Women @ RopesTalk

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by IP transactions and licensing partner Megan Baca, IP transactions partner Emily Karlberg returns for another engaging conversation, this time with Jan Sbarbaro, the chief legal & compliance officer and corporate secretary of Lyric, a platform-based healthcare technology company, committed to simplifying the business of care by preventing inaccurate payments and reducing overall waste in the healthcare ecosystem. They discuss Jan’s impressive 30-plus-year career in the legal field, her transition from litigation to in-house roles, and her current responsibilities at Lyric. Jan shares valuable insights on navigating career challenges, the importance of self-confidence, and balancing a demanding career with family life. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care and data partner Christine Moundas, IP transactions and licensing partner Megan Baca is joined by Katy Motiey, the chief legal, administrative and sustainability officer at Extreme Networks. Katy shares her inspiring journey from her early life experiences during the Iranian Revolution to her multifaceted career in the legal industry. She discusses her new book, Imperfect, which is based on her mother's quest for equality and their family's struggles against the patriarchal customs of Iran. Katy also delves into her role in driving corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives at Extreme, offering valuable insights for aspiring leaders and authors. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care and data partner Christine Moundas, litigation & enforcement partner Sarah Walters is joined by Veronica Lei, the associate vice president and assistant general counsel for Eli Lilly's Diabetes Alliance. Veronica shares her diverse career journey from being a federal prosecutor to her current role at Eli Lilly, discussing her experiences in litigation, internal investigations and business counseling. She also reflects on the importance of balancing professional and personal life and offers valuable advice for aspiring legal professionals. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care and data partner Christine Moundas, IP transactions and licensing partner Megan Baca engages in a fascinating conversation with Laura Berner, COO of TRex Bio. Laura shares her unique journey from practicing law at Ropes & Gray to embracing roles in business development and operations within the biotech sector. She discusses her experiences at Genentech, Roche, and Myovant Sciences, shedding light on the transition from legal to business roles and the challenges of working in both large pharmaceutical companies and smaller biotech startups. Laura also offers her perspective on the importance of continuous learning and growth, her approach to decision-making, and her vision as a leader in a preclinical-stage company. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, litigation & enforcement partner Helen Gugel returns for another engaging conversation, this time with Neena Reddy, general counsel of Blue Owl Capital, an alternative asset manager with nearly $200 billion in assets under management. Neena shares her journey from private practice to in-house counsel, detailing the exponential growth of Blue Owl, the challenges and strategies of managing legal affairs for a global firm, and her role in fostering a culture of women supporting women. The conversation also delves into Neena's multifaceted role, her approach to leadership, and her personal insights on work-life balance and the importance of networking in the legal industry. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, IP transactions counsel Georgina Suzuki returns for another engaging conversation, this time with Svetlana Lucas, PhD, the chief business officer at Scribe Therapeutics, a biotech company that develops and engineers advanced CRISPR-based therapies for a wide range of diseases. Svetlana shares her journey in the biotech industry, the challenges and opportunities she has encountered, and her insights on the future of CRISPR technology. She also discusses the importance of relationships, diversity, and mentorship in the industry, and embracing the concept of “being comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, asset management partner Chelsea Childs interviews Jill Varner, the chief compliance officer at Versus Capital Advisors LLC, a Denver-based asset management firm. Jill shares insights into her role at Versus and the company's focus on real asset investing, primarily through interval funds. She also reflects on her experience as a woman in the male-dominated asset management industry and emphasizes the importance of mentorship and building relationships. The conversation touches on recent regulatory developments impacting the investment management industry and how Jill manages an extensive workload with a small but growing compliance team.

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, capital solutions & private credit partner Jennifer Harris interviews Morgan (Dean) O’Neill, a distinguished portfolio manager and managing director at Sound Point Capital Management. Morgan provides a glimpse into her remarkable journey, tracing her career trajectory from an investment banker at Bank of America Merrill Lynch to her current role overseeing the capital solutions group at Sound Point. The discussion delves into the challenges she has faced, such as unexpected shifts in leadership, and how those moments became pivotal opportunities for personal and professional growth. Throughout the conversation, Morgan emphasizes the importance of adaptability and networking, sharing practical advice on building and maintaining relationships in the finance industry.

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, capital solutions and private credit partner Alyson Gal interviews Jenny Walsh, a managing director who co-leads the consumer investing team at Sixth Street, a San Francisco-based global investment firm with over $75 billion in assets under management. Jenny talks about her experience building Sixth Street’s consumer investing business, and highlights the collaborative and flexible nature of Sixth Street’s investment approach. The firm’s diverse range of investments in the consumer space—from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to technology-enabled businesses—as well as in sports teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Bay FC, speak to how Sixth Street marries a solutions-oriented approach with bigger picture themes. Jenny discusses the value of mentorship and networking, and what she and Sixth Street are doing to support the next generation of women investors.

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, capital solutions and private credit partner Alyson Gal interviews Marjorie Goux, chief legal officer at Rodan & Fields. Marjorie shares what it’s like to be CLO at a skincare and haircare company, along with how she prepared to take on the role. She looks back on the “multiple stops” in her legal career, including practicing law at medium- and big-sized firms in London and the U.S. before going in-house to roles at Hewlett-Packard, Clorox and Glad Products. Marjorie describes herself as a “person who looks for opportunities.” Along those lines, she shares helpful networking strategies for lawyers at all stages of their careers.

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, health care counsel Leslie Thornton interviews Kelly Gold, chief financial officer of CAMP4 Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotechnology company. Kelly opens up about what keeps her up at night as CFO of an early-stage, venture-backed company on the path to drug development. She describes her career journey from one quantitative field to the next, starting as a mechanical engineer, then moving to Wall Street and health care finance. As someone who has never liked formal networking, Kelly shares her secret to building strong professional relationships. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, life sciences regulatory & compliance counsel Beth Weinman interviews Jennifer Zachary, executive vice president and general counsel of Merck. Jennifer describes her unique trajectory from science major in college to associate chief counsel at the FDA to law firm partner and finally to her role as the top lawyer at Merck. She breaks down the differences and similarities between private and public practice, noting that the desire to protect the public health is just as strong in both places, and shares important advice for early career attorneys: work hard, seek out interesting cases, surround yourself with lawyers you admire, and make sure you’re having fun. Jennifer also describes the invaluable roles that mentorship, sponsorship and diversity efforts played in her transition in-house, and talks about the needle-moving diversity initiative she oversees at Merck.

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, litigation & enforcement partner Amy Jane Longo interviews Jennifer Chun Barry, associate general counsel in special investigations at Meta. With experience as a federal prosecutor, an SEC trial attorney and an in-house lawyer at a global tech company, Jennifer has had a varied and interesting legal career, and she opens up about her different steps along the way. She shares what initially drew her to trial work and what she’s still learning about building professional relationships today at Meta. Jennifer also talks about how her parents’ journey as immigrants has shaped her approach to life and work. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, IP transactions counsel Emily Karlberg interviews Karna Nisewaner, the general counsel of Cadence Design Systems. Karna describes her path from engineering student at Princeton to GC at an innovative software company where she can “geek out on technology.” As a leader, she describes her approach to managing teams, including an important lesson learned early in her career. Reflecting on the value of lawyers on business teams, Karna shares some advice about listening, while also recounting how a run for the local school board helped sharpen her business skills.

In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, M&A partner Emily Oldshue speaks with Siobhan Pomeroy, vice president of corporate development at leading biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. With a background in science and an MBA, Siobhan talks about the many business and corporate development roles she’s held across the life sciences industry, including at a medical device firm, smaller biotech companies and larger pharmaceutical companies. She plots her trajectory to her current role as a leader of transaction teams and gives her invaluable perspective on team building. Thinking about her career, she remembers a deal where her personal and professional lives collided, and shares the advice she gives to women colleagues who ask her about work-life balance.

In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, Ropes & Gray health care partners Jenn Romig and Christina Bergeron interview Lisa Mango, chief legal officer and general counsel of One Medical, a human-centered, technology-powered U.S. primary care organization on a mission to make quality health care more affordable, accessible, and enjoyable through a seamless combination of in-person, digital, and virtual care services. Lisa talks about the evolution of her career, beginning at a mid-sized law firm and then moving to in-house legal roles at early dot-com and design software companies before starting at One Medical in 2016. In looking back at her career, Lisa encourages junior lawyers to embrace the unknown, reflects on an important mentor, and shares her approach to working and parenting. Finally, she talks about the exciting past few years at One Medical, including the company’s recent agreement with Amazon.

In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, IP transactions attorney Georgina Suzuki interviews Christina Carlson, general counsel of HI-Bio, a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing precision medicines for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Christina talks about her move from Gilead Sciences, where she oversaw corporate legal, to HI-Bio, where she has a more legal generalist role. In thinking about her 15-plus-year career, which includes roles at a law firm and in-house, she dispels misconceptions she once had about networking and gives advice for those who wish to follow in her footsteps. For lawyers or others considering careers in biotech, Christina reflects on the exciting and inspiring work she’s contributed to in the areas of HIV and COVID.

In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, IP transactions partner Erica Han interviews Mallory Capasso, general counsel and vice president of legal and regulatory at Luxury Brand Partners (LBP), a company that develops and nurtures prestigious, artist-driven beauty brands. Mallory shares her experience moving from a law firm to becoming the only in-house counsel at LBP, where she handles everything from trademark policy to employment issues, corporate work, board work and privacy laws, to running the company’s regulatory department. Reflecting on the keys to success in this multi-faceted role, Mallory emphasizes the importance of communication, staying curious, nurturing a great culture, having mentors and role models—especially seeing other successful women—and having the courage and confidence to bring new ideas to the table and be a changemaker.

In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, intellectual property transactions counsel Emily Karlberg interviews Katerina Novak, associate general counsel at global asset management firm Viking Global Investors.

In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, data, privacy & cybersecurity partner Fran Faircloth interviews Jennifer Wilen, vice president of legal at Bombas. Jen shares her experience growing the legal team at Bombas from the ground up, and how being in-house counsel compares to her prior roles at a global law firm and a leading investment bank. As a manager, she discusses the importance of empowering team members, which includes allowing others to make mistakes. Jen concludes by talking about the culture at Bombas, which celebrates individuality, and how the company is holding itself accountable on its DE&I goals.