Alumni Profiles

Antitrust Acumen that Helps Fintech Flourish

Laura Wilkinson – Senior Director, Associate General Counsel - Global Antitrust at PayPal – has nearly 40 years of experience in antitrust law focusing on mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances. Laura was a partner in our Antitrust group in Washington, D.C., where she was lead antitrust counsel for numerous multibillion-dollar transactions, successfully obtaining merger clearance from the FTC and Justice Department. She began her career at the FTC, where she won major awards for her achievements and thought leadership, and served as Deputy Assistant Director, overseeing one of the Bureau of Competition’s litigation divisions. Throughout her career, Laura has actively supported DEI-advancing groups such as the Cornell Black Lawyers Alumni Network, Weil’s Black Attorney Affinity Group (now known as BLAST) and Legal Momentum, the Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Kristin Sanford, a partner in Weil’s global Antitrust group and based in our Washington, D.C. office, spoke with Laura about her distinguished career in antitrust law. They discussed her success in both public and private sectors, her role at PayPal, and her work in diversity and inclusion.

Leading Weil to Greatness

Retired partner Glenn D. West had an illustrious career at Weil. He co-founded the Dallas office and for almost two decades was the office’s Managing Partner and a member of the Firm’s Management Committee. Glenn was one of the pioneers of Weil’s Private Equity practice, and played a crucial role in expanding the practice both nationally and internationally, and contributing to making Weil the Corporate powerhouse it has become. Glenn was actively involved in opening and developing new international offices for the Firm, spending significant time in – and transporting and helping establish long-lasting client relationships to – those offices.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, David Gail, who is a partner in our Private Equity practice and based in Dallas, spoke with Glenn about his legendary career, during which Glenn mentored David and a legion of Weil lawyers. They discussed Glenn’s management philosophy, changes in the PE industry since its inception, Weil’s legacy of thought leadership in the PE arena, what it takes to succeed in the practice of law in today’s super-competitive legal world, and how Glenn is spending his time since retirement.

A Positive Impact on Impact Investing

To mark Women’s History Month and the advances women continue to make in the legal profession, we are proud to feature a look at the career and insights of a highly successful Weil alum, Jennifer Johnson, who was recently promoted to Managing Director, Associate General Counsel at Nuveen, a TIAA company. Nuveen is a global investment leader, managing an array of public and private assets for clients around the world and on behalf of parent company TIAA, one of the world’s largest institutional investors. Jen began her career at Weil as an associate in our Structured Finance & Derivatives and Real Estate practices.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Ashley Butler, a partner in our Capital Markets practice (and a summer program classmate of Jen’s), talks to Jen about what her elevated role at Nuveen entails, her part in the forefront of Nuveen’s continued focus on impact investing, her guidance for women attorneys in the early stages of their career, and the ways she successfully manages work and life as a parent of a young child.

Promoting Excellence

Weil Alum Tom Hashagen was recently promoted to Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, after having joined the firm in February of 2018 as Vice President – Loan Negotiation Group. As a Banking & Finance associate at Weil, he advised leading private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers and financial institutions on a variety of bank financing transactions.

In this first-of-the-year edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Paul Overmyer – a partner in our Banking & Finance practice and Tom’s first-year officemate at Weil – speaks with Tom about his recent promotion, the evolution of his role at Goldman, the key lessons that he has carried throughout his career and his goals for the year ahead. .

Advancing in Tech as a Former Weil Litigator

Alea Mitchell is a product counsel at Google in their Ads department, where she provides legal guidance on child safety and political transparency matters. Alea has a long history with Weil, joining us as a paralegal, returning as a summer associate and ultimately rising to a senior associate in our Complex Commercial Litigation and IP & Media practices.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Jessica Falk – partner in our Complex Commercial Litigation and IP & Media practices – speaks with Alea about working at a large tech company and how she leveraged her IP litigation experience to assist her in her current role. Alea also provides practical advice to women attorneys on how to best position themselves to succeed in competitive industries and speaks about her passion for pro bono work.

An All-Star Alum on His Career in Sports Law

Bruce Meyer is the Deputy Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, leading the union in negotiations with the League. He’s received noteworthy media coverage, including for representing MLB players during the 2022 lockout and, most recently, reaching a historic collective bargaining agreement for minor league players. Bruce spent 30 years at Weil as a litigator, where he was integral to our sports labor practice and Complex Commercial Litigation group.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, David Lender – Co-Chair of our global Litigation Department and a member of Weil’s Management Committee – speaks with Bruce about how his background as a Weil partner prepared him for his role representing one of the strongest professional players associations. Bruce also discusses what it’s like to negotiate a massive collective bargaining agreement and what lies ahead for baseball and the MLBPA in the coming years.

A Fantastic Approach to a Dynamic Industry

Jane Pollack is Legal SVP at Fanatics Betting & Gaming, a vertical of Fanatics, the digital sports platform and globally recognized consumer brand. Previously, Jane was Associate General Counsel at Uber, where she led the Enterprise Commercial team. She is also a member of the Beacon Giving Group, a grant-making community of women that makes grants to not-for-profits in New York City.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Arianna Scavetti – a partner in our Complex Commercial Litigation practice with broad experience in the sports industry – speaks with Jane about her distinguished career. Jane discusses her role at Fanatics Betting & Gaming, navigating a growing and changing sector, focusing on business development and marketing efforts, and the lessons she took from Weil, particularly under the tutelage of Senior Partner and legal legend Ira M. Millstein.

A Prominent In-House Counsel on Career Investments

A former Banking & Finance lawyer at Weil, distinguished alum Alana St. Aude is Vice President and Senior Counsel for Private Credit and Hybrid Capital within Goldman Sachs Asset and Wealth Management in the Americas. We are happy to note that she has received much recognition, including being chosen to serve as a Leadership Council for Legal Diversity Fellow and as a Women in Power Fellow for The 92nd Street Y.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Justin D. Lee – a partner in our Banking & Finance practice, a member of our global Diversity Committee and a leader in WeilPride – speaks with Alana about her professional journey. Alana discusses her role at Goldman Sachs, her transition from Weil to in-house counsel, lessons she learned at Weil, and how her passion for diversity has been fulfilling in each stage of her career.

A Maverick in the Emerging Tech and AI Sector

Colby McKenzie is the Chief Revenue Officer of Fobi AI Inc., an industry leader in harnessing AI and data intelligence to enable digital transformation. Colby is a skilled senior executive with a proven track record of accelerating business growth and development. He began his career at Weil before launching his own venture-focused private equity fund, McKenzie Ventures.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Rick Frye – a partner in our Private Equity practice and based in Dallas – speaks with Colby about his fascinating career trajectory, including being at the forefront of emerging industries and technologies. Colby discusses what he saw in Fobi that made him believe he’d be a perfect fit, his pivot from corporate law to VC and the lessons he still leverages from his time at Weil that have most influenced his success.

How a GC Promotes Organizational Excellence

Rob Beard is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Micron Technology, an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions. Rob is responsible for Micron's global legal, intellectual property, and ethics and compliance functions. Prior to this role, Rob was a Corporate lawyer at Weil, where he worked on high-profile M&A and capital markets transactions, and corporate governance matters.

For our first-of-the-year edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Craig Adas – Managing Partner of Weil’s Silicon Valley office and a member of our Corporate Department – speaks with Rob about how he approached the transition to his elevated role at Micron, his team leadership and the lessons he retains from his time at Weil.

The Iconic Career of a Weil Legend

Retired partner Marsha Simms is a legend at Weil and in the legal profession. She was Weil’s first Black partner, elevated in 1987. Marsha was instrumental in building Weil’s Banking & Finance practice and represented some of the Firm’s biggest clients at the time. She was a member of the Hiring Committee for more than a decade, with particular focus on the recruitment of lawyers of color. Marsha was also a leader in voting rights through her pro bono work with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Marsha spoke about her storied career with Jannelle Marie Seales, a partner in Weil’s Real Estate practice, a leader in our Black Attorney Affinity Group and Women@Weil, and a member of our Professional Development Committee. They discussed Marsha’s most memorable moments at the Firm, her ability to be her “authentic self,” the advice she imparted and her passion for travel.

A Texas Legal Star

Mary Korby is an esteemed former Corporate partner who served in Weil’s Dallas office for two decades before she retired from the partnership in 2012. Her practice focused on advising boards of directors and companies regarding securities law compliance and corporate governance, and she was involved in complex cross-border public and private transactions in diverse industries. She also advised in historic U.S. restructurings including for American Airlines and Enron. Mary was a founding member of what is now our Associates Committee and served as the Chair of our Professional Evaluation and Compensation Committee. Since retiring from Weil, Mary has been a member of the Board of Directors of Darling Ingredients.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Courtney Marcus – Managing Partner of our Dallas Office, Co-Head of our Banking & Finance practice and a member of the Firm’s Management Committee – speaks with Mary about her memories of landmark matters and her focus on associate retention. Mary also opines on what made practicing law in Texas special and the future of the business of law in the state.

The Rising Star of a Chief Legal Officer

We’ve been proud to share Patricia Astorga’s accomplishments beyond Weil, most recently her being named a Rising Star by the New York Law Journal (along with fellow Alum Cheryl James). So we were excited when Patricia agreed to participate in this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, hosted by Lori Pines, who was concurrently recognized by NYLJ with an Innovation Award for her dedication to improving the well-being of Weil lawyers and staff as our inaugural Chief Wellness Officer.

Patricia serves as Chief Legal Officer at the Mintz Group, a New York-based due diligence and investigations firm, where she oversees the company’s legal, risk and compliance functions, and helps guide the business on its continuing global expansion, business strategy, technological advancement and corporate governance. She is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey and the Western District of New York.

In this video, Patricia talks about her career and imparts wisdom about professional development and personal well-being.

From Private Practice to Her Majesty's Treasury

Peter King is the Legal Director at HM Treasury in the U.K., leading a team of around 90 lawyers to provide legal advice to Treasury ministers and civil servants. Before his career in public service, Peter was in private practice for more than three decades. He joined Weil in 2008 as a Corporate partner in our London office, where he acted on several high-profile deals. He was also Co-Chair of our global Pro Bono Committee.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Michael Francies, Managing Partner of our London office and a member of Weil’s Management Committee, speaks with Peter about his career. Peter discusses the adjustment from private practice to serving in HM Treasury, his core management tenets, advice for junior lawyers and the power of establishing a strong network.

A Remarkable Career in Law, Business and Academia

Andrea Cristina Saavedra is Assistant Dean, Office of Judicial Clerkships at Columbia Law School. She has had a richly varied career that includes not only interning with then-Judge Sonia Sotomayor on the Second Circuit during law school and working as a Restructuring associate in Weil’s New York office but also serving as in-house counsel at Nomura Securities and vice president in the Goldman Sachs Conflicts Resolution Group, and clerking for a federal bankruptcy judge. In her current position, she promotes judicial service by connecting Columbia Law to the courts and Columbia law students to clerkships.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Ronit Berkovich, a Restructuring partner in our New York office who is a leader in Women@Weil, a member of TOWER (Taskforce on Women’s Engagement & Retention) and a member of the Nominating and Hiring Committees, talks with Andrea about her career. Andrea discusses her transition from corporate law to law school dean, diversity in the law, and her role models, including Weil legends Harvey Miller and Marcia Goldstein.

A Thrilling Journey From Lawyer to Author

Liani Kotcher, who served as a Litigation associate in our Dallas and Silicon Valley offices, is an accomplished author, writing young adult novels under the pen name “Rektok Ross.” Her recently published survival thriller, Ski Weekend, was a 2021 American Fiction Awards Finalist in the Young Adult Category and was named a Best Book of the Fall by Cosmopolitan, Yahoo Life, SheReads and several other publications.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Liani talks with Vynessa Nemunaitis, a Dallas-based partner in our Banking & Finance practice who is a leader in the Firm’s WeilLatinx and Women@Weil affinity groups and a member of the Professional Development Committee. They discussed Liani’s transition from Weil litigator to full-time author, how her Weil experience helped her achieve success in a highly competitive field, and her current book projects.

A Champion of Conflict Resolution

N. Damali Peterman, a former Corporate associate in our New York office, fully embodies the Weil entrepreneurial ethos. She is the Founder and CEO of Breakthrough ADR, a global conflict resolution firm that helps organizations resolve conflict in everyday situations. She recently joined JAMS, the world’s largest alternative dispute resolution organization, as a mediator, arbitrator and ombudsperson – and as one of the youngest people ever invited to become a member of the prestigious panel. A true trailblazer, Damali has been featured frequently in the media and recently was interviewed by Forbes magazine.

In this month’s edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Damali spoke with Charan Sandhu, a partner in our Technology & IP Transactions practice. Damali explained why she is so passionate about conflict resolution, why her unique career path makes her a “unicorn” in the industry and how her wide international experience has enabled her to navigate the cultural differences that so often must be bridged to successfully resolve disputes.

An Industry Leader Forged by Weil Culture

Distinguished former Weil partner Shai Waisman practiced in our Restructuring Department in New York, where he handled some of the largest and most complex restructurings in history, including Lehman Brothers, American Airlines, Global Crossing and many others. Recently, Shai was appointed President of Kroll, the world’s premier provider of services and digital products related to valuation, governance, risk and transparency. He joined Kroll through the firm’s 2019 acquisition of Prime Clerk – a business he co-founded – where he served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

In this month’s edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Matt Barr, Co-Chair of Weil’s Restructuring Department and a member of the Firm’s Management and Philanthropic Committees, talks with Shai about his exciting new position and business objectives, the strong influence Weil culture has had on him, and the huge part that charitable endeavors play in his life.

Building a Latinx Beauty Brand

Even as an associate in Weil’s Dallas office, Regina Merson, Founder and CEO of beauty brand Reina Rebelde, was thinking about her passion – wanting to create a line of makeup focused on the Latinx community. Regina fulfilled that dream, and we are happy to report that she has garnered much media attention for her company, which has been featured in Forbes, Refinery29, Allure, Vogue and O – The Oprah Magazine, and has sold her brand through such retail giants as Amazon, Target and Walmart.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Linda D. Domyanic, Manager of Client and Alumni Relations for our Dallas office, talks with Regina about how she built her brand, the advice she has for lawyers considering entrepreneurship, the critical value of her Weil training, and the tremendous diversity within the Latinx community.

A General Counsel's Perspective on Leadership

Former Weil litigator Virginia Johnson recently stepped into her latest role as General Counsel for North America at global energy company Schneider Electric. Virginia oversees a 50-person legal department from the company’s U.S. headquarters in Boston. We’re also happy to report that she’s received notable positive media attention, including from Corporate Counsel, on her move to Schneider.

In this edition of the Weil Alumni Interview Series, Weil’s Chief Talent Officer Lisa I. Cuevas talks with Virginia, eliciting her advice for lawyers entering new executive leadership roles, including: focus on the relationships and your internal network. Lisa and Virginia also discuss how her strong commitment to sustainability and equity fits well with Schneider’s priorities.

The Future of AI in Law

Weil is always pleased to welcome back innovative and entrepreneurial alumni who are making a difference in the legal profession. Noah Waisberg (NY/Corporate/’06) is helping to transform aspects of corporate law through artificial intelligence.

Noah is CEO and Co-Founder of Kira Systems, which provides machine learning artificial intelligence software that identifies, extracts and analyzes content in contracts and other documents. In conversation with Robert Lennon, Weil’s Chief Business Development & Communications Officer, Noah discusses his recent book – AI for Lawyers: How Artificial Intelligence is Adding Value, Amplifying Expertise and Transforming Careers – which made The Wall Street Journal’s Bestsellers list. Topics include the rapid growth of AI in the legal world and how it can benefit law firms and legal professionals.