|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Ivelisse Clausell was surprised and dismayed during her first time serving on a jury. The case was against two defendants of color and the evidence against them was the same. One, who had a court-appointed attorney, was found guilty. The other, who had a private attorney, was set free. And the way the lawyers advocated for their respective clients was night and day.
“The court-appointed attorney never looked his client in the eye, never talked to him, and put him on the stand. It really bothered me because it was clear that he believed his client was guilty,” Clausell says. “Meanwhile, the private attorney talked to his client throughout the trial, showed him documents, and answered questions. As I witnessed that disparity, I decided I could do a better job.”
After that, Clausell, a single mother with a toddler son, set out for law school. Balancing her responsibilities as a parent with the pressures of school and financial difficulties made for some exhausting and painful times. But within just two-and-a-half years, she got her degree from Cardozo School of Law, and started her career, first as a federal attorney, and then in house at Bristol-Myers Squibb.
There, a manager gave her opportunities to support privacy-related matters. That’s where she found her passion.
“Privacy touches every individual in their personal lives,” she reflects. “We all should know what personal data is being collected about us, by whom, how it’s being used, how it’s being protected. These are all reasonable questions, and I very much enjoy contributing to the dialogue, the growth of this field, and advocating for transparency in this area.”
Clausell went on to deepen her knowledge of privacy, information security, and data protection laws at different multi-national companies, including Johnson & Johnson (J&J). In 2022, she returned to J&J as VP of data protection legal. While she left to get more global privacy leadership experience, she was drawn back by the company’s people and its mission.
“I’ve worked in a number of companies and there’s something very special about the people in the law department here.” Clausell says. “We are Credo-based and it’s what differentiates J&J from other companies, and we really lean into that. You can truly see where your work makes a difference in the lives of patients.”
In her previous tenure at J&J, she helped build out the privacy legal organization, and now grows what she helped develop. Her global team of lawyers provides data privacy and cybersecurity legal advice to corporate functions, as well as pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors. Their work and their growth are some of the highlights of her career.
Establish yourself as a trusted business partner, but know that trust builds up over time through demonstrating consistent expertise. And most importantly, always be ethical and kind.
Ivelisse Clausell, VP of data protection legal, Johnson & Johnson
“When I first joined J&J, the privacy legal space was really small. We had a robust privacy compliance organization, but only pockets of attorneys with privacy knowledge,” Clausell says. “Today, we have a team of colleagues around the world and are able to conduct legal assessments quickly and support business partners in making well-informed decisions. I’m really proud of that. It hasn’t been a one-person thing, but a commitment by the company to sponsor our team’s growth.”
One topic has been on the radar of her colleagues and partners across all jurisdictions: artificial intelligence. “With the emergence of ChatGPT last year, people became aware of the potential to harvest the power of gen AI and to do really great work with it,” she says. “But we have to temper that by thinking of the potential risks to people and mitigate it to the extent we can. My team is tracking AI guidance and laws being issued around the world.”
Clausell’s leadership has evolved over time; she has learned to respect different working styles.
“Before COVID, everyone had the same core hours. But we saw that some people are more effective working late at night while others prefer to work early in the morning,” she says. “People can decide when to do the work, so that they can do it well.”
One of the things Clausell enjoys most is mentoring junior attorneys seeking success in their careers.
“Know how to do your job and do it well. There are no shortcuts. Be an expert and be business savvy,” Clausell says. “Establish yourself as a trusted business partner, but know that trust builds up over time through demonstrating consistent expertise. And most importantly, always be ethical and kind.”
In today’s digital era, global CEOs face mounting cyber risks, endangering finances, operations, and reputations. Legal repercussions exacerbate threats worldwide. To counter these risks, a robust cybersecurity strategy is vital. At Baker McKenzie, we collaborate globally with organizations, governments, and regulators to prevent cybercrime. We champion public-private cooperation, sharing threat intelligence, fortifying defenses, and responding to attacks. With leading cybersecurity and data privacy experts and a strong global presence, we offer practical, risk-focused guidance. Explore our cybersecurity practice at bakermckenzie.com and legal insights at connectontech.com.
