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Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer
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Education: BBA, Pace University Company Name: Gibbons P.C. Industry: Law Company CEO: Peter J. Torcicollo, Managing Director Company Headquarters Location: Newark, New Jersey Number of Employees: 282 Words you live by: Always keep an open mind and an open heart. Personal Philosophy: You never stop learning, and you can learn from anyone in any situation. What book are you reading: With a junior and senior in high school, I am reading every parent guide to college in print. The one in my bag currently is: You’re On Your Own (But I’m Here If You Need Me) by Marjorie Savage What was your first job: Delivering newspapers (The Asbury Park Press) Favorite charity: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Interests: Traveling and spending time with my family Family: Married for more than 30 years to Ross (teacher), with 2 children, John (17) and Ross (16)
In a Pandemic, You Can Never Be Too Prepared
In a role like mine, I have learned to always expect the unexpected. If the past two years have taught me anything, it’s that you can never be too prepared. Have a contingency plan for your contingency plan. There is no such thing as asking too many questions. Communication has always been vital to achieving successful results, and the pandemic necessitated even more frequent and transparent firm-wide communication.
As a leader during the pandemic, I’ve learned that listening to each individual’s concerns is crucial. The pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime event impacting our employees in many ways, and they are in a constant state of unease for their own safety and the safety of their families. While employee well-being is always at the top of my mind, I realized that, as their concerns evolved, so would our client-service delivery.
In early 2020, I was part of the management team tasked with creating a plan to transition our workforce of nearly 300 employees from in-office engagement to entirely remote operations, which meant equipping our workforce with the necessary technology to continue to serve our clients. Then, as the firm transitioned from all-remote activity to a hybrid work model, I oversaw the preparation of our physical spaces for our return, as well as the policies and procedures we would all follow, so that we could return to on-site activity safely and efficiently.
The COVID pandemic has illustrated the resilience and adaptability of our employees in ways we could never have imagined. Their dedication to both the firm and our clients—whether working from their homes or their offices—has not gone unnoticed. As a way to reward their dedication, we were pleased to offer our staff one remote workday per week and award 2023 salary increases earlier than anticipated. In an effort to strengthen connectivity and collaboration, we began hosting various social gatherings to give our employees a chance to reconnect while in the office, including weekly mixers for attorneys and free bagels twice monthly for all employees.
I have also been privileged to handle some of the most important issues facing our firm. In February 2022, while still operating under our COVID protocols, Gibbons underwent a change in leadership for the first time in nearly two decades. I served as a member of the Transition Committee, which was tasked with vetting candidates for the managing director position. I now work closely with both the new managing director and executive chairman to ensure the firm’s continued operational growth and success.
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Education: JD, Harvard Law School; BA, Barnard College Company Name: Glenn Agre Bergman & Fuentes LLP Industry: Law Company CEO: n/a Company Headquarters Location: New York, New York Number of Employees: 30 Words you live by: Lead by example. Personal Philosophy: Take every call. What book are you reading: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky What was your first job: Music gigs Favorite charity: The Legal Aid Society Interests: Literature, art, nature, and exploring different cultures
Dare to Be Bold—and to Improvise
From early childhood through high school, I was an aspiring classical musician. During college, I discovered new passions in academics and public service. While law became my career focus, my experience as a musician helped me cultivate lasting skills that have molded me into the advocate I am today, including how to connect with different audiences, how to work tirelessly toward key goals, and how to distill complex ideas into a simple but powerful message in any given piece—these days, a brief or oral argument. overtook them: focus, clarity, and passion.
Learning to perform under pressure didn’t happen overnight. Through trial and error, lots of practice, and plain old grit, I gradually learned how to thrive in highintensity situations—by harnessing and transforming my performance adrenaline into an asset; by understanding that failure is a necessary part of learning and improving; and by embracing rather than avoiding situations that can cause performance anxiety or discomfort.
As I’ve gone from aspiring musician to practicing
One of the most helpful lessons I learned as a musician was how to perform under pressure. I can still feel my clammy hands, as stiff as piano strings, in the minutes before I took the stage. I can still hear my heart pounding so intensely it could have been mistaken for the low thud of a timpani drum. I can still see the glare of bright stage lights, like the sun on a scorching summer afternoon, beaming on me as I walked onto the stage. But I also remember these sensations fading into the background as others lawyer, this lesson has stayed with me, inspiring me on a day-to-day basis. It is the pressure of performance that drives me forward rather than holds me back. I relish the high-stakes cases that my firm handles. I thrive when thinking on my feet during an oral argument or trial and navigating difficult legal problems. My comfort with discomfort has also shaped the decisions I make throughout my career, pushing me to be bold and to constantly seek out new challenges. And daring to improvise along the way.
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Education: BS EE, University of Illinois–Urbana; JD, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor Company Name: Google Industry: Technology Company CEO: Sundar Pichai Company Headquarters Location: Mountain View, California Number of Employees: 150,000 Your Location (if different from above): Chicago, Illinois Words you live by: “In their hearts human beings plan their lives. But the Lord decides where their steps will take them.” –Proverbs 6:19 (NIRV) Personal Philosophy: You’re not here just for yourself; you’re here to serve and develop others. What book are you reading: Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke What was your first job: Watch repair at Carson Pirie Scott department store Favorite charity: Christian Legal Society Interests: Is dark chocolate an interest? I also interested in different cultures and cuisine, and classical music. Family: Husband and three near-adult children
The Artifacts of Leadership Spoke to Me
We constantly ask ourselves, “How can I be a better leader?” My chief legal officer once responded, “The best leaders write well, speak well, lead projects, lead people, and feel responsible for more than their scope.” That list of leadership artifacts spoke to me from the first moment I heard them, and I respect them today more than ever.
Yes, great leaders write well and speak well. But I wasn’t born that way. After learning to think well—in my case, think like an engineer and then, think like a lawyer—I had to learn to effectively communicate those thoughts. Learning to write well meant drafting for clarity, editing for succinctness, and anticipating viewpoints of both known and not-well-known readers. Writing isn’t the only mode of communication, so speak well incorporates interacting with live audiences. As a person who doesn’t enjoy public speaking, I had to practice layering on skills of oral expression, active listening, and spontaneous response to larger and larger audiences. (And a little humor doesn’t hurt either!)
While still learning to speak well, I moved to leading projects, where I encountered more and more issues that I was unable to resolve myself. Most significant problems are too big for a single person to resolve in a reasonable time frame. So a project leader serves the project team by building consensus starting from agreeing upon an articulation of the problem through collecting diverse ideas and then refining a coherent solution. After creating a multi-team execution plan for the solution, having only influence (and not formal power) hones those communication skills of write well and speak well. Leading projects also leverages personal relationships to motivate others to invest time, effort, and resources toward a common goal—often navigating changing situations.
Adding to leading projects, leading people requires concern for careers and building long-term trust. Great leaders find complementary teammates and help them work together, express their own unique viewpoints and talents, and stretch to gain new experiences and skills. And although you might expect having a formal management position to lead people is easier than only having influence, management has its own realm of struggles.
Underlying each of these artifacts is a growing sense of ownership and responsibility. Projects rarely restrict themselves to a single department, boundaries can be fuzzy or unstable, and big problems sometimes extend to entire industries. So great leaders see beyond their formal scope and collaborate to pull together teams that help not only themselves but others. And the best leaders do all this while developing additional great leaders!
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INTERNATIONAL Managing Shareholder, Houston; Global CoChair of Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice
Education: ): J.D., University of Oklahoma College of Law; B.S., Oklahoma Christian University Company Name: Greenberg Traurig, LLP Industry: Law Company CEO: Brian Duffy Company Headquarters Location: n/a Number of Employees: 4,406 Your Location (if different from above): Houston, Texas Words you live by: Be authentic. Personal Philosophy: “Be curious, keep in touch, and show up.” “Everyone wants to feel important.” What book are you reading: If I Could Tell You Just One Thing . . . : Encounters with Remarkable People and Their Most Valuable Advice by Richard Reed Interests: Anything my boys are doing. running, basketball, reading, cooking, and traveling Family: Always first!
Listen to Your Thoughts and Your Heart
Writer Joel Barker once said, “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.”
I share this quote as a form of encouragement and as a reminder that we need to be intentional with our actions. It is up to us to be the change we want to see in the world, and up to every individual to figure out what they want that change to be. This mindset has allowed me to find my passion—a passion for creating and personal life, which allows me more opportunities to move the needle in that particular space.
I am grateful to be with Greenberg Traurig, a firm at the forefront of change in the legal profession, especially with regard to diversity. With current events bringing systemic racism and inequity to the forefront of social consciousness, our firm recognizes this shift as an opportunity to accelerate its efforts to actualize meaningful change, while providing opportunities to
a meaningful change for the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
As a diverse individual who has worked hard to earn a seat at the table, I believe it is my responsibility—and honor—to use my position to positively impact the lives of others. As an advocate, I encourage and take part in educating others. I also ask the hard questions and help make DEI part of the conversation. Additionally, I am able to exercise my passion for DEI in my professional diverse individuals.
An individual’s passions are important to his or her authenticity, character, and motivation. That said, I challenge all of you to find your passion. Take time to listen to your thoughts and your heart. Be confident in who you are and in what you bring to the table. In turn, you will be the change you want to see and positively impact your communities, organizations, and maybe even the individuals around you.
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Education: BA, Syracuse University; JD, Temple University, Beasley School of Law Company Name: Greenberg Traurig, LLP Industry: Law Company CEO: Brian Duffy Company Headquarters Location: n/a Number of Employees: 4,406 Your Location (if different from above): Delaware Words you live by: “Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.” Michelle Obama Personal Philosophy: If I don’t speak, I can’t be heard What book are you reading: This Is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel What was your first job: Clothing Store, age 16 Favorite charity: Food Allergy Research & Education Interests: Traveling, cycling, and entertaining family and friends Family: Husband and two children (ages 5 and 7), with a new baby on the way
Work Hard and Ask for What You Want
Marian Wright Edelman famously stated: “You can’t be what you can’t see.”
As a young Delaware corporate lawyer, I always had a vision of what I wanted to achieve: excellence in my practice, a leadership role at a global law firm, and a family. That may sound easy enough, but when I looked around me within my profession, it was difficult to find other women who achieved these things in quite the same way that I hoped that I would. There were incredibly successful female attorneys who
Today, as a successful corporate lawyer with clients who trust me with their most complex transactions, the managing shareholder of the Delaware office of the same firm where I started my career, and an involved mother of two (soon to be three!), I work arduously to be a visible and approachable role model for other women and to support them in whatever they want to achieve—no matter what it looks like for them. The best advice I can give to other women attorneys is advice I received early in my own career: Ask ... I work arduously to be a visible and approachable role model for other women and to support them in whatever they want to achieve—no matter what it looks like for them.” “
chose not to have families. There were talented women who elected to forego the partnership track to raise their children. There were women who, together with their partners, decided the best way to balance their various responsibilities was for one partner to be the primary caregiver for their children and step back from their career entirely. Many of those women were, and still are, my mentors, and I applaud them for making the decisions that worked for them. However, I didn’t see their paths as the right ones for me and my family. for what you want. Six years ago, I took this advice to heart and asked for a management role in my office. I was young—I had only been a shareholder for two years—and there had never been a female managing shareholder in my office before. I expected the answer to be no, but my firm supported me. So today, I repeat the advice that worked for me. Ask for the new position, ask for the complex work, ask for the support you need from your loved ones, superiors, and colleagues. You will likely be pleasantly surprised by the answer.
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Education: JD, American University, Washington College of Law; BA, Boston University Company Name: Herrick, Feinstein LLP Industry: Law Company CEO: Barbaros Karaahmet, Chief Operating Partner Company Headquarters Location: New York, New York Number of Employees: approximately 125 attorneys Words you live by: Your time is your most valuable possession. Personal Philosophy: If a program or organization doesn’t exist, create it. What book are you reading: Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang What was your first job: Litigation associate at a law firm (first job as a lawyer) Favorite charity: ACLU Interests: Fusion cooking, tennis, traveling, and hosting dinners
I’m Doing Everything I Can to Increase D&I in Law
I’d like to thank Profiles in Diversity Journal for this award. This award is particularly close to my heart because I’m passionate about increasing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. As a first-generation South Asian lawyer, I also appreciate the need to mentor junior lawyers and amplify the contributions of diverse lawyers, and I strive to do that every day. In this regard, I’ve launched and participated in numerous diversity-and-inclusion-related initiatives, hoping that I can contribute to moving our profession forward.
As a young associate, I founded the Diverse Working Attorneys Group, to foster mentorship between diverse attorneys, created a Diversity Matters newsletter, and launched a Women’s Initiative program, which focused on enhancing business development and networking skills for women.
In the last three years, I have launched the Women’s Initiative Network at my current law firm, Herrick Feinstein LLP (“Herrick”), to organize programming on networking and business development; launched a Diversity Partners program, whereby diverse partners mentor and sponsor diverse associates; and created a mentoring circles program. I have been active in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (“LCLD”), an organization of more than 320 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners, who are committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession, as an LCLD Fellow and the New York City Lead for 2021.
Recently, I founded a networking group called Ladies in Law New York, established to bring together accomplished and diverse female lawyers to create organic relationships, find mentors, seek career advice, facilitate new business opportunities, and much more. I also currently co-chair Herrick’s Diversity Committee.
I have also been very active in the South Asian legal community. I am currently co-chairing the South Asian Bar Association of New York’s Litigation Committee. As co-chair, I launched the Leadership Lunch series, allowing young South Asian associates to have access to successful South Asian leaders.
Although my work is merely a drop in the bucket, I do hope it inspires others to take active roles in their organizations to increase diversity and inclusion at all levels.
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Education: AB, Dartmouth College; JD, Georgetown University Law Center Company Name: Holwell, Shuster & Goldberg LLP Industry: Law Company CEO: n/a Company Headquarters Location: New York, New York What book are you reading: Leadership by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Pandemic Also Unlocked Exciting Possibilities
We have in this moment a great, global opportunity to reshape what it means to go to work every day. This is not just an opportunity to afford employees more flexibility in some abstract sense or to save money on office space. It is a far greater opportunity for each of us to achieve more success and fulfillment, both professionally and personally.
Well into the pandemic, I was convinced that certain parts of my job as a litigator were universally better done in person. But each time I thought, “This could not be done, or done as well, remotely,” I failed to account for unforeseen advantages.
In one highly expedited litigation, we were able to take a dozen depositions in a matter of days in large part because we did not have to travel around the country to attend them. We benefitted from more time preparing and collaborating with one another than might have otherwise been the case. In another matter, instead of negotiating with opposing counsel by phone as is typical, we spoke face-to-face on Zoom and built greater rapport in the process that translated into improved outcomes for our client. Put simply: remote tools unlock new possibilities.
This new way of working will also enrich our personal lives. I grew up appreciating these possibilities. My grandmother Ruth became a pediatrician at a time when very few women practiced medicine, in part because medical schools imposed quotas on the number of women per class. Once she entered the field, she ran her practice from home—with her office right off the living room and her sons’ elementary school right across the street. With this unique setup, her most important appointment each day for a time was not a patient checkup, but lunchtime with her sons.
A generation later, my father, who was also a lawyer, spent much of his career working from home three days a week. This arrangement enabled my mother to continue pursuing her career, and my father to watch my field hockey team consistently lose our afternoon matches, one of our only fans.
My hope is that we normalize and institutionalize the use of remote professional tools and workplace flexibility—in its myriad forms—in the years to come, continuing to identify new opportunities that may have seemed exceptional or revolutionary a generation or two ago.
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Education: JD cum laude, University of Florida College of Law (Research Editor, Florida Law Review); BA with high honors, Dartmouth College Company Name: Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP Industry: Law Company CEO: Theodore V.H. Mayer, Chair Company Headquarters Location: New York, New York Number of Employees: 226 attorneys Words you live by: Work hard, read voraciously, eat well, and exercise. Be curious, generous, honest and optimistic. Go to parties. Personal Philosophy: Be mindful and intentional. Seek out opportunities to learn, contribute, and make a difference. Help others. Take initiative, set goals, and push yourself to achieve them. What book are you reading: Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong What was your first job: Sailing instructor Favorite charity: Legal Aid Society of New York and Performance Space New York Interests: Exploring New York City, reading, traveling, sailing, and skiing Family: I live with my wife in Brooklyn; we are close with our extended family, who live in Miami, Los Angeles, Stockholm, and Berlin.
Meaghan’s Adventures in the Legal Profession
Meaghan Gragg is a partner in Hughes Hubbard & Reed’s Litigation Department and International & Domestic Arbitration, Corporate Reorganization & Bankruptcy, and Art Law groups. She is an elected member of Hughes Hubbard’s Executive Committee and co-chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
She also has experience conducting internal investigations. As a member of Hughes Hubbard’s Art Law group, she advises artists, art advisors, auction houses, collectors, estates, galleries, museums, and nonprofits in a variety of matters.
Meaghan serves on the boards of the Legal Aid
Committee. Meaghan has extensive experience in handling high-stakes, complex commercial disputes, with an emphasis in international arbitration and cross-border litigation, financial institution litigation, and insolvency-related litigation. Society of New York and Performance Space New York. Before joining Hughes Hubbard, Meaghan clerked for the Honorable Ursula Ungaro, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida.
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Company Name: Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP Industry: Law Company CEO: Managing Partner, Walfrido Martinez Company Headquarters Location: Richmond, Virginia Number of Employees: More than 1,800 Your Location (if different from above): Washington, DC Words you live by: “To whom much is given, much is expected.” –Luke 12:48 (paraphrased) Personal Philosophy: Do my best; work hard and play hard! What was your first job: Self-employment, selling donuts Favorite charity: See Forever Foundation Family: Wolfgang, my Shepsky
Seek Out Good Advice—it’s Priceless
When I was in high school, I worked at IBM during the summer. My mom encouraged me to meet lawyers in the legal department because I wanted to be a lawyer. So, one day, I wandered down the hall to the legal department and I met an attorney. We talked about college, law school, and becoming a lawyer. I will always remember his advice: take the path of least resistance: go to the best school that you can, get the best grades you can; and give yourself the best opportunity to excel. So there it was, some of the best career advice I have ever received.
I also received advice as a young lawyer that dramatically impacted my career. I was fortunate to be mentored by a partner in a law firm who took an interest in my career. I was at a crossroads, my father had recently died and I felt that I should go back home and work in Washington, DC, but I had previously decided to work in Houston. My mentor suggested that I consider working for the law firm, but in the Washington, DC office, rather than in Houston. I had not considered the Washington, DC office because it was small, and in fact had worked at a different law firm in Washington, DC during the summer.
My mentor introduced me via conference call to the managing partner in the DC office, who also headed the energy regulatory practice. In addition to that introduction, he told me that the energy regulatory practice was difficult, that it was interdisciplinary, would be challenging, and was very profitable. Equally important, my mentor told me that it would be a good practice area for me because I needed a challenge.
Shortly thereafter, I met the energy regulatory and managing partner, and other partners in that practice area; asked one of them to be my mentor (she said yes); and the rest is history. I have been practicing in the energy regulatory area my entire career.
Since that time, I have had several mentors, both in my practice area and outside my practice area, within the firm and outside of my firm. As important, and at times more important, I have had sponsors who were willing to invest in me, support me, and defend me. I would never have become the lawyer I am without them. So, seek advice and counsel, seek out areas that are unfamiliar, and be open to advice and mentoring from many different people.
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Education: PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Company Name: Idaho National Laboratory Industry: Energy Company CEO: Dr. John Wagner (Laboratory Director) Company Headquarters Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho Number of Employees: 5,400 Words you live by: Be gentle with others; you don’t know what they are going through. Personal Philosophy: Listen with an open mind and speak the truth, do what is right, strive for excellence, and care for others. What book are you reading: A Higher Standard by Ann Dunwoody What was your first job: Barn hand Favorite charity: Christ the King Church (RI) and Friends of the Teton River Interests: Outdoor sports, time in nature, geopolitics, technology, and energy Family: Husband, 5- and 7-year-old sons, and dog
How Clean Air, and Clean Energy, Became My Mission
I grew up with a deep love for the natural world, and I’ve always spent as much time as possible outdoors. I also have a special appreciation for clean air as someone who has asthma. While I’m fortunate that it’s well-controlled with modern medicine, it’s something that I manage on a daily basis, and it has naturally impacted the course of my life, the values I hold, and the career path I eventually chose.
Another key to my career path was growing up within 10-15 miles of two nuclear power plants. Even During my university studies I came to appreciate that climate change is one of the greatest challenges we will face in my lifetime. I also wanted to help preserve the beauty of the natural world, while benefiting humankind by providing us with abundant, clean energy. I concluded that nuclear power would become increasingly important to addressing energy needs in the face of this threat. And that’s how I decided to study it.
Along the way, my choice has been affirmed, as I’ve seen more of the world and the devastating impacts of
at a young age, I had a positive view of what they were doing for the environment by providing clean energy.
My love for the outdoors helped put me on course for a career that would benefit the environment. Another important factor came in the form of a fantastic high school physics teacher, who made me think harder and smarter than any other teacher had.
With an interest in science that this remarkable teacher helped me develop, I went to college to study physics. There, my love of nature and my desire to benefit the world through technology came together. energy poverty. My commitment has intensified over the years, as I’ve learned more and witnessed firsthand the impact of energy geopolitics broadly, and nuclearenergy geopolitics in particular.
Finally, my heart is now fully enlisted each time my son Clark sees smoke and asks mommy to work on getting that smoke out of the air. I am grateful to teachers and other mentors who helped me recognize my interests and pursue what I love, and I am now doing my best to provide that same encouraging leadership to those I work with every day.
