Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership: LA

Ohia Amadi focuses his practice on complex business litigation and personal disputes, advising clients on a wide range of matters including securities, trade secrets, intellectual property, privacy, employment, and other business matters. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in disputes involving securities claims under the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act, the Investment Advisers Act, and various state Blue Sky laws. He regularly represents clients in the financial services and securities industries, such as registered investment advisers (RIAs), broker-dealers, independent broker-dealers and individual financial advisers in federal and state courts, arbitration forums and administrative, regulatory and enforcement forums by government agencies, and self-regulatory organizations, such as the SEC, FINRA, the California Department of Business Oversight, and the California Department of Insurance.

Ohia also advises clients across various industries in business disputes involving professional malpractice; fraud; breach of fiduciary duty; breach of contract; unfair competition; economic interference; trade secret misappropriation; trademark and copyright infringement; non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements; business divorces; control disputes; shareholder derivative actions; insurance coverage disputes; defamation and First Amendment issues; Civil Rights; trusts and estates; real estate, and other issues.

Ohia also assists clients with managing and avoiding disputes stemming from complex privacy laws and regulations across various industries with emphasis in the financial services and securities sectors. He also has experience making information requests pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the California Public Records Act in the litigation context.

Brandon Harrell serves as Deputy General Counsel for 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (“LA28”) which will take place in Los Angeles, CA.  In his role with LA28, he is responsible for overseeing legal matters related to the delivery of the Games, including venues, infrastructure, sports programming, accommodations, hospitality, transportation, security, municipal services and related events.   

Prior to joining LA28, Harrell served as Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs for the Philadelphia 76ers National Basketball Association franchise and Director of Legal Affairs for the Seattle Seahawks National Football League franchise.  He represented both teams in a range of matters, including transactions related to media rights, sponsorships, merchandising, licensing, technology, IP, employment, real estate and other commercial arrangements; stadium/venue development, use and lease agreements; business process outsourcing arrangements; and numerous additional key transactions.  He also managed litigation, including media rights, employment, breach of contract, bankruptcy, insurance and other litigation matters; criminal, civil and league investigations; and arbitrations and mediations, including collective bargaining agreement grievances.

Harrell began his legal career as a litigation associate in the Washington, DC office of Beveridge & Diamond, PC where he served as counsel to former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue during his service as the hearing officer for arbitration between the NFL and NFL Players Association.

He has served on the Board of Directors for the Public Interest Law Center and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.  In addition, Harrell has provided pro bono representation to domestic violence victims, underrepresented tenants and individuals living with HIV. 

He was an awardee of the National Bar Association’s Nation’s Best Advocates 40 Lawyers Under 40 Award.  A graduate of Tulane University Law School, he obtained his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Hampton University.  Harrell is a native of New Orleans, LA and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Ellen S. Robbins is a trial lawyer with extensive experience litigating disputes in both state and federal court on behalf of public and private companies all over the world. She focuses her practice on complex commercial disputes and patent litigation. 

Ellen’s work includes commercial matters such as breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition, alter ego, securities law, product liability, class actions, insolvency, and misappropriation. Following a federal court bench trial involving issues of alter ego and fraudulent transfer, Ellen secured a $40 million judgment for a Fortune 500 company that was affirmed on appeal. She also successfully obtained a preliminary injunction in a substantial securities fraud case representing a leading financial institution. Ellen also incorporates alternative dispute resolution into her practice; she has first-chaired nearly two dozen arbitrations and mediations, including AAA, NASD, and NYSE arbitrations. 

Ellen’s experience also encompasses intellectual property, patent litigation, and handling several matters before the International Trade Commission. Ellen served as trial counsel in five district court and ITC proceedings in the Microsoft/Motorola smart phone patent litigation, including a landmark bench trial setting a RAND royalty for standard essentials patents and obtaining a jury verdict for Microsoft in the district court proceedings. 

September Rea is a seasoned litigator in Polsinelli’s Employment Litigation practice with experience in all employment-related litigation forums including administrative, state, federal and arbitration. She routinely partners with clients as a trusted advisor to defend against employment-related action including age, religion, gender, race, national origin, disability, harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation and FMLA. A skilled mediator and negotiator, September works closely with clients to resolve employment matters as swiftly and cost-effectively as feasible. Her practice is particularly focused on advising employers in the entertainment, start-up, technology, and hospitality sectors.

Working side-by-side for many years with trial icon Patty Glaser definitely has had its perks — like the opportunity to represent and work with some of the most powerful players in the entertainment industry and to handle some of the most interesting cases. But beyond that, this experience instilled in Ms. Garvis Wright the same tenacity, ingenuity and results-oriented approach to her clients’ legal problems, and she has emerged as her own force in the legal community. Ms. Garvis Wright’s clients, like William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC and Gehry Partners, Inc. are “repeat customers.” Indeed, their general counsel regularly call on Ms. Garvis Wright for advice regarding problems ranging from the more mundane to issues involving emerging, cutting-edge principles of law.

Ms. Garvis Wright considers herself very lucky to enjoy the practice she has, which includes both entertainment and employment litigation. While it may seem strange that the two seemingly distinct types of practices can co-exist, Ms. Garvis Wright believes they actually complement one another and enjoy many parallels. But, most importantly, she loves her practice. When not practicing law, you can find Ms. Garvis Wright spending time with her husband, also a lawyer, and their 7-year-old son, a lawyer-in-training, or doing Pilates.

One of Ms. Garvis Wright’s first notable pieces of entertainment litigation was as a junior lawyer representing Endemol in a legal battle with reality powerhouse Mark Burnett over two competing reality boxing shows. Burnett and his lawyers were determined to keep Endemol’s show from airing. Not only did they try to do so in the courtroom (seeking a restraining order — which Ms. Garvis Wright was successful in defending against), but also with the California Boxing Commission (arguing that Endemol was acting as an unlicensed boxing promoter in violation of the law). Ms. Garvis Wright made her first (and only) appearance before the Boxing Commission and was able to persuade the Commissioners that Endemol was not running afoul of any of the boxing regulations. Ms. Garvis Wright represented Endemol since then on a variety of matters, earning her the nickname “Ally McBeal” from Endemol’s then president.

Julie R. F. Gerchik is a partner in the Litigation Department at Glaser Weil. Ms. Gerchik litigates all types of complex commercial matters including financial institution matters, securities litigation and regulatory matters, real estate and developer disputes, technology and IP matters, and entertainment matters. She has considerable experience in all aspects of motion practice, discovery, mediation and both trial and arbitration work in both federal and state court.

Ms. Gerchik represents major domestic and international financial institutions, private equity firms, hedge funds, financial advisory firms, and currently or has represented JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, Societe Generale, the Carlyle Group and the Yucaipa Companies. 

She also has successfully defended accounting firms in civil litigation, including  Ernst  & Young  LLP,  Deloitte & Touche  LLP and KPMG LLP.  Ms. Gerchik has represented numerous other clients not mentioned here. 

Additionally, Ms. Gerchik has experience in litigating matters involving skilled nursing affiliates, the affordable housing industry, trade associations, the music industry, video game companies, the entertainment industry, and property developers and property management companies.

Over the course of Ms. Gerchik’s career she has been involved in a wide range of pro bono matters, including supervising the Holocaust reparations project, drafting the Bill of Rights for a newly created government, leading the representation of a group of low-income individuals in a slumlord action and guardianship cases.

Prior to joining Glaser Weil, Ms. Gerchik practiced with Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles for more than  decade. Ms. Gerchik is also a dual citizen of both the United States and Great Britain, and is admitted to both the California and New York bars.

Ms. Gerchik is a member of the Board of Governors of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, a member of the Executive Committee of the Litigation Section of Los Angeles County Bar Association, is past Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Bet Tzedek New Leadership Council and a current member, and previously was appointed to the Los Angeles County Bar Access to Justice Committee. Additionally, Ms. Gerchik is a member of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. 

Christianne Kerns is the Managing Partner of Hahn & Hahn LLP, a full service law firm based in Southern California. In addition, she currently sits on the Boards of Five Acres (Board Chair 2018-2020; Board 2013 to present) and the Hastings Foundation (2019 to present). She previously sat on the Board of Villa Esperanza Services (2002-2008) and the Commission leading Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (2001-2005).

As Managing Partner of Hahn & Hahn, she provides strategic leadership, direction, business development and operational responsibility with dedication and integrity. Responsibilities include hiring and management issues, partnership issues, branding and business development efforts, all aspects of finance, accounting and budgeting, and developing and strategically overseeing implementation of Risk Management and Human Resources policies and processes. Her experience includes organizational/strategic planning and direction, consensus building, decisive problem solving, strategic advice and counsel and financial acumen.

With more than 30 years of experience as a business lawyer, her legal representation focuses primarily in the areas of real estate, finance and general business matters. She is a trusted Board Member and Advisor to boards of directors, equity holders, and C-suite executives with a track record of identifying and effectively addressing strategic and operational challenges with the overarching goal of optimizing results, value, and return on investment. Expertise includes Board Governance and organizational structuring. She is skilled at calmly assessing a wide range of complex data, goals, points of view, and ideas from a wide range of stakeholders to help executive teams create solutions to business challenges.

Chris was named as one of Los Angeles’ most influential female lawyers by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2018 and 2019.

Chris earned her J.D. at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, and completed Harvard Business School’s Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director Program. She lives in Pasadena, California, with her husband Charlie; they have two adult children.

Theresa Conduah is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the Orange County office of Haynes and Boone, LLP. Her practice focuses on advising clients on trademark disputes, patent litigation and technology transactions, among other matters.

Theresa has broad-based experience helping companies protect their intellectual property on a global scale, including providing strategic counsel on trademark and copyright portfolios; design patents; brand protection, and anti-counterfeit programs. She has served as an in- housel IP counsel at United Airlines, Toyota Motor North America, Inc. and, most recently, at dosist, a health and wellness company. Previously, as a lawyer in private practice, Theresa counseled both Fortune 500 and startup clients in the technology, financial services, entertainment and sports industries about IP prosecution and enforcement matters.

Theresa is a frequent speaker on intellectual property, brand protection, and diversity in the law issues.

As VP-Compliance and Associate General Counsel for The Clorox Company, Rachel Barack developed a deep expertise in identifying, evaluating, and mitigating risks as a business attorney and advisor to senior management and the Board of Directors, and has a proven track record of leading Compliance, Labor & Employment and other legal functions. Ms. Barack’s primary responsibilities have included establishing, developing, and implementing all aspects of a global compliance program, advising on significant investigations, leading M&A due diligence for Compliance and Labor & Employment, managing significant litigation, and partnering with HR leadership on DEI and people strategies.  A dedicated manager and mentor, Ms. Barack has spent her career driving awareness around diversity and inclusion, driving engagement, building and leading diverse cross-functional teams, and developing talent.

Camille is Lead Counsel with Airbnb where she advises business operations regarding employment matters, personnel and employee relations issues. Previously, Camille was Assistant County Counsel for Los Angeles County and oversaw the Labor & Employment Division, which is responsible for advice and counsel for human resources professionals including performance management, labor relations, employee relations, hiring practices, employee classification issues, employment contracts, family and medical leaves, accommodations, terminations, and reductions in force. Camille has won numerous awards, including the Vanguard Awards Los Angeles’ Most Influential African Americans under the age of 40, the Los Angeles Urban League Young Professionals’ “To the Nines” award for her outstanding community service, and the National Bar Association’s Excellence in Innovation Award for her innovative work in the community. Camille is a past president of the California Association of Black Lawyers and the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Inc. She served on the State Bar of California’s Council on Access and Fairness, the bar’s diversity “think tank” advising the Board of Trustees on advancing diversity strategies and goals in the legal community. She was appointed as a Commissioner on the County of Los Angeles’ Commission on Human Relations

Neema Sahni is a litigation partner with deep media industry expertise. Through her work at Covington, and her prior experience in-house at Disney, Neema has developed a sophisticated understanding of the legal issues facing clients in the sports, media, and entertainment industries. Alongside an active litigation docket, Neema maintains a robust counseling and advisory practice, assisting sports teams and leagues, television networks, and film studios assess and mitigate their litigation risk in the context of high-stakes business transactions.  She also has an active pro bono practice, including representing the City of Los Angeles in “sanctuary cities” litigation against the federal government.

Neema received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, and her B.A. from Yale University. She has been named in Sports Business Journal‘s “40 Under 40”, Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers, Daily Journal’s Top Women Lawyers, Variety‘s “Legal Impact Report,” and Los Angeles Business Journal‘s “Most Influential Minority Lawyers in Los Angeles.” 

Neema is a co-chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Affinity Group at Covington and is an active participant in the firm’s diversity efforts, the Women’s Forum, and the Mental Health & Wellness Committee. Neema also serves as a Judicial Appointments Co-Chair for the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California.

Neema lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their 6-year old daughter and 1.5-year old son.

Nadine immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of 8.  Shew grew up in Los Angeles and graduated with a BA in Psychology from UCLA.  She also received her JD at USC in 1999.  Nadine clerked for the Honorable Arthur M. Greenwald, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California.  She then spent 7 years in the Corporate Restructuring & Insolvency practice group at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.  Nadine joined Disney in 2008 where she currently works now doing intellectual property licensing.  During her time at Disney, Nadine served as Co-Chair for the Disney Lawyers of Color (DLOC) organization (2019-2020), focusing on developing and executing DE&I initiatives across the Disney legal department.  She was also a member of the Disney Legal DE&I in Outside Counsel Taskforce and also counseled the DE&I Taskforce for her client, Disney Consumer Products, Games & Publishing.  Nadine participated as a sponsor in the Disney Black Talent Network in 2021 and is also a current member of the Disney Women in the Legal Department (WiLD), heading up a committee that plans and executes Disney mentorship events for scholars of Motivating Our Students Through Experience (MOSTe), an organization that empowers Los Angeles’s next generate of college-educated women.

Abbey Raish is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and advises public and private companies, financial institutions and private equity firms on a variety of ESG matters. Her practice focuses specifically on ESG disclosures in SEC filings, corporate governance, ESG transactional diligence, voluntary ESG reporting, corporate governance and human capital. Abbey’s practice builds on nearly a decade of experience providing capital markets and governance counseling to public and private companies, investment banks and private equity firms in connection with a multitude of legal matters, including leveraged buyouts, debt and equity offerings, initial public offerings, mergers and cross-border transactions, securities law issues and stock exchange requirements.

Rachel Waranch is Managing Counsel for Chanel, Inc., where she partners with the business and advises on a wide array of matters, with a focus on media, digital, public relations, marketing, events, retail, and data privacy. She oversees, drafts, and negotiates a wide variety of contracts in these areas, and is deeply involved in the company’s charitable foundation, having helped set up the legal structure in the United States. She has also managed the protection of Chanel’s intellectual property rights in the United States.

Prior to joining Chanel as in-house counsel, Rachel was an associate at Kaufman, Borgeest & Ryan, and interned at Chanel and Kate Spade while in law school. Rachel graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with honors, majoring in English and minoring in business, and received her J.D. from Cardozo Law School where she received a Dean’s Merit Scholarship and served as Acquisitions Editor of the Arts & Entertainment Law Journal. Originally from Baltimore, Rachel lived in New York City for almost ten years, and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

Daphne Anneet is a partner in Burke, Williams & Sorensen’s Los Angeles office.  She is Vice-Chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group.

A skilled litigator, Daphne has achieved excellent results for clients in state and federal court, as well as in arbitrations and administrative proceedings.  She represents public and private employers in a wide range of matters including class actions, discrimination and harassment litigation, whistleblower retaliation, wage and hour litigation, pension litigation, civil rights, contracting out disputes, unfair labor practice disputes, disciplinary appeals, and appellate matters.  Daphne has served as lead defense counsel in a number of class action lawsuits over the past decade and has a proven track record of achieving successful results in a variety of creative and cost-effective ways.  A graduate of the LA County Bar Association’s Trial Advocacy Project, Daphne has served as a pro bono prosecutor.

In addition to her litigation practice, Daphne has served as the Chief labor negotiator for the cities of Alhambra, Corona, Lynwood, Hermosa Beach, and Hemet and provides labor relations services to cities, counties and special districts.  Daphne serves as General Counsel to the City of Coronado’s Civil Service Commission. As a member of the panel for NAM (National Arbitration and Mediation), Daphne has also served as an arbitrator.

Daphne has earned the distinction of Association of Workplace Investigators Certificate Holder (AWI-CH). She conducts independent investigations of complaints involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, workplace misconduct, and alleged conflicts of interest.  She has also written and lectured on a wide array of employment issues for many organizations at their annual training conferences and conventions, including the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA); Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA); California Public Employers Labor Relations Association (CALPELRA); League of California Cities; Association of California Water Agencies; Southwestern Law School; and, Southern California Public Labor Relations Council.

Daphne received her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Southwestern Law School, where she was awarded the Outstanding Woman Legal Graduate award. She also served on Southwestern’s Board of Trustees.

Daphne is a committee member of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the LA County Bar Association and an affiliate member of CALPELRA.  She is a Past President of the National Association of Women Business Owners, LA Chapter.

As a senior managing director in the Los Angeles office of Guidepost Solutions, Asha Muldro directs an array of investigative, compliance, and monitoring matters for corporations and individuals. Ms. Muldro also conducts proactive investigations to acquire evidence of corporate and individual wrongdoing, including the use of covert techniques and provides law enforcement referral services. In addition, as a deputy general counsel, Ms. Muldro assists with legal matters for the firm’s worldwide offices.

Ms. Muldro brings 20 years of legal, investigatory, government and finance experience combined with personalized service and unwavering dedication to every client matter.  Ms. Muldro is currently leading the compliance and ethics program assessment for the federal monitorship of General Motors. She is also providing investigative services for clients including the USAA and the  NCAA.

Previously, Ms. Muldro was a partner at an elite litigation boutique, Willenken Wilson Loh & Delgado LLP where she led white collar investigations, defense matters, and complex civil litigation cases. Her clients included Microsoft, GoPro, KeyBank, Staples, Southern California Gas & Electric and individuals under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ms. Muldro returned to private practice after serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California for seven years. As a federal prosecutor in the criminal division, she directed federal law enforcement agencies in more than 100 criminal investigations, presented numerous cases to the grand jury, served as lead trial counsel on multiple bench and jury trials, and briefed and argued several appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Muldro also assisted in the exchange of information with foreign countries through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. She prosecuted cases involving bank fraud, government fraud, public corruption, money laundering, violent and organized crime, cyber security, domestic security, and immigration crimes.

Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Justice, Ms. Muldro spent five years practicing law at Latham & Watkins LLP in its White Collar Defense and Investigations group. As the lead associate on a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters and internal investigations, she represented Fortune 500 companies in litigation and corporate officers and directors against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Muldro worked for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. where she focused on Ways and Means Committee issues and in the Wall Street headquarters of J.P. Morgan Chase where she participated in the JP Morgan Core and Sales, Trading and Research Division training programs. She also clerked for U.S. District Judge Robert P. Patterson, Jr. in the Southern District of New York. Ms. Muldro is a graduate of Columbia Law School and earned her B.A. at Yale University.

Jon Khoshafian has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade, getting his start at High Noon Entertainment, working on such notable shows as Fixer Upper, Cake Boss, and Tough Love. During his time at High Noon, Jon became the VP of Creative and Business Affairs, developing and pitching shows on one end and negotiating the deals on the other end, with over a dozen networks. In 2018, Jon moved over to Facebook Watch to work on establishing the emerging platform, working on such hits as Red Table Talk, The Birch, Post Malone’s Celebrity Beer Pong, Ball in the Family, Steve on Watch, Just For Laughs Comedy Specials, Foo Fighters Afterparty Concert, and Simone Vs. Herself. Jon’s current focus is expanding content across Meta (including Instagram and Messenger), and also playing a key role in introducing content into the metaverse.

Employers across industries turn to seasoned litigator Emily Patajo to represent them in high-value employment matters in state and federal courts, and in binding arbitration. She is routinely involved in the risk assessment and defense of matters concerning claims of wrongful termination and unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Clients also rely on Emily to advise them on wage and hour and class action cases and to represent them in labor arbitrations.

In addition to her litigation practice, Emily addresses administrative matters, counseling employers on charges and complaints pending before state agencies, including the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Moreover, her in-house experience at a global biotech firm guides her advisory practice.

Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Emily was a Shareholder and Co-Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group of an international law firm focused on labor and employment law.

During law school, Emily clerked in the California Attorney General’s Office and, after graduation, served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Louisa S. Porter of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Shagha is currently the Associate General Counsel at WestRock Company – a global provider of paper and packaging solutions for consumer and corrugated packaging markets.  Prior to joining WestRock, Shagha was a partner at a national law firm where she practiced for 12 years focused exclusively on employment defense work – both single plaintiff and class actions. Shagha attended UC Berkeley for her undergraduate degrees and attended UC Davis School of Law.

Nicky Jatana is the office managing principal of the Los Angeles, California, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Her practice focuses on employment litigation, as well as on advising employers regarding daily workplace issues. 

Nicky has significant trial and arbitration experience and has spent the majority of her career focusing on complex and class action litigation in wage and hour matters and alleged Fair Credit Reporting Act violations. She frequently litigates wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, and other labor and employment-related matters. Nicky also provides day-to-day counseling and conducts various employment related training for clients. She frequently speaks publicly on a multitude of employment law topics. 

Nicky’s experience includes handling employment matters from both in-house counsel and outside counsel perspectives. She practices in both state and federal courts and also before such tribunals as the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the California Department of Industrial Relations – Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. She has represented employers in the retail, real estate, media and entertainment, restaurant, manufacturing, life sciences, transportation and banking industries, among others.

Alison’s practice is focused on government investigations, white collar defense, and complex bet-the-company civil litigation. Before joining BSF in September 2021, Alison worked in the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for nearly a decade, first as a trial attorney in the Securities and Financial Fraud Unit and most recently as Assistant Deputy Chief in the Strategy, Policy, and Training Unit. As a trial attorney, she conducted high-profile investigations of Fortune 500 companies like Deutsche Bank and Volkswagen, securing resolutions that levied significant fines and established compliance monitorships. Alison’s work in this area required close coordination with numerous state, federal, and international regulators, giving her deep knowledge of the multifaceted challenges companies may face from government agencies and civil litigants in an investigation. Alison has taken seven cases to jury trial, including co-leading the team in the high-profile United States v. Connolly matter, which has influenced the way corporate clients approach cooperation with government investigations and the way defense counsel are litigating these issues on behalf of individual clients.

As an Assistant Deputy Chief, Alison supervised criminal corporate resolutions, evaluated corporate compliance programs, and supervised on-going corporate Fraud Section monitorships and corporate compliance obligations, working with large international companies such as The Boeing Company, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of Nova Scotia, United Airlines, Inc., Deutsche Bank, Joyson Safety Systems (successor-in-interest for the Takata Corporation), and software design company, IAV GmbH.

Dominique Shelton Leipzig is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Cybersecurity & Data Privacy practice. She serves as the lead for Global Data Innovation as well as Ad Tech Privacy & Data Management. She is one of the country’s top privacy and data lawyers and her considerable experience helps clients navigate the evolving legal compliance issues related to privacy and data security for their digital data initiatives.

With more than 30 years of experience, Dominique provides strategic privacy and cyber-preparedness compliance advice, and defends, counsels and represents companies on privacy, global data security compliance, data breaches and investigations. Her experience includes defending companies under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission, attorneys general offices and other regulatory and government authorities. She advises companies on best practices in privacy, cybersecurity, data, mobile, cloud storage, Ad Tech privacy, Internet of Things and other areas of regulatory compliance.

Dominique has deep experience advising publicly-traded and privately held companies in technology, healthcare, media, entertainment, e-commerce, financial services and other industries. She leads companies in legal assessments of data security, cyber preparedness and compliance with such regulations as the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), HIPAA, the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. She frequently conducts trainings for senior leadership, corporate boards and audit committees regarding risk identification and mitigation in the areas of privacy and cyber. She has trained more than 18,000 professionals on the CCPA and the California Privacy Rights Act. She represented the California Chamber of Commerce in a six-week negotiation with Alastair Mactaggart, his lawyer James Harrison, his consultant former FTC Technologist Ashkan Soltani and Senator Hertzberg regarding the CCPA 2.0—many of the business-friendly terms were obtained through those negotiations.

Dominique is the co-founder and co-CEO of NxtWork, a non-profit dedicated to diversifying the C-suite and the boardroom. She was recently appointed to the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence’s Risk and Cybersecurity Insights Council and is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) board. Her landmark book on the CCPA recently published a new edition, and she pioneered the concept of data as a pre-tangible asset in what she calls “our post-data world.”

Jacqueline Luther is Assistant General Counsel of ABM Industries, a Fortune 500, publicly traded company and leading provider of facility solutions throughout the United States and various international locations.  ABM has more than 140,000 employees in the United States and revenues exceeding $6 billion. In her role, Jacqueline is a trusted legal advisor and member of the leadership team for ABM’s Business and Industry West and Manufacturing and Distribution Industry Groups.  She is responsible for providing commercial advice and counsel to senior leadership, drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, and overseeing and managing commercial litigation and disputes.

Prior to joining ABM, Jacqueline was a Business Litigation Partner in the Orange County office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton.  She was one of the first women in the Orange County office to be elevated internally to partner and was actually promoted to partner on the same day she gave birth to her second daughter.  Jacqueline served as Co-leader of the Orange County office’s Women’s Lawyer Group and remains actively involved in promoting and advancing women and diverse attorneys.  She currently serves on the Executive Board for the Public Law Center and is honored to be included as a speaker in this leadership summit.

Christine Ellice’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and class action defense. Ms. Ellice’s clients are primarily in the consumer financial services, banking, and securities space, but she also represents individuals, established corporations, and growth-stage companies in partnership and LLC disputes, investor actions, and general business litigation. Ms. Ellice also has experience in the entertainment industry, having represented clients in film finance, copyright, defamation, and licensing litigation. 

Ms. Ellice is valued foremost as a skilled trial lawyer. Applying a balance of creativity, efficiency, and practicality in the courtroom, Ms. Ellice delivers results at all stages of litigation. She has tried multiple cases to verdict or judgment in court and arbitration, including a class action tried to jury verdict in the Northern District of California. 

Ms. Ellice is deeply committed to her pro bono work, having represented clients in asylum, human trafficking, and other immigration cases since her first year of practice. She serves as lead trial counsel for asylum cases contested by the Department of Homeland Security and supervises others in the firm engaged in similar work. Ms. Ellice is a five-time recipient of Stroock’s Public Service Project Award for commitment to and achievements in pro bono work. 

Additionally, Ms. Ellice sits on the firm’s DEI Council, serves as the Partner Liaison for the firm’s Attorneys of Color Affinity Group, chairs the Los Angeles Office Women’s Affinity Group, is a founding member of the firm’s Anti-Racist Ideas and Action Committee, sits on the Los Angeles Office Recruiting Committee, and spearheads many firm-wide initiatives on recruiting, mentoring, and training attorneys. 

Presently based in Los Angeles, Ms. Ellice began practicing law in Stroock’s New York office and is admitted to practice in state and federal courts there. Prior to beginning her legal career, Ms. Ellice worked as a media planner for an advertising agency in New York City where she managed national and regional media plans on behalf of a luxury car manufacturer. Ms. Ellice earned her undergraduate degree in business from McGill University and her juris doctorate from Emory University School of Law.

Adrienne Logan is currently General Counsel, Americas for Vans Footwear, a division of the VF Corporation.  Adrienne functions as deputy to the General Counsel at Vans and General Counsel for the Americas division, Vans’ largest region which encompasses North and South America and the Caribbean.

Adrienne works on projects as varied as negotiating licensing collaborations with MOMA and Disney to leading global initiatives in marketing, supply chain, retail, and merchandising.  She has been instrumental in aligning Vans’ iconic activity-based and lifestyle brands with the company’s consistent focus on the communities that it serves, negotiating charitable-based collaborations which have supported breast cancer, autism, and preservation of the outdoors.   Adrienne has been instrumental throughout her career, using her JD and MBA to provide unique, creative, and efficient thinking as a true business partner to all levels of the organization.

Adrienne currently serves on several leadership councils and committees within the VF Organization.  She has established herself as an executive who leads her department with a keen focus on strategic alignment and efficiency.  

Repeatedly, Adrienne has proven that she is the unshakeable leader adeptly addressing PR emergencies, activist website shutdowns and product recalls while preserving brand integrity and corporate reputation.  She has been a consistent advisor to the CEO, C-Suite and the Board, for her pragmatic advice and direction.  Her consistent appointment to leadership councils from the inception of her in-house career defines the significant contributions she has made, as a lawyer and a business leader.

Her experience includes all significant aspects of leadership in public and private organizations, i.e., corporate governance, commercial and complex transactions, IP, employment, M & A, litigation, governmental investigations, crisis management, e-commerce, marketing, risk analysis, etc.

Adrienne has obtained her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, her law degree from Tulane University and her MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.  In addition to other commendations and awards, Adrienne also has obtained a certificate from Harvard University’s Negotiation Institute.

A mission-driven legal executive who has a passion to help businesses accelerate growth and mitigate risk. Proven track record of delivering on negotiations, gaining executive buy‚Äêin on legal strategies, and inspiring crossfunctional teams to align on and engage in legal matters critical to company objectives. Highly differentiated experience within one of the most historic technology growth companies of our lifetime, starting pre‚ÄêIPO and navigating complex legal and regulatory challenges while navigating hyper‚Äêgrowth.

Expertise in legal tax matters, inter‚Äêcompany transactions, SaaS commercial terms, and patent disputes. Recognized as a trusted leader and team‚Äêplayer who excels in navigating uncharted territory and working with limited resources and tight timelines.

Prior to Zoom Raghu worked as a tax attorney doing M&A with EY and Deloitte.  

Raghu enjoys competitive tennis and weightlifting when he is not spending time with his wife and his two boys (ages 2 and 5).

Brooke Mallette is a Senior Vice President in DIRECTV’s Legal Department, a role she assumed following AT&T’s recent spin-off of DIRECTV.  Brooke’s team supports the teams of both DIRECTV’s Chief Content Officer and DIRECTV’s Chief Marketing Officer.  

Prior to her role as SVP in DIRECTV’s Legal Department, Brooke was Vice President in AT&T’s Legal Department supporting AT&T’s then Chief Content Officer in drafting and negotiating AT&T’s content acquisition agreements and related matters.  Prior to assuming that role, Brooke was Assistant General Counsel, Senior Director at DIRECTV (prior to AT&T’s 2015 acquisition of DIRECTV) and then at AT&T.  

Previously, Brooke worked at DISH Network, initially focusing on securities, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions and later supporting the DISH Network Content Team.  

Prior to DISH Network, Brooke was an associate at Jacobs, Chase, Frick, Klienkopf and Kelley focusing on real estate.     

Brooke attended the University of Colorado, School of Arts and Sciences and received her undergraduate joint-degrees in Economics and International Affairs.  Brooke then attended the University of Colorado Law School, where she received her JD degree. 

Brooke’s office is located at DIRECTV headquarters in El Segundo, California.  

Katelyn Sullivan focuses her practice on employment litigation and counseling, representing clients in a wide range of cases involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, the Americans with Disabilities Act and wage and hour issues. She has substantial experience litigating before California and federal courts up to and including trial. Katelyn handles all aspects of litigation matters, including managing discovery, oversight of expert witnesses, deposing witnesses, drafting summary judgment motions, participating in oral argument, and trial preparation. She also provides counseling to clients, working with them to draft employment handbooks and policies, and arbitration and separation agreements.

Prior to joining the firm’s Labor and Employment practice, Katelyn practiced commercial litigation, handling complex contractual and real estate disputes. She successfully prosecuted and defended a wide range of cases in court as well as in arbitration.

Strongly committed to pro bono work, Katelyn has represented two Salvadoran asylum seekers both in Los Angeles Immigration Court and in their United States Citizenship and Immigration Services proceedings. She also worked with the Anti-Defamation League addressing Texas voting rights issues.

Allison is a Senior Counsel with NBCUniversal where she is a show lawyer for scripted and unscripted/alternative programming produced for NBCU’s Entertainment Networks (Bravo, E!, NBC, Oxygen, SyFy, UniKids, USA and Peacock) and Telemundo’s Tplus, covering a wide range of content, including true crime, documentary, docuseries, competition and scripted originals.  In her role she is responsible for drafting and negotiating agreements with production entities, above-the-line talent, and producers, and regularly advises creative executives and business stakeholders on legal issues related to the development, production, and exploitation of content. Allison is also an outspoken advocate for diversity and inclusion and currently serves as the global co-chair of NBCU’s Legal Diversity Committee, where she helps support and direct all external and internal DEI initiatives across the legal function. 

Allison has previously been a featured speaker at the Athena Film Festival, Internet Week, and Social Media week, and published in RealScreen Magazine. Prior to joining NBCU, Allison worked as a production and employment attorney at Reavis Page Jump LLP.  Allison earned her undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science from Swarthmore College, where she graduated cum laude as a Helen Solomon Scholar, and her law degree from Boston University School of Law, where she was the recipient of a merit scholarship and graduated with a concentration in Intellectual Property.

Karen Polyakov is an Assistant General Counsel for with extensive experience in all aspects of commercial and regulatory litigation and business operations for The Home Depot, a $110 billion company with a global presence in the retail sector. Reporting to Deputy and Associate General Counsels, Karen is the lead western division operations’ commercial and regulatory litigation, investigation, and dispute counsel providing risk management counsel, business compliance processes, and statutory guidance to all levels of management. She provides legal support to core business functions including operations, real estate, merchandising, construction, asset protection, and supplier relations regarding contracts, liabilities, and commercial business legal obligations.  

Through her practice, she has developed an expertise in integrating and leveraging legal frameworks with holistic operations principles, technological advancements, and enterprise-wide business acumen to drive transformation and sustainable growth. She has a proven track record of navigating complex regulatory, enforcement, and litigation frameworks to resolve government investigations, innovate internal compliance, and improve business operations across all P&L units. During her more than 20 years at the company, she has become adept at building and leading teams, developing strategies, and delivering high quality results within aggressive time frames, and is a disciplined, engaging, and results-oriented collaborator with passion to achieve legal and operational alignment. 

In her position, Karen is also able to advance the company’s DEI initiatives, including those designed to advance the development of women and minority owned law firms. Karen is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and a 2017 Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s (LCLD) landmark Fellows Program. She also serves on the Orange County Bar Association’s Masters Division Board of Directors and as part of the Orange County Women Lawyers Association, she was honored as the 2015 OCWLA’s Attorney of the Year.  

Karen received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California, where she served as Moot Court Editor. She enjoys spending her spare time with family and friends and loves sports, both as a participant and fan.