Let’s be honest: the legal field has been behind the times when it comes to equity and fair representation among attorneys, judges and others. Although women have made up approximately half of law school graduates for more than 20 years, they aren’t represented in law firms in the same numbers. In 2020, about 37% of lawyers in the United States were women, but women made up only 31% of non-equity partners and 21% of equity partners in U.S. law firms.
At Hagens Berman, we are honored to have dozens of exceptional women leading our cases and working on our teams, and we also recognize a need for continued dedication, emphasis and improvement. We strive to do better. Doing so starts at the desk of our HR recruiting team, in the minds of our members, and at the doors of each of our offices.
From our partners, to our associates, to our staff, women at Hagens Berman are making exceptional strides in the profession and setting the pace for a law firm ready to embrace a more equitable future.
Exceptional Women at Hagens Berman
Anne Johnson, Partner
Years at the Firm: 5
Office: New York
Ms. Johnson is at the forefront of the firm’s high-stakes, complex litigation against Big Pharma and its mass actions fighting corporate indifference and greed. She has developed and filed multiple pharmaceutical antitrust cases challenging drug companies’ schemes to prevent less expensive generic versions of brand name drugs from entering the market, and served as a member of the trial team in the first pay-for-delay pharmaceutical antitrust case to go to trial after the U.S. Supreme Court’s watershed decision in FTC v. Actavis. Ms. Johnson was also instrumental in achieving a $200+ million aggregate settlement for her clients in General Motors LLC Ignition Switch Litigation, and represented the States of Ohio and Arkansas in their suits against opioid manufacturers for creating and profiting off the opioid epidemic.
What brought you to HB?
I was looking to join a plaintiffs’ law firm with a sterling reputation that developed its own cutting-edge cases.
Tell us about how you started working at HB. Why did you want to work at the firm?
I was working on a car defect case as co-counsel with HB and got to know Steve Berman and other attorneys in HB’s Seattle office. I’d also previously worked with many of the HB attorneys in the Boston office on pharmaceutical antitrust cases. When I was ready to change firms, the respect I had for the attorneys at HB brought me here.
What are two of the proudest moments you’ve had at the firm, personal or professional?
My proudest moment was certainly making partner. Otherwise, every time I win a motion against a large corporate defendant represented by multiple large defense firms, I am proud of what I can and have accomplished here, with the help of top-notch staff.
What challenges have you faced in your legal career generally?
When I first started practicing 20 years ago, there were many women in the plaintiffs’ bar but few in leadership positions. Some firms would rely on young female lawyers to do the heavy lifting on cases but would not allow us to gain crucial experience taking depositions or arguing motions.
What’s something you’d want to know if you were joining the firm today? What is a piece of advice you have for a woman joining HB in 2023?
HB is a place you can do exciting legal work and know you’re on the right side of the “v.” And it has a wonderful network of accomplished women who support and root for one another. The advice I would offer anyone new to HB is to work hard, ask questions and volunteer yourself for assignments and cases you are passionate about. As for new women specifically, participate in our monthly Zoom happy hours where we take a break to connect, laugh and share successes.
Lauren Miller, Associate
Years at the Firm: 2
Office: Seattle
Lauren came to Hagens Berman from a well-respected plaintiffs’ firm in Birmingham, Alabama, where she focused on representing individuals harmed by defective pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. She continues to advance her work in this area at Hagens Berman, and was appointed to the plaintiffs’ steering committee in Philips Recalled CPAP, BiPAP & Ventilator Injuries, a complex multi-district litigation, shortly after joining the firm.
What brought you to HB?
After practicing law for nearly a decade, I wanted to continue my career at a preeminent firm with a national presence. I made a short list of firms I wanted to work with (Hagens Berman being my first choice) but HB did not have any job opportunities posted for my practice area. I contacted a reputable recruiting firm and asked for assistance. The recruiter reached out on my behalf, and I interviewed with Steve. Thankfully, Steve made a spot for me to join HB and continue my work in mass torts.
Tell us about how you started working at HB. Why did you want to work at the firm?
When I was considering the next step in my career, I knew I wanted to do meaningful work at an elite firm with creative lawyers. I had heard of HB, and Steve Berman, so the firm was already on my radar. I did some research and found that HB is often the first firm to identify plaintiffs harmed by corporations and that HB lawyers are often appointed to lead these important cases. The lawyers at HB have a reputation for thinking outside the box and doing everything with excellence – always with the goal of providing their clients with the best representation. That is exactly the type of firm I wanted to be at and the lawyers I wanted to learn from.
What are two of the proudest moments you’ve had at the firm, personal or professional?
Shortly after I joined HB, Steve supported my application for plaintiffs’ leadership in Philips Recalled CPAP, BiPAP & Ventilator Injuries. There were over 75 applicants and the multi-district litigation (MDL) judge held interviews before appointing leadership. I spent a significant (probably excessive) amount of time writing my application and preparing for my interview, but I was thrilled when I was appointed to the 12-member Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee.
I was subsequently appointed to co-chair the science committee for the same litigation, which was a proud moment for me both professionally and personally. Professionally, it was exciting to take on a new leadership role and chair my first MDL committee. Personally, I was proud to share with my father, a scientist, that I would be leading the science committee in a national litigation.
What challenges have you faced in your legal career generally?
I had my daughter my first year of law school and started my career as a single mother with a toddler. The challenges I faced through those years required that my career progress slowly during that season. This made me feel really “behind” my law school classmates and I exhausted myself trying to get where I wanted to be as a lawyer while balancing the demands of motherhood. The challenges I faced as a young lawyer allowed me to develop the grit and tenacity I carry today and gave me a deep gratitude for the privilege of representing and advocating for my clients.
What’s something you’d want to know if you were joining the firm today? What is a piece of advice you have for a woman joining HB in 2022?
This is a demanding field, and it can be easy to isolate yourself when you and everyone you work with is busy. Find a mentor or colleague you can connect with regularly and work to maintain those relationships.
Emilee Sisco, Associate
Years at the Firm: 8
Office: Seattle
As a former Division I athlete, Ms. Sisco understands the drive and dedication demanded of athletes who compete at the highest level. Hagens Berman’s groundbreaking work on behalf of collegiate and professional athletes in cases like In re: National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletic Grant-In-Aid Cap Antitrust Litigation is what inspired Ms. Sisco to seek a position at the firm, where she now practices in the areas of sports litigation, antitrust and consumer protection.
What brought you to HB?
After graduating, I wanted to start my career in law at a firm where I would be working among and learning from some of the best lawyers in the nation on cases that bring real positive change. My top choice was Hagens Berman. At that time the firm did not generally hire new lawyers straight out of law school, but my persistence ultimately paid off and Steve took a chance on me. Eight years later I am still incredibly grateful that he did.
Tell us about how you started working at HB. Why did you want to work at the firm?
Starting out as a young lawyer I knew that I wanted to work for a firm where I would have the opportunity to combine my lifelong passion for sports with my desire to make a meaningful impact in my career and stand up for the rights of others. After learning about some of the work Steve Berman had done to fight for the rights of youth, college, and professional athletes, and the reputation that he had built for Hagens Berman as one of the nation’s most highly respected sports litigation practices, I knew that this was where I wanted to be.
What are two of the proudest moments you’ve had at the firm, personal or professional?
My proudest moment at the firm was when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the class of college athletes that we represented in NCAA v. Alston. This was the first case I worked on as an attorney from start to finish all the way through a 10-day bench trial in the Northern District of California, and ultimately to a winning outcome before the Supreme Court. I take great pride in the result that our team was able to achieve.
I also had the opportunity to represent a former Major League Soccer player who had suffered a severe traumatic brain injury while playing professional soccer. Throughout that case I had the opportunity to develop a close relationship with this client and saw first-hand how much his injury impacted virtually every aspect of his life. I am proud to say that our team was able to negotiate a favorable settlement for him and his family that helped to compensate for what his injury took away.
What challenges have you faced in your legal career generally?
The biggest challenge I’ve faced in my legal career is learning how to best prioritize the many aspects of litigation that our cases involve and manage the dynamics of working with a team of other attorneys and staff both in-house and at other firms. There are so many moving parts to the complex cases Hagens Berman takes on, and I’ve learned that it’s important to know how much time to spend on a given project, when to take on more and when it’s necessary to delegate, and how to work effectively with co-counsel to bring a case to resolution.
What’s something you’d want to know if you were joining the firm today? What is a piece of advice you have for a woman joining HB in 2022?
My best advice for anyone joining the firm today would be to take advantage of the great resources that you have in your colleagues here at HB. As a young lawyer I have learned so much from the incredible attorneys that I have had the opportunity to work with.
