CLE 01.28.21
01.28
Press Release
Press Release
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Olivia Thomas
03.23.21
Pillsbury’s San Francisco Managing Partner, Roxane Polidora, has been named among only 22 women lawyers as a member of DirectWomen’s 2020-21 Board Institute class. Polidora, who also serves as firmwide leader of Pillsbury’s Antitrust & Competition team, was selected following a rigorous process that identifies top law firm partners, Fortune 500 general counsel and leading private equity and government lawyers to represent a wide range of business knowledge and industry experience as DirectWomen works to increase the number of women on corporate boards in the U.S.
Through an intensive, months-long curriculum, Board Institute participants work with an esteemed faculty of CEOs, C-suite and search firm executives, and public company directors to discuss key issues facing corporate boards and become positioned for board service. Since its inception 14 years ago, more than 215 women have participated in the Board Institute, and DirectWomen alumnae currently serve on more than 100 corporate boards.
“If one thing has become clear in the last year, it is the value of diverse leadership and strong corporate governance,” said DirectWomen Chair Catharine Biggs Arrowood. “DirectWomen is dedicated to diversity in the boardroom—for the value it brings to the corporate dialogue and because of the powerful business case for diversity. I am confident that many members of the 2020-2021 class will similarly add significant value to their companies’ boards.”
Along with Polidora, Board Institute’s 2020-21 class comprises general counsel from Fortune 500 companies, senior lawyers from other top 100 U.S. law firms, and leading lawyers from private equity and government.
Polidora is an esteemed litigator with extensive experience representing clients in significant antitrust, unfair competition and commercial matters. A leading figure in the Bay Area legal community, she is regularly recognized by organizations such as Chambers USA, The Legal 500 and Global Competition Review, and she has been named as one of the Most Influential Women in Business three times by the San Francisco Business Times. As leader of Pillsbury’s San Francisco office, Polidora has spearheaded significant corporate responsibility initiatives, such as: an event with the San Francisco Bar Association for Bay Area women general counsel to help attendees strengthen their networks with other influential women; Pillsbury’s legal checkup program for Bay Area nonprofits that serve the homeless; and a charitable giving campaign that has earned the firm the United Way “Big Koko” award 17 times.