Page 16 - NYLJ Professional Excellence 2021

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

ELLEN ODONER

RETIRED PARTNER OF WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES

Ellen Odoner and I met in September 1977 as first-year associates in Weil’s Corporate Department. There were

four of us—three women and one man. A first for Weil, and they were a bit confused about what to do with us.

But it was clear from the start that Ellen was an communities led to her appointment as chief of
exceptional lawyer and would be a trailblazer for staff to the Hon. Harvey Goldschmid, co-chair of
women in the bar. Ellen was the first female part- the Financial Crisis Advisory Group established
ner in Weil’s Corporate Department. Her fierce to advise the Financial Accounting Standards
and uncompromising intelligence, intellectual Board and the International Accounting Stan-
curiosity and integrity put her in a class of her dards Board on the standard-setting implications
own. It made her a singularly inspiring and instruc- of the global financial crisis. She co-authored the
tive peer, and her friendship changed my life. FCAG’s final report, a milestone in the industry.
BY ANDREA Ellen built a prominent career as an M&A law- Formidable as Ellen’s achievements in corpo-
BERNSTEIN yer, specializing in the emerging field of cross- rate law are, her desire to “do the right thing” led
border M&A transactions for clients such as her to also focus on diversity in the profession.
Reuters, Hanson, Pirelli and L’Oréal. Ellen is the Inspired by her experience of being in the first
consummate problem solver (probably attribut- class of women at Yale, Ellen was active in Weil’s
able to her love of mystery novels and crossword diversity initiatives since their inception—she
puzzles). She impressed both clients and her was founding chair of Women@Weil, the affinity
adversaries alike. It is the ultimate compliment for group for female attorneys—and had a central
a deal lawyer to be approached by a counterparty role in several pioneering programs both at Weil
after a deal closes with the request to represent and across the industry. She is particularly proud
them the next time around. And it happened to of a New York City Bar fellowship program that
Ellen all the time! trained South African lawyers who were leading
Ellen has a moral compass that is unwavering the effort to break down barriers to the profes-
and her desire to do the right thing always helped sion in their country. Ellen has a profound sense
her clients achieve their goals. Ellen was among of decency, unshakable resolve and the courage
the first to recognize that clients needed a holistic of her convictions—a powerful combination that
approach to dealing with the regulatory scheme of has made her a pivotal figure in the lives of so
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Building on her expe- many female lawyers and attorneys of color.
rience representing public companies in M&A and Ellen’s remarkable 43-year career at Weil has
capital markets transactions, Ellen formed Weil’s too many achievements to count, and her influ-
Public Company Advisory Group to address dis- ence and impact continues to ripple out across
closure, governance and compliance issues in a the industry, from the successful lawyers she
coordinated and comprehensive fashion, focusing mentored, to those attorneys they mentored in
on financial reporting and internal control mat- turn, and so on. She showed us all how to be
ters that often were “bet the company” issues. excellent lawyers, what it really means to do your
Ellen’s influence within the legal and business best for clients and colleagues, and the ways to
reach our utmost potential. Ellen also showed us
how to be excellent individuals. I cannot think of
Andrea Bernstein is a retired partner of Weil, Gotshal someone more deserving than Ellen of a Lifetime
& Manges. Achievement Award.

14 October 2021 |