In GC Sidebar, a new video series from Paragon Legal, our CEO Trista Engel sits down with General Counsel from across industries for candid conversations about what it really takes to lead in today’s legal landscape.
From unexpected career pivots to real-world challenges and strategic wins, these short, sharp interviews go beyond the surface—spotlighting how GCs are navigating 2025 with clarity, creativity, and conviction.
Catch new episodes here as they drop.
In our final episode of GC Sidebar Season One, Ron Bell, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer at Collective Health, joins host Trista Engel for a sharp conversation about leading through complexity, prioritization, and the kind of leadership that scales beyond authority.
From navigating ambiguity across privacy, AI, and global change to choosing the battles that truly matter (his “Tolstoy test”), Ron shares how GCs can move businesses forward without clinging to control. He reflects on a career from Chicago litigator to 18 years at Yahoo (culminating as GC) and on to Collective Health, and proposes his tongue-in-cheek Universal Reply All Prevention Act of 2025. Watch the trailer now.
In this episode of GC Sidebar, Delida Costin, four-time General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer and now founder of Monarch Road Advisors, joins host Trista Engel for a candid conversation on the evolving role of the top legal seat and the mindset it takes to thrive there.
From Big Law beginnings to in-house leadership at CNET Networks and Pandora Media, Delida stepped into her first GC role at Pandora and went on to lead legal teams at Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning, Grove Collaborative, and Group Black before launching Monarch Road.
Delida reflects on the accelerating forces reshaping legal, AI, quantum computing, and global regulatory complexity—and why GCs must move beyond gathering information to shaping action. She shares how founding her own firm early in her career sharpened her business instincts, ultimately connecting her to Pandora’s CEO and setting her on a path of entrepreneurial leadership.
Known for her philosophy of valuing “heartbeats as fiercely as dollars,” Delida also opens up about the importance of legal leaders claiming their place as true business executives, not just advisors.
In this episode of GC Sidebar, Sarah Wilson, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Circle, the global fintech behind USDC, a leading regulated stablecoin, joins host Trista Engel for a sharp conversation about leading through rapid regulation, building agile teams, and the GC’s role as a cross-functional “dot connector.”
From staying ahead of fast-evolving crypto and payments rules to hiring attorneys who can pivot, Sarah shares how she balances legal risk with business strategy, and why a calm, steady hand is a GC’s greatest asset. She traces a career spanning Sullivan & Cromwell, Ventas, Duly Health, and now Circle, reflects on bringing a business mindset to legal leadership, and tips her cap to Jack McCoy as a reminder that grit and dedication still carry the day.
In this episode of GC Sidebar, Bita Goldman, Global General Counsel at UNiDAYS, the world’s leading student affinity network serving over 20 million members across 115 markets, joins host Trista Engel for a sharp conversation about transforming in-house legal from reactive problem-solver to strategic growth partner.
From embracing technology and navigating global privacy complexity to balancing risk with business momentum, Bita shares why patience, a steady hand, and solution-orientation are essential to modern GC leadership. She traces a path from advocacy at the Urban Justice Center to her first GC role (and a pivotal stint as VP of Operations) at Quantum Networks, and on to leading the global legal function at UNiDAYS, with a nod to Vinny Gambini as a reminder that relentless dedication wins the day. Watch the full episode now.
In this episode of GC Sidebar, Heather Stevenson, General Counsel at Red Cell Partners, a venture capital firm and incubator building technology-led companies in healthcare, cybersecurity, and national security, joins host Trista Engel for a sharp conversation about doing more with less, choosing tools that actually move the needle, and why trust with leadership is the linchpin of effective in-house counsel.
From Big Law at Sullivan & Cromwell to launching Thirst Juice Co. in Boston, then returning in-house at Boston Globe Media before stepping into her first GC role at Red Cell Partners in 2022, Heather shares how an entrepreneurial detour sharpened her business instincts and impact as a GC. She reflects on making legal advice actionable through trust, avoiding shiny-object distractions in the AI tooling wave, and the mindset she builds outside work, after 15 marathons and training for her second ultra, to stay resilient and focused.
In episode 12 of GC Sidebar, Mark Kahn, General Counsel of the Oakland Ballers, joins host Trista Engel for an honest conversation about leadership, resilience, and finding joy both inside and outside the legal department.
From navigating today’s “do more with less” environment to reflecting on the hard lessons he learned after failing as a leader at WhatsApp, Mark shares how those experiences shaped the way he built a high-performing, people-first legal team at Segment. He opens up about the importance of culture, the pride he takes in the colleagues who turned his desk into a fort, and why humility was the key to his growth as a GC. And beyond the office, he reveals his second passion, as the voice of the Oakland Ballers, where he’s as committed to his public address microphone as he is to his legal career. Watch the full episode now.
In episode 11 of GC Sidebar, Jaci Lee, Vice President and General Counsel at Flynn Group, joins host Trista Engel for an energizing conversation about scaling legal, leading with humanity, and the culture GCs create.
From the timeless challenge of delivering exceptional legal service efficiently to the pride she takes in building a 16-person department from scratch, Jackie offers a candid look at what makes a legal team thrive. She shares the career question that has guided her leadership, “Who’s here because of you?“, and explains why mentorship, kindness, and culture matter just as much as legal acumen. It’s a conversation that reveals the true legacy of a GC: not just the wins you deliver, but the people who stay and grow because of your leadership. Watch the full episode now.
In episode 10 of GC Sidebar, Andrew Epstein, General Counsel at Demandbase, joins host Trista Engel for a sharp conversation about innovation, leadership, and the unconventional paths that shape a legal career.
From rethinking how legal teams embrace AI to reframing strategy so it resonates across the executive table, Andrew shares how he’s working to break the “office of no” stereotype and empower his team to lead with creativity. He reflects on career-defining moments, from a law school internship with the Washington Nationals to navigating a complex corporate transaction at LiveRamp, and opens up about the unexpected passions, like spoken word poetry, that have influenced his journey as a lawyer and leader. Watch the full episode now.
In episode 9 of GC Sidebar, Eunice Buhler, General Counsel at G2, joins host Trista Engel for a thoughtful conversation about technology, resilience, and the human side of building legal.
From the rise of AI in everyday legal work to the pride she takes in leading a best-in-class team, Eunice shares what it looks like to practice law at the intersection of innovation and judgment. She opens up about questioning her own career path, rediscovering joy in the profession, and why she believes the real measure of a GC isn’t the contracts you negotiate but the people you empower. Watch the full episode.
In this episode of GC Sidebar, Paragon Legal CEO Trista Engel sits down with Michael Stein, General Counsel at Gambling.com Group, for a candid conversation about the realities of legal tech adoption, the all-hands nature of being GC at a small company, and the career role that changed everything.
Michael shares a pragmatic view on how to cut through the hype around legal tech by weighing cost, ROI, and implementation against real business needs. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at what the GC title actually entails in a lean organization—where “other duties as assigned” can mean anything from complex negotiations to making sure the coffee is hot and the meeting runs smoothly.
From negotiating Britney Spears’ first Las Vegas residency contract to navigating the transition from Big Law to in-house, Michael reflects on the moments and mindsets that shaped his career, plus why he sees himself as a trusted, quiet voice of reason in the room. Watch the full episode.
In this episode of GC Sidebar, Paragon Legal CEO Trista Engel sits down with Shu White, Chief Legal Officer and Head of People at Motive, for a candid conversation on navigating volatility, winning high-stakes litigation, and leading through crisis with clarity and conviction.
Shu shares thoughtful insight into why “crazy is the new normal,” how values and deep business understanding anchor legal decision-making, and what it takes to guide a company through unpredictable challenges while strengthening trust.
From a landmark patent litigation win to the lessons learned from managing a data breach at a cybersecurity company, Shu offers grounded, real-world advice for today’s in-house leaders, plus her pick for favorite fictional lawyer. Watch the trailer now. The full episode drops on August 20, 2025.
We sat down with Ji-Hyun Park, Global Head of Legal at Intercom, for a candid and energizing episode of our GC Sidebar series, hosted by Trista Engel. From scaling teams to reshaping legal’s role in a product-led company, Ji-Hyun offers a sharp perspective on what it takes to lead legal with vision and impact. In the meantime, enjoy this sneak peek and follow along for more insights from today’s top in-house leaders.
In this episode of GC Sidebar, Paragon Legal CEO Trista Engel sits down with Eric Greenberg, General Counsel at Cox Media Group, for a candid conversation on legal strategy, cross-functional leadership, and knowing when not to play by someone else’s rules. Eric shares thoughtful insight into how GCs can map strategy end to end, why context is a form of leverage, and how legal leaders can shape better outcomes by helping redefine the game itself.
We sat down with Jasmine Singh, General Counsel at Ironclad, for a thoughtful and energizing episode of GC Sidebar, hosted by Trista Engel.
From redefining what success looks like in a legal career to leading through complexity and change, Jasmine shares how values, clarity, and curiosity have shaped her path, and how AI is transforming both the work and the role of the GC. Watch the episode here.
In this episode of GC Sidebar, Paragon Legal CEO Trista Engel sits down with Rich Foehr, General Counsel of Electrification Software at GE Vernova, for a candid conversation on tech, leadership, and career-defining moments.
Rich shares practical insight into how AI is finally making an impact in legal, why simplifying legal advice is a strategic advantage, and how one bold decision reshaped his path.
From legal tech realities to stretch roles, Rich offers sharp takes and grounded wisdom for today’s evolving in-house legal world—plus his pick for favorite fictional lawyer. Watch now.
We sat down with Shanti Ariker, Chief Legal Officer at JFrog, for a candid conversation in our GC Sidebar series, hosted by Trista Engel. From navigating the impact of AI to redefining what it means to lead legal, Shanti shares how today’s GCs are adapting in real time and staying grounded through change.
Watch the full episode here.
In this premiere episode of GC Sidebar, Paragon Legal CEO Trista Engel sits down with Jennifer Miller, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Grammarly, for a candid, four-question conversation on leadership, legal innovation, and career wisdom.
From navigating balloon-powered internet to driverless delivery bots and now generative AI, Jennifer shares sharp insights from her diverse GC journey—including why AI is reshaping legal departments, how to lead with strategic impact, and the simple test she uses to decide when it’s time to make a career move.
Plus, find out what she’d be doing if she weren’t a lawyer (spoiler: it involves a lot of dogs).
Watch now for sharp takes and real talk with one of today’s most dynamic GCs.
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