COMPANY Guess
Hanesbrands Hasbro
Hyatt Hotels Inergy
International Flavors & Fragrances Intuit
J. Crew Group
Kar Auction Services Kindred Healthcare Lam Research
LPL Investment Holdings LSI
Martin Marietta Materials ¹New to list
GENERAL COUNSEL Debra Siegel Joia Johnson
Barbara Finigan Rena Reiss¹
Laura Ozenberger¹ Anne Chwat Laura Fennell
Jennifer O'Connor¹ Becca Polak
M. Suzanne Riedman¹ Sarah Odowd¹
Stephanie Brown Jean Rankin Roselyn Bar
2011 RANK
751 505 538 581 946 725 597 964 938 501 835 648 736 947
2010 RANK INDUSTRY
792 524 511
Apparel Apparel
GROUPED BY INDUSTRY
E E
Specialty Retailers: Toys, Games, Action Figures E Hotels, Casinos, Resorts Energy
755 610 984 918 477
686 775 936
Flavors and Fragrances Computer Software Apparel
Automotive Auction Services Health Care: Medical Facilities Semiconductors Securities
Semiconductors Building Materials
N C Z
A E K I
A F
A N
PROF IL E 27 ¹New to list
RENA HOZORE REISS HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION
GENERAL COUNSEL AND SECRETARY
“W
hen I assumed the role of general counsel at Hyatt, I quickly realized that I couldn’t be a transactional lawyer anymore,” Rena Reiss says. “It was no longer my role.
People were now looking to me as a resource for strategic advice. “When you become GC, your lens grows wider, and you’re compelled
to think about a broader range of immediate and long-range issues. Even more so than in other in-house roles, you cannot answer questions only from a purely legal standpoint. You must consider all the pieces, both legal and business. What does something mean for the company in terms of strategic direction, operation of the business, compliance and governance?” Being able to think in a new and different way comes through
experience, she says. It’s a skill you hone at every level of an in-house position. Growing up in Queens, New York, Reiss was surrounded by attor-
neys, including both her late father and her mother (who attended law school while her daughters were in high school). For Reiss, becoming a lawyer was not a big surprise. In elementary school, she enjoyed a social studies class that included a memorable introduc- tion to constitutional law cases. And she was similarly intrigued by her Talmud classes at the Jewish day school she attended,
where the fi ner points of Jewish law were debated and analyzed. Reiss describes her time as a Princeton history major as academi- cally adventuresome, but sees her time at Harvard Law School as more of a means to an end. Shortly after graduating, she joined a mid-size law fi rm in Miami, Florida. She was soon lured away to an in-house position by one of the fi rm’s former partners who had become GC of The Miami Herald Publishing Company. “He was a mentor who set the stage for what an in-house counsel’s job should be: Enable the business to do what it sets out to do, raise your hand if something bad is happening, and work to solve problems so that you are seen as an ally, not a hindrance. “Instantly, I loved the in-house role of being part of the enterprise,
getting to know the people, and understanding their jobs. Outside lawyers sometimes parachute in and out—if their documents cause trouble it is someone else’s problem. When you’re in-house, it’s on you to fi x the problem. I like that.” Following a family move to Washington, D.C., Reiss returned to
private practice at a small fi rm specializing in real estate and real estate fi nancing. In 2000, she went in-house again at Marriott International where she held a variety of increasingly responsible positions during her tenure. Reiss remained there until joining Hyatt in Chicago in August 2010. Some GCs are indifferent to which industry employs them—not
Reiss, however. “Dealing with the public is not for everyone. I happen to love the fact that Hyatt’s mission is authentic hospitality, and I admire the ability of the people in the fi eld to deliver 24/7. It’s my challenge to translate that energy into the legal function because it really does inform all facets of the company.”
MCCA.COM
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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