Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
SUMMER 2006
Welcome
Every woman dreams of success. But
success means many things. What does it
mean to you?
At Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, we
recognize that one definition of success
does not fit all. This is especially true for
today’s aspiring attorneys.
In this edition of the WIN newsletter, we
will introduce you to a number of women
attorneys at the firm, each with her own
unique approach to professional
development, work/life balance, and longterm career goals. Each of their stories
will give you a sense of the visible and
strong commitment the firm has made to
welcome, encourage, and support women
attorneys on their individual career paths.
I hope you will find their stories as
inspiring as I do.
WIN
Reach.
Advance.
Succeed.
Women’s Initiative Network
Women’s Leadership Forum
Carly Fiorina Talks about Leadership, Opportunities for Women,
and Life after HP
On March 29, 2006, Carly Fiorina, the former
chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of
Hewlett-Packard (HP), addressed nearly
225 attorneys and other legal and business
professionals at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s
Women’s Leadership Series luncheon in Palo Alto,
California. The charismatic Fiorina spoke candidly
about her tenure at HP, the status of women in the
workplace, and her current role as author and
proponent for equality in the global marketplace.
Fiorina was introduced by Larry Sonsini, the chairman
of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and a long-time
friend and legal advisor to the speaker. With considerable wit and warmth, she traced
her rise through the echelons of business, speaking frankly about the challenges she
encountered.
“Character, Capability, and Collaboration”
As she outlined her remarkable career to date, Fiorina spoke of lessons she learned along
the way. “For one thing,” she said, “I learned that leadership has nothing to do with titles
or the size of your budget or how many people report to you. It’s all about character,
capability, and collaboration.” She added, “It’s also about choice—choosing to make a
positive difference.”
Choice also played a major theme in her approach to dealing with adverse situations. “You
can’t always control your circumstances,” she said, “but you can choose how you respond
to them. You can choose to take action, to not be a victim, to be a force for change.”
Suzanne Bell
Partner
WIN Committee
She also addressed how the business climate for women has—and hasn't—changed over
the years. “Today, when I talk to young professional women the world over, it makes me
sad that the issues they raise are largely the same as the ones my generation faced. They
are still struggling with how to balance work and family obligations.”
“However, there are positive developments, too,” Fiorina continued. “For one thing, there are
tools out there that make it easier to achieve that balance, such as flex time, job sharing,
more accommodating types of daycare, and technology that lets you work at home. Also,
many men have stepped up to help with the burden of caring for a family.”
Continued on page 6...
Women’s Initiative
Committee
Program News
Clients and Diversity
Members
Suzanne Y. Bell
Palo Alto
Intellectual Property
Boris Feldman
Palo Alto
Litigation
Catherine S. Kirkman
Palo Alto
Intellectual Property
Page Mailliard
Palo Alto
Corporate
Donna M. Petkanics
Palo Alto
Corporate
Associates
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is committed to diversity and is proud to have clients
who share this same value. As each of us strives to enhance the effectiveness of our
individual diversity initiatives, it has become more important than ever to share
information and best practices across organizations and across industries. As such,
companies are increasingly requesting diversity information from their outside legal
providers.
When responding to these requests, we are proud of the story we have to tell. It’s a story
of flexibility and choice that is fostered by our forward-looking programs and policies. It’s
a story of community that expands and enriches as we build relationships with diversityfocused organizations, partner with local bar associations that are advancing diversity,
and devote significant pro bono hours to organizations that serve diverse communities.
Above all, it's a story of progress, as we build momentum around our diversity initiatives
and maintain our reputation as a leader in diversity among law firms.
The firm makes it a priority to respond promptly to each request and shares detailed
information relevant to our diversity efforts—and the women’s initiatives, in particular.
This includes details about:
Flexibility and choice
Kristen Garcia Dumont
Litigation
Co-chair, Women's Task Force
• Part-time, flex-time, choice, and convenience. Our part-time policy is at the
forefront of the legal industry.
Carolynn Jones Levy
Corporate
Co-chair, Women’s Task Force
• Mentoring, professional development, and career growth. Each year, we
refine and expand our programs to respond to associate needs.
Tess Norton
Litigation
Anie Roche
Intellectual Property
Professional Staff
Debbie Byron
Vice President, Administration
Courtney Dorman
Chief Marketing Officer
Stacey Layzell
Director, Human Resources
Tasha Newton
Business Analyst
Carol Timm
Director, Attorney Recruiting and
Retention
Community
• Internal committees spearheading the women’s initiative. Our Women’s
Initiative Network (WIN) is made up of attorneys and senior management who
oversee the strategy and direction of the program, while our grassroots Women’s
Task Force is ‘led by associates for associates’ and ensures that viewpoints from
every office, practice group, and experience level are reflected in the program.
Progress
• Metrics and monitoring. We track diversity statistics across the entire firm and
can drill down to report data on specific client matters.
• Public Recognition. We are proud of the public recognition we receive for our
diversity efforts. The Minority Law Journal's Diversity Scorecard consistently
ranks the firm in the top 10 in attorney diversity among the nation's top 250 law
firms—and first in California.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati welcomes the opportunity to partner with our clients
and outside organizations to share information and best practices. For more information,
please contact Carol Timm, director of Recruiting and Retention, at 650-565-3724 or
[email protected].
2
Strategies for Success
Nicki Locker: “Find a Great Mentor, Be a Great Mentor…”
While Palo Alto partner Nicki Locker has long enjoyed an
enviable reputation as the consummate securities
litigator, she started out in 1985 as a young associate in
the firm’s intellectual property litigation practice, doing
trade secrets and patent work. But after a number of
years, the dynamic litigator saw the writing on the
wall—and it was in scientific notation and cryptic
formulas. “IP lit was getting more and more technical,”
Nicki recalled. “I didn’t have a scientific background,
and, frankly, I wasn’t interested in gaining the expertise
necessary to be a first-class IP litigator. I decided that what I really wanted to do
was securities litigation.”
With her characteristic zeal, Nicki devoted herself to swiftly building an impressive
securities litigation resume. She shored up her mastery of securities law and cases,
gained valuable experience in the entire panoply of securities litigation and counseling
work—shareholder class actions and derivative lawsuits, SEC and internal
investigations, advising boards on disclosure and other matters—and volunteered for
well-placed speaking engagements. “I realized that the legal field was getting more
and more specialized,” Nicki said. “It was no longer good enough to be a smart, hardworking generalist—clients had begun looking for someone who was a known expert
in a given field.”
She soon amassed an impressive book of business, and, beginning in 2001, the firm
assigned her to lead its efforts in a string of high-profile initial public offering (IPO)
securities litigation cases. “These were interesting times,” Nicki said, “with more than
300 issuers and 40 investment banks being sued over alleged securities violations
related to their IPOs. Wilson Sonsini represented more than 50 issuers, and I had the
opportunity to work alongside the top securities litigators from all the major firms in
the country.”
Nicki’s Strategies for
Success:
• Find a great mentor when you’re
starting out. Be a great mentor
once you’re established.
• Find work you like to do, but
don’t expect to like every aspect
of your work.
• Build a strong team by
demonstrating loyalty to those
both above and below you in
rank.
• Don’t get so caught up with
work that you neglect important
networking opportunities.
• Win over clients by virtue of
hard work, mastery of the law,
and showing how much you
care.
• Don’t be reluctant to ask your
outside attorney contacts for
referrals.
That experience helped affirm Nicki’s place in the ranks of A-list securities litigators.
To date, Nicki has represented companies, as well as their officers and directors, in
more than 50 shareholder class actions and derivative suits throughout the United
States. She also has conducted numerous internal investigations for boards of
directors and audit committees, and defended corporations and executives in SEC
enforcement matters involving allegations of accounting fraud, reporting failures, and
insider trading.
Despite an extremely busy schedule, Nicki clearly treasures her time with her husband,
Lionel Boissiere, an asset manager, and their children: Jacob, age 12, and Jaye (J.C.),
age 10. The sports-minded family skis, runs, and plays golf and tennis together, and
Nicki plans to devote many summer and fall weekends this year to escorting her
daughter to soccer tournaments throughout the state. In fact, Nicki admits to being a
bit of a soccer fanatic. “I have a new goal in life,” she admitted with a sheepish grin.
“It’s to train myself to be a silent observer on the sidelines. No yelling, no jumping up
and down, no sideline coaching. I’m not there yet, but I will get there, I will.” Perhaps.
But with the way Nicki throws herself passionately into everything she does, the smart
money just might be on the other side.
3
Feature
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati:
“What makes our firm a great
place to build a career?” As
hiring partner with responsibility
for law school hiring, it’s a
question I hear often and am
always delighted to answer. The
short answer is:
(1) our clients: the breadth of the
industries that constitute our
Sara Harrington
client base—and the range of
client size, which calls upon
different skills and creates new learning opportunities and
challenges;
(2) our colleagues: nationally
recognized lawyers who work in a
variety of practice areas, with a
diversity of backgrounds and
experiences, who are motivated to
provide the highest level of client
services and who inspire you to be a
better attorney every day; and
(3) the opportunity to be proactive—
even entrepreneurial—and build a
career and expertise in the practices
and industries that you pursue.
mention our broad-reaching pro bono efforts or their rewarding
experiences working with an in-house career counselor on their
individual professional and career development.
We value the opportunity and freedom we have to chart our
own course; to have access to the necessary support and
guidance along the way; to be adaptable and flexible in order
to meet the needs of our clients; and to make the best
contributions we can to the firm, the profession, and the
community.
During this time of year, when the Hiring Committee turns its
attention to on-campus recruiting and looks forward to
meeting some of the most talented law students in the
nation, we are reminded of the
importance of these values and seek
candidates who share them. We look for
associates who are accomplished,
engaging people—whom our clients will
like and respect and whom we want as
friends and colleagues. We look for
associates who can take full advantage
of our summer associate program, which
is specifically designed to adapt to their
evolving interests and allow them
immediate access to all projects in our
many practice areas.
“We value the
opportunity and
freedom we have
to chart our
own course...”
My enthusiasm for the firm is shared by my fellow hiring
partners, Burke Norton and Rodney Strickland, and the other
associates and partners on our Hiring Committee. What makes
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati a great place from an
associate’s perspective? Some will tell you about their early
opportunities to work directly with clients—many of whom
have gone on to become the 'who’s who' in the world of
technology—and the challenges and rewards associated with
meeting the needs of such high-growth clients. Others will
If you are an attorney who is looking for
these opportunities and who shares our values, then I can say
with confidence that Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is one
of the best platforms for your legal career. We would enjoy
meeting you—and we invite you to get to know us by visiting
www.wsgr.com or contacting me directly at
[email protected].
Sara Harrington
Hiring Partner
4
A Great Place to Build a Career
Exciting pro bono . . . with lots of encouragement, support, and recognition.
Associate Jenny Dixon wins a John Wilson Award in 2005 for her
commitment to pro bono clients.
Great training . . . and there’s even a career coach.
Associates enjoy a business development training program geared
toward women attorneys. The firm offers a variety of training
programs to associates.
Cool clients . . . in the hottest industries.
Our clients range from well-established, multibillion-dollar
corporations to the promising start-ups that will be the industry
leaders of the future.
Strong connections . . . through all phases of our careers.
Alum Natalie Bridgeman is a consultant at the International Human
Rights Counsel. More than 1,300 registrants are part of our alumni
network.
5
Associate Life
C a m e ron Hoffman
Cameron Powers Hoffman
Securities Litigation
J.D., Georgetown University
Law Center, 2003
B.A., Stanford University, 1999
Cameron Hoffman is an associate in the
Palo Alto office. She joined the firm as a
fall associate in 2003, and her practice
focuses on shareholder class actions,
derivative suits, commercial litigation,
and SEC and government investigations.
Cameron also serves on the Associates
Committee, the Hiring Committee, and
the Women’s Task Force.
Why did you choose Wilson Sonsini
Goodrich & Rosati?
It has a dynamic environment, and
associates are given a lot of leeway to
chart their own course. You get a sense
that new and exciting opportunities can
be yours; that they’re not just reserved
for the more senior attorneys. I think
that’s one of the reasons the firm has a
reputation for attracting entrepreneurial
spirits.
that I knew nothing about when I started
here, and now it has become one of my
favorite parts of the day.
If you were given a ‘dream case’ to
litigate, what would it look like?
It would have a lot of intellectual
complexity—a lot of mysteries to solve. It
would stay on my mind around the clock;
that kind of all-consuming interest is
energizing to me. Associates like me are
driven by the intricacies of a case; I like
those that have no obvious right or wrong
answers and no clear precedent to follow.
The firm’s Women's Initiative
Network supports three main goals:
to recruit, retain, and advance
women. Which is closest to your
heart and why?
Retaining associates is important to me.
I’m a mid-level associate, and this seems
to be a mid-level issue that’s playing
itself out across many law firms today.
Second, retaining associates ultimately
dovetails into advancement, simply
because it widens the pipeline. Lastly,
great retention also fosters recruiting,
because women associates are drawn to
firms with successful and happy female
attorneys.
Have you worked on a case like
that before?
Yes, and more than once!
Tell us about one of them.
Well, it’s not so much one case as much
as the daily ins and outs of the
government investigation practice these
days. What is ‘hot’ at the SEC seems to
change over time, and part of our practice
changes right along with it. Right now,
for example, the government is focused
on stock option accounting, and I've been
lucky enough to be involved in a large
SEC investigation in this area. It's
challenging and rewarding—trying to
stay one step ahead of the government in
terms of figuring out what's going on at a
client and what the ramifications might
be. It's a part of our litigation practice
Our fall associates will be here soon.
What advice do you have for them?
Take full advantage of the new mentor
program. Our mentors can be a great
resource as you start your career at the
firm. For our women associates, in
particular, I'd like to encourage them to
attend our Women’s Task Force meetings.
They'll meet a terrific group of associates
who are eager to share their experiences
and hear new points of view. And for all
new associates, welcome to the firm!
Women’s Leadership Forum (continued from page 1)
In addition, she cited the rise of the
global economy as a boon to women
professionals. “Now the competition is so
fierce, nations are finding that they can’t
afford to leave anyone of quality behind,”
she pointed out. To Fiorina, that means
they are opening up the playing field to
women, people of color, and those from
economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Since leaving HP, Fiorina has been
engaged in a number of projects,
including serving on a number of
technology company boards and writing a
book, which will be published this
October. She is also engaged with an
organization examining the role business
can play in alleviating global poverty.
The March 29 luncheon was the third in
the firm’s Women’s Leadership Series.
These popular annual events provide a
forum for the firm’s women attorneys,
clients, and alumni to hear from
prominent business leaders as well as to
network and discuss issues of leadership
and professional development.
6
Profiles
Meet the Co-Chairs of the Women’s Task Fo rc e
Throughout her eight-year career at the
firm, Kristen has worked part-time at
several stages. In fact, the firm’s parttime policy is one she has helped refine
and champion. “I’m proud of our having a
formal, written policy, and I think it sets
us apart from other law firms in terms of
commitment," she said.
Women's Task Force co-chairs Kristen
Garcia Dumont (left) and Carolynn Jones
Levy (right)
Visit our Palo Alto office on the third
Wednesday of the month, and you’ll likely
see the Women’s Task Force holding its
monthly meeting. Whether it’s an
informal lunch discussion or an afterhours women’s mixer, this grassroots
group led by associates has been
instrumental in fostering career
development and networking at the firm.
The group is led by two co-chairs: Kristen
G. Dumont and Carolynn J. Levy.
Kristen Garcia Dumont
Palo Alto
Employment Litigation
Kristen has been part of the Women’s
Task Force for two years. “We want
women to come to the firm and feel that
they are empowered to succeed here and
that they have colleagues who inspire
and support them," she explained. "We
started calling our group a task force
because we wanted to be clear that
we’re about actions and solutions. While
other task forces have come and gone,
ours remains strong. I think that's
because of the key issues we address—
they’re ongoing and evolving. I truly
believe that we’re making a difference.”
In addition to the Women’s Task Force,
Kristen also serves on the Hiring Committee,
the Associates Committee, the Pro Bono
Committee, the Women’s Initiative
Committee, and the Diversity Council.
Carolynn Jones Levy
Palo Alto
Corporate
Carolynn has been with the firm eight
years and is a senior associate in its
corporate and securities practice. Her
practice focuses on advising public and
private companies, representing clients in
a wide variety of transactions, such as
equity private placements, mergers and
acquisitions, asset sales, strategic
alliances, and public equity offerings.
Carolynn has been a part-time associate
for eight months. “Like most attorneys, I
value flexibility and choice. At the same
time, I’m mindful that this is a service
profession. We’re here to serve our
clients at all times," she emphasized. "So
I’d say our focus has shifted from the
establishment of flexible work policies to
the mechanics: how do you know if it’s
right for you, and how do you make it
work?”
Carolynn has served as a co-chair for
almost a year. “The Women’s Task Force
focuses on strengthening women’s ties
with other associates,” she explained.
Kristen is a senior litigation associate in
the firm’s employment law group. She
has extensive experience defending
private and public companies in a broad
spectrum of employment disputes, as
well as in the areas of class actions and
mergers and acquisitions.
From left to right: Poorti Marino, Ph.D., Deloitte Financial Advisory Services;
Carolynn Levy, co-chair of the Women's Task Force, Wilson Sonsini
Goodrich & Rosati; Veronica Santana, PricewaterhouseCoopers; Carrie
Whelton, KPMG; Kristin Horne, Morgan Stanley; and Kristen Dumont,
co-chair of the Women's Task Force, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
7
Women on the Move
News
Events
Keeping Up with Alumni
 Member Suzanne Bell was featured
in the April issue of San Jose
Magazine in a feature story on the
Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and
Executives (FWE&E). Suzanne is a
member of FWE&E’s Board of
Directors and Board of Advisors.
The article, “Women Who Mean
Business,” can be found at
www.fwe.org.
 In May, the Women’s Task Force
invited women from a variety of
professional service firms to
participate in a panel discussion on
work/life balance. The six women
shared best practices from their
respective firms and discussed the
individual choices they have made to
achieve work/life balance. Panelists
included the co-chairs of Wilson
Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s
Women’s Task Force (associate
Kristen Dumont and associate
Carolynn Levy) and Kristin Horne,
Morgan Stanley; Poorti Marino, Ph.D.,
Deloitte Financial Advisory Services
LLP; Veronica Santana,
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; and
Carrie Whelton, KPMG LLP.
Natalie Bridgeman
Consultant
International Human Rights Counsel
 Member Donna Petkanics is serving
on the Santa Clara County Bar
Association president's Blue Ribbon
Commission on Diversity in the Legal
Profession in Silicon Valley—Glass
Ceiling Subcommittee. The group's
goal is to examine best practices,
including what has and hasn't worked
in Silicon Valley, in order to avoid the
glass-ceiling problem for women and
minority lawyers.
 In May, the Austin office hosted
a happy hour for all women
attorneys at the home of associate
Dion Messer.
 Member Katharine (Katie) Martin
was an honoree in the Silicon
Valley/San Jose Business Journal's
Women of Distinction competition in
May. The journal recognized Katie's
thriving specialty in public company
representation. With expertise in the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act, acquisitions, and
capital-raising events, Katie has been
trusted counsel to Sun Microsystems,
Apple Computer, Juniper Networks,
and many other corporations.
Krisana Hodges
Law Office of Krisana Hodges
Jennifer Jones
Foreign Service
U.S. Department of State
Amanda Keith
Corporate Counsel
Adobe Systems
Alda Leu
Associate General Counsel
Clarium Capital Management
Kathleen Merrill
Mergers & Acquisitions Counsel
Intel Capital
Barbara Shih
Associate General Counsel and
Director of Intellectual Property
Genesis Microchip
 In July, women summer associates
and attorneys will attend Stanford
University’s Bank of the West Classic,
the longest-running women-only
professional tennis tournament in the
world and the first stop for the US
Open Series. The women will also
attend an on-site dinner at the
Cardinal Plaza.
Katherine Stephens
Corporate Legal Director
VeriFone, Inc.
Olga Tkachenko
Law Clerk to the Honorable
Judge Saundra B. Armstrong
U.S. District Court
650 Page Mill Road. Palo Alto, California 94304-1050 | Phone 650-493-9300 | Fax 650-493-6811 | www.wsgr.com
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