The Abstract

How do you navigate being in the public eye of a high-profile company? What happens when you become embroiled in a public controversy and your company doesn’t have your back?

This is just one of the themes we will be delving into with Mark Marin, Puffco’s General Counsel, on this episode of The Abstract.

In this incredibly candid conversation, Mark will take us through:

— the challenges he faced during his time at Barstool Sports, a notorious media company;

— the challenges that led him to Barstool Sports, namely a bankruptcy and two different acquisitions at his previous companies;

— and his current role at Puffco, a start-up within the cannabis industry.

Learn what it takes to truly overcome adversity as a GC. This is one episode you don’t want to miss.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-15

Topics:

Introduction: 0:25

Jumping into the fast-paced start-up world at Quirky: 2:31

Discovering a silver lining during bankruptcy: 6:40

Navigating being acquired twice in the span of a short time: 10:17

Learning from trying to merge cultures during company acquisitions: 14:58

Grappling with adversity as Barstool Sports’ first General Counsel: 18:50

Finding support during career challenges: 27:20

Venturing a new path in the cannabis industry: 30:40

Parting advice for younger attorneys: 33:17

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/

Connect with us:

Mark Marin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-marin/

Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Scuba diving and entrepreneurship have a lot more in common than you may think.

From staying calm in high-pressure situations to overcoming challenges and facing your fears head on, it is no coincidence that Kathy Zhu, Co-founder and CEO of Streamline AI, finds solace in both the deep waters of the ocean and the unpredictable start-up world.

Join Kathy and SpotDraft’s Tyler Finn as they dive into the pivotal moments that led her to take a leap of faith and co-found Streamline AI, and how her upbringing fueled her drive to overcome and adapt to changing circumstances.

They talk about Kathy’s transition from AGC at DoorDash to CEO and co-founder of Streamline AI, how she identified the right co-founder, lessons learned throughout her career, how her passion for scuba diving influences her leadership philosophy, and more.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-14

Topics:

Introduction: 0:00

Becoming an in-house counsel: 1:30

Persevering during life pivots: 3:45

Taking a leap of faith and building a start-up: 5:24

Identifying the right co-founder: 8:05

Transitioning to CEO of Streamline AI: 10:16

Learning about leadership from scuba diving: 18:01

Leveraging law experience in product development: 22:53

Advice for legal tech buyers on where to start: 26:55

Embracing new technology in law: 30:14

Breaking the mindset of resisting change: 33:49

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Legal Intake and Workflow Software Buyer’s Guide: https://hubs.li/Q027tCb00

Connect with us:

Kathy Zhu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathymzhu88/

Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

Streamline AI - https://www.streamline.ai/

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What does it take to build up your legal team? Is it possible to work effectively without a foundation of trust and vulnerability? What role does emotional intelligence take in nurturing careers? And how do you proceed in a role when you don’t know how to make the first big step?

Seth Weissman is no stranger to navigating difficult business challenges without a roadmap. Now an executive coach, he previously led SolarCity to IPO and acquisition by Tesla as GC and Executive Vice President, and grew Marqeta’s legal team of four to fifty as Chief Legal Officer.

Join Seth as he discusses why it pays to approach legal like a businessperson, the importance of mentors, and what it takes to make the switch from GC to executive coach. He also shares lessons from his time working at a mission-driven energy company with Elon Musk on the board.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-13

Topics:

Introduction: 0:00

Letting unconventional thinking guide your career: 2:27

Working in SolarCity’s mission-driven environment to commercialize solar energy: 7:20

Releasing IPO and selling to Tesla: 13:38

Working with Elon Musk at SolarCity: 18:06

Turning a legal team of 4 into a division of 50 at Marqeta: 22:10

Finding inspiration to become an executive coach: 31:12

Finding an executive coach and justifying the expense: 43:35

Final questions: 50:20

Connect with us:

Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

Seth Weissman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethweissman/

Seth’s Blog Page: https://www.sethweissman.com/blog

Seth’s Lessons from Racing School: https://www.sethweissman.com/blog/lessons

SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Mergers and acquisitions, private equity buyouts, and transformative deals are part of business. But what's it like for the lawyers making them happen?

Get an insider look at high-stakes corporate transformations from Brian Chase, GC of ServiceChannel. Brian shares a candid glimpse into the complexities behind major corporate moves as he delves into his experiences navigating company changes under different owners, handling new responsibilities, and adapting to shifting corporate structures along the way.

We also discuss:

— what it means to be “more than just legal” as a general counsel,

— what it’s like to work at an early-stage company and set the foundation for the legal team,

— how to overcome budget constraints and train your team members to fill the gaps in your team, and more.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-12

Topics:

Introduction: 00:00

Navigating transitions in ownership structures and responsibilities: 01:13

Lack of communication leading to frustration regarding desired roles and responsibilities: 07:30

Being the GC of a subsidiary in a public holdings company: 10:03

Building internal credibility and expanding beyond legal: 12:14

Identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and communicating them: 15:39

Brian’s experience as employee #31 at Foursquare: 20:03

The importance of networking in growing your career and opening up to opportunities: 26:00

Training people up to fill gaps in your team and overcome budget constraints: 30:41

The evolution of the structure of in-house legal teams: 33:36

Concluding questions around failures and learnings: 37:09

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Take the StandOut Assessment: https://www.tmbc.com/standout-assessment/

Register for the SpotDraft Summit 2023: https://www.spotdraft.com/spotdraft-summit-2023-newyork

Connect with us:

Brian Chase - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-r-chase/

Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Where does legal end and strategy begin? Taking on new tasks and new roles can help you expand beyond the traditional GC role. But are enthusiasm and attitude enough to skyrocket you to bold new places in your career?

Join Bambee Chief Strategy Officer & GC Evan Ferl for an exciting discussion about following your passions and using legal to inject positivity into your organization.

We’ll hear tips for advancing your career to match your ambitions, activating your creativity, and find out how Ferl expanded beyond legal in his roles at Hired, Poshmark, Bambee, and his many personal ventures, like Neatworking. We’ll also discuss how making mistakes can be an essential key to success and how to capitalize on your enthusiasm.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-11

Topics:

Introduction: 00:00

Finding your passion working in legal: 02:14

Starting his career at NASA with a cold email: 06:23

Exploring work at big and small companies: 11:10

Expanding beyond legal: 14:06

Approaching strategy and corporate development from a legal perspective at Poshmark: 19:05

Finding ways to activate creativity: 23:48

Transitioning into a strategy role at Bambee: 26:12

Identifying the inflection point to begin a new venture: 28:39

Launching the Neatworking newsletter: 32:23

Improving your writing practice: 37:23

Advice for younger lawyers: 40:34

Connect with us:

Tyler Finn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

Evan Ferl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanferl/

Evan’s newsletter: https://evanferl.substack.com/

Evan’s children’s story book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maxs-big-day-evan-james-ferl/1142525323

SpotDraft Summit 2023: http://surl.li/lufqw

SpotDraft: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

“Legal just doesn’t understand our priorities.”

Legal is often viewed as a cost center and a blocker in fulfilling business needs, instead of a thought partner that can help push the business forward. This perception is a challenge most in-house counsel have to overcome when they join a company.

How can you transform legal’s brand, get a seat at the table, and own it so you and your team can become business co-leaders?

Join us for this bonus episode as we explore what it takes to become a true business partner as an in-house counsel, with insights from GCs and legal leaders at some of the biggest companies today.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-10

Introduction – 00:00

Megan Niedermeyer and Brenda Perez on becoming true business partners: 01:04

Doug Luftman on building trust and getting a seat at the table: 04:54

Adam Glick on customer-centricity and relationship building: 06:56

Celaena Powder on nurturing productive relationships between Legal and Sales AEs: 11:40

Celaena Powder on transforming the perception of Legal within the org: 14:55

Lydia Cheuk on building a brand for your team and for yourself: 20:14

David Lancelot on using data to build trust and credibility: 25:55

Akshay Verma on what companies and clients really want from lawyers: 31:31

David Lancelot on transforming legal operations to build scalable and strategic legal functions: 34:14

Connect with us:

Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

Featured guests:
Megan Niedermeyer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganniedermeyer/
Brenda Yun Perez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendayperez/

Doug Luftman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougluftman

Adam Glick - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adglick/

Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/

David Lancelot - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlancelot/

Celaena Powder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/celaenapowder/

Lydia Cheuk - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiacheuk/

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

“How do I expand my scope of work as a GC or in-house lawyer?”

The in-house legal industry is increasingly seeing GCs step up to the role of COO, CFO, head of people functions, and more. In fact, expanding your role to cross-functional leadership positions has become an important part of growth for senior legal executives.

In episode 9 of The Abstract, we talk to one such leader, who grew her career from a receptionist at a law firm to now the Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel at Tally — Genessa Stout.

We discuss:

— how she grew into this role organically and came to head functions like finance and HR,

— her consumer-centric approach to lawyering,

— how she builds trust and culture within the business and her team, and more.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-9

Topics:

Introduction: 00:00

From rural roots to plaintiff-side law at Hagens Berman to CFPB: 01:14

Early days at CFPB: 05:41

Transitioning from CFPB to in-house at PayPal: 08:30

From PayPal to a multidimensional leadership at Tally: 13:42

Fostering trust and heading people and operations functions at Tally: 16:45

Navigating non-legal leadership roles and learning curves in other functions: 19:14

Building culture as a GC and a COO: 23:30

Transitioning from GC to different business leadership roles: 27:07

Advice to young attorneys: 30:45

The evolving role of the GC: 33:04

A book recommendation and insight into what keeps Genessa motivated: 35:00

Connect with us:

Genessa Stout - https://www.linkedin.com/in/genessastout

Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Enabling a successful IPO is an important milestone in a GC’s career. For Gary Spiegel, it was a passion he’d pursued ever since he transitioned from the regulatory world into Silicon Valley.

Join us as Gary takes us behind the scenes into his experience:

-navigating two acquisitions in two years, from MySQL to Sun Microsystems to Oracle,

-fulfilling his dream of becoming an IPO GC at Anaplan,

-helping them again go private in a blockbuster acquisition by Thoma Bravo.

Along the way, we’ll also discuss what goes into building large legal teams and setting them up for success, finding growth opportunities within legal as well as other functional areas, and more.

This is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-8

Topics:

Introduction: 00:00

Gary’s start with regulatory law and shift to the business side: 01:32

The journey from MySQL to Sun Microsystems to Oracle through multiple acquisitions: 06:58

Supporting a company as its first GC and taking over the legal function from the CFO: 15:54

The right time to join a company as the first legal hire or GC: 22:22

Behind the scenes to Anaplan's successful IPO: 27:18

Thoma Bravo's acquisition of Anaplan and Legal’s role in ensuring success: 33:54

Building a team of 20+ people and setting them up for success: 37:16

Communicating the value of legal within the business: 43:00

Leveraging legal expertise as a springboard into other roles: 49:18

Strategies for managing stakeholder relationships and balancing legal support: 52:00

The future of in-house legal roles: 56:56

Connect with us:

Gary Spiegel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gspieg/

Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What’s your legal team’s brand? And by that, we mean, what does your team look like from the lens of the rest of the organization?

Join Away’s GC Lydia Cheuk as she shares insights on marketing Legal within the organization, authentically building your personal brand, shaping legal as the first hire at early-stage companies across different industries, and more.

We’ll also discuss Lydia’s experience in supporting the business through hypergrowth, a pandemic, and then through the recovery period, as well as offering stability and support during transitions.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-7

Topics:

Introduction: 0:00

Making the jump from law firm to in-house life: 3:11

Lydia’s journey at an entertainment studio start-up called First Look: 7:03

Hiring at the right time and building a strong team: 09:33

Moving from Media to the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sector: 11:56

Building relationships and trust with the executive team: 14:25

Empowering your team and improving motivation and retention: 16:49

Fostering a unified culture and goal within the legal team: 19:13

Driving visibility into legal’s impact and improving legal’s brand: 20:34

Building a brand for your team and for yourself: 24:19

Lessons from Away's hypergrowth phase and pandemic challenges: 28:24

Being on NYU Law’s venture fund jury: 31:37

Closing questions: 33:23

Connect with us:

Lydia Cheuk - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiacheuk/

Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Legal, Security, and Privacy are cut from the same cloth — but it’s common to see friction between these teams. How can GCs and in-house leaders bridge this gap to form productive working relationships?

Join us as we dive into the incredible journey of Celaena Powder, VP of Legal at Seismic, as she weighs in on forming unbeatable GC-CISO duos, supporting an enterprise sales motion at a company, nurturing meaningful relationships with Sales AEs to drive business impact, and more.

We also discuss strategies for transforming the perception of Legal, building a high-performing legal team, and fostering a culture of growth and support.

Tune in now to uncover a goldmine of actionable advice and a behind-the-scenes look into how Celaena leads Legal at Seismic.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-6

Topics:

Introduction: 00:00

Finding inspiration for what you want to do in your career: 02:44

Accelerating professional growth when working in small teams: 11:13

Going in-house and becoming VP of Legal at Seismic: 14:08

Transforming the perception of Legal within the org: 18:28

Setting your legal team up for success: 22:30

Navigating enterprise sales as a legal team: 26:22

Leveraging privacy education to drive revenue generation: 32:54

Nurturing productive relationships between Legal and Sales AEs: 35:33

The intersection of the Legal and Security functions: 41:02

Bridging the gap between Legal, Security, and Privacy: 45:00

How the GC’s role will evolve with tech and AI evolution: 54:21

Advice for younger attorneys: 57:30

Connect with us:

Celaena Powder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/celaenapowder/

Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn

SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.