On Record PR

In this episode of On Record PR, Jennifer Simpson Carr goes on record with Lesley Pate Marlin, Associate General Counsel for Labor and Employment at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, about how to build individual and collective resilience.

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Lesley is an experienced, senior in-house attorney with a specialty in labor and employment law. She works for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) as their Associate General Counsel for Labor and Employment. FINRA is a not-for-profit organization, overseen by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, dedicated to investor protection and market integrity through the regulation of brokerage firms doing business with the public in the United States.

In her role at FINRA, Lesley provides day-to-day practical and strategic legal advice, develops or updates policies and procedures to comply with applicable laws, responds to administrative charges and demand letters, handles government investigations, and conducts training. She speaks frequently on various workplace issues, including labor and employment law topics, culture and psychological safety, diversity and inclusion, resilience and career development. She participated in the Association of Corporate Counsel's TED Masterclass program, where she spoke about the power of resilience.

Beyond her professional engagements, Lesley is committed to giving back to her community. She serves as the Vice President/President-Elect of the Board of Directors for the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing.

In this episode of On Record PR, Gina Rubel goes on record with Hillary Sale, Associate Dean, and Professor at Georgetown University, to discuss leadership and the importance of acting as a strong self-advocate in your career. They talk about self-advocacy, the Harvard Women's Leadership Initiative, DirectWomen, inclusion and diversity, creative friction and much more.

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Hillary A. Sale is a recognized expert in leadership and corporate governance. She has been a member of the FINRA Board of Governors since 2016, where she Chairs the Regulatory Policy Committee and serves on the Executive, Nominating and Governance, Compensation, and Regulatory Operations Committees. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of Foundation Press, an educational publisher of scholarly books, and a director with DirectWomen, a nonprofit focused on increasing the presence of women on public company boards. Hillary is the Chair of the DirectWomen Board Institute and serves on DirectWomen's Executive, Nominating and Governance, and Selection Committees.

Hillary is also the Associate Dean for Strategy, an award-winning scholar and teacher, and the Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Law and a Professor of Management at Georgetown University. As an industry-focused academic, she writes and speaks about leadership and corporate governance. In the spring of 2017, she was the Sullivan & Cromwell Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, teaching Women's Leadership and Corporate Boards and Governance.

She is an accomplished business partner who speaks to and works with industry groups and academic audiences and was selected by the St. Louis Business Journal as a "2014 Most Influential Business Woman." In addition to running leadership and governance programs, Hillary consults regularly with CEOs and C-suite executives on leadership, governance, strategy, inclusion and diversity, and company culture. She also develops custom executive education programs and works with business leaders in programs at Harvard Law, where she Chairs the Women's Leadership Initiative, and at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business and the Law Center.

Hillary graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and holds a master's degree in Economics from Boston University, where she also completed her B.A., summa cum laude. Before joining the Georgetown faculty, she was the Walter D. Coles Professor of Law and a Professor of Management at Washington University in St. Louis. Hillary also worked in the government investigations and corporate and securities class actions areas at WilmerHale, LLP and in Massachusetts politics.

In this episode of On Record PR, we flip the script and interview Gina Rubel on how the court of public relations is different from the court of law, the art of working with the media, and how you get your message out. If you're an attorney or an executive, and you suddenly have an interview thrust upon you with no time to prepare, this discussion covers everything you need to know quickly.

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Gina Rubel is the host of On Record PR, the founder and CEO of Furia Rubel Communications, and the author of Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers. Founded in 2002, Furia Rubel is a leading national PR agency which helps top businesses and law firms with high-stakes public relations, reputation management, crisis planning, and incident response including high profile litigation media relations.

In this episode of On Record PR, Jennifer Simpson Carr goes on record with Francisco “Frank” Ramos, Partner at Clarke Silverglate and author of Confessions of a Latino Lawyer, about how to achieve diversity in the legal field.

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Frank is a Partner of Clarke Silverglate, where he practices in the areas of commercial litigation, drug and medical device, products liability and catastrophic personal injury. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in Best Lawyers in America for his defense work in product liability matters. Frank has been with Clarke Silverglate for virtually his entire career. He has tried to verdict personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, and inverse condemnation cases. As a certified mediator, Frank has resolved numerous matters through alternative dispute resolution. 

Frank is an ambassador for the Firm’s mission of leadership and service. He has been President of the Florida Defense Lawyers Association and the 11th Judicial Historical Society and has served on the boards of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, Defense Research Institute, Florida International University’s Alumni Association, Florida International University’s Honors College, Parent to Parent of Miami, Miami-Dade Defense Bar Association, Legal Services of Greater Miami, and Florida Christian School. He serves as a mentor to countless young lawyers and law students through his publications, social media posts, presentations, webinars, and his “coffee chats.” Frank has written 20 books for lawyers, edited five books for lawyers, and has written over 400 articles for lawyers and business professionals.

Frank’s dedication to young lawyers is exemplified through his development of a Deposition Boot Camp and Art of Marketing Program for the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, an invitation-only defense organization that handpicked Frank for membership just eight years into his practice. Frank’s daily practice pointers and business tips on LinkedIn have over 55,000 followers and 5,000 friends on Facebook.

In his spare time, Frank enjoys writing, reading science fiction, and listening to his two sons, David and Michael, perform classical and jazz music.

In this episode of On Record PR, Gina Rubel goes on record with Janet Falk, who has more than 30 years of in-house and public relations agency experience. She advises attorneys at solo and small law firms on media relations and marketing communications.

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Janet has more than 30 years of in-house and public relations agency experience. She advises attorneys at solo and small law firms on media relations and marketing communications and shares unique opportunities for women lawyers to distinguish themselves in media outreach. Learn more about Janet on her website: www.janetlfalk.com.

In this episode of On Record PR, Jennifer Simpson Carr goes on record with Chris Garrod, Director of Insurance and Technology and head of the FinTech group at Conyers Dill & Pearman, to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on the practice of law.

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Chris Garrod is a Director in the Corporate department of Conyers Dill & Pearman. He is a member of the firm’s insurance practice in Bermuda.

Chris specializes in advising on reinsurance and ILS structures, including large commercial insurers, life reinsurers, special purpose insurers, cat bonds, sidecars and segregated account vehicles. In addition to his insurance practice, he also advises on all aspects of Bermuda corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, reorganizations and re-domestications. He has also formed cryptocurrency vehicles using blockchain-based technology, forming Bermuda’s first digital token issuer in late 2017. Chris is also a member of the Government of Bermuda’s Blockchain legal and working group and the Bermuda Business Development Agency’s Blockchain working group.

With over 15 years of experience working in Bermuda’s reinsurance market, Chris acts for a number of large commercial insurers/reinsurers including Assured Guaranty, Chubb, Essent Re, Everest Re, Markel Corporation, Sirius International Insurance Group, Tokio Millennium Re, White Mountains Insurance Group, XL Group, and Zurich Insurance Group.

He has also been involved in the formation of a number of segregated account “alternative” reinsurance and ILS platforms, acting for reinsurers, investment hedge funds, investment managers, pension plans, investment banks and listed companies. Additionally, he acts for numerous Lloyd’s syndicates which have Bermuda platforms. Finally, Chris sits on various reinsurance and captive boards in a non-executive capacity advising on Bermuda insurance regulatory and general corporate legal updates to those boards.

Internationally recognized as a leading lawyer, Chris has been recommended in a number of legal directories including Chambers Global and Legal 500, where clients note that his “main strengths are his responsiveness and depth of knowledge” and that he is “very knowledgeable about Bermuda regulations and has a good working relationship with the Bermuda Monetary Authority.”

In this episode of On Record PR, Gina Rubel goes on record with Daniel Smallwood, the head of content for LegalESG.com and the Legal ESG Summit, and Pamela Cone, Social Impact and Sustainability Sage at Amity Advisory. They discuss what ESG is, why it matters, and how law firms can get on board with ESG considerations.

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Daniel Smallwood is a 20-year legal research, content, and publishing professional who has been responsible for some of the most well-regarded and innovative law firm practice management and legal operations, events, and publications. Pamela Cone works with law firm leaders to address the growing expectations of clients, prospects, employees, recruits and communities - around their firms' ESG, Social Impact and Sustainability programs.

In this episode of On Record PR, Sarah Larson goes on record with Efua Obeng, associate professor and department chair of marketing at Howard University.

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Efua Obeng recently spoke at HubSpot's annual conference Inbound 2021 discussing mentorship and advocacy in black business leadership and appeared on a podcast interview entitled Why Marketers Need to Listen to Black Voices.

In addition to earning a bachelor's degree in business from UNC Chapel Hill and a master's degree from Duke University, Efua earned a PhD in business administration with a marketing concentration from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. Her experience at Katz helped sharpen her thought process, leadership, and research skills and highlighted the importance of making decisions based on data.

In this episode of On Record PR, Gina Rubel goes on record with Naren Aryal, CEO of Amplify Publishing Group.

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As CEO of Amplify Publishing Group, Naren Aryal advises authors, thought leaders, and organizations on the opportunities and challenges that exist in the evolving world of publishing. He’s guided the company’s growth from a single title in 2003 to becoming one of the fastest growing and most respected hybrid publishing companies in the world. Today, Amplify Publishing Group is home to six imprints, including our flagship imprint Amplify Publishing, which specializes in “big ideas” from business and political leaders; Mascot Books, which publishes hundreds of books across all genres; and RealClear Publishing, a joint venture with RealClearPolitics that redefines the political book marketplace by magnifying the voices of politicians, policymakers, and commentators seeking to influence timely national conversations.

Prior to entering the world of books, Naren worked as a lawyer, advising technology companies in the Washington, D.C., area. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Virginia Tech and Juris Doctor from the University of Denver. Naren frequently speaks at publishing and business events about the importance of developing compelling content and a robust author platform. He is also the author of "How to Sell a Crapload of Books: 10 Secrets of a Killer Author Marketing Platform."

Prior to entering the world of books, Naren worked as a lawyer, advising technology companies in the Washington, D.C. area. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Virginia Tech and Juris Doctor from the University of Denver.

In this episode of On Record PR, Caitlan McCafferty goes on record with lifelong disability rights advocate Judith (Judy) Heumann to discuss how business leaders can best approach creating truly inclusive work environments, including for people with disabilities.

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Judith (Judy) Heumann is a lifelong advocate for the rights of disabled people. She contracted polio in 1949 in Brooklyn, New York and began to use a wheelchair for her mobility. She was denied the right to attend school because she was considered a "fire hazard" at the age of five. Her parents played a strong role in fighting for her rights as a child, but Judy soon determined that she, working in collaboration with other disabled people, had to play an advocacy role due to continuous discrimination.

She is now an internationally recognized leader in the disability rights community. Her memoir, authored with Kristen Joiner, of Being Heumann “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist,” published by Beacon Press and audio recorded by Ali Stroker, who is the first wheelchair actor to perform on Broadway. Judy was featured on the Trevor Noah show.  Judy is featured in Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution is a 2020 American award-winning documentary film, directed by James LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham, produced by the Obama Higher Ground Production and is available on Netflix. She also produces a podcast called The Heumann Perspective, which features a variety of members from the disability community.

She has been featured in numerous documentaries including on the history of the disability rights movement, including Lives Worth Living and the Power of 504 and delivered a TED talk in the fall of 2016, “Our Fight for Disability Rights- and Why We’re Not Done Yet”. Her story was also told on Comedy Central’s Drunk History in early 2018, in which she was portrayed by Ali Stroker,. As Senior Fellow at the Ford Foundation (2017-2019), she wrote “Road Map for Inclusion: Changing the Face of Disability in Media”. She also currently serves on a number of non-profit boards, including the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Humanity and Inclusion, as well as the Human Rights Watch board.

Judy was a founding member of the Berkeley Center for Independent Living which was the first grassroots center in the United States and helped to launch the Independent Living Movement both nationally and globally.

In 1983, Judy co-founded the World Institute on Disability (WID) with Ed Roberts and Joan Leon, as one of the first global disability rights organizations founded and continually led by people with disabilities that works to fully integrate people with disabilities into the communities around them via research, policy, and consulting efforts.

From 1993 to 2001, Judy served in the Clinton Administration as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education.

Judy then served as the World Bank's first Adviser on Disability and Development from 2002 to 2006. In this position, she led the World Bank's disability work to expand its knowledge and capability to work with governments and civil society on including disability in the global conversation.

During his presidency, President Obama appointed Judy as the first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State, where she served from 2010-2017.  Mayor Fenty of D.C. appointed her as the first Director for the Department on Disability Services, where she was responsible for the Developmental Disability Administration and the Rehabilitation Services Administration.

She has been instrumental in the development and implementation of legislation, such as Section 504, the Individuals with Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which have been advancing the inclusion of disabled people in the US and around the world and fighting to end discrimination against all those with disabilities.

Judy graduated from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY in 1969 and received her Master’s in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley in 1975. She has received numerous awards including being the first recipient of the Henry B. Betts Award in recognition of efforts to significantly improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and the Max Starkloff Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council on Independent Living. She has been awarded numerous honorary doctorates.