Female Disruptors: Jekkie Kim and Frances Stocks Allen Of Latham & Watkins On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Play by the rules. I’ve heard this often and from a number of supervisors and mentors over the years. I think this means more than the literal sense of complying with the written rules or the law, but broadly to honor basic social rules and norms, which are sometimes implied and unwritten. It’s similar to sportsmanship. Our duty is always to the client, but respecting all those involved, including the counterparties and acting fair, I think, is what this advice has always meant.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jekkie Kim and Frances Stocks Allen, Latham & Watkins LLP.
Jekkie Kim advises healthcare, life sciences, and technology companies and their investors on a range of intellectual property transactional matters. She draws on her background as a medical doctor, and advises clients at all stages, from emerging companies to global market leaders in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sectors. In particular, she has developed a niche practice representing clients in the digital health and agricultural technology space, and on cross-border transactions, with a focus on the Greater China market.
Frances Stocks Allen advises leading life sciences companies and industry investors on a range of technology-based commercial matters, including complex licenses, collaborations, acquisitions, and divestments. She helps clients anticipate and navigate legal challenges by drawing on her secondment experience, including in-house at Allergan and at Latham & Watkins’ Silicon Valley office. Ms. Stocks Allen was identified as a Legal 500 Rising Star 2020–2022 in Life Sciences and Healthcare.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Frances: A series of happy accidents led to me to practicing in biotech law. I originally studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford, before converting to Law and completing an MBA as part of my training at my prior firm. Once on the job, I was inspired by clients developing new technologies with the potential to significantly improve health outcomes. That led me to track the constantly developing regulatory landscape keeping pace with those developments. Spending time working in-house at Allergan and then in Silicon Valley with cutting-edge biotech clients sealed the deal for me. I learned that even without a scientific background, I can still have an impact as a healthcare and life sciences lawyer and work with a cross-disciplinary team to guide clients through business, legal and commercial issues in high profile deals.
Jekkie: My path is quite different from Frances’. Prior to law school, I attended medical school in South Korea and practiced as a physician for a few years. We were required to take a medical ethics, policy and law class in medical school. There, I began to realize that “the practice of medicine” involved more than just patients and physicians (surprise!). Once I began my clinical rotations, a light bulb went off when I realized that there was an entire “healthcare and life sciences” industry, where scientists and engineers were researching and developing, regulators were reviewing and approving (and sometimes denying), and companies were manufacturing, distributing, marketing and selling new therapeutics, diagnostics and prophylactics for patients. Once the cat was out of the bag, there was no going back. I wanted to learn more, so I went to law school and business school and never looked back.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Jekkie: The firm and our Healthcare and Life Sciences Group have been very supportive of my practice platform, which leverages upon my medical expertise and my personal interests in technology. When the first generation of smartphones and tablets entered the consumer market, I had a strong sense that such devices and many others that would follow will likely disrupt the healthcare industry. Even before artificial intelligence/machine learning became household terminology, I volunteered to work on client matters that involved “big data” to learn about the industry. At Latham & Watkins, we now have a really strong (one of the best) digital health practice, and teams that consists of experts in each of healthcare life sciences, information technology, data privacy and regulatory. Personally, I believe that sustainable agriculture is important, so I actively volunteer to work with clients in the agricultural technology space, developing alternative food products.
Frances: Similarly to Jekkie, I see the disruptive part of our job as counseling our clients as they develop and manufacture therapies that do not yet exist but that can change the course of health and healthcare. In the healthcare and life sciences practice we see so many amazing innovations, from COVID-directed therapeutics to novel medical devices, AI and machine learning-based products to telehealth solutions, and gene editing to blood biopsy. Our role is to find ways for our clients to achieve their objectives, to bring their products to market or to grow, while identifying and mitigating risks. For example, through our work with Sobi, we’re helping facilitate the development of cutting-edge orphan drug treatments that will be made available to underserved patient populations. One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is the opportunity to help improve the lives of patients, and participate in an ecosystem that really does have the potential to change the world!
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Jekkie: There have been many who have helped me along my journey. At Latham & Watkins, two senior partners have particularly supported my growth. I was born in Korea, raised in Ethiopia and Pakistan, went back to Korea and became a physician and came to the US and became a lawyer, and ended up in the Bay Area after some twists and turns. When working with Judith Hasko, a senior partner in our Silicon Valley office, I feel like none of that matters, in a good way, because I know that I will be treated fairly regardless of who I am or what I am based on my performance and judgment. Judith allowed me to grow confidence in myself and challenged me to treat others with similar fairness. Tony Klein, another senior partner in our Silicon Valley office, encouraged me to work as a team by delegating where appropriate and growing into a strategic business advisor as well as a legal counselor. It’s still hard for me to know when to hold on and do the work myself versus when to ask for support and Tony has guided me through this process. Both partners are also absolute subject matter experts in each of their respective fields, who are there to solve clients’ problems in the most efficient and practical way.
Frances: I echo Jekkie’s praises of Judith, who is a phenomenal and pragmatic lawyer that I’ve had the good fortune to work with for many years. Her knowledge of the industry is second to none. Another important influence on me is Gail Crawford. She taught me by example that the best way to lead is to join your team in the trenches. Her management style is one I try to emulate with the lawyers I lead now. Last but not least, Robbie McLaren. Through his support and recognition of my good qualities, and his own inimitable personality, Robbie has taught me that being myself at work is a strength not a weakness and that when you bring your whole self to the office, people will trust you more, and you will have a lot more fun in the process.
I have had so many mentors, including a tremendous family of lawyers here at Latham as well as clients who share both their time and wisdom, so I can be a more effective lawyer for them.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Jekkie: First, sit at the table. As a second year associate, I was asked to attend a meeting to take notes so that I could revise an agreement thereafter. As I entered the meeting room, I saw that all of the seats at the table were taken, so went to sit in the corner. The partner in the room turned around, noticed what I was about to do, and told me to pull up my chair to take a seat at the table next to him, while asking others to make room for me. As I dragged my chair to the table, he told me that I should always sit at the table, especially when I am the one doing the work. I truly appreciated the gesture and the advice. I think it’s a good advice for younger professionals to practice, and for more experienced professionals to consider when mentoring others.
Second, play by the rules. I’ve heard this often and from a number of supervisors and mentors over the years. I think this means more than the literal sense of complying with the written rules or the law, but broadly to honor basic social rules and norms, which are sometimes implied and unwritten. It’s similar to sportsmanship. Our duty is always to the client, but respecting all those involved, including the counterparties and acting fair, I think, is what this advice has always meant.
Third, spellcheck! In the literal sense, of course, but also more broadly speaking, always keep an eye on the final detail orientation. That’s advice my mentor Judith Hasko passed on — she reminded me that we are in a service industry, and paying attention to those small things in the final version isn’t just a cherry on top for clients, but a required final piece of the puzzle.
Frances: My first piece of advice also involves seating. As a junior lawyer, I once sat at the edge of the room and as attendees entered would make them coffee. The female partner I worked with beckoned me over to sit next to her, in the middle of the action, and let people find their own refreshments. As she put it, clients value lawyers for their brains, not their barista skills.
Another incredible piece of advice I received is that to get the most out of people, trust them. Right now I manage an incredible team, and part of my management philosophy is to give them space to develop, which creates self-motivation on their part. If you hire brilliant people, support them when they need it, they will learn and grow into their best selves.
Finally, as a female working with innovative clients, I’ve learned to bring my whole, authentic self to the office — given how much time we all spend working, it’s much more sustainable than trying to cultivate a separate work personality. I’ve also found that my clients respond well to that genuine nature, and we build a much stronger rapport and collaborative environment.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Jekkie: People who are willing to guide you and your growth are certainly out there, but connecting with a professional network, then growing and maintaining that network can be challenging. I’ve learned over the years that I am a mix of extrovert/introvert. While I am not particularly good at networking at large conferences, I absolutely enjoy meeting with people on an individual level or in a small group and learning about each person, then continuing that relationship. At the same time, I need the time to recover by myself and with my family after networking with people.
It took me many years to understand how I needed to network at my best, based on my preferences and personality, and not on industry norms, which until recently may have been more male-focused or driven.
Frances:. For women in disruptive industries, it’s essential to set boundaries and learn to switch off without guilt. I love what I do, and I find that I invest much more of myself in the work when I give myself permission to create space for other aspects of my life, and there’s not a sense of competition for my attention.
An additional note, and I’d say this probably rings true for people from all backgrounds, resist the pressure to assimilate. A lot of us experience the thought that you cannot excel in a room where no one looks, or sounds, or thinks like you, but embracing your uniqueness allows your authenticity to shine through. My advice for ‘women disruptors’ is to develop a strong support network and a work culture that embraces diversity and empowers people from all kinds of backgrounds. I’ve found that at Latham, where I sit in a room full of diverse faces, voices, and mindsets all working together to help each other excel.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Female Disruptors: Jekkie Kim and Frances Stocks Allen Of Latham & Watkins On The Three Things You… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.