K&L Gates Client Conversations: Recent Episodes
K&L Gates
Client Conversations features interviews with legal buyers, business partners, innovators and industry leaders to share our collaborative insights across the marketplace. We hope these discussions help you further understand the paths that outstanding professionals in the legal and business communities travel, learn about what they are looking for in their counselors, and the nuanced decision-making of business and legal leaders in various industries.
Neil Smith is the former general manager of the New York Rangers, where he led the team to a Stanley Cup win in 1994, the only Cup for the Rangers in 84 years. Throughout his professional career, Neil has been credited with identifying some of the great talents of the National Hockey League (NHL) and is regarded as one of the most highly influential executives in the NHL. Neil now serves as an on-air analyst for the NHL and an advocate in the mental health space. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Neil and Craig discuss Neil’s career in the NHL as well as the death of his son and the journey that has followed. https://www.klgates.com/client-conversations https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-budner-02bbb0b/ Neil Smith's Podcast: https://nhlwraparound.com/
Alvin Hall is a television and radio broadcaster, bestselling author, podcaster, and financial educator. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Alvin discusses his early life in segregation, the eventual integration of his county, and his transformative time in a summer program at Yale University. He also speaks of his recently released book, Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance, and the importance and cultural significance of the stories told. Alvin’s life story and career path exemplify the power of hard work, dedication, and passion for growth, showing how learning from life’s experiences and the people around you can lead to success.
Alison Fragale is a research psychologist, award-winning professor at UNC Chapel Hill, international keynote speaker, and author who empowers ambitious women by providing them with science-based strategies to advocate for their own interests. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Alison discusses her newly released book, Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve, an evidence-based, ultra-practical read for every woman who is ready to take charge of their success. Alison provides valuable insights for all listeners, particularly women, on how to achieve their goals, excel in their careers, and be respected leaders, mentors, and colleagues.
Bill Neal is an author and writer, producer, and director of several documentary films and television series. In addition, Bill is a former college and professional hockey coach and color analyst on ESPN Hockey. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Bill discusses his background, including his education and fascinating coaching career, with interesting lessons for all of us on the benefits of creativity and collaboration. He also dives into his leading role on the Chicago Bears 1985 Super Bowl Shuffle, E! True Hollywood Story, and one of his most recent projects, Long Gone Wild, a documentary shedding light on the plight of captive orcas. Bill’s journey is relevant to all of us as a coach, creator and collaborator.
Harold Kaufman is the senior director of media relations and communications for sports and entertainment at Tony Fay PR, serving some of the biggest brands in sports and entertainment as well as supporting the growth of philanthropic entities. In addition, Harold serves as the director of communications for SportsMeter. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Harold discusses his 35-year career working in media relations, crisis strategy, and more, focused on the sports industry.
Jae Broderick is a writer and motivational speaker who uses her platforms to inspire and empower audiences through storytelling and music. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Jae and Craig discuss her background and upbringing in Jamaica as well as her journey to beginning her life and career in a new country. Jae provides valuable advice on embracing your vulnerabilities and the importance of accepting criticism.
Talmage Boston is an award-winning commercial litigator, bar leader, historian, and keynote speaker. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Talmage delves into his career as a historian and author inspired by his love for baseball and how he balances this path with his highly successful legal career.
Casey Kaplan, a K&L Gates alum, is the head of compliance at Nike where he currently serves as the senior legal director of global ethics and compliance. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Casey and Craig discuss his career and the Nike philosophy, giving back to the community, the psychology of leadership, and more.
Bernard Hiller is a Hollywood acting coach, author, business trainer, and life coach. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Bernie and Craig discuss Bernie’s early life and its influence on his career, the importance of vulnerability, and the art of performing.
Mark Koulogeorge is the managing general partner of MK Capital, an early and growth-state venture capital firm that primarily invests in disruptive business-to-business software and technology companies in their A and B stage. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Craig and Mark discuss Mark’s career as a venture capitalist, his cancer diagnosis and how it has impacted his life, as well as technology in today’s society, books recommendations, and more.
Tina Parker is an American actor and director, and currently serves as the co-artistic director and company manager at Kitchen Dog Theatre in Dallas, Texas. In this episode of Client Conversations, Craig and Tina discuss her career, including her time on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, as well as her role at Kitchen Dog Theatre. Hear from Tina about how to deal with rejection, what inspires her, and more.
Lacey Bundy is the SVP, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary at PetSmart. In this episode of Client Conversations, Craig and Lacey discuss the importance of vulnerability and creating last connections in the workplace and beyond. Listen to Lacey’s advice to young female lawyers, tips on how to trust your gut, and what she looks for in outside counsel.
Erin Millender-Rubin is the vice president of legal at Hyperscience, an intelligent document processing platform. Erin is a self-described generalist, where she advises growth-stage companies on day-to-day legal and business issues. In this episode of Client Conversations, Craig and Erin discuss the world of artificial intelligence and how Erin’s diverse background led her to tech space. Listen to Erin’s thoughts on imposter syndrome, the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and the mentors who made a lasting impact on her.
Dr. Julie Bell is the founder and president of The Mind of a Champion, where she has worked with a variety of teams, individuals, and organizations to improve their mindset. In this episode of Client Conversations, Craig and Julie discuss performance psychology and how Julie works with athletes, business professionals, and individuals to help them build confidence in their work and personal lives. Listen to how Julie helps clients to build better habits and change their way of thinking long-term.
Rudy Rodriguez is the Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer, and Corporate Secretary for CEC Entertainment. In this Client Conversations episode, long-time friends Craig Budner and Rudy discuss the influences that led Rudy to a law career in the retail industry. Listen to Rudy’s advice to young lawyers searching for mentorship, and how to be the best leader possible.
Olivia Duane Adams (Libby) is the chief advocacy officer (CAO) and co-founder of Alteryx and one of only a handful of female founders to take a technology company public. Listen to how Libby’s how her client-centric approach propelled her and fellow co-founders to be leaders in the data analytics industry.
In this Client Conversations episode, Craig Budner interviews Josh Glessing, Vice President of Strategy at Haslam Sports Group (HSG).
In this Client Conversations episode, Craig Budner interviews Anthony Giglio, a New York-based sommelier, journalist, and author.
In this Client Conversations episode, Craig Budner interviews Jamal Stockton, SVP, Head of Customer Inclusion at Fidelity Investments.
In this Client Conversations episode, Craig Budner interviews Mo Bunnell, CEO, and founder of the Bunnell Idea Group. They discuss how incremental progress with constant refinement should be applied to your business development process. Mo provides concrete scientific ways to implement into your day-to-day business strategies and create additional raving fans.
Ron Jordan is the founding Principal of Carter-White & Shaw, with over 30 years of experience in attorney placement and law firm mergers and acquisitions. During his career, he has successfully placed many law firm partners and facilitated mergers with major law firms. Ron holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley. He considers diversifying the ranks of law firms and corporate law departments to be his mission and passion. Before forming Carter-White & Shaw, he was VP of Placement at Pat Robinson & Associates. Listen to how Ron channeled his passion for changing the legal diversity landscape by diligently recruiting attorneys of color.
In this episode, Craig Budner interviews Mike Haven, current President of Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC). CLOC is a leading organization focused on the business of law. Mike is also the Head of Legal Operations and Associate General Counsel for Intel and prior he was in-house at NetApp, and Gap Inc. Most notably Mike is a K&L Gates alumni. Listen to how Mike’s circuitous career path led him to a passion for data and innovation as well as how he integrates his own wellness practices to remain balanced.
In this episode, former Chief Financial Officer of American Skiing Company and LGBTQ community advocate, Cami Richardson, recounts her business career and shares her personal journey on coming out as a transgender woman at 62 years old.
Originally from New York, Cami Richardson was a firefighter before working her way up to become chief financial officer at American Skiing Company and helped take it public. At the time, American Skiing Company was the largest company of its kind. In the late 1990s, she also helped the business acquire part of the Park City ski resort where she works today. It wasn’t until she was 62 that Cami Richardson came out as a transgender woman. Since then, she has made it her mission to be an advocate for the LGBTQ community and ensure people have positive interactions with her, a transgender person, and learn from her experience.
Rich Stoddart’s marketing career spans more than three decades. He was most recently the chief executive officer of InnerWorkings, Inc. and has also served as the chief executive officer for Leo Burnett, one of the world’s largest and most awarded global advertising agencies. He began his career in 1985 at Leo Burnett and served in managerial positions at Fallon, another Publicis Groupe agency headquartered in Minneapolis, as well as the Ford Motor Company. From 2013 to 2015, he served as chairman of the American Advertising Federation, and has served as a member of the board of directors of the Hasbro Corporation since 2014.
Listen to learn how Rich’s journey led him to advertising and how the advertising client journey is adaptable in many ways to other professional services.
For nearly three decades, Michael Hoffman has been a GC, President and CEO for several prominent corporations in Dallas spanning several industries including telecommunications and large-scale property management. However, in 2020, he may have encountered his biggest challenge. Michael was among the first stricken with COVID-19, was one of the most critically ill COVID-19 patients treated at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas since the pandemic began. As a recent survivor of an acute case of COVID-19, he candidly discusses and shares his journey back to health. From a legal career perspective, Michael Hoffman is a member of executive leadership at MBL Title, handling a diverse range of administrative, operational, legal, and financial responsibilities. He has been a long-time and significant client of the Firm and now has elevated his status to spouse of our great Dallas partner Jackie Hoffman!
Listen to how his direct battle with COVID-19 has had a lasting personal and legal professional impact.
In this episode, we interview Audrey Andrews, the executive vice president and general counsel for Tenet Healthcare. In this capacity, Andrews oversees the law department and government relations for the Tenet enterprise. She has been with Tenet in various roles since 1998. Listen to how her personal approach shaped her outlook with her business career, always with the end in mind.
In this episode, we interview Abhijit Mukhopadhyay, the president (legal) and company secretary at the Hinduja Group, based at the group’s headquarters in London. The Hinduja Group is a transnational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India. Listen to how Abhijit’s experience working for several multinational companies in different industries and his drive for continuous improvement helped propel him into his current role.
In this episode, we interview Matthew Maletta, executive vice president and chief legal officer of Endo Pharmaceuticals. Matthew was appointed in May 2015 to these roles at Endo Pharmaceuticals, where he has global responsibility for all legal matters affecting the company. Prior to joining Endo in 2015, he served as vice president, associate general counsel, and corporate secretary of Allergan. In this position, he served as an advisor to the chief executive officer and board of directors and supervised several large transactions, including the $70 billion acquisition of Allergan by Actavis in 2015.
In this episode, we interview Thomas Smith, Direct Energy’s General Counsel and Executive Vice President, North America. Thomas joined Direct Energy from BG Group plc in Houston, where he managed a team of 45 lawyers and professionals in Houston and in five international locations. Previously, he served as an attorney at Vinson & Elkins LLP. Thomas is known to lead by example, actively encourage teamwork, foster an environment that is open and collaborative, and inspire greatness both within and outside of his office. Listen to how his experience growing up across the United States, his passion for history, and curiosity have led him to garner the respect of his team and others around him.
With early family roots as coal miners in Pennsylvania, Bill Farrell’s father was able to go on to become president and CEO of one of the largest U.S. trade organizations. By watching his father’s success in both business and family matters, Bill was able to learn lessons and emulate a goal of integrity, self-reliance, and humility. Bill had a successful law firm career, but before that Bill was a prosecutor in Cook County, Chicago, Illinois, at the time described by some as the “murder capital of the world.” He later transitioned his people-listening skills and strength in understanding client motivations on a very personal level into his commercial litigation work, culminating in his role in the founding of Longford Capital, a litigation funding company.
In this episode, Craig Budner interviews L. Song Richardson, the Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, with joint appointments in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society and in the Department of Asian American Studies. When she was appointed in 2018 as dean of the UCI Law School, she was the only woman of color to serve as dean among U.S. News & World Report’s top 30 law schools. Growing up with her father, an African-American and a lieutenant colonel in the Army, and her mother, a Korean immigrant, she was an accomplished pianist who chose Harvard over Juilliard. Listen to how she leads with empathy by sharing her impactful research on implicit bias and racial and gender anxiety in the legal community and beyond.
In this episode, Craig Budner interviews Dr. Heidi Gardner. Growing up just outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania in Amish Country, Dr. Gardner went on to live and work on four continents, including as a Fulbright Fellow, and for McKinsey & Co. and Procter & Gamble. She earned her B.A. degree in Japanese from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and a second master’s and Ph.D. from the London Business School. Over the past decade, she has conducted in-depth studies on numerous global professional service firms and performed empirical research on organizational collaboration. Dr. Gardner published the results of her work in Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos in January 2017. Listen to how collaboration, especially during crisis, enables proactive leadership and offers better client solutions.
In this episode, Craig Budner interviews Maria Varsellona, General Counsel & Company Secretary Member of the Group Executive Committee of ABB Ltd, Switzerland. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused disruption around the globe. As the legal, commercial and personal implications continue to evolve, Legal Departments have been assisting their companies to navigate the fall out of the pandemic. While working to support our companies, we also have to prepare for the day after as it seems that this day is getting closer. Listen to some of the lessons learned, improvements to be made and strategies to implement from a global legal perspective.
In this episode, Craig Budner interviews Ken Hersh. Working alongside Richard Rainwater, Ken co-founded and was the former CEO of NGP Energy Capital Management (NGP), a premier private equity investment franchise in the natural resources industry managing over $20 billion of cumulative committed capital since its inception in 1988. Until 2016, Ken served as NGP’s CEO. He currently serves as Senior Advisor to The Carlyle Group’s natural resources division.
Ken is also the CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas and sits on the board of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. He owns Envy Gaming, Inc. which is the operator of the global esports franchise Team Envy and the Dallas Fuel franchise in the Overwatch League. Listen to how Ken, working alongside Richard Rainwater, (regarded by many as the father of modern private equity), was able to find success in business but also approach life’s challenges as opportunities and give back to his community.
In this episode, Craig Budner interviews Rich Nichols, who grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the son of factory workers at the height of America’s racial tensions in the 1970s. He made his way to Dartmouth and was a two-time All-American runner. He went on to earn his masters at Stanford, and then, while in his third year at University of California, Hastings College of the Law, he made the U.S. Track and Field team. Listen to how Mr. Nichols was able to combine his passions of sports, politics, and law into a tremendous and diverse career.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- A Law Degree Gives You Options – At the time, you may not have a clear desire to practice law, but a law degree provides options and can have an impact on legislation.
- Trusted Advisor – While initially advising Marion Jones on her endorsement deals, Mr. Nichols ended up becoming her trusted advisor throughout both the good and difficult situations. He worked with her during the BALCO investigation.
- Truth to Tell: Tell It Early, Tell It All, Tell It Yourself – Advise your clients, especially in crisis situations, to present the truth. You want your client to be the first one to present their truth. If you can, get in front of these communications before someone else tells it for you in their context.
- Authenticity – A watchword of success—people can feel it immediately. Working with John Singleton, Mr. Nichols helped advise on an authentic story to tell about Marion Jones. More on this story: ESPN 30 for 30 About Marion Jones: Press Pause.
- Support Women – Harnessing the principle that equal is equal, Mr. Nichols is still pursuing equal pay rights on behalf of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.
- Commit – If your heart isn't into it, it will be difficult to sustain commitment during the hard times. Roadblocks are going to come; find a way through, around, or over.
- Winning – Redefine what winning is throughout your career. It's not a binary exercise; you have to be flexible on the prize route.
In this episode, Craig Budner interviews Brett Walter, General Counsel at A. H. Algosaibi & Bros. Listen to how this Wyoming native, turned from being a sociologist to a big-law-firm attorney, and then went in-house to a Saudi Arabia company. Brett is currently guiding the company through the “Bernie Madoff of the Middle East” crisis situation while utilizing his unique skill set built along his career path.
Key Takeaways:
1. After obtaining your degree, be ready for unexpected career opportunities: What you plotted as the path when you started law school might look very different. Be open to the pivot.
2. Mentor - Learn from a mentor who expects you to be good at your job but also knows you probably don’t know what you are doing, which is OK. Try to have a mentor who helps you look for solutions rather than just spotting the issues or problems.
3. Go to court - Try to "go to court" even though you might not be quite ready. Take chances, learn from your mistakes, and try not to be overly cautious. Have the mindset that not everyone knows what they are doing. You can do it, and when you do make a mistake, just own it.
4. Be nimble - Try not to be on a single set course. Be courageous to change paths at any time in your career and have the practiced confidence to make it work.
5. Find a way to relate to different people and cultures - Harness the ability to quickly pick up on the social cues and apply what you can. Grow accustomed to the discomfort and figure out the next step. Be curious!
In this episode, Craig Budner has a conversation with Mo Bunnell of the Bunnell Idea Group. The Bunnell Idea Group (BIG) teaches professionals a practical methodology for being great at business development. We focus our conversation on how the Coronavirus pandemic provides the unique opportunity to support, help guide and respond to our clients positively in a crisis.
Interview with Hans Albers - President at ACC Europe and Chief of Staff & Associate General Counsel International Legal Services at Juniper Networks
Featuring Craig Budner, Global Strategic Growth Partner at K&L Gates
Key Takeaways:
1. Hans Albers on his role model
2. Learning from failure
3. Finding "your voice" and moving up the career ladder
4. Importance of in-house counsel asking questions
5. Leaders must "set the tone" for work/life balance
6. Challenge of moving from Europe to the US
7. A cultural difference between European and US lawyers
8. Leading a multicultural team
9. Moving from a law firm to an in-house role
In this episode, Craig Budner interviews Anna Tichborne, General Counsel of Megaport. Megaport was founded in Australia by industry expert and entrepreneur Bevan Slattery, who aimed to create a platform that gave customers access to elastic interconnection services. Slattery wanted customers to have greater simplicity, control, and choice over how they connected to and between the services, applications, providers, and networks they needed for their businesses. Their mission is to take everything we know about traditional networking – flip it and reverse it – and put the power back into the hands of the consumer. Their product offers consumers network connectivity with global availability, right-sized bandwidth, and on-demand consumption.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
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Career/life paths aren’t always straight: Lean into discomfort sometimes to learn something new.
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There is strength in numbers: Building a strong network provides growth opportunities and potential career opportunities.
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Be humble: Relate to all levels of a business with the ability to understand, relate, and personally connect with each person.
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Fail well: When you fail, acknowledge, admit, and learn to move on quickly.
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Understand the business: Become an expert at your business so that you are ready and able to relay the information to any level.
Presenters: Craig Budner
In this inaugural episode, Craig Budner interviews Lynn Moore, Jr. President and CEO of Tyler Technologies and former lawyer at Hughes & Luce, the predecessor firm for the K&L Gates Texas offices.
Key takeaways from their discussion include:
- Share Lessons Learned: From big law to in-house General Counsel, President, and now CEO of a billion-dollar company over the past 20 years, this is one story of an interesting path to business success.
- Stick to Commitments: Try not to oversell, but execute on the commitments made to build credibility, specifically with investors.
- Know Your Client’s Business: Clients want you to use your legal skills to help them make good business decisions. Think ahead about issues and opportunities that may arise with your client and anticipate the desired end-results as you advise them.
- Go the Extra Mile: The willingness to go above and beyond others will set you apart.
- Team Values and Mission Statement: Share your values and mission statement with your employees and cultivate a culture that empowers them to feel that they’re a part of the plan.
Topics discussed include:
- How did you start your professional career?
- What does a “typical” day look like?
- How did you overcome some of the more substantial business obstacles in your career?
- What professional development investments did you make that you now see the benefits from?
- What’s your team look like? How do you motivate your team?
- What efficient tactics have you deployed that have made you more effective with limited time?
- How do you stay connected?
- What attributes do you look for in your trusted professional advisors, legal and other?
- Where do you get your best ideas?
- How do you measure success?
Craig Budner, K&L Gates' Global Strategic Growth Partner, introduces the firm's new podcast, Client Conversations.