Where do you work, and what is your role?
I work for Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, which is a biotechnology company dedicated to pursuing groundbreaking science to discover and develop medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. I am Assistant General Counsel and interim Practice Group Lead for the R&D Law Group. I counsel clients on FDA regulatory matters involving research and development and negotiate complex research-related agreements.
What is the coolest thing about your line of work? Or about the industry you are in?
Knowing that the work I do directly impacts individual patients. Two years ago, I worked on a research agreement over a holiday weekend. At the time, I grumbled to be pulled away from my vacation, but the research helped save a baby’s life, and having the opportunity to hear the family talk about how deeply meaningful our company’s work was to them personally brought tears to my eyes. Not many corporate lawyers can point to a specific person who was impacted by their work!
What do you love about being an in-house attorney?
I love being part of the business team as an equal stakeholder in the successes and failures of my company. I am just as invested in our outcomes as the next employee.
Are you currently working remotely? If so, what tips can you share with other in-house attorneys regarding how you have made that successful?
Yes, and my best tip is that when you can be face-to-face with your colleagues, make the absolute most of it! I travel up to our main US campus in the Bay Area every other month and when I do, I make sure that I schedule coffee chats with my main clients and other legal colleagues. I make time to walk through the hallways and pop by offices to say hi without a set meeting to engage in the proverbial water cooler talk and I schedule happy hours and dinners with colleagues to foster our personal relationships. I recognize that this is pretty easy for me as an extrovert, so my tip to introverts is to know your own limits for those types of interactions and build in your necessary re-charge time.
Why did you join ACC and what do you like the most about being an ACC SoCal Member?
I joined ACC in 2017 after I left my prior firm. At my very first happy hour, I met a group of 5 fantastic lawyers who quickly became friends, and that openness and camaraderie is something I’ve valued ever since about ACC SoCal members. I always leave an event feeling like I’ve made at least one new friend, and that sense of community is very fulfilling. I also really like having a great network of attorneys in fields other than mine -both for referrals and for learning about other industries and topics that are a priority for them.
What advice would you give to young attorneys?
Be genuinely curious about everything! I practice in an area that I did not even know existed when I was in law school because I was open and excited to learn everything new when I graduated. This also applies to your interpersonal interactions. Someone snapped at you at work? If you approach them with curiosity about their reaction instead of being defensive, you may learn about something happening in their personal life, a bad interaction they had that they’re not realizing they are taking out on you, or something about your prior communication that you can improve.
When you aren’t practicing law, what are you doing?
Hanging out with my spouse and our cats, spending time by the pool, or taking long walks and smelling flowers. I also enjoy reading, Pilates, hanging out with friends, and playing board games.
Do you have a favorite quote or motto?
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” I first read this adage in high school and though it’s been attributed to George Eliot, it turns out that has never been sourced verified, so it’s probably an old-school meme! Nonetheless, I like the hope it promises. You can always change your life if it’s not working for you.
Learn more about ACC Membership Benefits: https://www.acc.com/membership.
