The Corporate Counsel Section of the New York State Bar Association is pleased to welcome Section members and visitors. The Section sponsors CLE, networking and other events and offers LinkedIn and Facebook pages where members can reach out to each other with questions and advice.
Contact the Corporate Counsel Section Liaison
To learn more about this Section, please contact Sharmin Woodall
[email protected]
(518) 487-5686
Please do not contact the Section liaison with a request for legal advice or an attorney referral. You can instead visit our ‘Public Resources’ or ‘Lawyer Referral Service’ page for this type of request.
Elizabeth J. Shampnoi
Elizabeth J. Shampnoi is an attorney, consulting expert, independent mediator, arbitrator and trainer based in New York City with 20 years of experience in the field of alternative dispute resolution.
Ms. Shampnoi’s focus on alternative dispute resolution began early in her career when she served as the District Vice President of the New York region of the American Arbitration Association. In that role, Ms. Shampnoi was responsible for overseeing case management; mediator and arbitrator recruitment, training and development; and working with in-counsel counsel and law firms to develop and implement dispute avoidance and dispute resolution programs, including internal employment dispute resolution plans.
Following her tenure at the American Arbitration Association, Ms. Shampnoi joined a litigation boutique where she represented a diverse range of organizations and individuals before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and arbitration forums. Ms. Shampnoi also served as settlement counsel. Her practice involved commercial litigation, securities, employment, contract, wage/hour, not-for-profit, intellectual property and real estate disputes on behalf of plaintiffs, and defendants. She also drafted and reviewed settlement, confidentiality, non-compete, non-disclosure, licensing, work-for-hire, buy/sell, employment, and domestic and international dispute resolution agreements. Ms. Shampnoi has also served as in-house counsel providing legal advice surrounding employment disputes and commercial matters with an emphasis on early, internal dispute resolution and cost-effective and strategic dispute management.
In her consulting practice, Ms. Shampnoi serves as an arbitration and mediation consulting expert working with advocates to help guide them through the dispute resolution process using strategies for successes. Her practice is focused on advising clients in the selection of experts and consultants in litigation, investigation, regulatory and valuation matters. This includes working with clients to identify emerging issues and trends, develop innovative strategic business initiatives and prepare tactical responses to market developments. Serving as a mediator, arbitrator and consulting expert and providing legal advice in a variety of areas including commercial and employment matters. This enhances her value as a neutral, keeping her up-to-date on legal developments, litigation trends and current practices, dispute prevention, negotiation mediation, and arbitration.
In her dispute resolution practice, she has successfully mediated over 150 commercial and employment disputes involving all areas of discrimination, sexual harassment, wage and hour, contract, real estate and partnership matters. She has also served as a sole arbitrator and as part of a tribunal in similar matters. Mr. Shampnoi’s success as a neutral is rooted in the breadth of her experience, ability to build rapport and temperament. Her balanced perspective, broad experience and insight gained from serving as a business executive, advocate, in-house counsel in a wide variety of settings has been the catalyst for her success.
Ms. Shampnoi regularly conducts CLE programs, trainings and presentations each year for advocates, arbitrators, mediators, businesses and human resource departments concerning best practices in dispute avoidance and resolution.
KENNETH G. STANDARD DIVERSITY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Overview of the Diversity Internship Committee
Responsible for administering and managing all aspects of the Section’s Diversity Internship Program, named in honor of former NYSBA President Kenneth G. Standard and his commitment to initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
Overview of the Diversity Internship Program
Since its inception in 2006, more than 100 interns have participated in the Program. The students complete a 10-week internship with an assigned host company and are paid a minimum of $7,000. Host companies have included, among many others in the private and public sectors, Ayco, Con Edison, Pepsi Co., Salesforce, TakeRoot Justice, Unilever, and Urban Justice and Visiting Nurse Service of New York.
The Program’s Goal
To provide students from a diverse range of backgrounds with the experience of in-house legal practice, and to increase such student representation in future corporate legal departments. We offer mentorship, educational and career training to enhance the skills needed in the workplaces of tomorrow. To promote and advance the full and equal participation of attorneys from an under-represented community and to promote knowledge of and respect for the profession in communities that historically have not participated to the fullest extent in the practice of law.
Benefits of Workplace Diversity
Diverse employees can bring together different skill sets, talents, and experiences.
Embracing diversity and inclusion is an important step in the workplace. Through increased diversity, employers can more effectively address societal and member needs with the varied perspectives, experiences, knowledge, information and understanding inherent in a diverse relationship.
Eligibility & Deadlines
Law students who self-identify as under-represented candidates, and who attend an accredited law school in New York State. The program has demanding selection criteria, including minimum GPA requirements and a series of interview rounds, each set by the host company. Students must submit a legal writing sample and a letter of interest. The letter of interest must describe their personal commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal field, and/or explain how being from an under-represented group has impacted them.
The application deadline, interviews, offer, and program start date vary per each host company. Generally, student application deadlines are due between December and January.
Benefits of Applying to a Summer Position Through the Program
The benefits include (i) exploring different career paths; (ii) developing a network within the corporate environment and among fellow program participants; (iii) receiving cutting-edge, real world experience solving and supporting day-to-day corporate matters; and (iv) gaining a rare and valuable opportunity to jump start their careers in the law by spending their summer in a corporate legal department/non-for-profit agency.
We invite anyone who is interested in learning more about the program to contact the Committee at: [email protected]
Photos of the July 28, 2022 Reception
Photos of the July 17, 2019 Reception
Photos of the August 16, 2017 Reception
Photos of the August 16, 2016 Reception
Photos of the August 5, 2015 Reception
Photos of the July 23, 2014 Reception
2014 Kenneth G. Standard Internship Program
2013 Kenneth G. Standard Internship Program
ADDITIONAL INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE
More applications will be posted.
ACCESS NOW
Applications Due: February 17, 2023
CELONIS
Applications Due: February 17, 2023; however, applications will be accepted and processed on a rolling basis
DICE
Applications Due: February 17, 2023
Hercules Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Applications Due: February 27, 2023
2023 Jana Springer Behe Corporate Counsel Section Scholarship
Applications Due: February 10, 2023
PepsiCo
Applications Due: February 17, 2023
TakeRoot Justice
Applications Due: February 1, 2023; however, applications will be accepted and processed on a rolling basis.
Unilever
Eligibility Candidates: Class of 2024 and 2025
Deadline: February 15, 2023
Visiting Nurse Service of New York
Student Application Deadline 2Ls January 22, 2023
Student Application Deadline 1Ls February 17, 2023
Program Archives
Offering Pro Bono Legal Services: A Primer for In House Counsel
(Must be a logged-in NYSBA member to access this program)
