Jones Day - Careers

Currently, over 750 of our attorneys worldwide are women. They come from diverse backgrounds and have forged successful careers at the Firm by many different paths. Some of our women attorneys are Ph.D. scientists; others are former prosecutors or judicial clerks. Many are leaders of local bar associations or not-for-profit organizations. Some of our women attorneys have taken time off to stay home with their children; others work reduced schedules. Women attorneys also hold important leadership positions within the Firm. Our head of the New Lawyers Group is a woman. The Partners in charge of our Atlanta, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Washington offices are women, and women are heads or coheads of several practices. We invite you to contact any of our women attorneys, a few of whom are featured below, to discuss what it’s like to practice at Jones Day.

Corinne Ball

Partner, New York

Corinne Ball is cohead of the New York Office's Business Restructuring & Reorganization Practice. She has 25 years of experience in business finance and restructuring, with a focus on complex corporate reorganizations and distressed acquisitions, including court-supervised proceedings such as chapter 11 cases as well as restructuring and recapitalization out-of-court matters involving multijurisdictional and cross-border enterprises. Corinne leads the Firm's efforts on distressed M&A, working with GM in acquiring Daewoo; WL Ross & Co. on International Steel Group, International Coal Group, International Textile Group, and Tong Yang Life Insurance; Continental Airlines on Avianca and others; Lazard Real Estate Funds on Atria and Fortress Home Builders; and IBM on Comdisco and Applied Digital Solutions, among others. Corinne has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in every edition since 1999. She is also featured in The International Who's Who of Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyers 2006 and in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2006, identified as one of the "Top 100 Restructuring Professionals" in the U.S.

Martha Boersch

Partner, San Francisco

Martha Boersch practices corporate criminal defense and complex civil litigation, primarily in the areas of complex fraud, money laundering, securities, RICO, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and antitrust. She has extensive federal criminal jury trial and appellate experience, having served for 12 years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of California, where she investigated, prosecuted, and tried a wide variety of federal criminal law violations. Martha also has considerable experience with the national and international security issues that arise in federal criminal cases, such as mutual legal assistance, extradition, and classified information − experience she gained while serving as chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force in San Francisco, where she specialized in Russian and transnational organized crime. One of Martha's more significant prosecutions included the trial and conviction of the former prime minister of Ukraine, who was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering arising out of his activities as a government official in Ukraine and his transfer of more than $100 million into banks in the U.S. Martha is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and recently was named by the San Francisco Daily Journal as one of its "Top Women Litigators." In 2004, Martha was one of 41 lawyers selected by California Lawyer magazine as "Lawyer of the Year" in their fields.

Laura Coruzzi, Ph.D.

Partner, New York

Dr. Coruzzi leads the life sciences component of the Firm's Intellectual Property Practice, which includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics. Her practice involves all aspects of patent law as it relates to the emerging fields of biotechnology, including genetic engineering, molecular biology, plant molecular biology, virology, immunology, genomics, functional genomics, proteomics, diagnostics, drug discovery, pharmaceuticals, pharmacogenomics, and drug delivery. Dr. Coruzzi's patent procurement practice focuses on the strategic planning and management of patent portfolios designed to protect emerging new platform technologies (such as functional genomics, proteomics, tissue engineering, and gene therapy), biologics (antibodies, growth factors, and peptide drugs), and other pharmaceuticals and therapies (antivirals, anti-angiogenic therapies, and chemotherapeutics). This includes handling U.S. prosecution and interference as well as management of corresponding foreign proceedings, particularly oppositions in the European Patent Office and Australia and revocations and litigations in the United Kingdom.

Sarah H. Eberhard

Associate, Chicago

Sarah Eberhard is an associate who practices in the areas of real estate, general corporate, and securities law. She frequently represents sponsors in the formation of real estate funds using a variety of collective investment vehicles. She also represents issuers and underwriters in domestic and international private placements and public offerings of debt and equity securities. Sarah serves on the American Cancer Society's associates board and on the board of After-School All-Stars Chicago, a not-for-profit organization that has teamed with the Chicago Public Schools to provide after-school programs for inner-city youth. For now, Sarah is working a reduced-hours schedule that enables her to spend more time with her two children.

Laura E. Ellsworth

Partner, Pittsburgh

Laura Ellsworth is Partner-in-Charge of the Pittsburgh Office and was recently recognized by Pennsylvania Law Weekly as one of the top female litigators in Pennsylvania. She is married to a federal criminal prosecutor and has a son. She has developed programs for her son's school to teach children about the law, as well as a course for inner-city high school students administered by Duquesne University that was designed to increase the number of minority students who go to college and consider a career in the law. Laura is active in the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She serves as chair of its Rules of Evidence Committee and is a past chair of its Civil Litigation Section. She is a member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, a fellow of the American Bar Association, cochair of the Defense Research Institute's Chemical and Toxic Products Specialized Litigation Group, and a member of DRI's Task Force on E-Discovery.

Eileen Falvey, Ph.D.

Associate, New York

Dr. Eileen Falvey is an associate in our Intellectual Property Practice. She has extensive experience in obtaining patent protection in the areas of molecular biology and genetics as well as in biotechnology patent procurement, opinion work, and client counseling. She has also participated in opposition proceedings before the European Patent Office. Prior to entering law school, Eileen was a member of the faculties of Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Geneva in Switzerland, where she taught and conducted research in the area of mammalian gene expression.

Sophie Hagège

Partner, Paris

When Sophie Hagège was growing up in France, her mother was appointed visiting professor of physics at Stanford. The family moved to Palo Alto, where Sophie learned English in elementary school. After completing an LLM on scholarship at Duke, she interviewed with a number of U.S. firms but chose Jones Day Paris. Rotating among various practice areas, Sophie found that she liked the adrenaline rush, teamwork, and "win-win" approach to doing deals in our M&A Practice. Her first deal was for a French chemical company; 16 years later, that client and its affiliates still look to her for M&A advice. Sophie has two young daughters and still finds time to swim.

Beth Heifetz

Partner, Washington

Beth Heifetz focuses on appellate and complex litigation, representing clients in federal and state courts in constitutional, antitrust, tax, and securities cases, among others. She has cochaired the Appellate Practice and Pro Bono Committees of the ABA Litigation Section. She also serves on the board of managers of her synagogue and chairs its religious school committee. Beth withdrew from the partnership at Jones Day to stay home with her two children for more than four years and then returned to practice. She works a reduced-hours schedule and is a Partner in our Issues & Appeals Practice.

Nancy MacKimm

Partner, Houston

Nancy MacKimm is Partner-in-Charge in Houston. Her practice focuses on environmental and toxic tort litigation in state and federal courts around the country. Nancy has substantial experience in the defense of government enforcement actions and citizen suits; litigation relating to liability for cleanup costs, property damage, and personal injuries; and insurance disputes relating to such liabilities. She has provided assistance to clients involved in environmental criminal investigations. Her practice also includes regulatory counseling and advising clients on potential environmental liabilities associated with business transactions. Representative clients include IBM, Dole Food Company, Chevron, and Bridgestone/Firestone.

Barbara Mok

Partner, Hong Kong

Barbara Mok's practice covers China-focused mergers and acquisitions, work for issuers and sponsors in relation to listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and private placements and venture capital transactions. She regularly advises on China inbound investments in a variety of industries ranging from food and beverage processing to infrastructure developments; outbound investments from Chinese entities into Hong Kong and other areas; and resolution of disputes between Chinese entities and overseas investors. In addition, Barbara advises on international business transactions, including start-up for foreign investors, transfers of businesses, joint ventures, partnerships, franchising, and licensing. A native of Hong Kong, Barbara is a member of the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Law Society of England and Wales (nonpracticing).

Yolanda Orozco

Partner, Los Angeles

Yolanda Orozco is a partner in our Trial Practice. She recently concluded a three-year term as chair of the Standing Committee on Attorney Discipline for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She is an officer of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and sits on the board of the Western Center on Law and Poverty. Yolanda has been a lawyer delegate to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference and was deputy general counsel to the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department (the Christopher Commission). She is cochair of the Los Angeles Office's diversity program and mentors two minority associates. Yolanda is the mother of a young daughter.

Leslie Overton

Partner, Washington

Leslie Overton practices exclusively in the antitrust and government regulation areas. She focuses on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, civil nonmerger investigations, and counseling. From September 2002 through July 2004, Leslie worked at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") as counsel to the assistant attorney general ("AAG"). In that capacity she advised the AAG and deputy assistant attorneys general regarding merger and civil nonmerger investigations, competition advocacy efforts, and policy initiatives, including the hearings on health care and competition law and policy held by the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission. Leslie was made a Partner while on maternity leave. The active mother of two sons under the age of five, she is also a member of the recruiting committee for the Washington Office and liaison to the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession.

Laura Tuell Parcher

Partner, Washington

Laura Tuell Parcher is the Firmwide Partner in Charge of Pro Bono and has a very active pro bono practice. She is the chair of the board of directors of the Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition and chairs the strategic planning committee of Bread for the City. Laura was named the D.C. Bar's "Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year" in 2005 and has received several other awards for her pro bono efforts. Laura is a partner in our Trial Practice.

Mary Ellen Powers

Partner, Washington

Mary Ellen Powers is Partner-in-Charge of the Washington Office. Her practice focuses on complex litigation, including toxic tort litigation, corporate criminal investigations, congressional investigations, and parallel civil litigation. Mary Ellen was on the trial team that recently won a unanimous jury verdict for IBM in San Jose, California, after a four-month trial of fraud claims brought on behalf of two workers who alleged that they suffered workplace injuries that had been concealed from them and thereafter aggravated into cancer. In 2004, Mary Ellen was recognized by the Women's Bar Association as a "Star of the Bar" and by the Washingtonian as one of the top lawyers in the D.C. area. She has two daughters and worked a reduced-hours schedule for several years as an associate at the Firm.

Lee Ann Russo

Partner, Chicago

Lee Ann Russo, is the administrative partner for the Chicago Office and its pro bono coordinator. In 2006, she was awarded the Midwest Light of Human Rights Award for her work on behalf of indigent clients fighting deportation to countries they fled because of political or ethnic persecution. Under her leadership, the Firm has won three asylum cases before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and is currently handling appeals in two other asylum cases. Lee Ann serves on the National Immigrant Justice Center's Leadership Council and chairs its Litigation Steering Committee. A Partner in our Securities and Shareholder Litigation & SEC Enforcement Practice, she is also the active mother of two young sons.

Lizanne Thomas

Partner, Atlanta

Lizanne Thomas is the Partner-in-Charge of the Atlanta office and was formerly the Firm's Administrative Partner. She also heads the corporate practice in the Atlanta Office. Lizanne has served as a member of the Georgia Bar's Committee on Multidisciplinary Practice and sits on the board of trustees of Furman University. She is also active in the community, currently serving on the advisory board of the Salvation Army of Metro Atlanta. In the past, Lizanne has served as a member of the World Trade Club Atlanta, the board of advisors for the Friends of Music at Emory University, the board of trustees of Arbor Montessori School, the executive board of the Board of Directors Network, and the board of directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Lizanne has two sons and is an avid gardener, golfer, and reader.

Patricia J. Villareal

Partner, Dallas

Pat Villareal cochairs our Securities and Shareholder Litigation & SEC Enforcement Practice. She joined the Firm nearly 25 years ago after serving as a special assistant to the House Judiciary Committee and completing a federal district court clerkship. Her practice includes defense of securities class actions and derivative litigation, representation of boards of directors and board committees, counseling in corporate governance matters, and prelitigation counseling. With two sons, Pat has managed to combine a successful practice representing CEOs with stints as Cub Scout den leader, parents' club president for her sons' school, and room mom.