading legal for AI-powered tech companies like Replit, Anki, and Cruise (and serving as lead counsel on Amazon’s Alexa) prepared her to create a...
2024-09-2657 min
The AbstractEp 57: Bridging the gap between Politicians & Corps. with Jules Polonetsky, CEO, Future of PrivacyJoin Jules Polonetsky, CEO and Founder of the Future of Privacy Forum, as he shares lessons he learned from the front lines of ad tech starting in the early 1990s. Starting his career in politics as a New York assemblyman and working his way into consumer protection-focused public roles, he became one of the first chief privacy officers in the tech industry at companies like DoubleClick and AOL at a crucial moment in the history of online privacy. Now his think tank connects policymakers with corporations, and helps both sides answer tough questions about privacy and data....
2024-09-191h 02
The AbstractEp 56: Poker helped me negotiate contracts, says Andrew Woods, GC @PubMaticCan playing cards teach you to be a better lawyer? How do you make it in Silicon Valley without the traditional big law firm experience? And how do you make the jump to public company general counsel?Join Andrew Woods, General Counsel at PubMatic, as he discusses the unique path he forged from professional poker player to legal star. From founding a think tank at Harvard focused on poker and law to breaking into tech and privacy as Director of Legal and Associate Counsel at Twitter, Andrew relies on his belief in the value of autonomy, mastery...
2024-09-171h 02
The AbstractEp 55: Why Upwardli CEO Aaron Gregory Took the Leap from GC to FounderHow do you make the leap from lawyer to founder? How do you craft the perfect pitch? What does it take to fundraise effectively? And how far will your legal know-how take you when you’re accountable for every function in the business?Join Aaron Gregory, Co-founder and CEO of Upwardli, as he shares his journey from general counsel to start-up leader. Starting his career in the highly regulated telecom and fintech industries, Aaron relied on lessons he learned while earning his JD-MBA to start a company that solves the challenges of credit invisibility for more than 50 mi...
2024-09-1255 min
The AbstractEp 54: Lyft's Kristin Sverchek on Expanding Beyond Legal into Corporate LeadershipHow can C-suite leaders take on challenging political issues that affect their company? How do you pursue a path of professional growth at a company over the course of a decade? What's required for taking on wide-ranging responsibilities at the executive level?Join Kristin Sverchek, President of Lyft, as she discusses how she joined a small start-up as their first general counsel and grew with it as it transformed into a global ride-sharing powerhouse with a multi-billion dollar IPO.Listen as she discusses the unexpected management challenges she faced and conquered internally as her role...
2024-09-0548 min
The AbstractEp 53: What it takes to lobby for Apple, Google & Intel with Matt TanielianWhat do you need to know if you're ready to launch a government affairs strategy? How do you find the right lobbyist? And how has lobbying for tech companies changed over the last decade?Join Matt Tanielian, Co-founder of Franklin Square Group, a bipartisan government relations, as he shares key insights from his decades of experience advocating for tech companies and bridging the gap between Silicon Valley and Washington. D.C. From advising senators on foundation internet legislation like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Microsoft antitrust investigation, to lobbying for Apple as it launched its...
2024-08-2944 min
The AbstractEp 52: How Vanessa Wu, GC @Rippling tackled Silicon Valley Bank's collapseHow do you raise nine figures in financing in twelve hours as the first Twitter-fueled bank run is happening around you and you feel the pressure of hundreds and thousands of employees depending on your ability to finish the deal so their paychecks clear?Join Vanessa Wu, GC at Rippling, as she relives the moment her company overcame the disastrous collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and pulled through some lightning-fast deals to protect the income of the clients whose paychecks depend on them. Her department’s hard work turned a catastrophe into a boon to their company’s re...
2024-08-2249 min
The AbstractEp 51: How Rachel Olchowka, balanced the role of GC & CPO @ FetchWhat do you need to know if you're considering taking on the people function? What's the difference between a chief people officer and a CHRO? And are GCs well-positioned to take on both of these roles simultaneously?Rachel Olchowka, Former Chief People Officer and General Counsel at Fetch and current Chief Administrative Officer at Prizm Insurance, had no hesitations when she volunteered to operate a complex, metrics-driven people function in addition to her responsibilities leading in-house legal at a fast-paced organization. Not only did she learn how to do both roles—she learned how to do them we...
2024-08-1552 min
The AbstractEp 50: How beating cancer twice helped him become the "Zen" GC: Dan Haley, GC, GuildHow do you help CEOs transition out of the business? How do you project calm in a time of crisis? Can you draw on the experience of beating cancer twice as you navigate the challenges of executive leadership? Dan Haley, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Guild, has led a career spanning the world of local Massachusetts politics, leading legal at companies like Sprinklr, and Athenahealth, enduring cancer treatments while holding high-stress leadership positions, and becoming known as legal’s most “zen” GC. Listen as Dan shares how he developed his calming professional philosophy, why he wears...
2024-08-0855 min
The AbstractEp 49: Will AI change Legal Work Forever?: Joe Green, Chief Innovation Officer, Gunderson DettmerHow is AI going to change the practice of law? How is one of the most forward looking law firms adapting? And will the billable hour go away? Joe Green, Chief Innovation Officer at Gunderson Dettmer and Cofounder & Director of the Open Cap Table Coalition, steered a law career starting at major Wall Street firm Simpson Thacher towards the worlds of tech and product management, with stop-offs in academia and legal publishing along the way. Ultimately, he found that his legal mindset guided him in his technical work, and his understanding of business and innovation strengthened his l...
2024-07-3148 min
The AbstractEp 48: How a Pilot turned into a CEO: Ben Klein, CEO at AeroHow do you build a legal and business career from a passion for aviation? What is the transition like from the GC role to that of CEO? And what is it like to run an airline? Ben Klein, CEO and First Officer at Aero, was able to combine his dedication to legal work with his lifelong love of flying. Starting off at big law firms like Davis Polk & Wardwell, he successfully transitioned into aviation law after founding his own firm, then took on GC roles at autonomous helicopter start-up Skyryse and Aero, an airline offering a private-jet-like e...
2024-07-2440 min
The AbstractEp 47: Steering Companies Through Crisis: Chelsea Grayson, Managing Partner at PivotHow do you build trust with investors who tap you for the CEO role? How do you prepare yourself to lead companies through some of their toughest moments, including bankruptcy, and guide other companies through their transformations as a board member?Chelsea Grayson, managing partner of corporate restructuring at Pivot > and former CEO and board member of brands like American Apparel, True Religion, and Spark Networks, has steered many ships through rough waters, including post-chapter 11 turnarounds, corporate wind-downs, and firing CEOs for cause. She has transitioned from board member to operator and back again, and is currently...
2024-07-171h 00
The AbstractEp 46: What You Wish You Had Known at the Start of Your Career | Bonus EpisodeRead detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-46Topics: Introduction: 0:00Deanna Papedis on adopting a strategic mindset and keeping your eye on the big picture: 1:05Hardeep Singh on congratulating yourself when you reach a career milestone: 2:10Vineet Shahani on dealing with career lows and leaning on your communication skills: 3:50Nguyễn Vu on establishing strong relationships with people who can move the needle on your career: 6:09Sagi Eliyahu on knowing when the world is ready for your idea: 8:49Connect with us: Deanna Papedis - https://www.linkedin.com...
2024-07-1011 min
The AbstractEp 45: What Executive Recruiters Need from GCs: Joelle Khoury, Consultant at Egon ZehnderWhat does a former GC-turned-executive recruiter wish she'd known about creating a personal brand, working with search firms, and negotiating the offer? How do executive recruiters help take careers where they need to go—not just to the next level? And when is the right time to start building a meaningful relationship with executive recruiters?Joelle Khoury, consultant at Egon Zehnder, built a towering career as an in-house counsel at private equity giants like Saban Capital Group and Fifth Wall and at law firms including Cooley LLP and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. But when the time came to...
2024-07-0237 min
The AbstractEp 44: How an Opera Singer Became a Legal Ops Pro: Cory Clines, Legal Operations ConsultantHow can training to be a professional opera singer translate into the legal operations profession? How do you build a career in legal ops without any formal training? And what role should technology play–if any–in a strong legal ops program?Cory Clines, Legal Operations Manager at Campari Group, was able to transfer valuable lessons from his life as a conservatory-trained opera singer into his fifteen-year-long career in legal ops, like the importance of collaboration and the need for a shared vision among teams. In his current role and at former companies like Advance Publications and Lloy...
2024-06-2651 min
The AbstractEp 43: Why Foreign-Trained Lawyers are Essential: Flavia Naves, Of Counsel, Hathaway & Kunz, LLPIf you're a foreign-trained lawyer who wants to move to the U.S., how do you find a job? Why should companies look to foreign-trained lawyers in an increasingly globalized world? And how should you navigate moments of big career transitions?Flavia Naves, former general counsel at Circle, relocated to the United States after studying law in her native country of Brazil, and went on to become an authority on law and regulation related to crypto, fintech, digital payments, and much more. In addition to her long lost of leading legal roles, she is also a board...
2024-06-1934 min
The AbstractEp 42: Legacy Legal Ops v. Start-Up Legal Ops: Susan Packal, Head of Global Legal Ops at AtlassianHow does the nature of an organization change the design of its legal operations program? How can leaders of all types embrace innovations that legal ops professionals are bringing to legal ops departments? What are the most important things legal ops leaders need to know about the business?Susan Packal, Head of Global Legal Operations at Atlassian, learned the most important aspects of legal ops leadership serving in director and chief of staff positions at dynamic start-ups and legacy brands like Hilton, eBay, Uber, and Twilio, in addition to running her own legal ops consultancy. Along the...
2024-06-1234 min
The AbstractEp 41: Building Legal Ops at Google: DeAnna Papedis, Head of Legal Contracts & Operations, GoogleHow has the legal ops profession evolved over the years? What was it like to be there at the birth of legal ops? And how can you break into the field now? DeAnna Papedis, head of legal contract & product program management & operations at Google, has been with the tech giant for eighteen years, building up their massive legal ops departments from a team of legal assistants. Stepping into legal operations from a contract management role before the field even had a name, DeAnna has watched legal ops grow into an indispensable part of the organization. He...
2024-06-0422 min
The AbstractEp 40: Leveraging Social Media to Build a Legal Brand: Matt Margolis, Partner, Margolis PLLCCan you leverage a joke-filled social media brand to build your own business? How will the practice of law evolve in the age of AI? Is the billable hour going away?Matt Margolis, Partner at Margolis PLLC, went from a single funny and relatable LinkedIn post about frustrations at work to growing a massive brand as @ItsMattsLaw across platforms like TikTok, X, and Instagram. Beyond expanding his network, it aided him as he made the leap from in-house to partner at his own law firm, Margolis PLLC.Hear Matt discuss how he balances social content...
2024-05-2831 min
The AbstractEp 39: Legal Process Orchestration: Sagi Eliyahu, CEO & Co-founder, Tonkean (w/ cohost Akshay Verma)What is the role of tech in making legal and business teams work better together? How can process orchestration improve your intake process and seamlessly connect silos in your organization? And what is it like to build a tech company that serves legal professionals? Sagi Eliyahu, CEO and co-founder of Tonkean, didn’t set out to make a platform that automates and streamlines processes for lawyers. But focusing his startup’s point of view on elevating people over data allowed him to identify the issues that legal teams—some of the most people-centric and complex teams in an orga...
2024-05-201h 04
The AbstractEp 38: Product Counseling at Nest, Apple, and a Climate Change Startup: Vineet Shahani, GC, MillHow do you step into and thrive in the role of product counselor? How does the work of a product counselor change from organization to organization? And how can you recalibrate your legal career to focus on environmental issues and climate change? Vineet Shahani, General Counsel, Policy and Corporate Development at Mill, gained his product knowledge working on the iPhone at Apple and guiding the groundbreaking internet-of-things product Nest through acquisition and integration at Google. Now he applies those learnings to his legal leadership at Mill, a mission-based environmental product that combats a major climate issue. He...
2024-05-1345 min
The AbstractEp 37: IPO, Acquisitions & Board Membership: Nithya Das, Chief Legal & Administrative Officer, DiligentHow can legal leaders thrive while navigating major M&A and capital market transactions? How do you expand the GC or CLO title and take on broader executive roles? And how do you leverage your experience into a board seat?Nithya Das, Chief Legal and Chief Administrative Officer at Diligent, has taken on each of these challenges and used the lessons she gained from them to advance her career exactly where she wants it to go. Formerly the chief legal and people officer of the so-called “AppNexus mafia” during the startup’s historic sale to AT&T, Nithya...
2024-05-0638 min
The AbstractEP 36: From Paralegals to Legal Ops Leaders: Tommie Tavares-Ferreira, Cedar, and Tom Stephenson, Legal.ioHow do you transition into a legal ops role? What are the new and exciting opportunities for legal professionals without a law degree? How will the legal operations community trailblaze a path for in-house counsels and law firms into the future of business?Tommie Tavares-Ferreira, Head of Legal Ops at Cedar and Tom Stephenson, Vice President of Community and Legal Ops at Legal.io, have an expert understanding of both the legal ops industry and the diverse channels that professionals can take to arrive in the field. Not only are they the hosts of the Dear Legal...
2024-04-3055 min
The AbstractEp 35: Growing Your Personal Brand and Legal Network on LinkedIn: Brittany Leonard, GC at CivixHow do you build a personal brand on LinkedIn that strengthens your ties to the legal community, grows your network, and even helps other lawyers? And how do you convert that brand into a successful and rewarding consulting business with an impressive client base?Brittany Leonard, General Counsel at Civix, started her journey to LinkedIn legal community influencer at the beginning of the pandemic, and went from a single post with minor engagement to an in-house advice powerhouse with more than 26,000 followers. Now she runs a successful consulting business where she trains GCs and businesses to understand...
2024-04-2334 min
The AbstractEp 34: From Prosecuting to Leading In-house at a Tech Startup: S. Michael Lee, GC & COO at Engaging.aiHow do you approach, accept, and move on from career transitions, both planned and unexpected? What does it take to transition from decades in public service to roles leading legal at tech startups and law firms? And how can you leverage your network to bounce back after an unexpected layoff?S. Michael Lee, General Counsel and COO at Engaging.ai, has conquered many of these tense moments. Starting his career as the first Korean-American prosecutor in the Santa Clara County DA’s Office, he brought lessons learned from his experience as a trial attorney to his second ch...
2024-04-1931 min
The AbstractEp 33: Legal Issues in the Gene Editing Space: Lisa Taylor Ash, General Counsel at Shape TherapeuticsHow do you leverage your legal career to launch your own consultancy? What are the winning tactics to be an effective in-house lawyer? Is it possible to merge your love of science with your passion for law?Lisa Taylor Ash, General Counsel at Shape Therapeutics, has the answer to all of your questions. After leading two different legal teams through major acquisitions, starting her own consulting firm, and returning to the GC role, Lisa created effectiveinhouse.com, a website that features legal tactics, samples, and interviews with top in-house counsels across a variety of industries....
2024-04-1646 min
The AbstractEp 32: From Product Counseling at Apple & Meta to the Crypto World: Nguyen Vu, DGC, OKXHow do you realign your legal career in order to break into the tech industry and product counseling? What are the major differences between headline-grabbing big tech companies and ambitious start-ups? And should the goal of every in-house counsel be a GC title?Nguyen Vu, deputy general counsel at OKX, leveraged his persistence, skills, and showmanship to redefine himself as a tech attorney. Starting off as a lawyer working in telecoms regulation, Nguyen was able to land a major product role at Apple, become the “mini GC” of digital currency at Facebook, and lead international product teams at s...
2024-04-1244 min
The AbstractEp 31: Peak Legal Efficiency: Siddharth Manchanda, IndusLaw Partner & Unacademy External GC What challenges face the legal team at India’s largest learning platform as they expand beyond online classrooms? How do you execute one thousand new contracts a month, and still find time to problem solve and aid core function?Siddharth Manchanda, Partner at IndusLaw and External GC at Unacademy, has embraced tech and AI in order to free his team from the repetitive manual tasks borne from his company’s fast and massive growth. He’s found that increased efficiency is more than enough to shift the mindsets of traditional lawyers and business teams alike about the power a...
2024-04-091h 02
The AbstractEp 30: Leading Legal in Complex Regulatory Environments: Hardeep Singh, GC, CREDHow is tech changing India’s financial services industry? How do you deal with complex regulations that change as rapidly as tech products do? And how can a multinational company expand into India’s culturally, geographically, and linguistically diverse market?Hardeep Singh, General Counsel at CRED, has faced these challenges head-on. Starting his career in litigation, he moved on to in-house counsel for Uber in Delhi and helped pioneer solutions to improve the city’s public transit. Now he leads the legal team at CRED, a reward-based credit card payment app that integrates with India’s massive mobile p...
2024-04-0456 min
The AbstractEp 28: From Law Partner to Top Recruiter: Richard Hsu, Managing Director at Major, Lindsey & AfricaHow do executive recruiters take legal careers to the next level? What do you need to handle the transition from big-name law firm partner to a role helping people build careers of their own? How can you distinguish a good interview from a bad interview? Richard Hsu, Managing Director at Major, Lindsey & Africa and host of the Hsu Untied podcast, has expert advice to share about how to ace the job interview for executive legal roles and the podcast interview with influential thinkers like Mark Cuban and Tony Robbins. Going deep on legal and podcasting, Richard shares essential tips o...
2024-03-2634 min
The AbstractEp 27: Taking Businesses & Legal Teams Global: Sarah Binder, General Counsel, LimeWhat is a general counsel’s role in international expansion? How do you balance growth with safety and compliance across diverse countries and markets? And how do you scale your legal team to take on challenges that require in-depth knowledge of local cultures, regulations, and business practices? As general counsel at Lime, Sarah Binder confronts these questions each day, as she and her legal team navigate regulations across 300 municipalities in 35 countries. Sarah, who recently located to San Francisco from the UK, has found that transparency, accessibility, and flexibility are key to working across borders (and time zones). Lis...
2024-03-1545 min
The AbstractFinding Empowerment in Disability: Raj Mahapatra, Senior Counsel at Wilson SonsiniHow do you turn one of the most difficult moments in your life into the motivation that guides you to make the world a better place?When Raj Mahapatra received his axial spondyloarthritis diagnosis, he was told he would spend his life in a wheelchair. Decades later, he is an accomplished long-distance runner, seasoned general counsel, tech start-up business operator, mission-driven climate advocate, and chairman of the charity that makes life better for people suffering from his condition worldwide.Listen as Raj recounts his journey to leadership, explains the importance of advocating for your personal...
2024-02-2856 min
The AbstractData, Privacy, and Podcasting: Andy Dale, GC & CPO, OpenAPIn an always-changing ad tech industry, how have privacy and data protection emerged as two of the largest challenges that organizations need to face? Whether it’s streaming platforms, engineering AI models, or aligning key industry stakeholders, these topics are evolving faster than the world can keep up with.OpenAP GC & Chief Privacy Officer Andy Dale has been leading conversations about privacy and data protection for more than a decade. He shares stories and advice from his time as the only privacy counsel at Mastercard, an organizer of some of the first privacy and data-focused industry groups, ov...
2024-02-2247 min
The AbstractExpanding Beyond the GC Role | Bonus EpisodeInterested in expanding beyond the traditional role of General Counsel? Join us in this episode to find out how legal leaders redefine their roles. Discover insights that transform legal professionals into strategic business leaders – from smoothly transitioning to CEO to mastering adaptive communication in enterprise strategy.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-23Topics: Introduction: 00:00Evan Ferl on taking the legal landscape beyond its limits: 01:16René Paula on enterprise strategy and adaptive communication: 06:55Kathy Zhu on mastering the legal to CEO transition: 09:11Vanessa Gage on navigating interim lea...
2024-01-3122 min
The AbstractGCs in the Boardroom: Lisa Harrington, Board Director, Consultant, and CLOJoining a board as a GC presents a unique set of challenges: how do you demonstrate value when many boards are looking for members with financial and strategy experience? How do you avoid becoming the de facto legal counsel? And how can you maximize your board experience to expand and strengthen your network and legal skill set?Lisa Harrington, board director, consultant, and CLO, can coach you through this complex process. Currently the board director at A-Rod’s Slam Corp and Iron Horse Acquisitions, Lisa has complimented her career as CLO and corporate secretary with a yearslong jo...
2024-01-1951 min
The AbstractFrom FBI Dreams to Big Tech Legal: Alice Bisgrove, VP & Associate General Counsel, ProcoreAfter an unexpected detour from her initial plans to join the FBI, Alice Bisgrove built a career in tech law working for tech giants like Cisco and Procore.In this episode, she discusses how she remained a legal generalist for over a decade at Cisco, taking on new roles and building relationships across the massive organization.Alice describes her transition to Procore as it grew from an established startup to a public company. From her impactful career journey, we will learn lessons on collaboration, problem-solving perspectives, and continually adapting to new opportunities.Read...
2024-01-0935 min
The AbstractChampioning Inclusion, Ethics & Compliance: Junna Ro, Head of Strategic Legal Initiatives, UC Office of the PresidentWhen you disagree with your boss, should you let it go or take a stand? How do you lean into your integrity and vocalize your beliefs, especially when you aren’t aware of the strength of your own voice? And how do you advise your company to do the right thing, as well?Junna Ro, the head of strategic legal initiatives for UC Legal at the UC Office of the President, has spent decades inhabiting leadership positions in the insurance and tech industry, both as the former general counsel at Metromile and the chief ethics & compliance officer at...
2023-12-2251 min
The AbstractTaking the Helm as an Interim Executive: Vanessa Gage, General Counsel, CedarWhat does it mean for a lawyer to take on an interim role? Yes, there will be more work and your time will be divided across functions. But you will also get the opportunity to reevaluate why things are the way they are, and make positive improvements for your legal team.Join Cedar General Counsel Vanessa Gage as she shares advice on how to make the most of an interim executive roles. Vanessa stepped into the role of interim CFO at Cedar following a surprise executive departure—just weeks after she the started at the company. But it...
2023-12-1534 min
The AbstractDefining Ethical Use & Dealing with Law Enforcement: Mark Kahn, Partner and Head of Consumer at Protégé SearchHow does legal determine what is acceptable user behavior? How do lawyers weigh the needs of users and concerns from law enforcement to arrive at the best guidelines for responsibly protecting our data?Join Protégé Search Partner and Head of Consumer Mark Kahn as he shares his experiences on the front lines of privacy protection in his roles as VP of Ethical Use at Twilio and Deputy General Counsel at Whatsapp. In a time of major international crises, how do tech companies navigate the difficult questions about ethics, acceptable use, and fairness?We’ll hear...
2023-12-0847 min
The AbstractBig Risks and Big Rewards: René Paula, GC & SVP of Legal & Business Affairs, VaxxinityWhat does it take for a lawyer to expand their remit and become an operator, a business strategist, or even a founder? Beyond speaking up, what do you need to take on in order to advance from the traditional legal role of in-house counsel?René Paula, Vaxxinity’s GC and Senior Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs, knows a lawyer needs to be able to speak multiple languages. Not just spoken languages, but the languages of math, finance, and accounting. It helped fuel his marathon career, including financial transactions at HSBC, counsel at Amazon’s Audible, new v...
2023-11-2944 min
The AbstractPrivacy, Ad Tech, and AI: Julia Shullman, GC and Chief Privacy Officer, TellyNew technologies are advancing faster than ever. How can we rely on our experience to solve unforeseen privacy issues as our personal data makes its way to places we never imagined it could end up?Julia Shullman, Telly’s GC and Chief Privacy Officer, has spent nearly two decades advocating for privacy in the complex ecosystem of advertising technology. She has learned that one of the most important things a Chief Privacy Officer can do is acknowledge what they don’t know and rely on the expertise of other teams to build smart products that protect user data...
2023-11-2243 min
The AbstractNavigating Public Scrutiny & Adversity as a GC: Mark Marin's Candid InsightsHow do you navigate being in the public eye of a high-profile company? What happens when you become embroiled in a public controversy and your company doesn’t have your back?This is just one of the themes we will be delving into with Mark Marin, Puffco’s General Counsel, on this episode of The Abstract.In this incredibly candid conversation, Mark will take us through:— the challenges he faced during his time at Barstool Sports, a notorious media company;— the challenges that led him to Barstool Sports, namely a bankruptcy and two...
2023-11-1036 min
The AbstractBeing a Business-Minded Lawyer: Kathy Zhu, Co-founder, CEO & GC @Streamline AIScuba diving and entrepreneurship have a lot more in common than you may think.From staying calm in high-pressure situations to overcoming challenges and facing your fears head on, it is no coincidence that Kathy Zhu, Co-founder and CEO of Streamline AI, finds solace in both the deep waters of the ocean and the unpredictable start-up world.Join Kathy and SpotDraft’s Tyler Finn as they dive into the pivotal moments that led her to take a leap of faith and co-found Streamline AI, and how her upbringing fueled her drive to overcome and adapt to...
2023-11-0334 min
The AbstractLeading Teams in High Growth, High Pressure Environments: Seth Weissman, Executive CoachWhat does it take to build up your legal team? Is it possible to work effectively without a foundation of trust and vulnerability? What role does emotional intelligence take in nurturing careers? And how do you proceed in a role when you don’t know how to make the first big step?Seth Weissman is no stranger to navigating difficult business challenges without a roadmap. Now an executive coach, he previously led SolarCity to IPO and acquisition by Tesla as GC and Executive Vice President, and grew Marqeta’s legal team of four to fifty as Chief Lega...
2023-10-2755 min
The AbstractNavigating Ownership Transitions From PE to Public Holdings: Brian Chase, GC, ServiceChannelMergers and acquisitions, private equity buyouts, and transformative deals are part of business. But what's it like for the lawyers making them happen?Get an insider look at high-stakes corporate transformations from Brian Chase, GC of ServiceChannel. Brian shares a candid glimpse into the complexities behind major corporate moves as he delves into his experiences navigating company changes under different owners, handling new responsibilities, and adapting to shifting corporate structures along the way.We also discuss:— what it means to be “more than just legal” as a general counsel,— what it’s like to...
2023-10-0541 min
The AbstractFrom NASA to HR Tech: Evan Ferl, Chief Strategy Officer & GC, BambeeWhere does legal end and strategy begin? Taking on new tasks and new roles can help you expand beyond the traditional GC role. But are enthusiasm and attitude enough to skyrocket you to bold new places in your career?Join Bambee Chief Strategy Officer & GC Evan Ferl for an exciting discussion about following your passions and using legal to inject positivity into your organization.We’ll hear tips for advancing your career to match your ambitions, activating your creativity, and find out how Ferl expanded beyond legal in his roles at Hired, Poshmark, Bambee, and hi...
2023-09-2842 min
The AbstractBecoming a True Business Partner as an In-House Lawyer“Legal just doesn’t understand our priorities.”Legal is often viewed as a cost center and a blocker in fulfilling business needs, instead of a thought partner that can help push the business forward. This perception is a challenge most in-house counsel have to overcome when they join a company.How can you transform legal’s brand, get a seat at the table, and own it so you and your team can become business co-leaders?Join us for this bonus episode as we explore what it takes to become a true business partner as an in...
2023-09-0638 min
The AbstractGoing Beyond the GC Role: COO Genessa Stout on Organic Growth“How do I expand my scope of work as a GC or in-house lawyer?”The in-house legal industry is increasingly seeing GCs step up to the role of COO, CFO, head of people functions, and more. In fact, expanding your role to cross-functional leadership positions has become an important part of growth for senior legal executives.In episode 9 of The Abstract, we talk to one such leader, who grew her career from a receptionist at a law firm to now the Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel at Tally — Genessa Stout.We discuss:— ho...
2023-08-2238 min
The AbstractNavigating IPOs and Acquisitions: GC Gary Spiegel Takes Us Behind the ScenesEnabling a successful IPO is an important milestone in a GC’s career. For Gary Spiegel, it was a passion he’d pursued ever since he transitioned from the regulatory world into Silicon Valley.Join us as Gary takes us behind the scenes into his experience:-navigating two acquisitions in two years, from MySQL to Sun Microsystems to Oracle,-fulfilling his dream of becoming an IPO GC at Anaplan,-helping them again go private in a blockbuster acquisition by Thoma Bravo.Along the way, we’ll also discuss what goes i...
2023-08-091h 02
The AbstractBrand Building for Legal Teams: With Lydia Cheuk, GC at AwayWhat’s your legal team’s brand? And by that, we mean, what does your team look like from the lens of the rest of the organization?Join Away’s GC Lydia Cheuk as she shares insights on marketing Legal within the organization, authentically building your personal brand, shaping legal as the first hire at early-stage companies across different industries, and more.We’ll also discuss Lydia’s experience in supporting the business through hypergrowth, a pandemic, and then through the recovery period, as well as offering stability and support during transitions.Read detailed s...
2023-07-2034 min
The AbstractNavigating the Legal-Security-Privacy Relationship: Celaena Powder's Experiences at SeismicLegal, Security, and Privacy are cut from the same cloth — but it’s common to see friction between these teams. How can GCs and in-house leaders bridge this gap to form productive working relationships?Join us as we dive into the incredible journey of Celaena Powder, VP of Legal at Seismic, as she weighs in on forming unbeatable GC-CISO duos, supporting an enterprise sales motion at a company, nurturing meaningful relationships with Sales AEs to drive business impact, and more.We also discuss strategies for transforming the perception of Legal, building a high-performing legal team, and...
2023-07-0600 min