Paying It Forward: Sandra Leung

Welcome to Original Jurisdiction, the latest legal publication by me, David Lat. You can learn more about Original Jurisdiction by reading its About page, and you can email me at davidlat@substack.com. This is a reader-supported publication; you can subscribe by clicking here.

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I’m very proud of the guests I’ve hosted on the Original Jurisdiction podcast, who are some of the most interesting and influential figures in the world of law. But I recently noticed a significant gap in their ranks: I’ve never hosted the general counsel or chief legal officer of a publicly traded company.

To remedy this, I went big: I interviewed Sandra Leung, who recently stepped down as executive vice president and general counsel of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), the biopharmaceutical giant that’s both a Fortune 100 and S&P 100 company. Sandy worked for BMS for almost 33 years, 18 of them as GC—so she’s an expert on the crucial role of in-house counsel, with lots of wise advice for GCs and CLOs. At the same time, as a former GC, she was willing to address hot-button topics that many sitting GCs might steer clear of—such as the Trump administration's executive orders targeting law firms, including how these orders should affect the thinking of GCs when considering which law firms to hire as outside counsel.

This interview is also timely because May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month—and Sandy, a past president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), is a longtime leader in the AANHPI community. In our conversation, we discussed why she has devoted so much of her time and energy over the years to advancing diversity—and why she believes it remains essential for organizations, despite the backlash against DEI.

Thanks to Sandy for her time, insight, and many years of service to the legal profession. And congratulations to her on a long and successful tenure as GC.

Show Notes:

• Sandra Leung bio, NAPABA

• Bristol Myers Squibb GC to Retire After 33 years With Drugmaker, by Chris O’Malley for Corporate Counsel/Law.com

• Bristol-Myers GC Sandra Leung To Retire After 33 Years, by Christine DeRosa for Law360

Prefer reading to listening? For paid subscribers, a transcript of the entire episode appears below.

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Sandra Leung (courtesy photo)