Winter 2022 • Vol 4 Issue 2 Meet PRA Group’s LaTisha Owens Tarrant in Norfolk and Endeavor’s Stephen Mead in Beverly Hills INSIDE From the Chair | Journeys | New & Now | Career Moves | Remembering COAST-TO-COAST ALUMNIIN THIS ISSUE WINTER 2022 FROM THE CHAIR 3 The Power of Servant Leadership JOURNEYS 4 Meet Our Amazing Alumni • LaTisha Owens Tarrant • Stephen Mead NEW & NOW 16 The Latest News From McGuireWoods CAREER MOVES 30 Here’s Where Our Alums Landed REMEMBERING 48 • Marshall H. Earl Jr. Colleen B. McGushin, Editor Elizabeth Maddox, Graphic Designer Contributors: John Bologna, Art Brewer, David Donovan, Andrew Gnerre, Jonathan Harmon, Amy Krynak, Colleen McGushin, Kate Raftery, Mike Sluss, Natale Stenzel For questions about One McGuireWoods, email alumni@mcguirewoods.com. To subscribe to McGuireWoods news, alerts and publications, click 2 ONE McGUIREWOODS | WINTER 20 22JONATHAN HARMON CHAIRMAN McGUIREWOODS We Are Leaders This month marks five years that I have had the honor and privilege of serving as chairman of McGuireWoods. This role has given me the great opportunity to collaborate with more members of the McGuireWoods family than I ever had before, including many alumni. As I have spoken and worked with folks inside and outside the firm, I have become even more steadfast in my belief in the power of servant leadership. From my time in the military and in other leadership roles, I learned that a team performs more effectively when each member is encouraged to contribute their talents, knowledge and skills for the common good. Since the professional staff, alumni and clients to flourish. In November, the firm held its 2022 Diversity Retreat and Inclusion Summit on beautiful Amelia Island in Florida. It was thrilling for our lawyers and professional staff to gather in-person with alumni, clients and experts to explore topics crucial to promoting diversity and inclusion at the firm and beyond. On day one, we talked with some of our distinguished alumni, heard from leaders and participants in the firm’s novel D&I initiatives, and gained insights from clients about the importance of D&I partnerships. On day two, at the inaugural Inclusion Summit, we discussed what the firm has done well to encourage and advance inclusion, what we can do better, and what we will do next to build and sustain McGuireWoods’ inclusive culture. It was wonderful to have alumni participate in these insightful and honest discussions. I am proud that the firm has created an environment where everyone feels welcome and comfortable to bring their best selves to work each day. In October, about 1,000 attendees from 45 states and seven countries gathered to network and share strategies, deal leads and best practices at in Dallas. This annual event lets McGuireWoods set the table for dealmakers to succeed by bringing together independent sponsors and capital providers. In September, McGuireWoods became one of only a handful of U.S. law firms to create a Middle Eastern/North African Lawyers Network — the And looking forward to March 2023, the firm will hold the in Chicago, another chance for McGuireWoods to support industry professionals such as private equity funds, senior and mezzanine lenders, investment bankers, C-level executives, consultants and principals in the healthcare and life sciences industries. This fall, the firm received several meaningful awards. McGuireWoods was named an inaugural recipient of The National Law Journal’s “ESG and Community Impact Leader” award, earning recognition for social responsibility and pro bono initiatives and for responding to growing client demand for guidance on environmental, social and corporate governance issues. The firm also was honored to receive the Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) Pro Bono Partner Award from the Pro Bono Institute and the National Veterans Legal Services Program’s Pro Bono Partner of the Year Award. This month marks the three-year anniversary of the firm’s One McGuireWoods alumni program and I’m proud of the many connections made so far. I’m sure 2023 will provide even more opportunities for all of us to stay in touch. I wish you and your families a happy holiday season. FROM THE CHAIR ONE McGUIREWOODS | WINTER 20 22 3JOURNEY LaTisha Owens Tarrant knew as a child that she was “destined” and “determined” to be a lawyer. “As a little girl, I loved reading, writing and impromptu speaking,” Tarrant says. “More importantly, I believed I could make a difference in the world, so in middle school I decided I would be a lawyer. Sometimes people choose the profession, but sometimes the profession chooses you.” Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, as the oldest of four children, Tarrant was a natural leader, unafraid to speak in oratorical contests and at community events. “You can effect change through speech and words. You can persuade people through what’s said and how it’s said. You can build consensus and bridge divides and belief systems through the power of words,” Tarrant says. At the age of 12, she was speaking at church programs, at “Just Say No” rallies to discourage children from taking drugs, and at city council meetings to support increased funding for public recreation and parks, she recalls. “I told everybody who would listen I wanted to be a lawyer,” Tarrant notes. “My mom and people in the community created opportunities for me to connect with lawyers, including shadowing some in high school. I charted a path and here I am, many years later.” Tarrant graduated from Richmond Community High School and the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg with a degree in international relations. There, making an impact was her continuing mission. She worked in the office of admissions as a tour guide, got involved in minority recruiting and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. — the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women — through which she tutored students, served as a mentor, held education awareness campaigns and raised funds for various causes. Leadership and Legacy A Conversation With LaTisha Owens Tarrant 4 ONE McGUIREWOODS | WINTER 20 22JOURNEY SONE McGUIREWOODS | WINTER 20 22 5“It was important to me for people at William & Mary to have communities in which they felt welcome,” she notes. After college, Tarrant planned to go to law school in Virginia, until a family friend suggested she visit the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. “I fell in love with the school and the students and it was an opportunity for me to live outside of Virginia. Plus, it was one of the top law schools in the country. I decided to go to Austin and I loved the experience,” she says. Then Virginia called her home. Her summer associate experience at McGuireWoods led her to join the Richmond office full time in 1997, and she was elevated to partner in 2007. Four years later, she made the move in-house. In 2016, Tarrant joined the legal department at PRA Group in Norfolk — a Nasdaq-listed company with about 3,500 employees globally. She became its chief human resources officer in August 2022. McGuireWoods spoke to Tarrant about her time at the firm, the lessons she learned and her lifelong mission to leave a lasting impact. How did you come to join McGuireWoods’ Richmond office in 1997, and what did you do at the firm? I clerked at two law firms my second year of law school, and one of them was was head of recruiting and the firm had a phenomenal summer clerkship program. It was going to be an opportunity for me to return home and I felt comfortable with the partners and attorneys. I primarily did securities law — 33 Act and 34 Act transactional work. I also did mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. I chose McGuireWoods because I thought I had a realistic opportunity at making partner. Many New York firms had a system where they weeded out attorneys along the path to partnership, but I felt McGuireWoods invested in the success of attorneys who wanted to make partner. It was an easy decision to choose McGuireWoods and I’ve never regretted it. When I started practicing, it was unusual for female associates to start families while they were associates. Most women lawyers waited until they made partner, but I decided that was not the path I wanted to take. I was clear with the firm that family was my priority and important to me. I am grateful I never had to waiver from that commitment. At McGuireWoods, I had three kids before making partner. I won’t say it was easy, because there still were billable-hours requirements. But I had support from partners Fred Isaf and others, who were committed to making sure I had work available when I needed it. I know some people do not like firm life, but I am the opposite. I was able to accomplish all I wanted to at McGuireWoods, and I consider it my best professional experience as an attorney. Is there a specific memory that stands out about your time at the firm? I remember my first year at McGuireWoods. My office was on the seventh floor, near a row of partner offices, along a hallway leading to Chairman day — I had not been practicing a full year — he asked me to ride with him to a client board meeting. That relationship I had with Bob resulted in me working on matters for 6 ONE McGUIREWOODS | WINTER 20 22some of the largest firm clients and helped me become the lawyer I am today. I had no idea when I hopped into his green SUV that it would launch me into areas of law I have loved for 20 years — corporate governance and securities. What factored into your decision to go in-house in 2011? At that time, I did not want to travel as often as I had been and did not want the client development pressure that came with being a partner. I wanted to focus on my family. So, I transitioned to senior counsel with the support of the firm. Shortly thereafter, I was contacted by a recruiter about an opportunity to go in-house. On my first call with the general counsel, I remember saying, “I don’t have any reason to leave. I’m happy at McGuireWoods.” But I visited him, and as part of the interview process, I met with the entire senior leadership team. They were all committed to the concept of doing well by doing good, meaning the company will perform well if we help people in a meaningful way. It was a healthcare company that assisted individuals who had government-funded medical benefits. The mission was on the walls throughout the company and the leadership team was committed to that mission, so it was a combination of me being impressed by leadership, the opportunity to have just one client and to be involved in decision-making from the beginning. When you’re at a law firm, the client chooses when to bring you into the process. But when you’re in-house, you see the entire journey of a decision and I had the opportunity to be an integral part of the decision- making. “At McGuireWoods, there was an unwavering commitment to excellence and client service that has stuck with me for decades. My willingness to go above and beyond to make sure I add value, that I am responsive and that I am comprehensive in the advice I give — those traits were drilled into me as a young McGuireWoods attorney and have stayed with me to this day.” — LaTisha Owens Tarrant, chief human resources officer, PRA Group You joined PRA Group in 2016 and held several legal roles, but you became chief human resources officer in August 2022. What was that transition like? I came in as vice president and deputy general counsel and was promoted to senior vice president and corporate secretary. Those are a lot of titles, but for the most part, I continued to do the same work I was trained to do at McGuireWoods. I did securities work and corporate governance and oversaw all corporate legal matters for the company. This summer, members of the board of directors and the senior management team, including the CEO, asked me to consider taking on the open role of CHRO for a variety of reasons. Part of it was to stretch me from a leadership standpoint. The other part was recognition that I had already demonstrated the key skills needed to be a successful ONE McGUIREWOODS | WINTER 20 22 7leader at the company. I took some time to consider it because it was the first time I would leave the formal practice of law and, more importantly, leave practice areas I really loved. I became CHRO because it’s an opportunity to have a bigger impact. I report directly to the CEO and am a member of C-suite. One of our strategic initiatives is to foster a high-performing workforce. I can drive that initiative in this role and my impact will be broader. The common theme across my many responsibilities today is that what I do impacts people — our employees — in a way that my prior role did not. I tell people the HR function is unique in that we touch people for their entire life cycle with our company — from recruiting and getting the person in the door, to making sure we onboard them efficiently and effectively, to developing talent. On a daily basis, I have meetings about whether we’re offering the right benefits for the employee base, the effectiveness of the performance management system and whether the system is easy to understand and meets the needs of employees and managers. I am assessing what we are doing with respect to diversity, equity and inclusion and how we are moving forward on that initiative. My typical day is filled with people issues. How can law firms and companies work together to speed up the pace of D&I progress? When I joined the company, I was clear that I wanted to retain law firms that were inclusive and committed to diversity, and the general counsel gave me that authority. As an in-house attorney and even now as CHRO since I still engage outside counsel for employment-related matters — I make sure that the law firm teams that service our work are diverse. You must have a clear plan with measurable and objective goals that align with your organization’s strategy. It’s possible to become overwhelmed with the number of asks in this area. Diversity, equity and inclusion have grown tremendously from the time I started practicing law, and if you’re not careful, you could end up chasing the latest and greatest, but not necessarily the most effective, goals. Once you lay out your goals, you need objective milestones. Are we progressing in a way that I expected as an organization? Do we need to alter this goal? You also need to make sure that whatever you seek to accomplish is understood in the context of the organizational strategy. There’s a huge opportunity to communicate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in ways that align with the organization’s strategy. What advice would you give lawyers considering going in-house? Two things: One, it’s important to develop a network that includes attorneys who are in-house. You’ll hear about opportunities and you will get a good sense of what it’s like to practice in-house. Sometimes there’s an assumption that if you’re in-house, you’re not working as much as when you’re at a law firm or you don’t have as much to deal with from a political standpoint. That’s not the case. The work is still challenging, demanding work. It’s important to have a realistic view. When you have a network of individuals who are in-house, they can help you determine what’s important and what to look for when you make the decision. Not every in-house opportunity will be a good fit. Two, carry with you the skills you honed at a law firm. To this day, I believe law firms are the best training ground for in- house attorneys. What you learn, the way 8 ONE McGUIREWOODS | WINTER 20 22you function and the way you address an issue or research problems — all of that is learned when you’re at a good law firm and it translates into strong leadership characteristics in-house. It’s hard to even articulate how valuable what you learn at a law firm will be once you go in-house. What do you value most about your time at McGuireWoods? It was the training. McGuireWoods taught me my approach to client service and community service. I grew up doing work in my community, and at McGuireWoods, community work was expected. I remember spending years doing child support pro bono work. Every other month, I had 20 or 30 cases I tried in juvenile and domestic relations court in Richmond. There were loads of other experiences McGuireWoods provided, and it was expected that you would practice law and give back to the community in which we lived and worked. Then there was the firm’s approach to client service. I always knew that doing what was in the best interest of the company was my North Star, and I learned that at McGuireWoods. To this day, it is part of what I share with new teams I lead — whether analyzing an issue, developing advice or advising our leaders, our North Star is what’s in the best interest of the company. At McGuireWoods, there was an unwavering commitment to excellence and client service that has stuck with me for decades. My willingness to go above and beyond to make sure I add value, that I am responsive and that I am comprehensive in the advice I give — those traits were drilled into me as a young McGuireWoods attorney and have stayed with me to this day. It’s the way I approach the board of directors. It’s the way I approach the CEO, and before that, the general counsel and the business partners I serve. Those are the things that stuck with me and that I value most about my time at McGuireWoods. Another thing that’s important to me — that started with my mom and was partly echoed in my McGuireWoods experience — is the idea of legacy and what you leave behind. I lost my mother earlier this year, but we had often talked about what she learned along her parenting journey. And I would say to her, “Mom, the best of who you are you gave to me” — being a survivor, being true to yourself. That is the way I think of some of the “giants” at McGuireWoods. I look at Chairman Law. He always was accessible and available to me. When I think about the giants in the profession and the giants at McGuireWoods, I think about the fact that they left or will leave legacies. That’s important to me — that when I’m done practicing law, there are things I accomplished as part of my professional journey that leave a legacy for those coming behind me. “When I think about the giants in the profession and the giants at McGuireWoods, I think about the fact that they left or will leave legacies. That’s important to me — that when I’m done practicing law, there are things I accomplished as part of my professional journey that leave a legacy for those coming behind me.” — LaTisha Owens Tarrant, chief human resources officer, PRA Group ONE McGUIREWOODS | WINTER 20 22 9Next >