Women @ RopesTalk

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, IP transactions and licensing partner Megan Baca is joined by Donna Xia, founder and COO of a Silicon Valley startup revolutionizing insomnia care. Donna shares her unique career journey—from Harvard biomedicine PhD to McKinsey consultant, Sanofi dealmaker, and startup leader—and discusses the challenges and opportunities of bridging big pharma and fast-moving startups. The conversation explores Donna’s mission to expand access to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, the innovative use of AI to scale clinical operations and improve patient care, and practical insights for adopting AI in healthcare and beyond. Tune in for an inspiring discussion on entrepreneurship, digital health, and the future of sleep care.

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by IP transactions and licensing partner Megan Baca, IP transactions partner Emily Karlberg returns for another engaging conversation, this time with Jan Sbarbaro, the chief legal & compliance officer and corporate secretary of Lyric, a platform-based healthcare technology company, committed to simplifying the business of care by preventing inaccurate payments and reducing overall waste in the healthcare ecosystem. They discuss Jan’s impressive 30-plus-year career in the legal field, her transition from litigation to in-house roles, and her current responsibilities at Lyric. Jan shares valuable insights on navigating career challenges, the importance of self-confidence, and balancing a demanding career with family life. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care and data partner Christine Moundas, IP transactions and licensing partner Megan Baca is joined by Katy Motiey, the chief legal, administrative and sustainability officer at Extreme Networks. Katy shares her inspiring journey from her early life experiences during the Iranian Revolution to her multifaceted career in the legal industry. She discusses her new book, Imperfect, which is based on her mother's quest for equality and their family's struggles against the patriarchal customs of Iran. Katy also delves into her role in driving corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives at Extreme, offering valuable insights for aspiring leaders and authors. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care and data partner Christine Moundas, litigation & enforcement partner Sarah Walters is joined by Veronica Lei, the associate vice president and assistant general counsel for Eli Lilly's Diabetes Alliance. Veronica shares her diverse career journey from being a federal prosecutor to her current role at Eli Lilly, discussing her experiences in litigation, internal investigations and business counseling. She also reflects on the importance of balancing professional and personal life and offers valuable advice for aspiring legal professionals. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care and data partner Christine Moundas, IP transactions and licensing partner Megan Baca engages in a fascinating conversation with Laura Berner, COO of TRex Bio. Laura shares her unique journey from practicing law at Ropes & Gray to embracing roles in business development and operations within the biotech sector. She discusses her experiences at Genentech, Roche, and Myovant Sciences, shedding light on the transition from legal to business roles and the challenges of working in both large pharmaceutical companies and smaller biotech startups. Laura also offers her perspective on the importance of continuous learning and growth, her approach to decision-making, and her vision as a leader in a preclinical-stage company. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, litigation & enforcement partner Helen Gugel returns for another engaging conversation, this time with Neena Reddy, general counsel of Blue Owl Capital, an alternative asset manager with nearly $200 billion in assets under management. Neena shares her journey from private practice to in-house counsel, detailing the exponential growth of Blue Owl, the challenges and strategies of managing legal affairs for a global firm, and her role in fostering a culture of women supporting women. The conversation also delves into Neena's multifaceted role, her approach to leadership, and her personal insights on work-life balance and the importance of networking in the legal industry. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, capital solutions and private credit partner Alyson Gal interviews Jenny Walsh, a managing director who co-leads the consumer investing team at Sixth Street, a San Francisco-based global investment firm with over $75 billion in assets under management. Jenny talks about her experience building Sixth Street’s consumer investing business, and highlights the collaborative and flexible nature of Sixth Street’s investment approach. The firm’s diverse range of investments in the consumer space—from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to technology-enabled businesses—as well as in sports teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Bay FC, speak to how Sixth Street marries a solutions-oriented approach with bigger picture themes. Jenny discusses the value of mentorship and networking, and what she and Sixth Street are doing to support the next generation of women investors.

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, capital solutions and private credit partner Alyson Gal interviews Marjorie Goux, chief legal officer at Rodan & Fields. Marjorie shares what it’s like to be CLO at a skincare and haircare company, along with how she prepared to take on the role. She looks back on the “multiple stops” in her legal career, including practicing law at medium- and big-sized firms in London and the U.S. before going in-house to roles at Hewlett-Packard, Clorox and Glad Products. Marjorie describes herself as a “person who looks for opportunities.” Along those lines, she shares helpful networking strategies for lawyers at all stages of their careers.

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, health care counsel Leslie Thornton interviews Kelly Gold, chief financial officer of CAMP4 Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotechnology company. Kelly opens up about what keeps her up at night as CFO of an early-stage, venture-backed company on the path to drug development. She describes her career journey from one quantitative field to the next, starting as a mechanical engineer, then moving to Wall Street and health care finance. As someone who has never liked formal networking, Kelly shares her secret to building strong professional relationships. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, life sciences regulatory & compliance counsel Beth Weinman interviews Jennifer Zachary, executive vice president and general counsel of Merck. Jennifer describes her unique trajectory from science major in college to associate chief counsel at the FDA to law firm partner and finally to her role as the top lawyer at Merck. She breaks down the differences and similarities between private and public practice, noting that the desire to protect the public health is just as strong in both places, and shares important advice for early career attorneys: work hard, seek out interesting cases, surround yourself with lawyers you admire, and make sure you’re having fun. Jennifer also describes the invaluable roles that mentorship, sponsorship and diversity efforts played in her transition in-house, and talks about the needle-moving diversity initiative she oversees at Merck.