Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Rising Star Women of Law for 2024. Every company, organization, and institution needs highly skilled and well-educated law practitioners in their corner and more likely, on their staff. Most C-suite executives, while talented in their chosen fields, don’t understand the intricacies and complex details that make up the US justice system.
The rising star women of law are lending their legal expertise to some of the most well-known brands and companies in the world.
We acknowledge the exceptional career of Catherine Harris, the Director of Legal Technology Transactions for FedEx, the global leader in express transportation.
Next, we honor Kristen Jones, a leader in the food service industry, as well as a DEI champion. Jones serves as the Director of Legal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and as Senior Counsel for McDonald's, the well-known fast food franchise with over 37K locations in 100 countries.
Finally, we celebrate the achievements of honoree Annabelle Danielvarda, a Legal Director at Google who also heads the Trademark team. With previous roles at Apple and serving the District Court for the Northern District of California, Danielvarda brings a wealth of experience to her role with the tech giant.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Rising Star Women of Law for 2024.
Brigitte Tubbs-Jones
Director, Talent Acquisition, Metro Nashville Public Schools
Brigitte Tubbs-Jones, a native Memphian, has called the Nashville area home for the past 16 years. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee-Martin, Tubbs-Jones attended and graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law. During her law school tenure and beyond, she obtained clerkships and positions in several areas, including criminal law, immigration law, sports and entertainment law, and regulatory law. She is also a trained Rule 31 Mediator.
Tubbs-Jones’ hard work, passion for being a lifelong learner, tenacity, and embracer of change have created opportunities that transcend industries and typical attorney roles. Tubbs-Jones has served as an assistant public defender, solo practitioner, law firm associate, staff attorney, counsel/contracts director, employment law counsel, director of legal services, and human resources manager. In 2023, Tubbs-Jones was invited to their nation's capital as part of a group of leaders with the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) to meet with several members of Congress to discuss current legislation, as well as proposed legislation regarding education. She was later named the Legislative Liaison for the State of Tennessee. Her passion for change extends beyond her role and extends to not only the legal community but her community as a whole.
She was honored by the Nashville Business Journal as part of their "40 Under 40" list of business professionals, and she is a graduate of the Tennessee Bar Association's Leadership Law program, LEAD TN, Tennessee Government Executive Institute (TGEI), and Leadership Middle Tennesse. She is the recipient of the Community Service Impact award and a President of the TGEI alumni association. She has presented at conferences on the local, state, and national levels and has written articles for industry publications. Tubbs-Jones is the current President of the Tennessee Association of School Personnel Administrators (TASPA).
Sarah Flanagan
Senior Director, Global Antitrust Compliance and Americas Ethics & Legal Compliance, Intel
Sarah Flanagan began her professional career 17 years ago. Today, she is the Senior Director of Global Antitrust Compliance and Americas Ethics and Legal Compliance of Intel. Intel is a California-based multinational company that designs and manufactures products, such as microprocessors, motherboards, and storage devices for PCs and smartphones. Intel’s mission is to shape the future of technology to help create a better future for the entire world. By pushing forward in fields like AI, analytics, and cloud-to-edge technology, Intel’s work is at the heart of countless innovations.
Flanagan first got her start in 1997 as an associate at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRaey. From there, she went on to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, before eventually rising to counsel, Americas downstream legal at Chevron, her most recent position before joining Intel.
Flanagan graduated from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) with a JD and from Georgetown University with an undergraduate degree in foreign services.
Andrea Notestine
Director, Dept. Operations & Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Polsinelli
Andrea Notestine serves as both the Director of Department Operations and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Polsinelli. She is responsible for working alongside the chief DE&I officer to implement the firm's diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy by setting and monitoring goals for the recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse legal professionals. In addition to her DE&I focus, Notestine also supports the Real Estate and Financial Services Department, managing the daily business aspects for the legal department and implementing strategic initiatives with key stakeholders by operationally connecting the dots between all departments within the firm.
Before joining Polsinelli, Notestine managed projects of all sizes and complexities across the globe. She has lived in six different countries, traveled to 21 countries, and has a wide range of experience. She started her own hospitality business in Thailand. She organized a large international entertainment event in 2008 in Macau while working for a publicly listed Hong Kong company. Specializing in operational business management across a multitude of industries, she spent four years in Honolulu, Hawaii, seven years in New York City, and over five years throughout Asia.
Notestine holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management (completed at partner university Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China), a BBA from Hofstra University, and Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) certifications.
Catherine Harris
Director, Legal Technology Transactions, FedEx
Catherine Harris is the Director of Legal Technology Transactions for FedEx, a Tennessee-based logistics company that provides services, such as shipping and freight forwarding for individuals and businesses. FedEx connects people and possibilities through its worldwide portfolio of shipping, transportation, e-commerce, and business services.
Harris started at FedEx in 2011 as an attorney. While she still serves the company in this capacity, she accepted a director role in 2019. Before joining FedEx, Harris was a legal consultant at Kroll Ontrack. Earlier in her career, she worked with Bass, Berry & Sims as an associate.
Harris graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law with a JD in law and from The University of Georgia with an undergraduate degree in journalism.
Rebecca Ausprung
Director, Civil Law and Litigation, US Army Legal Services Agency
Rebecca Ausprung is the Director of Civil Law and Litigation in the US Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, serving as the Deputy to the Commander of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency. In this role, she is the senior advisor to The Judge Advocate General and senior Army leadership on civil law and litigation matters. She is responsible for providing strategic and policy guidance to over 100 attorneys and paralegal support staff, ensuring the defense of the Army's interests in civil law and litigation.
Ausprung’s portfolios encompass a wide range of areas, including military and civilian personnel litigation, tort litigation, contract litigation and appeals, intellectual property law and litigation, regulatory law, and environmental law and litigation. Rebecca Ausprung plays a pivotal role in shaping legal strategies and ensuring the Army's compliance with legal regulations in these areas.
Ausprung started her military career in 1999 as a military prosecutor. She graduated from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law with a JD in law and from Kent State University with an undergraduate degree in psychology.
Katie Passaretti
Director, Legal Business Solutions, PwC
Katie Passaretti is the Director of Legal Business Solutions at PwC. She first joined the company in 2021 as senior manager of legal business solutions. At PwC, their purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. They’re a network of firms in 151 countries with over 360,000 people who are committed to delivering quality assurance, advisory, and tax services.
Passaretti is a highly motivated and experienced executive, adept at orchestrating projects for key clients in the technology, retail, finance, and healthcare industries. Her focus lies in leading domestic and offshore teams engaged in contract lifecycle management. With a demonstrated record of results in a complex business environment, she excels in achieving business and financial targets in challenging and highly competitive industries. She builds and strengthens relationships, consistently meeting and exceeding expectations in product quality, team leadership, project management, and process improvement.
Previously, Passaretti was a vice president of contracts at Integreon. Earlier in her career, she worked with the Massachusetts Superior Court as a law clerk. Passaretti earned a JD from Northeastern University School of Law and an undergraduate degree from Vassar College.
Kristen Jones
Director of Legal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Senior Counsel, McDonald's
Kristen Jones serves as Director of Legal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Senior Counsel for McDonald’s Corporation, the world's leading global food service retailer with over 37,000 locations in over 100 countries.
Before joining McDonald’s, Jones was a labor and employment attorney at Goldberg Kohn for 11 years. When Jones became a partner in 2017, she also became the firm’s Diversity Committee Chair. She developed and executed the firm’s first DEI strategy, including establishing the GK Advocates program, which is a sponsorship program focused on the retention, development, and promotion of the firm’s diverse associates through innovative means, like providing each diverse associate with their own Advocate Council.
Jones received her BA from Stanford University in 2005 in Political Science and Spanish and her JD from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2009.
Berta Matos
Senior Legal Director, Global Transactions & M&A, PepsiCo
Berta Matos began her professional career 18 years ago. Today, she is the Senior Legal Director of Global Transactions and M&A of PepsiCo, a New York-based multinational company that manufactures, markets, and distributes food, snack, and beverage products worldwide.
Matos started at PepsiCo in 2012 as a legal director. She was promoted to a senior role in 2019 and was appointed to her current position in 2020. Previously, she was a senior attorney for AT&T. Earlier in her career, she was an associate for multiple law firms.
Matos graduated from Harvard Law School with a JD and from Duke University with an undergraduate degree in political science.
Annabelle Danielvarda
Director, Legal - Trademarks, Google
Annabelle Danielvarda is a Legal Director and heads the Trademark team at Google. She joined Google in 2007, and before that, she was counsel at Apple Inc., where she worked on iTunes.
Danielvarda was in private practice in the Trademark & Advertising Practices group and the Intellectual Property Litigation group at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She started her legal career clerking for the Honorable James W. Ware, United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
Danielvarda has been a guest speaker, including leading a workshop for the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) about Google’s counterfeit policies and measures to combat counterfeits across its products. She studied law at Santa Clara University.
Heather Howard
Director, Legal, Regulatory & Compliance, KPMG
Heather Howard is the Director of Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance at KPMG, a global organization of independent professional services firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services.
Howard landed her first role at KPMG in 2016 as a manager. She was promoted to associate director in 2018 and was moved to the director role in 2020. She is highly skilled in ethics, compliance, and operations, and she has been certified through the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS). She’s a past president and board advisor for the National Capital Area Paralegal Association, as well as a volunteer for the Junior Achievement of Greater Washington.
Before joining KPMG, Howard was a senior paralegal at PCAOB. Earlier in her career, she worked with Zuckerman Spaeder LLP as a litigation paralegal. Howard graduated from the University of Maryland Global Campus with an undergraduate degree in paralegal studies.
Jennifer Roma
Director, Legal- North America, Cynosure
Jennifer Roma is the Director of Legal, North America at Cynosure, LLC. Cynosure is a market leader in the medical aesthetics space with over 30 years developing, manufacturing, and marketing products for dermatologists, plastic surgeons, medical spas, and healthcare practitioners. As Director of Legal, Jennifer oversees Cynosure’s litigation and provides key legal support to and advises senior leadership on all facets of the company’s legal department, including corporate, operations, employment, risk management and compliance support.
Prior to joining Cynosure, Jennifer was an associate then Of Counsel at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, an AMLaw 100 law firm. During her time at Nelson Mullins, Jennifer worked in both general corporate law and in commercial litigation.
Jennifer is a graduate of Providence College (B.A.), Georgetown University (M.A.) and Suffolk University School of Law (J.D.)
Asmita Sawant
Director, Legal Department, Wipro
Asmita Sawant is the Director of the Legal Department at Wipro, a leading technology services and consulting company focused on building innovative solutions that address clients' most complex digital transformation needs.
Sawant first got her start in 2007 as an associate at Universal Legal. From there, she went on to M/s. M.V.KINI & CO., before eventually rising to head of transactions and IP at Tata Technologies, her most recent position before joining Wipro.
Sawant graduated from ILS Law College with a DCL in corporate laws, an LLB, and an undergraduate degree, and from Savitribai Phule Pune University with an LLM in business and law.
Jessica Shaw
Director, Consumer & Benefits & Licensing Legal, Publix Super Markets
Jessica Shaw is the Director of Consumer and Benefits and Licensing Legal of Publix Super Markets. Founded in 1930, Publix Super Markets is the largest and fastest-growing employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States. Publix employs over 200,000 associates.
With 16 years of experience, Shaw is a senior attorney and corporate counsel for Publix. She first joined the company in 2023. She practices law in the state of Florida and has also practiced in the state of New York.
Previously, Shaw was a general counsel at IHS Dialysis, a company that provides dialysis services. Shaw earned her JD from Albany Law School.
Melissa Lang
Managing Director, Legal & Regulatory, Brookfield Asset Management
Melissa Lang is a Managing Director in Brookfield’s Real Estate Group. Brookfield is invested in long-life, high-quality assets and businesses around the world that form the backbone of the global economy. With over $850 billion in assets under management and over 100 years of experience as an owner and operator, they put their capital to work in virtually every transaction, aligning interests with their partners and investors, and bringing the strengths of their operational expertise, global reach, and large-scale capital to bear in everything they do.
In her role, Lang is responsible for global oversight of the legal aspects of the group’s funds operations, including the execution of investment structuring, fund-level credit facilities, derivative products, and other investor matters. Before joining Brookfield in 2015, Lang worked in the real estate group of a large American international law firm focusing on private fund formation. Previously, she was an environmental engineer for the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Lang holds a JD from the New York University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Courtney Roach
Director, US Head of Employment Legal, BNP Paribas
Courtney Roach began her professional career 15 years ago. Today, she is a Director and the US Head of Employment Legal at BNP Paribas. BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 65 countries and has nearly 185,000 employees, including more than 145,000 in Europe.
Roach first got her start in 2009 as a care manager at Search and Care. From there, she went on to Bloomberg LP, before eventually rising to associate at Jackson Lewis P.C., her most recent position before joining BNP Paribas.
Roach graduated from Rutgers Law School with a JD in law and from Rutgers University with an undergraduate degree in public health and psychology.
Marissa Greenberg
Director, Legal Participations, The Walt Disney Company
Marissa Greenberg is the Director of Legal Participations for The Walt Disney Company. At Disney, inclusion is for everyone. Reimagine Tomorrow is their way of amplifying underrepresented voices and untold stories, as well as championing the importance of accurate representation in media and entertainment. Because they are all greater than a single story and they all deserve to feel seen, heard and understood.
Greenberg first joined The Walt Disney Company in 2007 as a legal assistant while she was in college. She earned an undergraduate degree in organization studies from the University of Michigan.
Focusing on her education, she then earned a JD from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. She went back to The Walt Disney Company in 2013 as a senior paralegal. In 2021, she was promoted to her current role.
Katie Court
Director, Global Legal Solutions, Epiq
Katie Court began her professional career 34 years ago. Today, she is the Director of Global Legal Solutions at Epiq, a global technology-enabled services leader to the legal industry and corporations, taking on large-scale, increasingly complex tasks for corporate counsel, law firms, and business professionals with efficiency, clarity, and confidence.
Court has more than 15 years of experience in the profession successfully building strong business relationships. Today, she partners with corporations and law firms to provide value in eDiscovery Services, Managed Document Review, and Cyber Incident Response solutions. She ensures they’re cutting-edge to meet and exceed customer needs.
Court first got her start in 1990 as a textbook sales manager at Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, Aspen Publishers. From there, she went on to LexisNexis, before eventually rising to manager of business development at Kroll Ontrack, her most recent position before joining Epiq.
Maryann Overath
Legal Director, Dell Technologies
Maryann Overath is the Legal Director of Dell Technologies. Dell Technologies helps organizations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live, and play. The company provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the data era.
Overath has over 10 years of experience at Dell Technologies, handling inbound SW/SaaS, Marketing, HR, facilities support, and data protection contracts. Overath currently manages a team of attorneys handling SW/SaaS, Marketing, data protection, and bespoke advertising contracts. Previously, Overath directly advised Dell's Marketing Organization about US statutory and regulatory advertising requirements, Adtech, and data privacy.
Before Dell, Overath was a civil rights attorney, who handled systemic reform litigation and individual representation, involving access to healthcare and education. Overath is licensed in the state and federal courts of Texas and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Betsy Valliant
Director, USDS Legal Policy Operations, TikTok
Betsy Valliant is the Director of USDS Legal Policy Operations for TikTok. She first joined the company in 2020. TikTok is a California-based social media platform that allows users to create and share short videos. Their platform is built to help imaginations thrive. This is doubly true of the teams that make TikTok possible.
Previously, Valliant was a senior manager of tooling and programs and legal investigations operations team at Google. Before that, she was a litigation paralegal at Qualcomm. Earlier in her career, she worked with Larrabee Mehlman Albi & Coker LLP as an office assistant.
Valliant earned an undergraduate degree in political science from UC San Diego.
Barbra Diallo
Legal Director, Labor & Employment, CBRE
Barbra Diallo is the Legal Director of Labor and Employment of CBRE. Operating across every dimension of commercial real estate, CBRE sees more so you can do more. With more than 105,000 professionals in over 100 countries, CBRE is the global leader in commercial real estate services and investment. Diallo has 20 years of experience. She began her career in 2004.
Before joining CBRE, Diallo was a labor and employment litigation attorney at Reed Smith LLP. Before that, she was a labor and employment litigation attorney at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP. Earlier in her career, she worked with Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP as a labor and employment, litigation attorney, and law clerk.
Diallo graduated from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) with a JD in Civil Litigation and from UC Irvine with an undergraduate degree in political science, government, and English.
Kimya Hoffmann
Director & Associate General Counsel, Monetization Legal, Meta
Kimya Hoffmann began her professional career 17 years ago. Today, she is the Director and Associate General Counsel with a focus on the legal aspects of monetization at Meta. Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses.
Hoffmann first got her start in 2007 as an associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. From there, she eventually rose to director and associate general counsel at Facebook, her most recent position before her promotion to the director level with MEta.
Hoffmann graduated from Santa Clara University with a JD and from UCLA with an undergraduate degree in psychology and political science.
Christie Falco
Global Legal Director, BEES, AB InBev
Christie Falco is the Global Legal Director of BEES (B2B e-commerce) at AB InBev. As a company, they dream big to create a future with more cheers. They are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life's moments, move their industry forward, and make a meaningful impact. They are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest ingredients.
Falco first joined AB InBev in 2022 as global legal director. In this role, she oversaw the legal data privacy function for ABI's growth division, encompassing the following businesses: BEES, direct-to-consumer e-commerce, web3, fintech, marketing, and sales and distribution. Before that, she worked in legal data protection for Credit Suisse. Before that, she was an associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. Earlier in her career, she worked with Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP as a billing analyst.
Falco earned a JD from Fordham University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in political science from Duke University.
Jennifer Busalacchi
Senior Director, Legal Operations, JLL
Jennifer Busalacchi is the Senior Director of Legal Operations of JLL. JLL is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces, and sustainable real estate solutions for their clients, their people, and their communities.
Before joining JLL, Busalacchi was a manager of legal operations and ethics and compliance at Petco. Before that, she was a global corporate paralegal (and legal operations) at Zodiac Pool Systems. Earlier in her career, she worked with the University of San Diego as a community relations project coordinator.
Busalacchi graduated from the University of San Diego with an undergraduate degree in communications studies & political science.
Brooke Kamp
Director, Legal Operations, Strategy & Technology, Johnson Controls
Brooke Kamp is the Director of Legal Operations, Strategy, and Technology for Johnson Controls. At Johnson Controls they transform the environments, where people live, work, learn, and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, their mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places, and the planet.
Kamp first got her start in 2005 as a paralegal at Lakeshore Media, LLC / Devine Racing, LLC. From there, she went on to Gould and Ratner, LLP, before eventually rising to senior paralegal at Husch Blackwell, her most recent position before joining Johnson Controls.
Kamp graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with an undergraduate degree in psychology.
Christina Mooney
Senior Legal Director, FDA / Life Sciences team, Enterprise Legal Regulatory, Medtronic
Christina Mooney is the Senior Legal Director of the FDA and Life Sciences team, Enterprise Legal Regulatory, at Medtronic, the leading global healthcare technology company that boldly attacks the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions.
Mooney first joined the company in 2009 as senior legal counsel, corporate legal regulatory. Her first promotion was in 2016, and she was appointed to her current role in 2020. Previously, Mooney was an associate at King & Spalding LLP.
Mooney earned an undergraduate degree in English and sociology from Villanova University, and she studied law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Madeline Zuckerman
Executive Director, Legal Operations, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Madeline Zuckerman is the Executive Director of Legal Operations of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of outstanding luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names.
Zuckerman has nearly two decades of experience. Before joining The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., she was a team leader at Bloomberg LP. Earlier in her career, she worked with Soros Fund Management as a legal assistant.
Zuckerman graduated from Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center with a JD and from Binghamton University with an undergraduate degree in economics.