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Chapter President Joni Gaudes
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President's Message
Dear ACC Southern California Members & Friends,
It’s hard to believe that we are more than halfway through 2022! We are thrilled that in-person events are back in full swing. Our Board of Directors and sponsors have been busy planning many wonderful CLE events for you. Be sure to check out our emails from Betty St Marie about exciting things on calendar, as well as open positions. We have lots of great things planned leading into summer, and would love to see you!
Speaking of events, SAVE THE DATE! We are excited to announce that the 2022 Annual Gala Dinner and Pro Bono Silent Auction will be held on November 7 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. At our last event, we raised an incredible $48,000 to benefit Public Counsel. We look forward to another fantastic program and a great opportunity to reconnect! See the flyer below for more info.
In addition to social events, our organization is proud to directly support the in-house counsel profession. We offer programs for networking, career advancement, and personal growth opportunities. There is something for everyone, whether your passion is advocacy, diversity, pro bono, education, and beyond. Please take advantage of the many resources ACC Southern California and ACC Global offer to assist your daily in-house practice and to help you develop fulfilling careers.
Another great opportunity to increase your knowledge and network is just around the corner. The ACC Global Annual Meeting will be held October 23-26, 2022 in Las Vegas. Those who have attended recognize this event as one of the most valuable experiences available to in-house counsel. At the Annual Meeting, you will have the ability to complete all CLE requirements. You will gain useful insight on law firms and legal vendors. But most importantly, you will experience high caliber networking opportunities among the several thousand attendees who participate in the conference. We hope you will join us!
I hope that you have enjoyed your time with friends and family this summer. I look forward to seeing you all over the next few months at our ongoing programs!
Sincerely,
Joni Gaudes
President, ACC Southern California, 2021-2022
EVP, General Counsel, Hybrid Apparel
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
JEFF COMPANGANO
I am the General Counsel and V.P. for The Word & Brown Companies, overseeing all legal and compliance matters.
What is the coolest thing about your line of work?
The company has maintained an impressive entrepreneurial spirit over its 35+ years. It is great to be part of such an innovative team pursuing excellence in delivering health insurance and ultimately creating a positive impact for over 6.5 million people.
What is the most surprising thing you’ve found working there?
The owners place as much importance in technology as they do with health insurance. Through their vision, we were able to introduce a number of innovations including the creation of the first health insurance exchange in California. This allowed small employers to provide employees a quote that contained multiple carriers and benefit offerings. This was an important step to fulfill a company commitment to provide consumer choice in selection of insurance products.
In general, what do you love about being an in-house attorney?
The ability to expand my knowledge into all areas of law as well as the success of accomplishing new endeavors with my team on a regular basis. I love that each day presents new opportunities to work with stakeholders to make their visions a reality.
Why did you join ACC and what do you like the most about being an ACC SoCal Member?
As I am the sole attorney at my company, I found ACC to have phenomenal resources and access to the best law firms when I need additional support.
I like the opportunities to interact with my colleagues that work in different industries. They have a wealth of experience from which I can draw and I have made great friends in the process.
Are you currently working remotely? If so, what tips can you share with fellow ACC SoCal members RE: what has made the transition successful for you?
I have a hybrid schedule where I go into the office twice a week to have the opportunity to work directly with other team members. When working remotely, I found it helpful to stick to the same routine as when I worked in the office (e.g. get up, shower, shave, etc…).I also try to meet by phone whenever possible to break up the monotony of virtual meetings.
What advice would you give to young attorneys?
Understand that your job is to bring value to your organization by collaborating with your business stakeholders to find legal and compliant ways to accomplish the business objectives. You should not position yourself as the “deal killer” but rather as a value-added team member that is willing to work proactively with stakeholders to meet their objectives.
When you aren’t practicing law, what are you doing?
For over 13 years, I have developed topical curriculum that includes Law, Ethics and Social Science that I teach every semester. I rotate my classes but teach at least two classes per semester at Chapman University and one per summer at UMass Global. These classes are cutting-edge in their topics and teaching modality and have become popular with students and faculty. I also have a number of hobbies including setting and pursuing health and fitness goals and learning musical instruments (most recently the guitar).
Chapman University Feb. 2022 – I have always allowed students to bring pets to class.
What’s something about you that fellow ACC SoCal members might be surprised to know?
I have had the good fortune of working at innovative companies that positioned me to be involved in industry breakthroughs. In my first significant job out of law school, I worked with a well-known leader in finance to help create the first used car lease program. This became the foundation for future used car leasing programs throughout the country. I also had the opportunity in a brainstorming session to co-create online auto lending when I was working in the “.com” era. The intellectual property rightfully passed to my employers but I am proud of these and other accomplishments.
Anything else?
I suggest that anyone who joins ACC gets involved in committees and try through their work to effect change in the legal community. I worked on a number of interesting committees but was pleased to co-create and launch the Attorney Well-Being Committee that with Jill Kalliomaa in 2019 for the ACC SoCal Chapter. The committee’s purpose is to provide activities, information, resources and support with a focus on managing stress, establishing a work-life balance, increasing personal resilience, and living a healthy lifestyle. In 2021, the ACC SoCal chapter was awarded the ACC Global Innovative Programming award based on the creative hard-work of our committee. Jill and I coauthored articles for legal publications, worked with other chapters to launch well-being initiatives and now serve on the ACC Global Wellness Advisory Board. My main message is, ACC welcomes your contributions and involvement so get involved!
Well-Being Committee yoga event at Wanderlust in LA
ACC Annual Meeting in Phoenix 2019 – Axe Throwing |
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EVENT RECAP: Houdini Estate
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On a magical May evening, the law firm of Greenberg Glusker, LLP hosted an exclusive CLO reception at the Houdini Estate secretly nestled in the foothills of Laurel Canyon. The event drew in a wide range of general counsel representing companies from the Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties. Over twenty general counsel and Greenberg Glusker attorneys enjoyed an intimate discussion about the inscrutable mysteries of blockchain technology and NFTs in the entertainment industry, as well as best practices for businesses venturing into the sale and exploitation of digital assets. Attendees also explored the estate grounds while they were regaled with stories of Houdini’s visits to the estate.
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EVENT RECAP: Beach Clean Up
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On June 18, ACC Southern California members joined together at the Justin Rudd Community Action Team Beach Cleanup to help create a clean and safe place for residents, visitors and aquatic wildlife. Friends, family and dogs were also in attendance! All materials, complimentary beachfront parking, a volunteer t-shirt, door prizes and snacks/refreshments were provided. Students received a one-hour volunteer service credit for their participation and Scouts in attendance received credit toward merit badges. As a bonus, a National Anthem Singing Contest was held after the cleanup!
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EVENT RECAP: Healthy Happy Hour – Mocktails & More
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On June 9 ACC SoCal members were treated to a special event, “Healthy Happy Hour: Mocktails and More” organized by the Attorney Well-Being Committee at loanDepot’s beautiful Mello offices. This unique event included an interactive presentation by Jeff & Jill on healthy workday to evening alternatives, a mocktail demonstration including an amazing spicy non-alcoholic Pineapple Margarita, and healthy Mediterranean food.
Special thanks to:
- RGP for sponsoring this event – please check them out to learn more about their legal consulting services at www.rgp.com
- Charlotte from SipSip Mobile bar for showing us to make wonderful non-alcoholic mocktails – www.sipsipmobilebar.com, instagram @sipsipmobilebar
- Ritual Zero Proof Non-Alcoholic Spirits for donating their awesome NA spirits, instagram @ritualzeroproof
More great events are being planned and please let us know if you would like to participate in the Attorney Well-Being Committee or if you have any ideas for future events. Please see attached for a thank you and follow up materials from Jeff & Jill.
Be well!
The Attorney Well-Being Committee
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EVENT RECAP: Food From The Bar
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Diversity & Internship Committee Initiative
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ACC SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S 2022 DIVERSITY SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
As part of the programming of the Association of Corporate Council (ACC) SoCal Diversity Internships Program, it was a pleasure to meet with the 2022 class of interns and their mentors in-person on June 24th. The gathering was sponsored by Microsoft Corporation and focused on creating a space for connection, mentorship and community. The internships program aims to enhance access and exposure for law students to in-house legal practice. We had robust discussions and the benefit of insightful perspectives from established in-house attorneys from a variety of industries and practice areas. We also had invaluable peer mentorship provided by former interns of the program who have made themselves available to guide the current class as they make their way through their in-house work experience this summer. The internship program is in its second year and going strong with a growing number of interns and a vibrant community of mentors invested in contributing to their success.
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FEATURED SPONSOR INSIGHTS AND BLOG PAGES
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President
Joni Gaudes
EVP, General Counsel
Hybrid Apparel
Vice President
Victoria Harvey
SVP & Chief Legal Officer, Smile Brands Inc.
Vice President
Elizabeth Duong
Vice President and General Counsel, Business and Staffing Solutions, ActOne Group
Secretary
Robert Kang
Chief Counsel – Cyber Risk and National Security
Meta
Treasurer
Ellen Yang
Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel, Cruise, LLC
Immediate Past President
Del Sabzerou
General Counsel
Evolve Treatment Centers
Director Emeritus
Ken Block
General Counsel, New American Funding
Advocacy Liaison and Membership Chair
Jason Weintraub
General Counsel, Jacuzzi
Chapter Administrator
Betty St. Marie
socal@accglobal.com
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Board of Directors
Rebecka Biejo
Chief Legal Officer
Pilgrim Media Group, LLC
Danielle Blanchard
Corporate Counsel
Varian
Jennifer Bryant
SVP, General Counsel
ConcertoCare
Shedrick Davis
Regional Director and Counsel, Western Region
Lambda Legal
Kush Desai
Executive Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Beachbody, LLC
James Dierking
Assistant General Counsel, Fluor Corporation
Lynette Jones
Assistant Vice President - Senior Legal Counsel, Warner Media
Njeri Mutura
Assistant General Counsel
Microsoft Corporation
Peter Macdonald
General Counsel, loanDepot, LLC
Nicole Nakagawa
Deputy General Counsel, SAG-AFTRA
Albert Nicholson
Assistant General Counsel, loanDepot
Wade Pyun
Chief Legal Officer
Altura Credit Union
Crystal Ventura
Vice President, General Counsel
Neudesic, LLC
Rhea Ricard
Managing Counsel
BNY Mellon
Concepcion Valenzuela
Associate General Counsel
Confie Seguros
Jason T. Weintraub
Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel
Jacuzzi Group Worldwide
Ako Shimada
Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Ushio America, Inc
Christina Zabat-Fran
Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, St. John Knits
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