The third of our interviews this month with leading females in law. This time we have gone overseas to Atlanta, Georgia, to catch up with Tunrola A. Odelowo, a partner at Am Law 200 firm, Arnall Golden Gregory (AGG) LLP. Tunrola is a partner in the Commercial Real Estate, Healthcare Real Estate Practices, and Alternative and Renewable Energy practices.

Tunrola talks about the part self-doubt played within her early career, starting a new life as an immigrant in the United States and the work AGG is doing to promote diversity within their own firm and the legal industry as a whole.

Tunrola, your legal career spans almost 20 years. What have been the biggest changes you have seen within the legal industry and what in your opinion has been the most positive change?

When I began my career almost twenty years ago, law was practiced relatively in silos with lawyers having limited involvement in the businesses of their clients. Over the years, there has been a move towards lawyers gaining increased competence in business and other non-legal areas and becoming better integrated into the businesses of their clients. We observe this trend as businesses look to general counsels to provide more than just strictly legal/regulatory/compliance advice but also business advice. We've also seen some general counsels taking on additional non-legal roles within their businesses, including transitioning into the CEO role. As an attorney in private practice, this increased synergy makes me more vested in the long-term success of my clients’ businesses. It also pushes the bar on legal training such that the gap between business decisions and legal advice becomes less visible and there is greater transparency and the ability to assess risk and mitigate such risk earlier in the span of a transaction.

You joined Am Law 200 firm, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP (AGG), in 2014 and was made Partner in 2017. Talk us through your experiences as a female in a senior role; have you been met with any barriers on your route to promotion or encountered any bias in your role? If so, how did it impact you and how did you overcome this?

I have been very fortunate that my experiences have been largely positive as a female in a senior role and even more so as a partner. As a more junior attorney, on the other hand, I think my biggest barrier was spending an inordinate amount of time trying to navigate self-doubt rather than being comfortable celebrating my accomplishments. As an immigrant, my learning curve was probably steeper than my peers in my early years and it was quite challenging to navigate a professional career at the same time as I was navigating a new life in the United States. In hindsight, I know that this self-doubt is not unique to me and probably manifests in the minds of many attorneys trying to find their voice and learn how to practice the law. This realization makes me a little more sensitive to how I teach attorneys on my deals and the expectations I place on them in their early years as practicing attorneys.

What’s the best part of your job?

The people I get to work with every day. AGG is a mid-size firm in Atlanta, Georgia, and the firm provides a supportive environment where attorneys are encouraged and supported to build the type of practice they want for themselves.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career?

There is not one person I can identify as the biggest influence on my career but I have been fortunate to have had many mentors and professional sponsors who have shared their time, advice, and experiences to make my journey so worthwhile. I cherish all the voices and make an effort to extend the same grace and advice to attorneys coming after me.

What is the vision for your practice for 2020 and beyond?

I represent owners, developers and investors of real estate. My clients are very active in the healthcare, multifamily, and renewable energy industries and many in the commercial real estate industry will speak to the good fortune of experiencing a healthy market for the most part of the last decade. My vision is to continue to grow my representation of new clients in these industries and deepen my relationship with current clients as they try to navigate evolving business environments.

You are part of the leadership team for the Diversity Committee for AGG. What initiatives is the firm running to promote inclusivity, equality and the support the advancement and retention of women to the top?

AGG understands the purpose of a diverse workplace and strives to create a diverse workforce and respect the perspective that each attorney brings to the firm and the firm culture. The firm understands the importance of being proactive in attracting, supporting, retaining and promoting its diverse attorneys and has developed strategies and programs in support of these goals. By way of example, on the recruiting front, in addition to participating in various minority hiring fairs and programs, lawyers from AGG meets with law firm affinity groups to better understand the needs of diverse new lawyers. AGG is also active in promoting diversity in the legal community at large. The firm is a charter founding member of the Atlanta Large Law Firm Diversity Alliance which works with the American Institute for Managing Diversity to develop curriculum in training law firm leadership on how to manage and improve diversity in their firms. AGG is also a member of the State Bar of Georgia’s Diversity Program and lawyers within the firm have leadership roles within this initiative.

AGG has two offices in Washington and Atlanta but the Firm has a strong focus on international networking supporting inbound and outbound work for international companies, including the UK and Germany. How important is this work to the success of the Firm?

We live and work in an environment that is increasingly global and AGG recognizes the importance of the firm’s attorneys to be able to represent clients from international jurisdictions. AGG’s efforts with respect to inbound and outbound work are both on a firm-wide basis, with the firm being intentional about engaging with and maintaining relationships with a network of international firms, and by providing ample support to individual attorneys who routinely represent clients from Europe, Asia, Israel and other international jurisdictions.

New American Pathways is a non-profit organization which helps refugees build new lives in Georgia. Tell us a little about how you came to be involved and what your role as Board member involves.

New American Pathways is a non-profit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, that helps to resettle refugees in the State of Georgia. The organization’s mission is to provide the necessary tools for refugees to rebuild their lives and achieve long-term success in Georgia. The organization works with a proven pathway system designed to support refugees in the first five years after arrival in the State of Georgia. The support provided along the pathway includes services to provide safety and stability, self-sufficiency, citizenship, and community engagement. I found out about the organization about five years ago and was intrigued by the work and the passion exhibited by the staff, board members, and volunteers. As a board member, my role is to support the management team’s initiatives and to provide guidance on governance, finance, and fundraising efforts. I have been fortunate to have been a part of the organization’s story in the last four years.