October 13, 2021
Corporate Counsel magazine presented Tiffany with the award at the annual conference and awards ceremony.
Tiffany Lee, Managing Partner of the firm’s Palo Alto office, was named the recipient of the Collaborative Leadership Award by Corporate Counsel magazine at its annual Women, Influence & Power in Law conference and awards. The event took place on October 7.
Tiffany helped launch Willkie’s Palo Alto office—its first on the West Coast—in December 2018, and has since helped grow its book of business and establish its culture. An effective dealmaker for Willkie’s technology clients, Tiffany has led some of the most notable tech industry deals this past year. She is a vocal advocate for women and diverse attorneys across the firm, driving diversity efforts in recruitment and serving as a mentor to associates throughout the Palo Alto office.
Corporate Counsel featured a profile on Tiffany discussing her route to the top, challenges faced, what she wished she would have known starting out in the legal profession, and the best leadership advice she received. Tiffany discusses her career path, from being a paralegal, to law school, to making partner the same year she took her first maternity leave, and joining Willkie in 2018 to lead the firm’s Palo Alto office. “Along the way, I have balanced work across international and national time zones with two young children at home, and have confronted and overcome biases related to being an Asian woman,” Tiffany said.
On the topic of leadership, she notes: “While it is very important to have excellent mentors along the way, only you can find your own balance in life and what works for you. This requires listening to the experiences and guidance of others but instead of trying to fit into any one mold, it is important to synthesize all of the information and, sometimes through trial and error, discover your own leadership style.”
The Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards honors top women lawyers who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession, and who demonstrate extraordinary leadership and business acumen.
According to Corporate Counsel, the collaborative leadership honor is awarded to women who are transformative legal leaders and stand out as working well with others – the “team players.” Tiffany’s full profile can be viewed here.
