Alumni

Thompson Coburn (TC): When were you at Thompson Coburn and with which group did you practice?

Joshua Gelbart (JG):  I worked at Thompson Coburn from February 2016 through March 2019. I was part of the firm’s banking and commercial finance practice in Los Angeles.

TC:  What stands out about your time at Thompson Coburn?

JG: What stands out from my time at Thompson Coburn is the people. The firm is home to a great group of lawyers who are not only skilled but also genuinely kind individuals. Our team came together shortly after the Los Angeles office opened, and that shared experience helped us form strong bonds. I remain close with many of my colleagues from that time, and several have become good friends and valued professional contacts. It’s a connection that has lasted well beyond my time at the firm. 

TC What skill did you pick up while at Thompson Coburn, and why is it important today? And were there any mentors who positively impacted your career?

JG:  I was fortunate to have two mentors at the firm: Vicky Gilbert and Barry Weiss. Vicky Gilbert, who led the department, and Barry Weiss, who was the office managing partner at the time. Most of my work was with Vicky, but both of them played a critical role in shaping my career.

When I joined Thompson Coburn, I was in my sixth year as a lawyer with a background in business litigation. Although I loved trial work, I was also interested in transitioning to a transactional practice. Vicky and Barry were willing to take a risk on a litigator who wanted to become a finance lawyer — something that a lot of firms wouldn’t consider, and few partners would take the time to support. I was fortunate that Barry had made a similar transition earlier in his own career, and Vicky had a track record of successfully training litigators.

This shift was pivotal — it shaped the trajectory of my career and made me a well-rounded lawyer. Having substantial experience in both complex litigation and transactional work is rare, and it allowed me to counsel clients more effectively in private practice. Now, in my role of General Counsel, that diversity of experience is invaluable and allows me to assess risk in a more comprehensive way. 

TC: Tell me about your current role?

JG: I am the General Counsel at MeUndies, a Los Angeles-based, digitally native apparel company, best known for selling ultra-comfortable underwear, with about 65 employees. As a legal team of one, my role is to support business initiatives, while ensuring compliance with laws and regulations and minimizing legal risk. I oversee all legal aspects of the company, including commercial contracts, intellectual property, marketing, privacy, regulatory compliance, finance, employment, and dispute resolution.

I’m also fortunate to work with talented teams of outside counsel, whom I manage and collaborate with closely. My role is multifaceted and fast-paced, so one of the most essential skills I bring is a broad working knowledge across many areas of law, which allows me to respond quickly and effectively to a wide range of questions and issues.

TC: How did you get to your current position?

JG: After my time at Thompson Coburn, I joined a mid-sized Los Angeles firm to expand my experience beyond commercial finance into general corporate and M&A work, including advising early-stage startups. During that time, I brought MeUndies into the firm as a client and provided outside general counsel services for over two years. I enjoyed working with the MeUndies team and was inspired by the company’s growth, so when the opportunity arose, I was excited to join as their first in-house General Counsel.

TC: What do you most appreciate about your path to your current role?

JG: What I most appreciate about my path is the diverse experience and training I received before stepping into the role of General Counsel. I spent over a decade in private practice, with significant time focused on litigation, finance, and M&A, all of which helped me develop the skills I rely on today.

In today’s legal landscape, young attorneys are often encouraged to specialize and concentrate deeply in one area. And while that’s generally good advice, I believe that exploring different practice areas can make you a stronger, more versatile lawyer — especially in a General Counsel role. On any given day as GC, I handle issues across six or more areas of law, and broad-based experience is important to be effective. Thompson Coburn played an important role in my career, as it’s where I received my first transactional experience. The training and mentorship I received, especially from Vicky, were instrumental in laying the foundation for what I do now at MeUndies.

TC:  Did you always know you wanted to become a General Counsel?

JG: I was always interested in being a GC as a long-term goal, but it wasn’t my sole focus. As a general rule, I believe in keeping as many doors open as possible for as long as possible. While I was intrigued by the idea of working in-house, I initially chose to stay in law firm practice because I felt that the most rigorous and intensive training comes from working in a firm. In private practice, the complexity of my work came from delving deeply into specialized areas; now, as in-house counsel, the complexity lies in the breadth of the issues I handle daily. I’m grateful for the diverse experiences and training throughout my career, including my time at Thompson Coburn.

TC: Do you have a favorite hobby outside of your professional life?

JG: I love sports, especially college football, basketball, and golf. With a toddler, I don’t get to play as often these days, but I hope to enjoy these sports together with my son in the future! Sports have so many benefits — they help me stay active, spend time with friends, and keep a competitive edge.

TC: What advice would you give younger lawyers as they build their practice and careers?

JG: My advice is that your career path doesn’t have to be linear. Young attorneys are often focused on the quickest route to partnership, asking, “How do I become partner? What do I need to do to get there?” While that’s a valid career mindset, I believe it’s important to take a step back and think more broadly. Instead of focusing solely on partnership, focus on getting the right training and experience that will lead to long-term success.

I encourage young attorneys to think about the type of lawyer they want to be and then pursue the training and experiences that will help them get there. If you’re interested in exploring a different area of law, don’t be afraid to switch your focus. It might be challenging, and you may experience a short-term financial hit, but that’s temporary.

I made this decision myself — I was a senior associate in litigation, just a year or two from becoming partner, but I realized my long-term goals might be better served as a transactional lawyer. So, I made that switch, essentially starting over in a new practice area. Later, I made a second career change, though a lesser degree of severity, when I transitioned from being a finance lawyer to focusing on corporate and M&A work. These decisions, while somewhat risky, really paid off for me.

Ultimately, if you take a broader, more flexible view of your career, you’ll be more likely to find a path that leads to personal fulfillment. It’s hard to imagine looking back and feeling stuck or regret simply because you were reluctant to change direction after several years. So, my advice is to take a step back, look at the big picture, and be bold and intentional with your decisions.

Thompson Coburn (TC): When were you at Thompson Coburn and with which group did you practice?

Felicia Williams (FW): I had an interesting path at Thompson Coburn. When I was a first-year law student in St. Louis, my roommate – a law student at a neighboring university – told me that the firm was launching a scholarship program for diverse candidates in honor of Senator Thomas Eagleton, who passed away in 2007. The first year it was offered, I applied and was fortunate to be chosen. The firm and Barbara Eagleton, Senator Eagleton’s wife, were looking to honor the Senator’s deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Receiving this scholarship was an honor. I spent two summers in the program and then joined the firm as a full-time associate after graduating from law school. I practiced with the firm from January 2011 through October 2020 in the Business Litigation group, with a secondary focus in sweepstakes, marketing, and promotional counseling for retail and restaurant industry clients.

TC: What skill did you pick up (or refine) while at Thompson Coburn and why is it important today?

FW: One of the best skills I picked up during my time at Thompson Coburn is how to be a good counselor to a client. This has been very important to my current role at Uber. As litigators, we tend to focus on putting out fires and fiercely ‘fighting the fight’ against our adversaries. But through my work with the firm, I learned the important skill of truly counseling clients and providing impactful business-driven advice beyond the scope of litigation. I learned to think broadly about a client’s businesses, products, and needs, while factoring this information into litigation strategies. 

Additionally, I often represented pharmaceutical companies while at Thompson Coburn. Well, let’s just say that sometimes these organizations are not always ‘well-loved’, and people would question my representation. In my opinion, these organizations are important. They employ millions of people and provide medications for those whose lives rely on the companies’ ability to do business. And at the end of the day, our democracy is based on the premise that everyone deserves fair legal representation.

TC: Is there anyone from your time at Thompson Coburn who was a mentor to you (informally or formally)? If so, how did they positively impact your career approach?

FW:  I would be completely remiss if I did not mention my amazing mentor, retired Judge and firm partner Booker T. Shaw. He is a talented litigation partner who impacted my career from my very first day as an associate. In fact, I was very lucky that he retired from the bench and joined the firm around the same time I did. I became his right-hand associate, learning so much from him. Most specifically, that he is not only an incredible legal advocate, but a tremendous person. He is a masterclass… proving you can be full of grace and authentic in advocacy while being wholly effective. We are still in touch today and I am so grateful for his mentorship over the course of my career.

TC:  Tell me about your current role? 

FW: I joined Uber’s litigation team in August 2021. I handle pretty much everything that is not related to insurance, safety, or employment. Our team, the Litigation, Competition and Regulatory Team, has over 50 people across many roles. Cases stemming from allegations related to accessibility and discrimination on our Rides platform routinely land on my desk. Recently, I helped the company win a TRO and lawsuit against the City of New York related to an arbitrary and capricious driver rate hike, saving the company over $20 million per month for the lifetime of the injunction.

TC: How did you get into your current position?

FW: I originally left the partnership at Thompson Coburn in October 2020 – in part to escape the snowy Missouri winters! I began working in South Florida, at the U.S. headquarters of a Montreal-based cannabis, consumer packaged goods. I joined a three-person legal team and dove headfirst into the life of a startup corporation. I was excited to leave the cold weather behind while expanding my role as litigation and counselor. Alas, it turned out not to be the right fit, but it gave me invaluable experience that led to my role at Uber. 

TC: How did your time at Thompson Coburn prepare you for your current work?

FW: I place great importance on mentoring young lawyers and law students. I always share with them that I see great value in joining a large firm right out of law school. A firm like Thompson Coburn gives a young attorney access to fantastic mentors, opportunities to work alongside seasoned lawyers, and the chance to take advantage of sophisticated resources for learning. The intangibles are huge for young lawyers as they develop their skills.

My experience at Thompson Coburn directly prepared me for my current work in all the ways I mention. Thompson Coburn attorneys are so good at what they do, and I always found them ready and willing to collaborate and offer legal strategies long after I asked any initial questions. The opportunities to work on complex, high-profile cases provided me with so much knowledge and practical experience that has led to my current success. I have deep gratitude for my time with Thompson Coburn.

TC: Do you have a favorite hobby outside of your professional life?

FW: I love consuming true crime stories – through reading books, listening to podcasts, and watching documentaries! I just love to read and really like the genre. I think it’s because I was a psychology major as an undergraduate student, I always wanted to be a lawyer, and these stories get you thinking about what makes someone commit crimes, who else may be capable of these behaviors, and how to solve the mysteries. Lately, I am particularly engrossed in reading about wrongful convictions and people who are exonerated. The redemption stories are fascinating.

TC: What advice would you give to younger attorneys?

FW:  My advice to young lawyers is to be a sponge and be ready to learn. Over the course of your career, you will run into lots of personalities and lawyers who do things in different ways. Always watch and listen, picking up positive attributes from everyone you meet. But, at the same time, stay true to yourself and apply your personality, style, skills, and strengths to the things you learn. Our profession deeply needs diversity, and by bringing your authentic self to the table, you will contribute to filling that need. 

Thompson Coburn (TC): When were you at Thompson Coburn, and with which group did you practice?

Fredric Roth (FR): I joined Thompson Coburn in 2015 as an associate in the Chicago office. Working with life sciences and technology companies at a former firm, I came over with a lateral partner to handle FDA compliance. At that same time, Thompson Coburn’s Chicago office was spinning up their cybersecurity practice. The timing was just right! As a self-proclaimed computer nerd, I was able to merge my interests and my practice. I split my time between the FDA and cybersecurity work for three years at the firm.

TC: Is there anyone from your time at Thompson Coburn who was a mentor to you (informally or formally)? If so, how did they positively impact your career approach?

FR: There were two partners (both of whom I worked closely with at TC) who provided guidance that was instructive to my career. In particular, these women taught me there is always a question behind every client question. What that means is that when a client asks their lawyer a legal question, they don’t only want the answer to just that question: There are always business concerns as well. Fortunate to work with attorneys who were really good at going above and beyond for clients, they taught me how to identify these hidden concerns. Ultimately, with their help, I learned how important it is to come back to a client with a business-centric answer that is applicable to the context in which they run their company. This is far more helpful to a client’s business and is a great way to provide outstanding service. And now that I am in house, I can confirm that this was huge advice to a young attorney that not everyone gets!

TC:  What is the most memorable moment you encountered at Thompson Coburn?

FR: So, this has nothing to do with the law, but it is a great memory for me. Thompson Coburn’s Chicago office overlooks Millennium Park. Back when the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, our office offered an incredible view of over 5 million people filling a quarter-mile of space. They were all celebrating at the parade, and there was just an expansive sea of red and blue. I had never witnessed that much humanity in one place. Just seeing all these people from that vantage point with my co-workers was so special. That experience has stuck with me all these years, and I will never forget it.

TC:  Tell me about your current role?

FR: I joined Compass Group USA, one of the largest food service organizations in the world, in 2021. As of a few weeks ago, I am now the lead privacy, technology, and cybersecurity attorney at Compass. That means I wear a lot of hats in our organization. In the U.S. alone, we serve 11 million meals a day, manage 1.9 billion square feet, and have over 300,000 employees. It’s a huge organization with a huge surface area exposed to cyberattacks across any industry you can name. We have a big presence in hospitals, international banks, educational institutions, and sports and entertainment, among others. So, essentially, we have lots of apps, services, and hardware open to attack. In my position, I get to work with many teams across Compass. For instance, I work with the cybersecurity group on the preventative side, during cyber attacks as the legal representative to the incident response team, the point person for data privacy compliance, and with our vendor strategy teams on a full range of issues. Even though we are huge, we are the world’s “largest mom and pop company” and here to serve our clients in the most thorough and thoughtful way.

TC:  How did your time at Thompson Coburn prepare you for your current work?

FR: One of the things I love to do is mentor young attorneys coming out of law school. My biggest message for these new lawyers is to always stay flexible. The legal industry and the industries we serve are often cyclical. As a result, to always have work, it’s important to go where the need is.

One activity that served me well at the firm was when a new partner joined, I set up a time to talk with that individual so I could understand their work and learn about new areas of law. These meetings also provided insight into where the firm’s needs were. Through this exercise, I was able to not only fill my billable requirements, but (more importantly) learn about cool, new areas of law that needed people to work on client matters. When Thompson Coburn brought me on, being flexible was what kickstarted my career. The firm was incredible, providing me the opportunity to be flexible and move toward new possibilities. If I had just stuck with what I knew at the time, I would never be where I am today. It’s how I figured out what my career trajectory could be.

TC: If you were not a lawyer, what would you be?

FR: I am a closet artist and have always loved drawing and art. Also, my family is really into complex board games that come with cool game pieces. The problem is game pieces are usually ugly, bland-colored plastic. So, recently I started hand-painting these miniature pieces to look more realistic and enhance the game experience. It is fun and allows us to really get into character!

TC:  What advice would you give younger lawyers as they build their practice and careers?

FR: Some advice I got right out of the box was this: Never graduate from law school with just a JD.  Competition is everywhere. If you think about it, the law itself is a competition, then there is the competition to get a position, for the billable hour, for partner time and ultimately to bring in business. There are too many people who are just lawyers. You’ve got to be more than that to stand out.

When I went to law school, I had my sights set on patent law. So, early on I worked to become known as “the IP guy”. As a University of Toledo student, I took all the IP classes and even got myself a “UT IP Law” license plate. Everyone knew I was the “IP guy”. This was great, but my advice is “Yes, get a JD, participate in Law Review, Moot Court, and student groups, but don’t just do that. Be more than that and set yourself and your resume apart.”

I carry this advice out in my own career. For instance, when I got to Compass Group, I found success by getting to know the software and product developers, but not as a lawyer — as a tech nerd. Over time, we built our relationships over technology, and it’s really worked great. It helps our working relationship, especially in sticky situations.

I understand that a big challenge for younger attorneys is getting billable hours in and learning the basic skills of lawyering. I get that it can be all encompassing. However, I encourage young attorneys to think big. They don’t necessarily need to stick with the area of law they thought they would practice forever (aka, be flexible!). Ask about the newest changes in the laws and talk to the partners who practice in those areas. And then go and learn about the topics on your own time. Offer to write the newsletter article or blog post and do the webinars. If you focus on building your reputation (your personal brand!) for being the person who knows emerging laws and industries inside and out, you will attract opportunities.

TC: Anything else you want to share about your time at Thompson Coburn?

FR: I am very grateful for my time at Thompson Coburn. The firm formed an incredible foundation for me. I would not have found the success I have today if the firm didn’t provide me with the chance to take hold of opportunities. It provided me with unexpected exposure to clients and an understanding of their practical needs and business worries in a way that informs everything I do.

Thompson Coburn (TC):  When were you at Thompson Coburn, and with which group did you practice? 

Elise Puma (EP): I started at Thompson Coburn as a summer associate in 2014. That was a time when I got to try out a little bit of many practices, but I knew I wanted to be a litigator, so I spent more time with that group. After graduating law school, I was at the firm from 2015-2021 in the business litigation group. During that time, I also got to work with other groups such as health care, real estate, and environmental.

TC: What stands out about your time at Thompson Coburn?

EP:  What stood out about my time at Thompson Coburn is (easily) the people! I made a lot of great connections and loved working with the people at the firm. In fact, I chose to move to St. Louis from Oklahoma because of the people I worked with! Of course, also because I got to handle really exciting legal work. The partners really trusted me to interact with clients early on in my career, and I really appreciated that a lot.

TC: Is there anyone from your time at Thompson Coburn who was a mentor to you (informally or formally)? If so, how did they positively impact your career approach?

EP: I had many mentors at Thompson Coburn, some formal and others less so. My mentors were invaluable resources for me, especially as a younger attorney. The opportunity to ask experienced lawyers questions was extremely helpful.

One of my formal mentors was Jeff Brown in the firm’s LA office. During Covid we had regular touchpoints, navigating building a career while working remotely. We developed a great relationship, including parenting tips like getting my then dino-obsessed 3-year-old some dinosaur puppets—they were a huge hit, by the way! I think it’s human touches where Thompson Coburn is consistently fantastic.

There are so many other great people, but a few other shoutouts to Dan Cox, Gordon Ankney, Amanda Hettinger, and Brian Lamping. They were all incredibly helpful for me in getting hands-on client interaction and courtroom experience early in my career. In particular, Gordon let me take my first all-day corporate representative deposition and had me argue some of my first major motions. Those were big turning points for me—giving me a lot of confidence and a skillset that I could rely on.  Of course I can’t leave out Amanda, who is fantastic with organizational and client relations skills that I use today. I like to model myself after her, still! I also want to mention Evan Goldfarb of the health care group, who was an informal mentor and became a more formal mentor. She is a great example of how you can be warm and friendly while still being a hugely successful attorney. I can’t leave out that she also convinced me to take a digital leap to using One Note, a tool I still use every day. 

TC: Tell me about your current role.

EP:  I am the Global Director of Litigation and Regulation for Anheuser-Busch’s parent company ABInBev. I came over as the manager of litigation in November 2021, but about a year later was promoted to a director role, taking on the regulatory work as well. I now manage a team that does all the litigation for the parent company. We also handle regulatory topics surrounding tax, sustainability, product innovation, and a variety of global regulatory topics.  Much of my daily work is less traditional litigation and more partnering with teams across the entire business. I have a really unique in-house role because most of the people I work with are not in St. Louis, but rather in New York or around the globe including Belgium, South Africa, Peru, and more. I really love being able to work with the business so broadly and in proactive ways.

TC: How did you get into your current position?

EP: I was on a maternity leave in the summer of 2021 and got a recruiter call. A little backstory is that I was supposed to go to trial that had been years in the making. In fact, I split my maternity leave into two segments because I didn’t want to miss the trial, which happened to be in the alcohol beverage industry.  Feeling it had to be fate given the industry overlap with my trial, I took the call and ended up making the difficult decision to leap into my in-house position with the brewery. I really loved the work and the people at Thompson Coburn, but this was one of those opportunities you just can’t pass up.

TC: What do you most appreciate about your path to your current role and how did your time at Thompson Coburn prepare you?

EP:  Thompson Coburn provided me with incredible food & beverage industry experience.  The type of hands-on experience and the ability to interact with clients as a young associate just isn’t common in law firms. This exposure was not only useful in my ability to land the role, but to move into the role and excel. It’s the practical client experience—something that so many of the partners and mentors provided—that helped me build a critical foundation for what I do today. The business-savvy understanding for what the client needs is so important. The ability to talk business and bring a mindset that balances the client needs with the job at hand makes a difference. Thompson Coburn is a firm that really understands the client service piece.

What is your favorite charitable organization and why?

I volunteer on young professional boards for the Missouri Botanical Garden and The Magic House, our local children’s museum. Both are passion projects for me. The Garden was one of the first places we fell in love with when we moved to St. Louis. In fact, an informal mentor at Thompson Coburn got me involved with the council. She was rotating off the council, told me all about it, recommended me, and now I sit on the council.

I also volunteer for the Magic House, which my daughters just love! It is a really great place for kids to learn and engage. I am proud to be involved in their mission.

Finally, I am also a volunteer with Operation Food Search, an organization that feeds local people in need and provides nutritional education. What’s really nice is that this group is a partner with Anheuser-Busch and so there is a personal connection.

TC: Let’s shift to something fun. If you had to choose one place to visit, where would it be and why?

EP: Italy! We were supposed to go in 2020 for our 10^th wedding anniversary, but it didn’t happen for obvious reasons. I had so many recommendations from people at Thompson Coburn, and so I have to go!

TC: If you were not a lawyer, what would you be?

EP: I would be a Disney vacation planner, or just a vacation planner generally. I have these ridiculously detailed spreadsheets that even borrow from some of Amanda’s color-coding skills!

TC: What advice would you give younger lawyers as they build their practice and careers?

EP: Being right is only one piece of a legal strategy. You have to think about how you present yourself and your argument, balancing client needs, building relationships, and being practical.  The goal isn’t always just to win. There are a lot of business realities and other things to think about along the way. I think about this a lot from my current business perspective, and it is so important for young lawyers to develop this understanding.