{"id":52791,"date":"2018-08-14T12:18:09","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T16:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/?p=52791"},"modified":"2019-10-30T10:47:03","modified_gmt":"2019-10-30T14:47:03","slug":"an-indirect-path-to-environmental-law","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2018\/an-indirect-path-to-environmental-law\/","title":{"rendered":"An Indirect Path to Environmental Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

After 17 years as in-house counsel at a corporation, Wisla Heneghan transitioned to a nonprofit focused on environmental law.<\/h2>\n

\"WislaWisla Heneghan (’96) arrived at BU Law with a plan to practice corporate law. Focusing on that area as well as litigation in school, she joined the firm of Mintz Levin after graduation.<\/p>\n

As a new lawyer, she quickly realized that litigation wasn\u2019t a perfect fit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worked with some great litigators who brought a tremendous passion to their work, but I realized it wasn\u2019t for me. I preferred the collaborative aspect of deal making and shifted back to corporate law,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

After practicing for several years at Mintz Levin and later Goodwin Procter, she joined Staples in 2000 as associate general counsel, focusing on complex commercial transactions in the US and internationally. \u201cThat was an opportunity to work with teams throughout the organization to help the company grow,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cStaples was still very young. During my time there, it expanded into Europe, Asia, and Latin America.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2013, Heneghan had another opportunity for a career change. This time, instead of going from private practice to in-house, she joined the not-for-profit world at The Nature Conservancy as general counsel.<\/p>\n

The Nature Conservancy is one of the largest conservation organizations in the world, operating in 72 countries with nearly 4,000 employees, including 600 scientists. Heneghan\u2019s role as general counsel was to manage the legal and ethics and compliance teams, comprised of over 100 people globally.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things that attracted me to this organization, in addition to its critical mission, was its visionary CEO, Mark Tercek,\u201d she says. \u201cHe had a different career from many in the environmental law space, having spent most of his career at Goldman Sachs, but it wasn\u2019t that different from mine. He saw the benefit of bringing people to the nonprofit world who have business experience.\u201d Since joining the organization, Heneghan was promoted to COO and general counsel. Today, she manages around 600 people on the legal, finance, human resources, diversity\/inclusion, and technology teams.<\/p>\n

As The Nature Conservancy works globally, she helps navigate the challenges that come from working across regulatory, legal, and cultural structures. Similar to corporate law, Heneghan notes that the organization\u2019s approach is \u201cvery collaborative and focused on practical problem-solving.\u201d The group works with many partners, such as governments, other nonprofits, corporations, and indigenous people.<\/p>\n

Heneghan also points out that the organization is bipartisan. \u201cIt\u2019s more important than ever to have organizations like ours with support on both sides of the political aisle, which can bring people to the table to find solutions,\u201d she says. \u201cWe are a science-based organization, so our goal is to find real solutions that make sense for people and the environment. That is where the win is, and The Nature Conservancy is well suited to finding those wins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another important part of her job involves the organization\u2019s focus on diversity and inclusion. \u201cWe are committed to building a diverse workforce and diverse partnerships. I am particularly passionate about mentoring women and young professionals. I have two sons who are 11 and 12, and I like to share my experiences as a working mother and pass along my knowledge to help others.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for hiring attorneys, Heneghan says she often thinks about her BU Law education when she talks to prospective employees. \u201cI look for people who have built a strong and broad foundation in law school and are able to learn something new,\u201d she says. \u201cI really value how I\u2019ve been able to continue building my skills throughout my career because of my legal education.\u201d<\/p>\n

This feature originally appeared in\u00a0<\/span><\/em>The Record<\/span>, BU Law\u2019s alumni magazine.\u00a0<\/span>Read the full issue here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Reported by Meghan Laska<\/h6>\n

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