PROF IL E
HYUN PARK PG&E CORPORATION
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
P
rior to joining PG&E Corporation in 2006, Hyun Park did not think of himself as an energy specialist. Yes, he had experience in the fi eld, but, Park says, there was so much more left for him to learn. Today, as senior vice president and chief legal counsel of the
energy-based holding company headquartered in San Francisco and its principal subsidiary Pacifi c Gas and Electric Company, Park’s responsibilities include regulatory and securities law compli- ance, litigation strategy, oversight of corporate governance, and all legal matters related to signifi cant corporate transactions. “I like everything about being a GC. I love dealing with legal issues, but I also have a seat at the table when the most signifi cant business issues are discussed.” Park began his career in private practice and never intended
to go in-house. During his 10 years as a corporate attorney at Latham & Watkins, he did a lot of work for Sithe Energies, a U.S.-based energy corporation. One day, unexpectedly, Park received a call from Sithe’s CEO asking him to join the company as GC. “I was a new partner with an exciting practice that I’d worked very hard to build. Why would I want to give all that up? I didn’t, but the CEO was patient and persistent, and 10 months
after receiving that fi rst call I went in-house at Sithe.” Once Park realized that his going in-house would not erase his
accomplishments in private practice, but rather increase his skills, he felt comfortable making the move. “Going in-house didn’t mean that I was no longer qualifi ed to be a partner. It meant that I was learning more. Training at a fi rm was an intense experience that I really enjoyed. Hard work, quality work product—those things have stayed with me.” A graduate of Harvard Law School, Park’s interest in a legal
career sparked relatively late in his academic career. He earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Economics from Columbia University and Oxford University, respectively. “My plan was to get a Ph.D. in economics. However, the fi rst years of the graduate program were highly theoretical and quantitative. I’m comfortable with math, but it was still frustrating because I had diffi culty linking what I was learning to the real world. “Law struck me as a good career choice. My goal was to
combine what I already knew with a law degree and take that knowledge to real-life situations.” Born in Korea, Park came to the U.S. with his family when
he was 12. While his parents didn’t exactly micromanage his formative years, Park understood clearly what they expected from him—to work hard and do well. He vividly recalls a conversation he had with his father not long after they arrived in the U.S.: “He sat me down and said ‘because you’ve gotten a late start in America you must work twice as hard as everyone else.’” That’s a message Park has taken to heart.
What barrier?
Breaking down barriers is a core value at Jackson Lewis. Forging a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve is an established strength. To learn more about our inclusive aspects of workplace law – including the law of equal opportunity – please contact Weldon H. Latham, Chair of the Corporate Diversity Counseling Group, at
(703) 483-8333 or
lathamw@jacksonlewis.com or visit
www.jacksonlewis.com.
Jackson Lewis is proud to support the
Minority Corporate Counsel Association
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