Women in Law & Leadership Summit: Washington, D.C.
Leading with Integrity in an Era of Change
In the nation’s capital, leadership is more than influence – it’s impact. As the legal, political, and cultural landscape continues to evolve, women are redefining what it means to lead with authenticity, purpose, and conviction.
The Women in Law & Leadership Summit: Washington, D.C. goes beyond inspiration, offering real-world insights on leading through disruption, building inclusive cultures, and sustaining credibility in environments where every decision carries weight. CenterForce convenes an elite community of attorneys, executives, policymakers, and innovators for a day of strategic dialogue and connection.
This program bridges strategy with action, providing frameworks for resilience, visibility, and influence in high-stakes settings. Attendees will gain the tools to strengthen their leadership presence, advance equity from concept to practice, and chart new pathways for collaboration, innovation, and long-term impact.
- Leading Through Disruption: Redefining Power, Purpose & Progress
- From Token to Trailblazer: Building Enduring Power for Women in Leadership
- The Power of the Pivot: Reinvention and Resilience in Women’s Leadership
- Voice, Visibility & Influence: The New Metrics of Leadership Success
- Micro-Bias, Macro Impact: Rewriting the Culture of Leadership
- Equity in Pay, Credit & Recognition: Beyond Compensation
- Law, Leadership & Legitimacy: The Ethics Tightrope for Today’s Women Leaders
- Chief Legal Officer
- C-Suite Executives
- General Counsel
- Deputy General Counsel
- Associate/Assistant General Counsel
- (Senior) Vice President, Legal
- (Assistant) Vice President
- Chief Compliance Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Head of Legal Operations
- (Senior) Corporate Counsel
- (Senior) Counsel
- Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer / Head of Inclusion & Belonging
Agenda
One-to-One Meetings Begin. If interested in participating, email info@centerforceusa.com
Disruption has become the new constant—from global instability to AI acceleration to shifting social norms. Women leaders are at the forefront of navigating this complexity, redefining what resilience, innovation, and purpose mean in real time. This session examines the evolving skill set required to thrive amid uncertainty—how to lead transformation with empathy, future-proof decision-making, and a sense of purpose that inspires enduring progress.
This panel will explore:
• Turning disruption into opportunity and sustained influence
• Adaptive leadership techniques for managing volatility and complexity
• Balancing innovation with empathy in organizational transformation
• Reimagining leadership to align values with progress
Despite decades of progress, women’s foothold in senior leadership remains fragile amid DEI rollbacks and shifting corporate priorities. The challenge is no longer access—it’s endurance. This session examines how women can transform visibility into lasting influence, convert symbolic roles into structural power, and lead with authenticity in environments still calibrated for conformity. The conversation moves from representation to strategy, exploring what it takes to secure real authority, build trust, and create leadership pipelines that don’t regress with the next corporate trend.
This panel will explore:
• Turning representation into enduring authority and measurable influence
• Mentorship and sponsorship strategies that prevent leadership backsliding
• Navigating evolving expectations around inclusion and leadership style
• Building political capital and executive trust in uncertain times
Tania Medina Bryant is Chief Cybersecurity & Technology Regulation Counsel at Marsh McLennan. She guides enterprise strategy at the intersection of cybersecurity, emerging technology development, and global regulatory risk, advising teams across the business on how to translate complex requirements into practical, scalable action. Tania oversees key workstreams in technology compliance, data-loss prevention, and incident response governance. She also leads cross-functional efforts to monitor and interpret emerging cyber, AI, and data regulations worldwide, helping the organization anticipate and prepare for evolving obligations.
Her background spans the military, public service, and the global private sector—experience that gives her a grounded, multidimensional perspective on organizational resilience, accountability, and operational excellence. Known for her clarity of communication and curiosity-driven approach, Tania brings a thoughtful, solutions-oriented lens to the complex challenges shaping the future of cybersecurity and technology risk.
If interested in participating, email info@centerforceusa.com
Leadership longevity requires reinvention. From economic shifts and corporate restructuring to personal transitions, modern women leaders are rewriting their narratives mid-career—and emerging stronger for it. This session focuses on resilience as a strategy, not a reaction. It offers insight into recognizing inflection points, reframing setbacks, and converting change into professional renewal. The conversation elevates reinvention as a defining skill of contemporary leadership.
This panel will explore:
• Recognizing when a pivot is strategic rather than reactive
• Transforming transition periods into opportunities for growth
• Cultivating resilience and confidence amid uncertainty
• Redefining success through adaptability and forward movement
In today’s landscape, authority is measured by influence, not title. Women leaders are leveraging their voices, ideas, and platforms to shape industries, policies, and culture. This session explores how to build authentic visibility that drives impact—transforming expertise into thought leadership and leadership into advocacy. It’s about mastering presence, expanding reach, and using influence to open doors for others while defining success on new terms.
This panel will explore:
• Building authentic executive presence across physical and digital spaces
• Expanding influence through thought leadership and storytelling
• Managing visibility with confidence and credibility in high-profile roles
• Using one’s platform to drive advocacy, mentorship, and systemic change
Allie is a Product Counsel at McAfee. Allie is a seasoned lawyer with a unique focus on the intersection of technology, ethics, and consumer protection. With a deep understanding of AI, Allie specializes in guiding software developers and product teams through the practical challenges of sourcing and using data responsibly for machine learning. She has extensive experience in navigating the regulatory, privacy, and intellectual property challenges that come with developing AI-driven software and consumer products. With a passion for ensuring that technology benefits society responsibly, Allie helps businesses harness the power of AI while prioritizing transparency, fairness, and compliance with evolving legal standards.
If interested in participating, email info@centerforceusa.com
Even as organizations champion equality, subtle cultural forces still determine who gets credibility, visibility, and opportunity. Small biases—how ideas are received, who’s invited to lead, who gets second chances—create massive downstream impact. This session confronts those hidden dynamics head-on, unpacking how they manifest in senior leadership and what practical reforms dismantle them. It highlights actionable systems that replace passive awareness with measurable equity and accountability.
This panel will explore:
• Identifying and addressing “second-generation” bias at the leadership level
• How micro-inequities shape team trust, culture, and client outcomes
• Building accountability into evaluation, promotion, and pay systems
• Converting cultural awareness into sustainable structural change
Katie Dugan is the VP, Employment Law, Ethics & Compliance at Match Group which is the global leader in online dating with brands including Match, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, The League, and more. Prior to Match, Katie had in-house roles at both Yext, Inc. and Mattel, Inc. At Yext, she led the global labor and employment function. At Mattel, she worked in various roles in the global employment, ethics & compliance function.
Before going in-house, Katie worked in litigation and advice & counsel roles in the employment law department at regional law firms as well as a boutique management-side labor and employment firm. She began her career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Robert Polifroni, P.J.Cv. in the Superior Court of New Jersey.
Money tells only part of the story. The real equity gap lies in who gets credit, visibility, and advancement opportunities. Women in senior roles continue to encounter uneven recognition for comparable results—particularly in team-based or high-pressure environments. This discussion reframes equity as a holistic system encompassing pay, recognition, and opportunity flow. It examines how organizations can align compensation structures, audit recognition bias, and build cultures that reward impact, not just optics.
This panel will explore:
• How recognition gaps perpetuate pay and promotion inequities
• Concrete tools for auditing and recalibrating credit and compensation systems
• Negotiation approaches that reassert value and authority
• Embedding fairness through transparent structures and leadership accountability
For women at the helm of law firms, corporations, and public institutions, every decision is magnified through a sharper lens of scrutiny. In an era of political division and amplified media narratives, ethical leadership has never been more complex—or consequential. This session tackles the tension between authenticity, responsibility, and reputational risk. It examines how to lead decisively without compromising integrity, uphold principles amid political or institutional pressure, and transform scrutiny into strength.
This panel will explore:
• Navigating heightened ethical and reputational pressures in leadership
• Building credibility through consistency and transparent decision-making
• Leading through controversy without sacrificing core values
• Turning public challenge into an opportunity for institutional trust-building
Ms. Rao has been practicing law for over 13 years and worked in a variety of sectors, including private corporations, public companies, government and non-profit with an emphasis in the healthcare, insurance, financial services, and energy industries. Her expertise is broad and she specializes in contract negotiation, healthcare, and ERISA benefits law. Ms. Rao is a committee chair for the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Forum for the Association of Corporate Counsel – National Capital Region assisting in advocacy and education of diversity initiatives and allyship. She has served on her Office of General Counsel DEI committee. Ms. Rao has completed the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace certificate with the University of South Florida and the Self to Systems Diversity Course with Berrett-Koehler.
Ms. Rao is licensed to practice law in Illinois, District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ms. Rao received her law degree from Loyola University Chicago law school with a concentration in health law as a health law fellow. Prior to law school, Ms. Rao obtained her Masters in Health Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and worked in administration and strategic planning for Novant Health, a North Carolina based hospital system. Ms. Rao is from Knoxville, TN and graduated with honors at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
If interested in participating, email info@centerforceusa.com
Rotating, 20-minute discussions hosted by a topic expert.
RT 1: Power, Pressure & Perspective: Navigating Leadership in a Post-Roe, Post-DEI Era
RT 2: Negotiating Influence: The Art of Assertive Leadership Without the Backlash
RT 3: Leading with Data: Using Metrics to Drive Equity, Performance & Cultural Change
RT 4: The Mentorship Multiplier: Building Generational Bridges in Law and Leadership
Speakers
Allie is a Product Counsel at McAfee. Allie is a seasoned lawyer with a unique focus on the intersection of technology, ethics, and consumer protection. With a deep understanding of AI, Allie specializes in guiding software developers and product teams through the practical challenges of sourcing and using data responsibly for machine learning. She has extensive experience in navigating the regulatory, privacy, and intellectual property challenges that come with developing AI-driven software and consumer products. With a passion for ensuring that technology benefits society responsibly, Allie helps businesses harness the power of AI while prioritizing transparency, fairness, and compliance with evolving legal standards.
Ms. Rao has been practicing law for over 13 years and worked in a variety of sectors, including private corporations, public companies, government and non-profit with an emphasis in the healthcare, insurance, financial services, and energy industries. Her expertise is broad and she specializes in contract negotiation, healthcare, and ERISA benefits law. Ms. Rao is a committee chair for the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Forum for the Association of Corporate Counsel – National Capital Region assisting in advocacy and education of diversity initiatives and allyship. She has served on her Office of General Counsel DEI committee. Ms. Rao has completed the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace certificate with the University of South Florida and the Self to Systems Diversity Course with Berrett-Koehler.
Ms. Rao is licensed to practice law in Illinois, District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ms. Rao received her law degree from Loyola University Chicago law school with a concentration in health law as a health law fellow. Prior to law school, Ms. Rao obtained her Masters in Health Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and worked in administration and strategic planning for Novant Health, a North Carolina based hospital system. Ms. Rao is from Knoxville, TN and graduated with honors at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Katie Dugan is the VP, Employment Law, Ethics & Compliance at Match Group which is the global leader in online dating with brands including Match, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, The League, and more. Prior to Match, Katie had in-house roles at both Yext, Inc. and Mattel, Inc. At Yext, she led the global labor and employment function. At Mattel, she worked in various roles in the global employment, ethics & compliance function.
Before going in-house, Katie worked in litigation and advice & counsel roles in the employment law department at regional law firms as well as a boutique management-side labor and employment firm. She began her career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Robert Polifroni, P.J.Cv. in the Superior Court of New Jersey.
Tania Medina Bryant is Chief Cybersecurity & Technology Regulation Counsel at Marsh McLennan. She guides enterprise strategy at the intersection of cybersecurity, emerging technology development, and global regulatory risk, advising teams across the business on how to translate complex requirements into practical, scalable action. Tania oversees key workstreams in technology compliance, data-loss prevention, and incident response governance. She also leads cross-functional efforts to monitor and interpret emerging cyber, AI, and data regulations worldwide, helping the organization anticipate and prepare for evolving obligations.
Her background spans the military, public service, and the global private sector—experience that gives her a grounded, multidimensional perspective on organizational resilience, accountability, and operational excellence. Known for her clarity of communication and curiosity-driven approach, Tania brings a thoughtful, solutions-oriented lens to the complex challenges shaping the future of cybersecurity and technology risk.
Sponsors
Gibson Dunn
Gibson Dunn is a leading international law firm. Consistently ranking among the world’s top law firms in industry surveys and major publications, Gibson Dunn is distinctively positioned in today’s global marketplace with more than 2,000 lawyers, and 21 offices, in Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Brussels, Century City, Dallas, Denver, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Orange County, Palo Alto, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Singapore, and Washington, D.C. For more information on Gibson Dunn, please visit the firm’s website:
Venue
TBA
Washington, D.C.