Welcome to CompanyCounselor, a blog dedicated to corporate counsel. My name is Denise L. Diaz, and I'll be your host. Let me tell you a little about myself.
I decided to be a lawyer at the tender age of 11. I pursued my goal with a single-minded determination that paid off fourteen years later when I graduated from UCLA School of Law and passed the California bar exam.
After taking the bar, I traveled east to Washington, DC where I joined the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. You'd think that a young lawyer making less money than her secretary would be pretty unhappy, but I considered myself one of the lucky ones. While in law school, I had discovered a passion for—of all things—antitrust and unlike many of my classmates, I was going to do exactly what I wanted to do. I figured the money would come later and thankfully, it did. When I joined the Justice Department, I assumed that I would be a career government attorney. That changed—and how. While I was learning a lot from my very able colleagues, I often believed that the companies I was investigating quite simply deserved to be left alone. I quickly realized that I needed to join the ranks of private practitioners. And I did.
I’ve now been in private practice for over ten years, working at firms like White & Case and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Having been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, I then started my own firm. My practice focuses on antitrust law, consumer protection matters, and appellate litigation.
During the course of my career, I've represented companies—large and small—before courts and government agencies. My passion, however, is counseling. Nothing is more satisfying than partnering with a client to identify creative but lawful ways to achieve legitimate business objectives. That brings me back to CompanyCounselor and our partnership.
Although I'll be the host of CompanyCounselor, this blog is all about you. I’ll keep you abreast of legal developments in a wide range of subject areas, ranging from securities to intellectual property. I’ll tell you all about technological developments affecting legal departments. I’ll tell you about free resources to make your life easier. Have something to say about any of these topics? Just say it. Want me to cover something else? Just ask. That's what partners do.
p.s. I don't offer legal advice at CompanyCounselor. Nor do I solicit clients here. If you're looking for a lawyer, please consult one in your jurisdiction. Also, while I want to hear from you, please, please keep in mind that your comments will become publicly available as soon as you click the "post" button. They will not be protected from disclosure by the attorney-client privilege because--you guessed it--I'm not your attorney.
Nice job, Denise. Welcome to the KMM team! Great to have you and your legal expertise amongst us. Power on.
Posted by: Dan Smith | February 17, 2006 6:44 PM | Permalink to Comment