QUALIFICATIONS:
Legal Experience

Background. Abby Silverman is a former trial lawyer with Baker & McKenzie LLP, a 3,900-lawyer global law firm she joined in 1988. Her significant legal experience includes commercial and employment dispute resolution, business and employment law litigation, and counseling. Her specialization in employment law grew as the field itself developed in the 1980s. Her career tracked the changing landscape of best practices in the human resources field.

Specialization. Ms. Silverman has counseled corporate and individual clients on policies, practices and procedures including: employment aspects of corporate governance; employment agreements with key executives; protection of confidential information and trade secrets; issues relating to hiring, promotions, demotions, discharges, reductions in force; employment issues in mergers and acquisitions; severance agreements and strategies; privacy; and dispute resolution. She has assisted employers in conducting investigations of employee misconduct, including sexual harassment, and has provided advice to companies that engage in cross-border operations on US employment law issues and the inter-relationships of non-US and US employment laws.

Management. Ms. Silverman has served Baker & McKenzie as Managing Partner of the San Diego Office (1998-2001), head of the San Diego Litigation and Employment Practice Group (2001-2007), member of the North American Diversity Oversight Committee (2002-2008), member of the firm-wide Professional Development Committee (1992-1999), member of the firm-wide Policy Committee (1996-2001), and chair of the US Benefits and Human Resources Committee (1994-2001).

Abby Silverman’s most recent position with Baker was Of Counsel to its North American Region, where her assignments included designing its Human Resources Audit Program, conducting on-site audits, consulting on policies, leading the Women’s Initiative, and leading the selection committee for the Region’s first Diversity Director.