In today’s legal profession, the focus on diversity, and the evolving relationships between in-house counsel and outside law firm counsel are front of mind. For gender diversity, although the statistics are heading in the right direction in the in-house community, the same can’t be said for our counterparts in the law firm world. To tackle this problem head on, Carly Alameda, a business litigation partner at Farella Braun + Martel in San Francisco handling high stakes disputes, co-founded WISE: Women In-House Support Equality.
Alameda is fiercely competitive. She is also the quintessential team player. Carrying herself with a poise and confidence resulting from years of leading teams through the demands that come with being an NCAA Division I student athlete, both on and off the volleyball court, Alameda now uses her ability to strike the balance of competition and collaboration with ease in the courtroom as well. “I am driven to personally perform at the highest level, but I also believe success is usually best attained working well with the team around you. The preparation, the work, the strategy – it’s more productive with a team that trusts and supports each other.”
Alameda believes the practice of law needs both, competition and teamwork. “As a litigator, these are not mutually exclusive traits. I need to be competitive on my client’s behalf, while ensuring my client’s internal team is highly effective. I am of course a competitor in the market for work, but I’m committed to supporting and helping my network as well.”
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This balance is also at the heart of WISE – an alliance of women law firm partners in their first few years of partnership and women (and some men) in-house counsel who have joined together with the express purpose of building relationships and establishing a platform to help increase the number of women lawyers in positions of leadership and influence across the profession.
Alameda explains, “For WISE, my co-founders and I sought out members who are driven for their own success and for that of others. We want our members to look for ways to lift each other up, help others pursue opportunities and tackle challenges, and advance in all of our paths. I know we are all busy and driven people, so we sometimes have a tendency to put our heads down and just work on our own, but I’ve found it always yields better and more enjoyable results when I’m also collaborating with others.”
Alameda adds, “WISE brings together a highly-accomplished group of in-house women and law firm partners from the great companies and firms in the Bay Area. I know we are all competitive. And that’s okay. I know we can each be out there competing and at the same time find ways to support each other, push each other, learn from each other, and inspire each other. I am very excited to help lead this team.”
Founding WISE was also a natural step stemming from Alameda’s background before joining Farella. After law school, Alameda accepted a clerkship with Justice Mark Simons of the California Court of Appeal, First District. The California appellate system does not typically have annual clerkships like the federal court system does, but Justice Simons made it a point to create a position.
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“My clerkship with Justice Simons was transformative. I recognized that he went out of his way to create this opportunity, and I was a beneficiary. I formed lasting relationships with him and several other judges and staff attorneys that set the direction for the start of my career and continue to help shape it. I regularly appreciate the value of the network Justice Simons helped me start, and for the substantive knowledge I gained working with him that year. For example, although I spend a lot of time litigating in federal court or ICC, AAA, or JAMS arbitration, I can also say I truly love my cases that are heard in California state court because I have a relatively unique perspective on the system having seen it up close for a year. I know not every litigator shares my love of the California state court system. Justice Simons provided the foundation for many aspects of my career.”
As Justice Simons created an opportunity for Alameda, she hopes that in co-founding WISE she can help create opportunities for others, many of whom are her peers. “The creation and organization of WISE has taken a lot of time, effort, and thought by my co-founders and myself. But it is worth every bit of work. I want to see this group of women on the cutting edge of the evolving legal marketplace, coming up with new ideas and models for how law firms deliver better value to in-house counsel. I want to see the key voices and positions of power within law firms more balanced between men and women partners. That all starts with the opportunity to form closer relationship and have more regular and direct communications between in-house counsel and women partners, and that is what we are going to do in WISE.”
Have ideas about other ways the in-house community is helping bring diversity and equality to the legal profession? Are you involved in a particular effort? We’d love to hear your thoughts — email or tweet us!
Olga V. Mack and Katia Bloom are startup enthusiasts who embrace the current disruption to the legal profession. Long gone are the days when in-house legal departments simply manage outside counsel or provide services. Today’s legal department is a sophisticated business unit that co-manages the company’s bottom line, embraces technology, and analyzes risks constructively. Mack and Bloom love this change and are dedicated to improving and shaping the future of the legal profession. Together they passionately collect and share inspiring stories of legal leaders who are thriving through the ongoing tectonic shift. Mack and Bloom are convinced that the legal profession will emerge from this revolution even stronger, more resilient, and inclusive than before. They are currently co-authoring a manual of the skills and traits lawyers need to succeed in — and even enjoy — today’s rapidly evolving in-house legal departments. You can reach them at [email protected] and [email protected] or @olgavmack and @bloomkatia on Twitter.