Premium Content Q&A
Meyling Ly Ortiz is managing counsel for labor and employment law for Toyota North America. Mark Curriden, founder of The Texas Lawbook, had the chance to ask her about her philosophy regarding pro bono and its importance in considering outside counsel.
Texas Lawbook: What are the most important factors for you in choosing outside counsel?
Meyling Ly Ortiz: Expertise with the subject matter, experience with the jurisdiction and with opposing counsel, responsiveness and customer service, and diversity of the team.
Texas Lawbook: How important is diversity in your selection of outside counsel?
Ly Ortiz: Critical. Having a diverse team is a prerequisite for me, a floor/minimum.
For the full feature profile of Meyling Ly Ortiz click here.
Texas Lawbook: How important is pro bono or public service when hiring outside counsel?
Ly Ortiz: Personally, very important to me. Do our core values of giving back align? A key example is my commitment to social justice. Are you invested in building a more inclusive community with me?
Texas Lawbook: What are your pet peeves about outside counsel?
Ly Ortiz: Lack of responsiveness. At least let me know that you got it and are working on it, especially if it’s time sensitive. Inconsiderateness of last-minute scheduling. Let’s discuss critical dates early. Don’t let your poor planning (or lack of communication with your associates or staff) be why I’m reading your work late at night or reading it on vacation.
Texas Lawbook: What is something people need to know about Meyling?
Ly Ortiz: That mentoring is my jam. I have a deep passion for developing others, especially young lawyers. And I love to write.
Texas Lawbook: Have you experienced any life-changing or life-defining experiences?
Ly Ortiz: Growing up as the child of immigrants is number one. While it may be a shared experience with others, it is certainly life-defining. There’s something about making something of yourself from nothing that creates a grit and resilience that I probably can’t replicate with my children. As a child of immigrants, I know firsthand that we can survive on less – that no job is beneath me if it means supporting my family and that while money is helpful, it does not define who we are. There’s a deep scrappy resourcefulness that gives me confidence.
The second is probably growing up as the only – the only – Asian American in my entire high school and in the only Asian American family in a small, rural town and as the “other” for most of my life. When you’re a kid, all you want to do is to fit in – so I worked hard at fitting in – and carving a space for myself when there wasn’t a clear one. And now, I look back and see how that experience taught me to be able to connect to anyone as well as be comfortable with standing out.
Texas Lawbook: What have been your biggest challenges?
Ly Ortiz: At Toyota, one of my earliest challenges was the steep learning curve of the transition from private practice to in-house counsel. It was challenging to learn a new industry, learn about our company, about legal’s role within the company as well as my specific role on the legal team. From all the acronyms to business concepts to politics to learning how to show the value I bring – all of it was new and quite frankly, I’m still learning.
One of my biggest personal challenges has been figuring out how to integrate work and parenting – be the parent and spouse and daughter and sister and friend and mentor that I want to be – but also be the kind of attorney and business partner and thought leader that I want to be. I refuse to use the word “work-life” balance because it’s a myth. So far, it has been a pendulum swing, but the arc is narrowing and I’m hopeful about that.