Directory Features

Judith N. Batty
General Counsel
ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha

Judith N. Batty is general counsel of ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha. The ExxonMobil Japan affiliate is one of the largest ExxonMobil affiliates operating outside the U.S. Her department also provides legal advice and corporate secretarial services to TonenGeneral (a publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange). Prior to this position, Batty held several positions within ExxonMobil and Mobil Corporation, and she was part of the Mobil team that secured EU antitrust clearance for the Exxon and Mobil merger. Batty began her legal career, through the honors program at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Antitrust Division, Trial Section. She was an associate at Galland, Kharasch, Morse and Garfinkle before joining Mobil. Batty has been active in a number of professional and charitable organizations, including the American Bar Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Links, Inc. She has served on the boards of trustees of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia and the Levine School of Music. She received her B.A. from New York University College of Arts and Sciences and her J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Vicki D. Blanton
Senior Benefits Counsel - Legal Department
American Airlines

Vicki D. Blanton is senior benefits counsel with American Airlines. Prior, she served as a senior counsel practicing ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation at J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc. Prior to J.C. Penney, Blanton served as an associate at Thompson & Knight LLP and as an assistant city attorney for the city of Dallas. Blanton is currently the immediate past president of the J. L. Turner Legal Association, where her work with the Dallas affiliate of the National Bar Association garnered her two awards. In 2007, Blanton received the Best Good Samaratan-Dallas Buisness Journal's Best Corporate Counsel Award. She received a J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law, and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.

Karen V. Clopton
President
San Francisco League of Women Voters

Karen V. Clopton–appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger–is general counsel for the California Department of Corporations, where she oversees litigation, policies, administrative decisions, and serves as liaison with the Governor’s legal staff and other governmental agencies. Prior, she was CEO and general counsel for Workplace Consulting; chief of operations and corporate counsel for the San Francisco State University Foundation, Inc.; and served on the San Francisco Civil Service Commission. Clopton is currently president of the San Francisco League of Women Voters–a nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. The League works to increase understanding of major public policy issues through education and advocacy. Clopton is a recipient of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women–Women Who Make A Difference Award. She is a graduate of Vassar College, cum laude, and Antioch University School of Law and was awarded the highly competitive Maguire Fellowship by Vassar College for post-graduate study in international and comparative labor-management relations in London, England. Clopton majored in political science and Hispanic studies at Vassar, studied in Madrid, Spain and speaks Spanish.

Kimberly Diahann King
Senior Counsel
Deere & Company

Kimberly Diahann King is senior counsel at Deere & Company, where she specializes in information technology law. Prior, she worked at the Williams Companies, where she specialized in energy law in the petroleum services area of the business, and emergent bio solutions, where she was responsible for many areas of the business, including but not limited to procurement, employment, and FDA regulatory matters. King is the author of The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Is Its Bark Worse Than Its Bite In Resolving Human Rights Disputes? (Tulsa Law Journal, Winter 2000). Her article has been cited by legal scholars. King has served as a speaker on “Building Relationships that Build Business: Learn What it Takes to Impact the Bottom Line” at the 20th National Summit of Black Women Lawyers in Chicago, Illinois, and “Women of Power” at the National Council for Negro Women in Hampton, Virginia. King received her B.A. from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and her J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law, where she served as a senior staff member of The Tulsa Law Journal.

Judy Kim
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Southwest)

Judy Kim is a Senior Counsel at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in Bentonville, Arkansas. She is a member of the Realty Division counseling the store planning group, which handles non-retail operations for Wal-Mart Stores. Her responsibilities include negotiating and drafting various types of contracts on behalf of the energy management, facilities maintenance, construction and fixture purchasing, and expansion/remodeling departments. She also advises on energy regulatory issues and management of supplier relationships. Previously she worked at AGL Resources Inc., the parent of Atlanta Gas Light Company, and Troutman Sanders LLP on federal and state energy regulatory matters. She is the former president, vice president and treasurer of the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association, an affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). She has also been active with the Columbia Club of Atlanta and the Multi-Bar Leadership Council, a consortium of various bar associations in the Atlanta metro area. She received her B.A. from Columbia University, magna cum laude, and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Edwina "Joy" Divins
Former Executive, Domino’s Pizza
Founder and CEO
VallartaJoy™ Luxury Vacation Rentals

Edwina “Joy” Divins is the founder and chief executive officer of VallartaJoy™ Luxury Vacation Rentals, a subsidiary of Divins Investments. VallartaJoy™ has grown from four lake and beachfront properties to its present $80 million inventory of lake homes and 139 fully deeded Mexican beach-front, ocean-view, golf course and marina-view condominiums overlooking the sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean on Banderas Bay. Prior to devoting full-time to her entrepreneurial pursuits, Divins worked as a corporate attorney for almost 20 years, specializing in marketing, licensing, advertising, sponsorship, biotechnology, food, international, labor, and employment law. In her most recent position, Divins served as the vice president–legal at Domino’s Pizza. Before joining Domino’s, she served as an associate general counsel at Kellogg Company; senior counsel at General Electric Medical Systems; counsel at The Boeing Company; and as an associate at Baker & Hostetler LLP. She is married with a 3-year-old son, and cares for her aging parents as well. When time permits she appears on a local cable TV cooking show sharing her culinary secrets with Michigan neighbors. Divins is a graduate of Spelman College, magna cum laude, and University of Iowa College of Law.

Debra Hunter Johnson
Former Executive, American Airlines
Director of Law and Human Resources
Reciprocity Restaurant Group

Debra Hunter Johnson is director of law and human resources for Reciprocity Restaurant Group, a holding company through which she and her husband own and operate Church’s Chicken Restaurants in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Reciprocity Restaurant Group was named the 2006 Franchisee of the Year by Cajun Operating Company. Johnson brings 20-plus years of experience to her role and is responsible for all legal matters as well as leadership development and training for over 200 employees. In 2008, she created Reciprocity Consulting Group to focus on a wide range of business interests including leadership development, training, eco-friendly business, and real estate investing. Prior to her current role, Johnson was vice president of global human resources services for American Airlines and previously served as associate general counsel in American’s legal department. Before joining American, she served as an attorney with the Chrysler Corporation and with the law firm of Patterson, Phifer & Phillips, P.C. Johnson was named a 2007 “Woman Worth Watching” by the Diversity Journal. She obtained a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and J.D. from Howard University School of Law.

Kim Y. Richardson
Executive Counsel
The Walt Disney Company

Kim Y. Richardson is executive counsel of The Walt Disney Company’s Corporate Legal Data Privacy Group, where she manages data privacy law counseling and compliance for the domestic and international operations of Disney, including Studio Entertainment, Media Networks, Interactive Media, Parks and Resorts and Disney Consumer Products.  Richardson is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (“CIPP”) and is an active member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals.  Prior to joining the Data Privacy Group, Richardson served as legal counsel for Disney Consumer Products, and was responsible for handling complex domestic and international third party merchandise license agreements, providing counsel to Disney’s brick and mortar and online retail businesses, and overseeing enforcement of Disney’s International Labor Standards for product manufacturing. Prior, she served in the role of production and human resources attorney for Walt Disney Feature Animation. Before moving to Disney, Richardson was a litigation associate with Mitchell Silberberg and Knupp, LLP in Los Angeles. She represented a wide variety o f general business and entertainment clients in commercial litigation. Richardson received her B.A. in communications (mass media emphasis) with a specialization in business administration from UCLA, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa and her J.D. from Harvard Law School..

Anne Elizabeth Robinson
Vice President and Senior Counsel
American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Anne Robinson is a senior attorney in the General Counsel’s Office of American Express supporting the Global Commercial Card business. In this role, Anne is responsible for providing legal support to the division that markets the American Express Corporate Card, Corporate Purchasing Solutions and other payment products to mid-size companies and large corporations around the world.  Anne’s clients include the President of the Global Commercial Card division and his 3,000 employees in 36 countries.

In addition to the support that Anne provides GCC, she is responsible for leading the General Counsel’s Office Global Strategic Alliances and Co-Brands Center of Excellence for Corporate, Consumer and Small Business co-branded card partnerships.

Anne joined American Express in 2003 as the lead lawyer for American Express^SM OPEN – the division dedicated exclusively to the success of small business owners and their companies.  In this role, Anne was responsible for all OPEN^SM credit card and charge card products, business loan and line of credit products, loyalty and acquisition partnerships, new product development initiatives, advertising and public relations and general marketing.

Prior to joining American Express, Anne was counsel to DC Ventures and DC Outsourcing at Deloitte Consulting and before that, Anne was in private practice, primarily with the law firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy.

Anne earned a BS degree with Honors in political science from Hampton University and a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia University.

Aisha Christian Royall
Senior Cable and Compliance Counsel
CNBC

Aisha Christian Royall is senior cable and compliance counsel at CNBC, Inc. Royall’s practice focuses on cable transactions, licensing, compliance, and media law issues. She was a key legal advisor in the launch and continuing review of CNBC's stock-picking programs, “Mad Money w/Jim Cramer” and “Fast Money.” In addition to handling license agreements for the production of MSNBC's documentaries and pre-broadcast review of CNBC programming, she also serves as the CNBC ombudsperson and has overseen the continuing evolution of the CNBC Compliance program. In addition, Royall serves as NBC Universal's East Coast representative on GE's Diversity Council. Prior to joining CNBC, she worked as a securities associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Barrington D. Parker, Jr., United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (then of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York). Royall serves on the Advisory Council to Lenox Hill Hospital’s Center for Attention and Learning Disorders. She received her B.A. from Wellesley College, cum laude, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude.

Mei-lan Stark
Senior Vice President, Intellectual Property
Fox Entertainment Group

Lisa M. Stenson
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (East Coast)

Lisa M. Stenson is an Assistant General Counsel at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York City. Lisa's responsibilities include providing strategic advice and negotiating and drafting agreements for the company's corporate real estate portfolio comprised of 700 locations nationwide and for enterprise wide procurement operations covering a broad range of products and consulting services. She is a member of the MetLife Legal Affairs Diversity Committee. Prior to joining MetLife, Lisa was a Vice President, Corporate Counsel with Prudential Financial, Inc., which nominated her for The Network Journal's 40-Under-Forty Achievement Award. Lisa began her legal career as an attorney for the City of New York, where she specialized in commercial leasing transactions and community development asset sale and financing transactions. Lisa is a Delegate to the House of Delegates of the New York State Bar Association, and Chair of the Books at the Bar Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. In addition, as a member of the Real Property Law Committee and Continuing Legal Education Committee of the CityBar, she has organized and served as a panelist on several CLE programs. In addition, she serves as a Board Member of The Harbor Science and Arts Charter School in East Harlem, New York, and conducts fundraising as a member of the Riverdale Country School Alumni Executive Committee. Lisa is also a member of the American Bar Association, National Bar Association, and The GirlFriends, Inc. A native New Yorker and fourth generation attorney, Lisa earned her B.A. in Government with International Relations concentration from Georgetown University and her J.D. from The University of Virginia School of Law. Lisa may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Elicia Pegues Spearman
Head, Employee Relations and HR Policy & Compliance
Aetna Inc.

Elicia Pegues Spearman is the head of employee relations and HR policy and compliance for Aetna Inc. Prior to this promotion, she served as employment litigation and Medicaid counsel for Aetna. Before joining Aetna, she was an associate general counsel in the legal department for Children’s Hospital; in-house counsel with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in their Employment Litigation Unit; and litigation counsel for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. After law school, she clerked and worked as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. She is a published author in Dear Sisters, Dear Daughters Words of Wisdom from Multicultural Women Attorneys Who’ve Been There and Done That (American Bar Association), serves on several community boards and organizations, and is the second vice president of the New Haven Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She resides with her husband and daughter Kaila Cheryl. Spearman is a graduate of Wellesley College and received her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, which bestowed upon her the Alumni Distinguished Recent Graduate Award in 2000.

Deborah H. Telman
General Counsel
Ports America Group

Deborah H. Telman was recently appointed general counsel of Ports America Group, where she leads the legal and public affairs team. Prior to her current position, Telman was chief counsel, mergers and acquisitions for The Boeing Company, and was the lead attorney responsible for managing a global legal team for all corporate development and financing transactions. In this position, she executed a wide variety of projects that required delicate balancing of complex issues, resources, and relationships, and has negotiated successfully numerous acquisitions and ventures around the globe. Prior to Boeing, Telman served as a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, where she represented both public and private clients in a variety of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions; leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations; dealt with private debt and equity offerings, tender offers, and joint venture and minority stake investments. Telman began her legal career at Hopkins and Sutter, where she focused on corporate and public financing matters for housing agencies, airports, hospitals, 501(c)(3) organizations, and park districts and corporations. Telman received her B.A. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Judy W. Tieh
AnnTaylor Stores Corporation (East Coast)

Judy W. Tieh is Vice President and Associate General Counsel of AnnTaylor Stores Corporation, a leading national specialty retailer of women's apparel, shoes and accessories sold primarily under the "Ann Taylor" and "Ann Taylor LOFT" brands. She joined Ann Taylor in 2002 as Assistant General Counsel and was promoted to her current position in 2005. Judy supports all aspects of Ann Taylor's business and is responsible for diverse matters such as contract negotiation, securities compliance, intellectual property issues and litigation management. She has also been extensively involved in the company's corporate governance program, working on the implementation of compliance efforts relating to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and New York Stock Exchange listing standards. Prior to joining Ann Taylor, Judy was an associate in the New York offices of Morrison & Foerster LLP and O'Melveny & Myers LLP, where her practice focused on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate and securities law. She received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from New York University School of Law. She also served as a federal judicial clerk after law school. Judy can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Pamela Samuels Young
Managing Counsel
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

Pamela Samuels Young is a managing counsel for labor and employment law of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. She is the author of Every Reasonable Doubt, a fast-paced courtroom drama published by Harlequin. She is also the author of In Firm Pursuit and Murder on the Down Low. She earned her bachelor's degree in journalism, magna cum laude, from the University of Southern California and her master's degree in broadcasting from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her career as a broadcast journalist began at WXYZ-TV in Detroit. She later returned to Los Angeles and spent several years as a news writer and associate producer at KCBS-TV. Samuels Young took a break from the news business to serve as a Coro Foundation Fellow in St. Louis, Missouri, and then earned her law degree at UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. Prior to joining Toyota, she was special counsel, specializing in labor and employment law, at O’Melveny & Myers and was in-house counsel at Raytheon Company. She also served as a legal consultant to the Showtime television series Soul Food and teaches at the University of Redlands Graduate School of Business.