Lawyers Who Lead

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Yuri Eliezer, Head of the IP Practice Group at Founders Legal and startup advisor to Atlantic Tech Village.
Yuri shares his journey to becoming a patent lawyer, his passion for helping IP clients of all sizes and stages of development, and why seeing the big picture drives his representation and leadership.
Visit https://founderslegal.com/practitioners/yuri-eliezer to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Jesyka Harris, a lawyer, fashion model, TV host, content creator and human rights advocate.
Jesyka shares her journey growing up as a mixed race biracial woman with a mission to use her strong sense of justice for good. Jesyka’s compelling story of “breaking out of boxes and leaving labels behind” has become the mantra with which she lives her life, helps others, and builds stronger communities.
Visit https://unboxedlife.me or https://www.instagram.com/jesyka.harris to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Ruby Powers, founder of Powers Law Group, P.C., board-certified immigration and nationality lawyer, and author of the book Build and Manage Your Successful Immigration Law Practice Without Losing Your Mind.
Ruby’s journey reveals focus and intentionality through her immigration practice, writing her book, and government and politics. But most importantly, her story teaches us that there are various ways lawyers can help others.
Visit https://www.rubypowerslaw.com to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Michael Kahn, Co-Founder, Educator, and Coach at ReelTime CLE. Michael shares his journey from practicing lawyer to counseling lawyers. Through the steady and intentional practice of self-leadership, he has dedicated his career to the well-being and success of lawyers nationwide.
ReelTime Creative Learning Experiences deploys the most effective adult learning tools to help individuals and organizations function more professionally, ethically, and sustainably. Through a unique blend of original films, engaging exercises, and facilitated discussions, participants leave better equipped to identify and understand the ethical, professional, and compliance-related challenges they face, and to navigate them more effectively, together.
Visit https://reeltimecle.com to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Scott Piekarsky, partner in the litigation and real estate departments at Phillips Nizer LLP.
Scott shares how his upbringing informs his leadership through commitment approach. Scott’s journey is one of intentional and educated decisions and a relentless prioritization of his clients, team and health.
Visit https://www.phillipsnizer.com/Scott-Piekarsky to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Anne-Marie Rábago, Founder and Principal of Modern Juris.
Anne-Marie’s story is one of relentless reinvention. Through continuously searching for purpose in her career, she ultimately creates a place where she empowers lawyers to serve the latent legal market and make lasting systemic change.
Visit https://www.modernjuris.com to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Ali Katz, Founder and CEO at New Law Business Model and Eyes Wide Open Life.
Through serving others and leading with her heart, Ali shares her journey of finding herself and making a difference in the legal community by teaching lawyers how to be true guides for their client’s major life decisions.
Visit https://newlawbusinessmodel.com and https://programs.eyeswideopenlife.com/intensive-1 to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Wendy Star, an employment and labor law attorney and the Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
Wendy shares her journey of individual advocacy before ultimately shifting her career to raise her impact on a more systemic level. She highlights how she leverages connectivity in diversity and inclusion work and why it is crucial to any organization's overall success.
Visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/index.page to learn more.

In the final installment of of our three-part special edition episode, we conclude our post-conference coverage of the 2022 Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) Annual Conference with Tim Slating, the President-Elect of ACLEA.
Tim shares his journey to ACLEA's leadership, insights from the 2022 Annual Conference, and how focusing on tailored learning and changes in education delivery are imperative to the legal education industry.
ACLEA is an organization of great minds responsible for the continuing legal education, training, and professional development of lawyers around the world.
Visit https://www.aclea.org/ to learn more.

In part two of our three-part special edition episode, we continue our coverage of the 2022 Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) Annual Conference with an interview with Gina Roers-Liemandt, the President of ACLEA.
Gina shares her journey to ACLEA's leadership, insights from the conference, and her vision for building an inclusive and thriving community for ACLEA members.
ACLEA is an organization of great minds responsible for the continuing legal education, training, and professional development of lawyers around the world.
Visit https://www.aclea.org/ to learn more.

In this three-part special edition episode, we cover the 2022 Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) Annual Conference in Vancouver, B.C. In episode one, we interview Kristin Huotari, the past president of ACLEA.
Kristin shares her journey to ACLEA's leadership, insights from the conference, and her vision for just-in-time learning and content personalization.
ACLEA is an organization of great minds responsible for the continuing legal education, training, and professional development of lawyers around the world.
Visit https://www.aclea.org/ to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Parker Moore, principal at Beveridge & Diamond, and co-chair of the firm's Natural Resources and Project Development Practice Group and its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Wetlands and Endangered Species Act groups.
A wetlands ecologist turned environmental lawyer, Parker shares how creative lawyering helps him provide counsel for the betterment of his clients and the environment at large.
Visit https://www.bdlaw.com/w-parker-moore/ to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Harlan York, managing partner of Harlan York and Associates. Harlan shares his journey to becoming an immigration attorney and why a focus on specialization has helped him build a successful team and practice that plays to everyone’s strengths.
Visit https://immigrationlawnj.com/ to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews the Honorable Judge Scott Schlegel, elected to the bench of the 24th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson, Division D, State of Louisiana.
Judge Schlegel shares his journey from civil litigator to felony prosecutor before being elected to the bench. His insightful interview reveals how understanding workflows, leveraging technology, and being persistent, can help make major improvements to the justice system.
Visit Onlinejudge.us to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews D. Margeaux Thomas, Founder of Thomas Law, PLLC, a law firm representing individuals and small businesses throughout Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. Margeaux discusses how staying educated has played a huge part in the cultivation of her legal team, her family’s nutrition, and the creation of the nonprofit, Vegetable Forward. D. Margeaux Thomas is passionate about assisting business owners resolve disputes with their partners, clients, and vendors so that they can focus on growing their business, building power and capacity, and fulfilling their mission. Visit https://thomaslawplc.com/ to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Nicole Kobis, partner at the New Jersey law firm, Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C.
Nicole discusses how she became a lawyer as a second career, her path to partnership, and how she continues to evolve her practice with new approaches.
Visit https://www.lindabury.com/nicole-a-kobis.html to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Allison West, Attorney, Investigator, Speaker, Trainer and Expert at Employment Practices Specialists.
Allison discusses how she dedicates her work towards creating psychologically safe workplaces by investigation, coaching, and training executive leadership.
Visit https://employmentpractices.net/ to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Lori Landew, General Counsel of Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling.
Lori shares her compelling journey from BigLaw commercial litigator to Boutique Entertainment Attorney, to In-House at Record Labels before ultimately becoming Audible's GC. Lori's story shows that paving pathways means navigating circumstance, people, and tough decisions to achieve the life you want, both professionally and personally.
Visit https://www.audible.com/ to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Victor Morales, Corporate Counsel at Microsoft and former board member and treasurer of the Association of Corporate Counsel's Colorado Chapter.
Victor discusses his journey straight into the in-house world and how thinking in strategic steps has helped him achieve his professional goals.
Visit https://www.microsoft.com to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Anna Radke, Managing Associate of Brand Counsel, P.C., where she represents clients from industries such as fashion, media, manufacturing, and tech. Her work has been featured in publications like Vogue, Glamour, and Elle.
Anna discusses her journey from Poland to the U.S., becoming a fashion lawyer, and how embracing different perspectives helps focus her successful representation of clients.
Visit https://brandcounselpc.com to learn more.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews David Mann, Angel Investor at Launchpad Venture Group and former Chief Legal Officer for Dunkin Brands and General Counsel for Marriott International, Inc. David discusses what leadership looks like in phase three of life, a time where he focuses his experience on helping his children grow, funding startups, and mentoring first-time entrepreneurs

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Stephanie Spangler, Associate General Counsel at McKinsey & Co. Stephanie discusses the vital role curiosity has played in her life and the ways in which she promotes the exchange of ideas to the betterment of herself, her team, and the legal profession at large. Visit www.mckinsey.com or read https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/in-the-balance/cultural-diversity-a-human-centered-approach-that-thrives-on-openness-curiosity-and-respect to learn more.The views and opinions expressed on this episode are those of the guest only and not of any employer, affiliate, or any other organization to which she may be associated. Statements regarding any companies or organizations mentioned in this episode are not endorsements of McKinsey & Co.

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Keith Lee, Founder of LawyersSmack and Chief Marketing Officer at Case Status.
Keith discusses the concept of "Edge Knowledge" and how this informs how he fulfills the legal industry's needs around community and case management.
Visit https://casestatus.com, https://www.lawyersmack.com, and https://associatesmind.com to learn more.

This week, Sigalle sits down with Anta Cissé-Green, Senior Vice Chancellor & General Counsel of SUNY, the State University of New York. As General Counsel, Anta serves as the chief legal officer to the SUNY Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, System Administration and the presidents of the state-operated campuses. Anta manages and supervises the SUNY Office of General Counsel consisting of 45 experienced higher education attorneys and oversees legal at all of SUNYs 64 campuses.Prior to SUNY, Anta served as Associate General Counsel and Director of Legal Operations at NYU Langone Health. Anta received her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, summa cum laude, and her L.L.M. in Tax from NYU School of Law.Anta has been awarded various accolades and honors in connection with her work in the legal profession. In addition to being named in the 2021 City & States Law Power 100, Anta was an honoree in the Crains 2019 Notable Women of Law, and named by the New York Law Journal as a "Lawyer Who Leads By Example", in recognition of her many years of commitment to providing pro bono legal services to underrepresented New Yorkers; named to the National Black Lawyers Top 100 Attorneys; and as a New York Metro Area Rising Star by SuperLawyers in the area of tax and estate planning.Anta is an active member of her community in her roles as President of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, the largest unified association of Black and other minority lawyers, in the New York metropolitan area.Listen to learn the story of a lawyer who gives back to her community and strives to foster the development of young lawyers and law students. Visit www.mbbanyc.org and https://system.suny.edu/counsel/to learn more.

This week, Sigalle sits down with Sejal Thakkar, the founder and Chief Civility Officer at TrainXtra, where she helps leaders create positive, safe, and respectful workplaces through customized training and coaching.
Sejal is a former employment law attorney, a TEDx speaker (shedding light on The Pain, Power, and Paradox of Bias) and is now on a mission to educate and empower people to create a world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
In this episode, Sejal shares the experiences that inspire her work at TrainXtra and how she strives to address gaps in educational training, including workplace training on unconscious bias. Listen to learn how Sejal strives to create better workplaces through education, training, and the implementation of practical tools.
Listen to learn the story of a lawyer who empowers others to make positive transformations in the workplace. Visit www.trainxtra.com to learn more.

This week, Sigalle sits down with Marc Sorini, General Counsel for the Brewers Association, the national trade association for Americas small, independent brewers.Prior to joining the Brewers Association, Marc spent twenty-five years in private practice, twenty as a partner in the Washington, DC office of McDermott Will & Emery. Marc is a beer lover and homebrewer who has served as a counsel for alcohol beverage suppliers for more than two decades. Marc holds a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center and is a frequent writer and speaker on alcohol beverage law and policy.Marc also consults with select clients as the principal of AlcoStar Consulting. Listen to learn the story of a lawyer who leads doing what he loves. Visit www.brewersassociation.org to learn more.

This week, Sigalle sits down with Leah Del Percio, founder and CEO of Trustate.
 
Trustate is an estate administration services provider that works to help Executors, regardless of their circumstances, navigate the complex and incredibly stressful process of settling and administering the estate of a deceased loved one, saving them time, money and providing peace of mind to get through it with someone they can trust.
 
Leah spent over a decade at some of the worlds most prestigious firms including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and DLA Piper, dedicating her career to helping individuals, families, and large and small businesses with crisis and succession planning, wealth preservation, asset protection, and tax strategies, and was named to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list multiple times.
 
In addition to handling the estates of some of the most prominent families in the world, Leah is also active in her community, having served as pro-bono counsel for the Boys and Girls Club and representing many underserved people in the continued fight for equality and civil rights. Her experiences have fueled her ambition to help others who are struggling.
 
After spending the last 10 years working on hundreds of estates as a practicing estate attorney, Leah recognized a very large and underserved segment of the population that could also benefit from her services. She gave up her fast-rising career as an attorney at a top five global law firm to found Trustate.
 
Estate administration is now equitable, thanks to Trustate.
 
Listen to learn the the story of a lawyer who set out to help people in their time of need. Visit https://www.trustate.com/ to learn more.

This week, Sigalle sits down with David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, and the mentor of our host for nearly a decade. Lawline is the leading provider of online Continuing Legal Education (CLE) in the country. The company recently celebrated serving over 150,000 attorneys with over 5,000,000 courses completed. David is also the past president of Entrepreneurs Organization New York. David is the author of the book The Fast Forward Mindset: How to Be More Fearless & Focused to Accelerate Your Success." This book shares a very simple formula to consistently break through your walls and fast forward your entrepreneurial success and happiness. 
David is a frequent speaker to business organizations, colleges, and high schools on topics ranging from entrepreneurship, mindset, leadership, and culture, and has published articles on these topics in Forbes. His success has been recognized by his peers in entrepreneurship and the legal industry, and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur.com, Crains NY, the New York Post, and Law.com
Listen to learn the story of a lawyer who saw the foresight in his father's early online business and brought carried it into one of the largest CLE providers in America. Connect with David on LinkedIn and check out www.lawline.com to learn more.

This week, Sigalle sits down with Scott Daniels, Senior Director of Benefit Policy Intelligence at Comcast.
Scott is responsible for overseeing health and employee benefit legislation and regulatory activity. Before assuming this role, Scott oversaw Comcast's absence management and disability programs.
Scott was a practicing attorney for nine years in the New York metropolitan area focusing predominantly on a wide range of disability claims and New York workers compensation benefits before joining Comcast in 2015.
In addition to practicing law, Scott has taught several lectures on the topic of disability benefits to attorneys across the country and has recently joined Temple and Drexel University's adjunct law faculty.
Listen to learn the story and career path of a seasoned disability and HR lawyer.

This week, Sigalle sits down with James Gatto, co-head of the Blockchain team and Games team at Sheppard Mullin.
James has been a thought leader and has provided strategic advice for more than 30 years, working on all aspects of intellectual property and technology law, especially ones driven by new business models and/or disruptive technologies. 
James has been involved with blockchain since 2012 and has been recognized as a thought leader by leading organizations including Best Lawyers in America 2021-2022; Cryptocurrency, Blockchain and Fintech Trailblazer, The National Law Journal, and Thought Leader on Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies, National Law Review.
James' practice focuses on blockchain including blockchain games, cryptocurrency, and NFTs; interactive entertainment like metaverses, virtual worlds, games, AR, VR, fantasy sports, and esports; digital art, AI and online gambling. If it's cutting edge tech, count on James to be on the forefront of the laws around it.
Check out this publication by Sheppard Mullin on NFTs an IP law to learn more. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/nfts-and-intellectual-property-what-ip-5945088/