Vanguard

Luis Alberto Cárdenas Díaz of Banco Sabadell México works daily for the "democratization of savings" for Mexican consumers' growing use of digital banking in order to lessen the inequalities created by lack of access to such services by the most vulnerable groups. “Our intention is none other than to support Mexicans so that through savings they can meet their goals and objectives,” Cardenas says. “The bank will be launching its value proposition that will be accompanied by a powerful marketing campaign to position the Sabadell brand in the Mexican market and thereby endorse Spain’s commitment to Mexico.” https://lnkd.in/dUAnCK-2

When it comes to the legal side of non-profits, Jennifer Johnson Millones knows it's about getting the money to the people who needs it most and that's just what she's done as Chief Legal Officer at Newman's Own Foundation. “Our mission is to nourish and transform the lives of children facing adversity, and every dollar saved goes toward carrying out our mission,” she tells Vanguard in May from company headquarters in Westport, Connecticut, where Newman lived with longtime wife Joanne Woodward and their children. “By stopping these cases, we directly and positively impact the children who were so important to Paul.” https://lnkd.in/eTe3bYmb

Daniel J. Poterek is driving a transformative shift in Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company's legal practices and legal strategy leaving no stone unturned when it comes to fundamentally enhancing the way the company handles the thousands of cases in its' litigation portfolio. https://lnkd.in/ehphDRvD

In late April, shortly after the Chicago Bears made quarterback Caleb Williams the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, his jersey was available for pre-order on Fanatics.com, the sports world’s largest online licensed sportswear retailer. Sure, Bears General Manager Ryan Poles had to make the pick, and the Bears needed some good fortune to “earn” the first selection, but behind the scenes, someone else played a central role in ensuring Williams—and other top draft picks—saw their jerseys for sale online and in stores across the country. That deal, and many deals like it, requires many different people, but few more influential than Tim Slavin. He’s the managing director and chief legal officer for OneTeam Partners, the juggernaut sports agency established in December 2019 by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and Redbird Capital.  OneTeam is a company many outside sports might not know about—yet. Most of its revenue comes from representing professional athletes in “group rights licensing.” This essentially means athletes grant NIL (name, image, likeness) rights through their players’ union to OneTeam, and OneTeam then negotiates deals to give companies the ability to make products that use the player NIL—like jerseys, video games, trading cards, and hundreds of other types of products for fans and collectors.  https://lnkd.in/eFipHFue

Mitchel K. (Kay), general counsel at PTS Corp., is on a legal mission to be a part of crafting new laws around the use of cannabis and he's optimistic that both the industry and the laws surrounding it are on the right track. From The Story: “I’m finding it enjoyable to get my proverbial fingerprints in shaping at least a corner of this nascent industry and having the opportunity to work alongside some of the industry’s top thought leaders,” he tells Vanguard from PTS headquarters in the Greater Chicago Area in May. “This industry currently faces every hurdle and headwind you can think of, so instituting best practices and sensible and strategic solutions – all while working in a Federally illegal industry—takes time, patience, and resilience.” https://lnkd.in/eNfYXzAg

Pinot noir and sharp cheddar led Wilfredo Hernandez (Willy) into the legal world of legal challenges spanning North America, Latin America and the Caribbean at Hyundai Motor America, where he works to provide international consumers with a stellar online shopping experience. “Coming out of law school, my dream job would be something like what I’m doing now – working as an in-house litigation and transactional lawyer in a global setting,” Hernandez says.  https://lnkd.in/d8V-CGx6

What's it like being a lawyer for lawyers? Offit Kurman, P.A.'s general counsel, Russell Berger explains: In his role, Berger spearheads initiatives to ensure smart and controlled growth for the firm. He guides the growth process strategically, balancing the responsibilities of a GC and a practicing attorney to provide valuable insights and legal expertise. Berger’s unique perspective and hands-on approach contribute to Offit Kurman’s continued success. Additionally, Berger is focused on expanding the functions of the GC role within the firm. He recognizes this new position’s opportunities to further strengthen the firm’s entrepreneurial spirit and mission.  https://lnkd.in/eP52T327

What do you do when you leave a place where you worked for two decades as part of a long and distinguished legal career? If you’re David M. Stark you do whatever you want.  “I’ve started a new chapter focusing on new endeavors and projects while regaining work-life balance and prioritizing becoming healthier. I believe this will make me even more effective in my future endeavors,” Stark tells Vanguard during an interview from his Long Island home in March. Stark is a former executive vice president and chief legal officer for Teva Pharmaceuticals. He spent about half his 21-year tenure there leading the company’s legal team through major challenges such as complex litigations and multi-billion dollar transactions. But with that part of his career in the rearview mirror, Stark is thinking about ways to share his experiences and pass down his knowledge to attorneys, both young and old, within and without the healthcare ecosystem, with a strong focus on heavily regulated industries. While he is open to assuming a general counsel role for a public company—he is in a place where he can be very selective—his main focus is on his new company, Stark Creative Solutions. He intends to pursue projects aligning with his passion for law and business negotiations through this venture. He is interested in serving on boards and is participating in philanthropic endeavors, such as agreeing to serve as one of the founding board members for Jinlaw, an organization of insurance professionals focused on educating the public on issues arising from the Middle East conflict. https://lnkd.in/eCmC7abA

The Home Equity Partners, Shael Weinreb has named the firm he operates with his chief revenue officer, Alicia Pedicelli, a veteran of the Canadian banking industry who knows well the issues faced by would-be borrowers, and not exclusively those in their golden years. Lots of moving parts, Weinreb and Pedicelli say about their operation, but with their respective skills and backgrounds, this duo says they’re confident of their potential to be a positively disrupting force in an industry that is ripe for change. Weinreb explains that banks use conservative metrics—such as income and debt level—to determine creditworthiness. Home Equity Partners, however, takes a much more holistic view of each situation. Weinreb said, “We’re in this together with the homeowner; we are fully aligned, sharing in the upside as well as the downside- meaning we’ll also share in the depreciation of our client’s home.” As this is still a new concept and a program that will most certainly help revolutionize home financing in Canada, Weinreb and Pedicelli are excited to be one of the first movers in Canada in this space. https://lnkd.in/dEEnMDWz

As Emilio Bugs began his legal career around 20 years ago, his father offered advice on what lawyers should and shouldn’t do. Long hair and pierced ears? Out of order! But while his father may have known best from a conventional standpoint, the precocious son had other influences that turned out fine. The young Bugs had grown up listening to Metallica, which factored into his personal grooming habits and his career choice. During his late teens, the heavy metal band sued Napster for copyright infringement. Rapper Dr. Dre joined in the litigation, and they forced the peer-to-peer sharing service to at least garner permission from the artists before making their music available. That case having inspired Bugs’ interest in intellectual property and the law itself, he’s gone on to have a distinguished career as an attorney and, in November, celebrated his third anniversary on the GFT legal staff, the last nine months as its director for Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States. https://lnkd.in/dAVEmPxt