In the business world, everything hinges on the fine print and no one knows this better than CBS Interactive’s Yvonne Imbert-Garraton. The director of business and legal affairs primarily works with CBSSports.com making sure the site uses proper language and adheres to FCC regulations. Imbert-Garraton is an expert at what she does, but she was a late bloomer—at least as far as the law is concerned. Not only did she never entertain the thought of becoming a lawyer while growing up, but Imbert-Garraton majored in communications, with a focus on advertising and marketing. After graduation, she worked at various jobs in the industry before deciding to go to law school. The communications background may seem unusual to some, but Imbert-Garraton saw the connection early on and believes it gives her a competitive edge, especially in her field where the law and advertising go hand in hand.
interview by Tina Vasquez
What three attributes are necessary to succeed in your field of law? Confidence, creativity, and decisiveness
Primary duties:
• Handling licensing agreements
• Marketing
• Sweepstakes promotions
Is this a difficult industry for women? To be honest, I feel like most industries are difficult for women because we always have to deal with shattering the glass ceiling. I feel like law is one field in which women are almost on equal footing.
Number of years in advertising and marketing: 3
What is the most challenging aspect of your job? Having less space to draft disclaimers. How do you articulate everything on Twitter with 140 characters? It’s challenging.
What advice would you give a young person interested in entering your field? Stay on top of industry and regulation changes
Best advice from a mentor: Learn to listen to people
On work/life balance: You make less money working in-house than in a law firm, but it’s a give and take. I made a conscious decision to work in-house because even though I’d make less, I wanted to have a life.
Most important lesson learned: All anyone wants is to be heard and in this line of work, truly listening to people and understanding what they’re trying to say can solve a lot of problems.
What’s important in your industry? Being known as a person who goes after challenges and finds creative solutions. You definitely do not want to be the person who says no; the person who sees an obstacle and runs away from it.
