We’re delighted to present Claudia Regen, an exceptional member of our community. With a diverse background encompassing environmental advocacy, law, and technology, Claudia shares her path to becoming a lawyer, her pivotal decision to venture in-house, her meaningful engagement with TechGC, her favorite moments within the organization, and her use of its resources to navigate work-related challenges.

Seizing Opportunities

Claudia’s path to becoming a lawyer stems from her interest in public policy and problem solving. After college, she worked in Washington, DC for environmental organizations for five years, focusing on marketing, fundraising and public policy. When she became interested in taking the next step in her career, she discussed career paths with respected peers and mentors, who shared their own experiences and suggested she pursue an advanced degree. “I’m the kind of person whose interests are broad and who is solutions-oriented. I thought that law school would be a good fit for me,” she said.

After law school, she initially practiced at law firms, specializing in litigation and labor and employment law. At one firm, she was part of a team representing clients involved in a labor strike, which gave her a real-time understanding of how legal principles, strategy and business concerns could intersect, and required her to offer creative and practical legal guidance. That experience led her to seek opportunities where she could become more involved in the business, and, eventually, to consider in-house roles. She launched her in-house career in 2000 at e.Spire Communications, and learned to navigate the telecom business during a difficult economic time for the industry. When e.Spire filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2001, Claudia was a core member of the team managing the company’s efforts to reorganize, balancing the day to day needs of the business and the requirements of the restructuring process. “My time at e.Spire gave me the experience of advising my internal clients and also being a client. I loved being part of the company,” she said.

After e.Spire, Claudia continued her in-house path, landing roles at a number of regulated industries including telecom, financial services, foodservice, and fintech. “I’ve been fortunate to work with and for driven, passionate, open-minded people who have led by example and helped me see how a lawyer can and should become a trusted advisor within a company.”

In each company, Claudia has focused on providing business-oriented, clear, comprehensive legal counsel to support the organization’s mission. “I love learning about people’s legal careers because everyone’s path tells a story. I have been with ViaPath Technologies, my current company, for nine years. I started in a litigation-focused role in 2014 and was fortunate to be promoted into the GC role in 2017. In-house work is really a legal practice specialty of its own. It involves teamwork, team building, and balancing legal and compliance obligations with business objectives,” Regen said. Her diverse journey exemplifies how taking time to pursue and refine your interests can lead to fulfilling legal careers, reflecting the adaptability and versatility within the legal profession.

Discovering TechGC

Claudia found TechGC through LinkedIn. Intrigued by the vibrant community and the diverse spectrum of discussions, she couldn’t help but be curious about this community. As she delved deeper, she found herself engrossed in topics that resonated with her journey as a GC. Regen joined TechGC during the pandemic and found the community to be a great resource. Since that time, she has been able to participate in both virtual and in-person events. “What I value about TechGC,” she said, “is the supportive and forward-thinking environment. For virtually any issue I’m working on or even just thinking about, there is someone who is willing to share thoughts and experiences. And because the TechGC community covers so much legal ground, there is always an opportunity to learn about new issues from in-house and outside experts, which is incredibly helpful and fun.”

Claudia has attended and participated as a panelist in many TechGC events, including speaking as a panelist on a virtual Board Governance forum; attending and speaking as a panelist at the annual FullStack conference in San Francisco, attending the Senior Executive Summit in Dove Mountain, Arizona, co-chairing a Virtual Forum on Board Governance with Yukio Morikobo of Impinj, and attending and serving as a local host for TechGC dinners in the DC area. “In my non-lawyer life, I serve as a volunteer Reunion Chair for my Cornell University college class. I value the opportunity to connect with people and help others connect with each other. TechGC has helped me develop cross-industry relationships and friendships and a network of other GCs. What is so great is that as many times as I’ve reached out to another TechGC member, someone has reached out to me. Sometimes the reach-out has to do with a particular legal question; sometimes it’s a question about career paths, and sometimes it’s just to stay in touch. Being part of an organization where there is a willingness and opportunity to share experiences is fantastic,” Claudia continued.

Tech’s AI Shift

Claudia discusses how she leverages TechGC’s resources, including the invaluable network of peers and experts, to find answers to complex issues involving emerging legal matters and technology questions.

In Claudia’s own words, “I think what’s really helpful to me, particularly now, is the number of ongoing discussions around the potential use of emerging technology and AI tools within our companies; being able to have robust discussions on these topics has been great, especially as it’s such an evolving space.”

Whether you’re navigating the rapidly changing landscape of technology or seeking solutions to legal challenges, Claudia’s experiences can provide valuable guidance.