The Inclusion & Equity Summit: West

Angela has 20+ years of legal and compliance experience.  Angela is responsible for setting the strategic direction and management of all aspects of the Legal, HR, and Risk and Compliance functions of LoanSnap Holdings Inc., and its subsidiary companies.  She provides proactive advice on legal and regulatory developments, advises the executive management team, the board of directors and business leads on the legal and compliance implications of strategic transactions. 

Prior to joining LoanSnap, Angela served as Assistant General Counsel, Senior Vice President at Bank of America for nearly seven years supporting the Card Services, Consumer and Small Business Banking global business.  Angela has also led the legal and compliance functions as Chief Region Counsel for a global mass payments provider, Hyperwallet, A PayPal Service (formerly Hyperwallet Systems, Inc. – HSI USA, Inc.), and most recently served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of a fintech start-up, LendUp, which provides consumer deferred presentment, installment loans, and credit cards.

Angela has lived in the bay area for nearly 5 years having relocated from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kara Holzwarth is a long time in-house counsel for insurance companies, specializing in regulatory guidance. She empowers her business partners to make the best decisions for their growth goals and the regulatory environment. As an empathetic leader, she also coaches managers and executives to create a welcoming, inclusive, and motivating workplace. She currently leads the Legal and HR departments at Pacific Specialty Insurance Company, working directly with the board and executive team on strategy, corporate governance, employment, and corporate culture.

Ritu Ghai is currently Corporate Counsel at Google and was previously Senior Legal Counsel at Thomson Reuters and a litigation associate at Sidley Austin LLP.  Ritu provides commercial legal support for partnerships for the Devices and Services team at Google.  At Thomson Reuters, Ritu provided product and commercial legal support for the company's Legal Managed Services business. 

Ritu is a member of her team's Legal Culture Committee at Google, was a founding member of her previous team's DEI committee, and was previously a Co-Chair of the Women@Thomson Reuters' New York Chapter.  Ritu also serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Thomson Reuters Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board.  Ritu was a member of the Thomson Reuters Pro Bono Committee and takes an active interest in pro bono work, especially in the field of immigration and asylum.  She has been published in this field in the Columbia Human Rights Law Review with her piece, "Deciphering Motive: Establishing Sexual Orientation as the 'One Central Reason' for Persecution in Asylum Claims".  

Ritu received a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Managing Editor of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review, and received a B.A. from University of California, Berkeley in Political Science.

Pamela Onyekaba is Corporate Counsel at Intuit in the Transactions and Marketing Legal group. Pamela regularly advises Intuit’s business units on marketing and acquisition activities, and helps teams identify and resolve potential legal and business risks. In her role she also drafts and negotiates a variety of commercial agreements and end user terms of service. Prior to joining Intuit, Pamela worked at Wells Fargo in the Wholesale Banking Division.  Her responsibilities included negotiating a variety of agreements with securities and foreign exchange clients and managing related legal, operational, and regulatory compliance matters. Pamela earned her B.A. from the University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities and J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Sloane Perras is a seasoned corporate executive and leader in global logistics and retail brands with expertise in post-acquisition integration of top two industry leaders as well as transitioning two, separate large publicly held companies from family control to investor control.  Perras also has expertise in cyber security, corporate governance and complex regulatory environments.   She is the General Counsel & Chief Ethics Officer of Foss Maritime Company, LLC, a 130 year old harbor and marine services company. She is formerly the Chief Administrative & Legal Officer for two privately held retail brands. As part of her executive teams, Perras regularly reviewed the companies’ enterprise risk strategies, financial controls and stays very familiar with the businesses’ flows of revenue. Perras also managed the Risk management functions and provided enterprise strategy for innovation, regulatory compliance and HR risk mitigation. Perras also has worked closely with her CEOs, executive peers and Boards of Directors on corporate governance, including reporting direct to the Audit Committee on cyber and privacy issues.

From 2002 through 2011, Perras worked in companies involved in the global supply chain. As an in-house lawyer, she was the Vice President, Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary of Americold Logistics, LLC and corporate counsel of Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (“EXPD”). At Americold, she served as a key team member in the IPO readiness and IPO and secured indenture offering of the largest global logistics REIT and the resulting integration of two industry powerhouses. Throughout her supply chain background, she has addressed significant regulatory and compliance matters, especially around global enforcement protocol.  

Perras has a BS Finance from UF and earned her law degree, Cum Laude, from UGA School of Law. She is a recognized leader in talent development as well as promoting diversity in her community and industry as well as acting as an executive liaison in local and national trade associations as well as for government agencies.

Cathy Tran Moses is a litigation attorney who focuses on complex business and real estate litigation and dispute resolution.  

Cathy has obtained successful results for the Firm’s clients in a wide range of complex litigation matters, including partnership disputes, breach of contract disputes, business torts, and other real estate litigation.  She takes a thoughtful, detailed approach to each case and works closely with clients to achieve their objectives.  

Cathy was formerly a Trial Attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Civil Division, and a law clerk to The Honorable M. Margaret McKeown of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Business Litigation 

Cathy has represented clients in numerous high-stakes business disputes concerning partnership agreements, purchase and sale agreements, leases, and other written contracts; fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims; valuation disputes; and complex landlord-tenant issues. Cathy also has worked on a number of low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) disputes between partners. 

She is experienced in all phases of commercial litigation, including pre-dispute negotiations, discovery, dispositive motion practice, and trial and arbitration.

Employment Litigation & Compliance 

Cathy also has represented clients in employment litigation and counseled clients regarding California employment issues.

Elisabeth Frater is a Partner at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP with over 25 years of litigation experience and a deep background in employment law and litigation, business litigation, administrative law, workplace misconduct and EEO investigations, and criminal law. She is a trial lawyer who has represented individuals, officials, businesses and governmental entities in more than 125 jury trials throughout California.

Elisabeth worked for the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, for over nine years, first as a Deputy Attorney General and then as a Supervising Deputy Attorney General overseeing a team of litigation attorneys in the Employment and Administrative Mandate Section of the Civil Division. Agencies she has represented include the California State University, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the California Horse Racing Board, the California Department of State Hospitals, California State Parks and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

She has handled complex employment litigation and appeals including state and federal cases brought under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and the California Family Rights Act.  She has provided legal advice to top managers and executives in public agencies and departments on civil rights cases, adverse employment actions, discrimination policies, privacy issues and workplace violence.  She has conducted workplace investigations into matters involving sworn and non-sworn employees.

Elisabeth previously spent five years in private practice, representing individuals and entities in business and employment cases, workers’ compensation claims and criminal matters.  Earlier in her career she served as a deputy in the District Attorney offices in Sacramento, San Francisco and Napa counties, where she tried felony cases, conducted grand jury proceedings and worked with municipal police departments, county sheriff’s offices and other law enforcement agencies.

Elisabeth is committed to providing clients with excellent and cost-effective representation.  She has successfully resolved numerous disputes through mediation, and aggressively pursues strategies to eliminate defendants and claims from cases at the earliest stages of litigation through motions to dismiss, demurrers, and motions for summary judgment.  An expert at jury selection and providing a vigorous and strategic defense at trial, in recent years Elisabeth has won defense verdicts in several employment cases on behalf of state officials and public agencies.

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.

Jasmine founded The Dincert Movement in 2017, hosting at-home concerts + dinners to raise money for local nonprofits lacking institutional giving channels. The initiative has raised tens of thousands of dollars for non-profits that provide direct services and aims to decentralize philanthropy while engaging the Oakland community through music and food. Jasmine also serves on the Boards of Public Advocates and California ChangeLawyers and was formerly on the boards of the South Asian Bar Association and the Young Women Social Entrepreneurs. In the wee morning hours, Jasmine teaches indoor cycling at Ride Oakland and Bhangra Barre at Remedy Barre.

Jasmine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with high distinction from the University of Michigan in 2004 and graduated Order of the Coif from UCLA School of Law in 2008. She was selected by the SF Business Times as one of 2019's Most Influential Women in Business. 

Sandhya Ramadas Kogge is Principal Counsel at The Walt Disney Company, where she provides counsel on matters related to media distribution. A former federal prosecutor, and a former trial attorney at Bird Marella Boxer Wolpert Nessim Drooks Lincenberg & Rhow, Sandhya clerked for the Honorable A. Howard Matz of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Honorable Michael Daly Hawkins of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Sandhya currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association of Los Angeles, the Public Appointments and Judicial Endorsements Committee of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles, and co-chairs the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California’s In-House Committee. Sandhya is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, the University of Paris (Sorbonne), and Harvard College.

Beth Deeley, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Complex Commercial Litigation Practice, is a seasoned trial lawyer with over twenty years of experience defending companies in complex civil litigation, including consumer class actions, securities and derivative litigation, and high-stakes contract, fraud and trade secret disputes. Beth was named a 2021 Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, and a Silicon Valley Business Journal Women of Influence and a Law360 Technology MVP in 2020. She is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom.

Diego A. Arp is Senior Counsel at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. supporting its Wells Fargo Commercial Capital division. His legal practice includes transactional work related to banking, compliance, corporate, regulatory, and tax matters for domestic and international commercial transactions. Diego was born and raised in the San Joaquin Central Valley to parents of Mexican and Creole descent. He attended San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California and then transferred to the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). While at UCSB, Diego earned a bachelor’s degree and obtained dual majors in History and Law & Society. He went on to earn his Juris Doctorate at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law (UCLA School of Law). At UCLA School of Law, Diego served as a member of several diverse law student organizations in leadership roles, a member of the Graduate Student Association and Student Bar Association. While a law student, Diego clerked at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office in the Criminal Trials Division and at Crystal Stairs, Inc. a non-profit that helps support families within the Los Angeles community by providing child-care services, research and advocacy. Since graduating, he has served as President of the UCLA School of Law Alumni Association, actively supports the UCLA School of Law, Law Fellows Program, the Mexican American Bar Foundation, California Minority Counsel Program, Association of Corporate Counsel and the Hispanic National Bar Association. He currently serves on the board of the Mexican American Bar Association of Southern California as a Trustee and Co-Chair of its Mentorship Committee. Diego was also a member of the Wells Fargo Law Department Diversity and Inclusion Council (LDDIC) both nationally and locally. He volunteers regularly with the Alliance for Children’s Rights and has provided pro bono legal services to immigrant families held in detention centers in Dilley, Texas as a participant of the Dilley Pro Bono Project.

Bethanie is Senior Employment Counsel at Slack Technologies, Inc., where she manages a range of employment legal compliance matters and special projects in the U.S. and internationally. Bethanie collaborates with People, Recruiting and Total Rewards teams to develop innovative and practical legal solutions to advance Slack’s mission to make work life simpler, more pleasant and more productive.

 Prior to joining Slack, Bethanie was an employment defense litigator in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Outside of work, Bethanie devotes her time to serving on philanthropic boards, engaging in community development and supporting local non-profit organizations. She is an alumna of Howard University and Emory University School of Law.

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience providing dedicated client service as an attorney and consultant, Maureen engages with Consilio's customers to ensure a best-in-class client experience. She works cross-functionally across the company to develop and deploy best practices that embed Consilio's commitment to service excellence, and to deliver the highest levels of quality and value. She seeks opportunities to create differentiating moments for clients—from bespoke educational sessions to loyalty programs to peer networking events—to foster client satisfaction and loyalty.

Maureen also serves as Consilio's Diversity & Inclusion Officer. She leads the development and implementation of the company's strategies, policies, and programs for ensuring a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. Partnering with Consilio's internal and client Advisory Boards on Diversity & Inclusion, Maureen guides the organization in carrying out its mission of attracting and encouraging a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and ideas; fostering a global, inclusive culture; and celebrating employees’ diverse strengths.

Maureen is a respected industry thought leader, speaking and writing frequently on significant issues that impact Consilio’s clients, such as current challenges for legal professionals around data privacy and security; strategies and tactics for engaging in cross-border discovery; the latest developments in e-discovery law and practice; and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.

Prior to joining Consilio, Maureen was a partner at Paul Hastings LLP, where she represented Fortune 100 and other multinational companies in complex employment litigation, including class and collective actions. Maureen also co-chaired the Firm’s E-Discovery Practice Group. In that role, she advised clients on various e-discovery issues, such as identifying and inventorying sources of electronic information, drafting legal hold notices, and developing protocols for document collection, storage, and management. She also consulted internally with attorneys at the Firm on e-discovery issues, and helped develop best practices for litigators engaged in e-discovery.

Jenine E. Hinkle serves as Senior Counsel, Commercial Product, Service, and Energy for Rivian in Irvine, California, where her practice focuses on commercial transactions; dealer franchise matters (transactional & litigation); and marketing & advertising.  Previously, Jenine was an associate in the Chicago and San Francisco offices of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, where she focused on domestic and international franchising and commercial transactions.  Prior to private practice, Jenine was a contract attorney for BP, where she handled marketing and advertising, franchise, real estate, and commercial contracts for BP’s retail gas stations and convenience stores.  Jenine served as a California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) Ambassador from 2018 to 2021.

Jenine received her B.A. in English Literature from U.C. Irvine in 2002, and her J.D. from USC Gould School of Law in 2006.

Strategic legal and compliance executive offering 20+ years of experience leading global teams and advising on innovative solutions for commercial transactions, regulatory counsel, corporate governance and compliance/risk management initiatives in multibillion-dollar organizations.

Oyango Snell is a professional speaker, attorney, and an association executive with over 20 years of experience in government affairs. Oyango serves as a senior executive and general counsel with an energy trade association representing some of the world’s largest energy companies with oil and natural gas operations on the West Coast. He leads the oil and natural gas industry’s legal efforts on climate and environmental policy matters, antitrust, and corporate governance issues. As an unapologetic advocate for women and ethnic minorities, Oyango is a leader in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space.

Prior to joining the energy industry, Oyango served as a lobbyist and government affairs strategist with a national trade association in Washington, D.C., representing Fortune 500 insurance and financial services companies on critical legislative and regulatory policy issues. But it was state government affairs where Oyango began his professional career serving in both the public and private sectors in Columbus, Ohio, including a political bid for the Ohio State Senate. Oyango earned his law degree at The Ohio State University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. He completed his undergraduate studies at Central State University, a historically Black college in Wilberforce, Ohio.

Oyango is licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio and registered as in-house counsel with the State Bar of California. He is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives and a member of the National Speakers Association, California Society of Association Executives’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, Ohio State Bar Association, and the California Lawyers Association. As a former social and human services advocate, Oyango continues to exemplify a servant-leadership mentality through his work with United Way California Capital Region where he currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors.

Oyango and his wife, Shauna, are the proud parents of two boys, Brennan (six years old) and Carter (four years old). He loves to share his experience as a father, a leader in the energy industry, and as a unicorn in corporate America.

Nancy is an experienced corporate attorney with over ten years working at reputable and iconic consumer products companies and approximately eight years at multi-billion dollar financial services firms.

In her current position as Associate General Counsel at Jelly Belly Candy Company, she is responsible for handling and advising on a wide range of legal topics.  They include reviewing and negotiating contracts, corporate governance, insurance, real estate, finance, global subsidiary management, compliance, insurance, and general corporate matters.  In addition, she has successfully streamlined processes and procedures to help the company become more efficient and effective.  Nancy supports and advises operations, human resources, finance, retail stores as well as other business units.  Prior to Jelly Belly Candy Company, she was Corporate Counsel at Big Heart Pet Brands (formerly Del Monte Corporation) and Director of Compliance at AXA Financial.

Binh Nguyen is a Director and Associate General Counsel at Nordstrom, Inc. Binh has over a decade of in-house experience in Banking where she managed legal and business teams handling litigation and regulatory compliance.  At Nordstrom, she manages a compliance team and supports commercial transactions, financial services, and marketing/advertising.

In her free time, she serves on the board of the Washington Initiative for Diversity, a non-profit organization that provides tools and resources to legal employers to create a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace.  She mentors law students and young attorneys through the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Washington’s (VABAW) and randomly meet with anyone who wants to chat about the legal profession or food.

Outside of the legal profession, Binh serves on the board of Kandelia (Formerly the Vietnamese Friendship Association), a local non-profit that provides programing to ensure equity in education and career readiness for immigrant and refugee youths. 

As an Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft, Ondrea manages a team providing legal and regulatory guidance to the engineering organization building the Windows operating system. Prior to her work with Windows, Ondrea supported the Windows Phone engineering organization. She began her career at Hill, Farrer & Burrill in Los Angeles, eventually transitioning to inhouse counsel at GTE (acquired by Verizon).  Ondrea earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, and a B.A. in Economics from University of Redlands.  She is a member of the Washington Bar, and is also an inactive member of the California and Texas Bars.