Diversity, Inclusion & Self-Care: Philadelphia [Virtual Summit]

Earthen E. Johnson is the Associate General Counsel and Vice President of Legal at Macquarie Investment Management, a global asset manager overseeing approx. $300 billion for both institutional and retail clients. Earthen’s responsibilities involve counseling multi-series and multi-class mutual funds, reorganizing and forming funds, preparing registration and proxy statements, and handling various securities filings for both open-end and closed-end funds. She also assists the boards of directors/trustees on fund governance and fiduciary duty issues. Prior to joining Macquarie, she was a senior associate in Drinker, Biddle & Reath, LLP’s nationally ranked Investment Management Practice Group. Earthen earned her J.D., cum laude from Drexel University School of Law, where she was a Dean’s Scholar, senior member of the Drexel Law Review, and participant in the Civil Litigation clinic. She received her B.A. in history and American studies from the University of Virginia, where she was a Merit Scholar, on the Dean’s List, recipient of the Longevity of Excellence Award and a member of the Phi Sigma Pi Honor Society. Between college and law school, Earthen taught third grade in Camden, NJ through Teach For America and then led an educational non-profit organization in Philadelphia. In 2013 and 2016, she was recognized as a Pennsylvania Lawyer on the Fast Track by The Legal Intelligencer and in the Top 40 Under 40 by the National Black Lawyers, respectively.

As General Counsel, Deanna supports every aspect of the business, negotiating and managing contract relationships, disputes, compliance, investment strategy and risk mitigation in areas as diverse as technology licensing, trademark strategy, onsite retail and e-commerce, media, manufacturing and distribution, construction, professional services, franchise relationships, safety and customer support.

Deanna is active in many industry-related and professional associations, acting as a core member of the ASTM Section 24.61 technical committee to develop a unified safety standard for obstacle course events. She is also a member of the Boston Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts, Women in Sports and Entertainment and USA 500 Club.

Deanna has competed in four marathons, captained four Ragnar Relay teams, and competed in other endurance events. She is also a musician and dedicates volunteer time as a regular gear crew member, instructor, and band coach for Girls Rock Campaign Boston and Ladies Rock Camp Boston to build community, creativity, and confidence in girls, women, and people of marginalized genders. 

Jennifer Chung is General Counsel at AccuWeather, the world’s largest and fastest-growing weather media company.   She provides legal support across all lines of business and functions, including intellectual property, data privacy, ad sales and emerging technologies.  Prior to AccuWeather, Ms. Chung was an Assistant General Counsel at Time Inc., where she managed the company’s global trademark, patent, and domain name portfolios, and assisted with other intellectual property-related issues. She served as an Assistant Counsel at the New York State Department of Economic Development, providing counsel on state-wide agency matters concerning intellectual property issues, including the “I Love NY” family of service marks and trademarks, and was an associate at several local law firms, including Kaye Scholer LLP, where she handled a wide range of high level intellectual property litigations. Ms. Chung served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Gabriel W. Gorenstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Ms. Chung attended Albany Law School and Cornell University.

As Assistant General Counsel for JPMorgan Chase Bank, Tia is primarily responsible for providing practical legal guidance to the Wealth Management business and ensuring that the Bank is protected legally and reputationally – all while enhancing the client experience on every interaction and being a valued partner and trusted advisor to the business.

Tia joined JPMorgan August of 2000.  Prior to joining the JPMorgan, Tia was Assistant Deputy Attorney General with the Delaware Department of Justice.  Before that, Tia was a Probation & Parole Officer with the Delaware Department of Correction.

Tia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware, a Master of Business degree from Wilmington University, and a Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law.  She is a Member in Good Standing of the Pennsylvania State Bar.

In her free time, Tia enjoys cheering on her favorite thee sport (football, basketball, and baseball) athlete, her son Tyler.  Tia lives in Delaware with her husband and son.

Jessica Cicali is Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Cardone Industries, Inc. In this role, Ms. Cicali oversees the legal and risk management functions of the company and is responsible for all aspects of Cardone’s legal work, including litigation, commercial contracts, compliance, privacy, labor and employment, real estate, sourcing, and corporate governance. With more than 20 years in the legal profession, she has held many positions of increasing responsibility at large, multinational public and private companies, including previously serving as Vice President, Assistant General Counsel at Ricoh USA., and General Counsel for Canada and Associate General Counsel for the Americas at Axalta Coating Systems, LLC. 

Ms. Cicali is a proven leader of high-performing legal teams. She is a results-oriented and collaborative business partner who focuses on the big picture to assist the company achieve its strategic objectives while managing and mitigating risk. She brings a pragmatic and creative approach to problem solving and is a trusted advisor with a high level of integrity and professionalism. She has received internal and external recognition for her performance, including a Rising Star Award at the Philadelphia Business Journal’s fourth Annual Corporate Counsel Awards. 

She earned her J.D. from Temple University, Beasley School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Dynamics, magna cum laude, from Immaculata University.  

Ms. Cicali lives in Chester County with her husband and five children. She enjoys running, gardening, reading, writing, and volunteering in her spare time. 

Attorney with 14 years of experience including law firm and in-house roles in litigation and U.S. and international investigations involving regulatory law, commercial law, compliance & ethics, fraud, and bribery. Expertise in managing, conducting, and triaging U.S. and international internal and government investigations. Highly collaborative team player with demonstrated ability to lead cross-disciplinary teams. Skilled analyst of complex compliance issues with established commitment to integrity, regulatory compliance, and ethical decision-making.