_____________________________________________________________ Jodi
Kalagher- Philip Morris International
Seeing issues from all angles and understanding how different sides approach the same facts, really shaped how I think as a lawyer
She attended Cornell Law School, graduating in 2003, and then joined Goodwin Procter as a litigator. There, she strengthened her advocacy and communications skills, tools she uses every day in-house.“ Developing strong communication skills early was important. Whether you’ re writing a brief or advising a business client, you need to be clear, concise, and able to tell a story. The audience may change, but the skill set remains,” she affirms.
Moving in-house
After several years in private practice, Jodi transitioned in-house through a secondment. She shares,“ The move wasn’ t part of a longterm career strategy. It happened for personal reasons. We were relocating, and the opportunity to do a secondment with a client came up at the right time.”
She joined PMI as a secondee in 2009 and became an employee in 2012. The shift changed how she handled litigation. Rather than focusing on one case or issue at a time, she began juggling several matters across jurisdictions.“ The biggest adjustment was how different the work is in-house. You’ re managing many issues at once, across different parts of the business, often in diverse geographies, and no two days look the same,” she notes. Her group of stakeholders broadened. She now worked not only with lawyers but with scientists, marketing and corporate affairs professionals, and executive leadership teams, each with distinct priorities and varying familiarity with legal matters.
“ Learning to communicate differently with various audiences was a big shift. You might address senior leadership one day and a technical team the next,” she observes.
Litigation before disputes
When Jodi returned to the litigation group in 2021 after working in regulatory and policyfocused roles, she noticed the work had become more forward-looking as the company’ s product offerings evolved.“ Work involved
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