Professional background

I am a member of the New York Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. I am also a certified mediator and graduate of the Deal Facilitation Program at Georgetown University.

After graduating cum laude from Harvard College and earning my JD from Harvard Law School, I worked domestically and overseas solving legal, compliance and management challenges for business and non-profit organizations. I have also served as a people manager in major law firms, in a Fortune 100 company and as a consultant to small businesses.

I learned from my experiences working with business leaders over 25 years as a corporate attorney that a team’s inability to close a deal can sometimes be attributed to factors far more deleterious than the terms of the transaction on paper.

Dysfunction within the business team caused by a lack of transparency about the objective, competing personal narratives impacting the transaction, role confusions and hidden grievances can create stalemates and expensive delays.

I am confident my legal and business expertise along with my life experiences working in a variety of business environments can help you take your endeavors to new levels.

Personal background

When my sons were young children, I often reminded them that “Everyone does not think the same way that you do.” I wanted them to learn that effective communication requires an understanding of the other person’s perspective. I wished that this concept had been conveyed to me when I was their age.

 I was born in England and spent my early years there, in Germany and in Barbados. When I was a teenager, my mother brought me to Boston. I struggled, encountering people whose perspectives were so different from mine. Eventually, I learned the soft skills which could be deployed to forge lasting bonds. My mantra was Augustine’s saying: “SI VIS AMARI, AMA” or “If you want to be loved, love”, I interpreted this to mean that strong personal connections are built upon a willingness to step back and make oneself vulnerable, to reach out, ask questions, share your perspective and remain open to change after listening to and absorbing your former adversary’s position.

After law school, I worked as a transactional attorney and manager of a large legal team at a major corporation. My job involved resolving issues with community groups, vendors, governmental officials and among internal business divisions. I was surprised at how much my childhood lessons informed my legal practice. I was most successful when I helped my clients reframe their binary objectives (he wins, I lose) and enter into a more collaborative mindset (we solve the problem together).

I believe that authentic communications arising from concerted efforts to build trust can help people better understand their own motivations, appreciate each other’s perspectives and will eventually lead to new levels of understanding and cooperation, resulting in a stronger alliance, all for the betterment of the enterprise.