In-House Outliers

Meyling Ly Ortiz, Managing Counsel of Labor & Employment at Toyota Motor North America, joins Alex Kelly this week to discuss the importance of developing true connections with colleagues, and how to effectively rise to meet daunting professional challenges. Meyling also touched on the impact that her mentors had on her own professional journey, and the path she followed to get where she is today.

Letitia Haynes, Manager of Legal Operations & Employment Practices at Cox Media Group, joins Alex Kelly this week for a conversation about the importance of good leadership, and why discovering the right work-life balance for you is key to finding happiness in the workplace. Letitia also shared insights into what she learned during her own career journey.

Niamh Casey, Manager of Legal Operations at Checkout.com, joins Alex this week to discuss the importance of building a professional network, and how mentors can help you discover your full potential. Niamh also shared insights into the traits that make for a great leader in the workplace.

Laurie Ehrlich, Chief Commercial Counsel at Datadog, joins Alex this week to discuss how the prospect of tackling dynamic new challenges attracted her to her current career path. During their conversation, Laurie also touched on how she meaningfully connects with her team, and what makes for an effective manager and leader.

Tara Young, Deputy General Counsel at Plus Power, joins Alex this week to share some insights into her professional journey and the roles that ultimately led her to becoming an experienced in-house leader. Tara also imparts her advice on skillsets she acquired that were particularly beneficial in helping to level up her career.

Susan Packal, Founder and Principal at High Desert Legal Ops, joins Alex for a conversation about the keys to being an effective leader and creating a strong team in the Legal Operations space. During the discussion, Susan also talked about the career path that led her from working in Human Resources to becoming a Legal Operations thought leader.

Nicole Clark, Co-Founder and CEO of Trellis, joins Alex this week to discuss how Trellis got its start, and some of the reasons that law firms are hesitant to adopt new legal technologies. Nicole also offers advice for those on the fence about transitioning careers, and reflects on the growth and challenges she’s experienced during her professional journey.

Eric Ortman, Senior Director of Legal Operations at BeiGene, joins Alex this week to discuss how legal operations can make a meaningful difference in the way organizations deliver life-changing products. During their conversation, they also touch on Eric’s early career path, and detail what it was like to work in the legal operations space when it was still in its infancy.

Kathrin Veith, Manager of Legal Spend at Lufthansa, joins Alex this week to discuss her professional transition from online sales to legal operations, the impact of mentors on her career development, and the ramifications of remote work on the workplace.

Charlotte Smith, Director of Legal Optimization at Level7 Legal, joins Brightflag's Alex Kelly this week to discuss the early career transitions that led her to where she is today, and the keys to developing a successful workplace culture.