"I want to see this group of women on the cutting edge of the evolving legal marketplace, coming up with new ideas and models for how law firms deliver better value to in-house counsel."

The focus on diversity in today’s legal profession is a hot topic in both the in-house and law firm communities. Statistics associated with gender diversity for the in-house community have been steadily heading in the right direction. Unfortunately, with respect to the same statistics, law firms are not following suit at even close to the same pace. To tackle this problem head on, Carly Alameda, a business litigation partner at Farella Braun + Martel in San Francisco handling high stakes disputes, co-founded WISE: Women In-House Support Equality.

Alameda believes the practice of law needs both, competition and teamwork. “As a litigator, these are not mutually exclusive traits. I need to be competitive on my client’s behalf, while ensuring my client’s internal team is highly effective. I am of course a competitor in the market for work, but I’m committed to supporting and helping my network as well.”

Alameda is fiercely competitive. She is also the quintessential team player. Carrying herself with a poise and confidence resulting from years of leading teams through the demands that come with being an NCAA Division I student athlete, both on and off the volleyball court, Alameda now uses her ability to strike the balance of competition and collaboration with ease in the courtroom as well. "I am driven to personally perform at the highest level, but I also believe success is usually best attained working well with the team around you. The preparation, the work, the strategy – it’s more productive with a team that trusts and supports each other."

"I am of course a competitor in the market for work, but I’m committed to supporting and helping my network as well."

This balance is also at the heart of WISE – an alliance of women law firm partners in their first few years of partnership and women (and some men) in-house counsel who have joined together with the express purpose of building relationships and establishing a platform to help increase the number of women lawyers in positions of leadership and influence across the profession.

Alameda explains, "WISE brings together a highly-accomplished group of in-house women and law firm partners from the great companies and firms in the Bay Area. I know we are all competitive. And that’s okay. I know we can each be out there competing and at the same time find ways to support each other, push each other, learn from each other, and inspire each other. I am very excited to help lead this team."

"For WISE, my co-founders and I sought out members who are driven for their own success and for that of others. We want our members to look for ways to lift each other up, help others pursue opportunities and tackle challenges, and advance in all of our paths. I know we are all busy and driven people, so we sometimes have a tendency to put our heads down and just work on our own, but I’ve found it always yields better and more enjoyable results when I’m also collaborating with others."

Founding WISE was also a natural step stemming from Alameda’s background before joining Farella. After law school, Alameda accepted a clerkship with Justice Mark Simons of the California Court of Appeal, First District. The California appellate system does not typically have annual clerkships like the federal court system does, but Justice Simons made it a point to create a position.

As Justice Simons created an opportunity for Alameda, she hopes that in co-founding WISE she can help create opportunities for others, many of whom are her peers. "The creation and organization of WISE has taken a lot of time, effort, and thought by my co-founders and myself. But it is worth every bit of work."

Alameda fondly recalls her experience working for Justice Simmons, and brings that experience to both her current practice and WISE. “My clerkship with Justice Simons was transformative. I recognized that he went out of his way to create this opportunity, and I was a beneficiary. I formed lasting relationships with him and several other judges and staff attorneys that set the direction for the start of my career and continue to help shape it. I regularly appreciate the value of the network Justice Simons helped me start, and for the substantive knowledge I gained working with him that year. For example, although I spend a lot of time litigating in federal court or ICC, AAA, or JAMS arbitration, I can also say I truly love my cases that are heard in California state court because I have a relatively unique perspective on the system having seen it up close for a year. I know not every litigator shares my love of the California state court system. Justice Simons provided the foundation for many aspects of my career."

Alameda believes WISE can also serve as a long-term foundation for its members. As she explains, "I want to see this group of women on the cutting edge of the evolving legal marketplace, coming up with new ideas and models for how law firms deliver better value to in-house counsel. I want to see the key voices and positions of power within law firms more balanced between men and women partners. That all starts with the opportunity to form closer relationship and have more regular and direct communications between in-house counsel and women partners, and that is what we are going to do in WISE."

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For more information, see: WISE: Women In-House Support Equality

[Olga Mack is a startup lawyer who enjoys advising her clients to success and growth. Currently General Counsel at ClearSlide, she previously worked at Zoosk, Visa Inc., Pacific Art League of Palo Alto, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She is a passionate advocate for women and has founded the WomenServeOnBoards.com movement. @OlgaVMack. Katia Bloom is a fast-paced and strategic commercial lawyer. Currently, she is the associate general counsel at ForgeRock. Previously, she headed up legal for Avira, Inc., was a founding partner at E Squared Law Group, advising many start-up clients and was in-house counsel at Anesiva. She is actively involved in the Association of Corporate Counsel and a number of organizations promoting women in the legal profession.]