The Abstract

New technologies are advancing faster than ever. How can we rely on our experience to solve unforeseen privacy issues as our personal data makes its way to places we never imagined it could end up?Julia Shullman, Telly’s GC and Chief Privacy Officer, has spent nearly two decades advocating for privacy in the complex ecosystem of advertising technology. She has learned that one of the most important things a Chief Privacy Officer can do is acknowledge what they don’t know and rely on the expertise of other teams to build smart products that protect user data.Join Julia as she reveals her thoughts on where these essential consumer safeguards are headed as we enter into an era of AI and business-first thinking.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-16Topics:Introduction: 0:18Blending hardware, software, and privacy at Telly: 1:00Finding your way from M&A to privacy law: 4:16Transitioning into ad tech at AppNexus: 6:37Identifying the necessary attitude to be successful in privacy: 10:42Overseeing the transformation from AppNexus to Xandr at AT&T: 13:10Taking on a GC role at TripleLift: 15:45Building trust with executive team and partners at Vista Equity Partners: 22:07Stepping away to found a privacy and policy consulting firm: 25:57Advice to lawyers searching for their next GC role: 32:12Considering the future of the chief privacy officer role: 33:24Speculating on the future of privacy and AI: 36:17Book recommendations: 41:34Connect with us:Julia Shullman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-shullman/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

How do you navigate being in the public eye of a high-profile company? What happens when you become embroiled in a public controversy and your company doesn’t have your back?This is just one of the themes we will be delving into with Mark Marin, Puffco’s General Counsel, on this episode of The Abstract.In this incredibly candid conversation, Mark will take us through:— the challenges he faced during his time at Barstool Sports, a notorious media company;— the challenges that led him to Barstool Sports, namely a bankruptcy and two different acquisitions at his previous companies;— and his current role at Puffco, a start-up within the cannabis industry.Learn what it takes to truly overcome adversity as a GC. This is one episode you don’t want to miss.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-15Topics:Introduction: 0:25Jumping into the fast-paced start-up world at Quirky: 2:31Discovering a silver lining during bankruptcy: 6:40Navigating being acquired twice in the span of a short time: 10:17Learning from trying to merge cultures during company acquisitions: 14:58Grappling with adversity as Barstool Sports’ first General Counsel: 18:50Finding support during career challenges: 27:20Venturing a new path in the cannabis industry: 30:40Parting advice for younger attorneys: 33:17Resources mentioned in the episode:Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/Connect with us:Mark Marin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-marin/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Scuba diving and entrepreneurship have a lot more in common than you may think.From staying calm in high-pressure situations to overcoming challenges and facing your fears head on, it is no coincidence that Kathy Zhu, Co-founder and CEO of Streamline AI, finds solace in both the deep waters of the ocean and the unpredictable start-up world.Join Kathy and SpotDraft’s Tyler Finn as they dive into the pivotal moments that led her to take a leap of faith and co-found Streamline AI, and how her upbringing fueled her drive to overcome and adapt to changing circumstances.They talk about Kathy’s transition from AGC at DoorDash to CEO and co-founder of Streamline AI, how she identified the right co-founder, lessons learned throughout her career, how her passion for scuba diving influences her leadership philosophy, and more.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-14Topics:Introduction: 0:00Becoming an in-house counsel: 1:30Persevering during life pivots: 3:45Taking a leap of faith and building a start-up: 5:24Identifying the right co-founder: 8:05Transitioning to CEO of Streamline AI: 10:16Learning about leadership from scuba diving: 18:01Leveraging law experience in product development: 22:53Advice for legal tech buyers on where to start: 26:55Embracing new technology in law: 30:14Breaking the mindset of resisting change: 33:49Resources mentioned in the episode:Legal Intake and Workflow Software Buyer’s Guide: https://hubs.li/Q027tCb00Connect with us:Kathy Zhu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathymzhu88/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftStreamline AI - https://www.streamline.ai/SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Join Seth Weissman, experienced executive coach and former SolarCity GC, as he discusses building legal teams, working with Elon Musk, and growing Marqeta's legal division. Learn why it pays to approach legal like a businessperson, the importance of mentors, and the journey from GC to executive coach.

Mergers and acquisitions, private equity buyouts, and transformative deals are part of business. But what's it like for the lawyers making them happen?Get an insider look at high-stakes corporate transformations from Brian Chase, GC of ServiceChannel. Brian shares a candid glimpse into the complexities behind major corporate moves as he delves into his experiences navigating company changes under different owners, handling new responsibilities, and adapting to shifting corporate structures along the way.We also discuss:— what it means to be “more than just legal” as a general counsel,— what it’s like to work at an early-stage company and set the foundation for the legal team,— how to overcome budget constraints and train your team members to fill the gaps in your team, and more.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-12Topics:Introduction: 00:00Navigating transitions in ownership structures and responsibilities: 01:13Lack of communication leading to frustration regarding desired roles and responsibilities: 07:30Being the GC of a subsidiary in a public holdings company: 10:03Building internal credibility and expanding beyond legal: 12:14Identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and communicating them: 15:39Brian’s experience as employee #31 at Foursquare: 20:03The importance of networking in growing your career and opening up to opportunities: 26:00Training people up to fill gaps in your team and overcome budget constraints: 30:41The evolution of the structure of in-house legal teams: 33:36Concluding questions around failures and learnings: 37:09Resources mentioned in the episode:Take the StandOut Assessment: https://www.tmbc.com/standout-assessment/Register for the SpotDraft Summit 2023: https://www.spotdraft.com/spotdraft-summit-2023-newyorkConnect with us:Brian Chase - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-r-chase/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Where does legal end and strategy begin? Taking on new tasks and new roles can help you expand beyond the traditional GC role. But are enthusiasm and attitude enough to skyrocket you to bold new places in your career?Join Bambee Chief Strategy Officer & GC Evan Ferl for an exciting discussion about following your passions and using legal to inject positivity into your organization.We’ll hear tips for advancing your career to match your ambitions, activating your creativity, and find out how Ferl expanded beyond legal in his roles at Hired, Poshmark, Bambee, and his many personal ventures, like Neatworking. We’ll also discuss how making mistakes can be an essential key to success and how to capitalize on your enthusiasm.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-11Topics:Introduction: 00:00Finding your passion working in legal: 02:14Starting his career at NASA with a cold email: 06:23Exploring work at big and small companies: 11:10Expanding beyond legal: 14:06Approaching strategy and corporate development from a legal perspective at Poshmark: 19:05Finding ways to activate creativity: 23:48Transitioning into a strategy role at Bambee: 26:12Identifying the inflection point to begin a new venture: 28:39Launching the Neatworking newsletter: 32:23Improving your writing practice: 37:23Advice for younger lawyers: 40:34Connect with us:Tyler Finn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnEvan Ferl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanferl/Evan’s newsletter: https://evanferl.substack.com/Evan’s children’s story book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maxs-big-day-evan-james-ferl/1142525323SpotDraft Summit 2023: http://surl.li/lufqwSpotDraft: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

“Legal just doesn’t understand our priorities.”Legal is often viewed as a cost center and a blocker in fulfilling business needs, instead of a thought partner that can help push the business forward. This perception is a challenge most in-house counsel have to overcome when they join a company.How can you transform legal’s brand, get a seat at the table, and own it so you and your team can become business co-leaders?Join us for this bonus episode as we explore what it takes to become a true business partner as an in-house counsel, with insights from GCs and legal leaders at some of the biggest companies today.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-10Introduction – 00:00Megan Niedermeyer and Brenda Perez on becoming true business partners: 01:04Doug Luftman on building trust and getting a seat at the table: 04:54Adam Glick on customer-centricity and relationship building: 06:56Celaena Powder on nurturing productive relationships between Legal and Sales AEs: 11:40Celaena Powder on transforming the perception of Legal within the org: 14:55Lydia Cheuk on building a brand for your team and for yourself: 20:14David Lancelot on using data to build trust and credibility: 25:55Akshay Verma on what companies and clients really want from lawyers: 31:31David Lancelot on transforming legal operations to build scalable and strategic legal functions: 34:14Connect with us:Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftFeatured guests:Megan Niedermeyer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganniedermeyer/Brenda Yun Perez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendayperez/Doug Luftman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougluftmanAdam Glick - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adglick/Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/David Lancelot - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlancelot/Celaena Powder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/celaenapowder/Lydia Cheuk - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiacheuk/SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

“How do I expand my scope of work as a GC or in-house lawyer?”The in-house legal industry is increasingly seeing GCs step up to the role of COO, CFO, head of people functions, and more. In fact, expanding your role to cross-functional leadership positions has become an important part of growth for senior legal executives.In episode 9 of The Abstract, we talk to one such leader, who grew her career from a receptionist at a law firm to now the Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel at Tally — Genessa Stout.We discuss:— how she grew into this role organically and came to head functions like finance and HR,— her consumer-centric approach to lawyering,— how she builds trust and culture within the business and her team, and more.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-9Topics:Introduction: 00:00From rural roots to plaintiff-side law at Hagens Berman to CFPB: 01:14Early days at CFPB: 05:41Transitioning from CFPB to in-house at PayPal: 08:30From PayPal to a multidimensional leadership at Tally: 13:42Fostering trust and heading people and operations functions at Tally: 16:45Navigating non-legal leadership roles and learning curves in other functions: 19:14Building culture as a GC and a COO: 23:30Transitioning from GC to different business leadership roles: 27:07Advice to young attorneys: 30:45The evolving role of the GC: 33:04A book recommendation and insight into what keeps Genessa motivated: 35:00Connect with us:Genessa Stout - https://www.linkedin.com/in/genessastoutTyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Enabling a successful IPO is an important milestone in a GC’s career. For Gary Spiegel, it was a passion he’d pursued ever since he transitioned from the regulatory world into Silicon Valley.Join us as Gary takes us behind the scenes into his experience:-navigating two acquisitions in two years, from MySQL to Sun Microsystems to Oracle,-fulfilling his dream of becoming an IPO GC at Anaplan,-helping them again go private in a blockbuster acquisition by Thoma Bravo.Along the way, we’ll also discuss what goes into building large legal teams and setting them up for success, finding growth opportunities within legal as well as other functional areas, and more.This is an episode you don’t want to miss.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-8Topics:Introduction: 00:00Gary’s start with regulatory law and shift to the business side: 01:32The journey from MySQL to Sun Microsystems to Oracle through multiple acquisitions: 06:58Supporting a company as its first GC and taking over the legal function from the CFO: 15:54The right time to join a company as the first legal hire or GC: 22:22Behind the scenes to Anaplan's successful IPO: 27:18Thoma Bravo's acquisition of Anaplan and Legal’s role in ensuring success: 33:54Building a team of 20+ people and setting them up for success: 37:16Communicating the value of legal within the business: 43:00Leveraging legal expertise as a springboard into other roles: 49:18Strategies for managing stakeholder relationships and balancing legal support: 52:00The future of in-house legal roles: 56:56Connect with us:Gary Spiegel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gspieg/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What’s your legal team’s brand? And by that, we mean, what does your team look like from the lens of the rest of the organization?Join Away’s GC Lydia Cheuk as she shares insights on marketing Legal within the organization, authentically building your personal brand, shaping legal as the first hire at early-stage companies across different industries, and more.We’ll also discuss Lydia’s experience in supporting the business through hypergrowth, a pandemic, and then through the recovery period, as well as offering stability and support during transitions.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-7Topics:Introduction: 0:00Making the jump from law firm to in-house life: 3:11Lydia’s journey at an entertainment studio start-up called First Look: 7:03Hiring at the right time and building a strong team: 09:33Moving from Media to the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sector: 11:56Building relationships and trust with the executive team: 14:25Empowering your team and improving motivation and retention: 16:49Fostering a unified culture and goal within the legal team: 19:13Driving visibility into legal’s impact and improving legal’s brand: 20:34Building a brand for your team and for yourself: 24:19Lessons from Away's hypergrowth phase and pandemic challenges: 28:24Being on NYU Law’s venture fund jury: 31:37Closing questions: 33:23Connect with us:Lydia Cheuk - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiacheuk/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.