How to Build Out Your Growing Legal Department with DEI in Mind

Allison L. Barlotta is a Principal/Director and Associate General Counsel at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she leads the firm’s internal investigations team. This team of attorneys conducts investigations of potential violations of the law, firm policy, or the company's Code of Business Ethics and Conduct, counsels the business on compliance risks and best practices, and also serves as the firm’s primary point of contact for responding to requests from external investigators or regulators for information about the firm or its employees.

Prior to joining Booz Allen Hamilton, Ms. Barlotta spent ten years at the U.S. Department of Justice. From 2007-2012, Ms. Barlotta served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where she led numerous grand jury investigations involving a variety of federal and local crimes, including financial fraud, public corruption, and violent crimes, tried 17 cases to verdict, and argued appeals before the D.C. Circuit and D.C. Court of Appeals. Following her time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Barlotta served as an Assistant Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility. Ms. Barlotta began her career as an associate attorney with Blank Rome LLP, where her practice focused on white collar litigation and conducting internal corporate investigations.

Ms. Barlotta earned her J.D. cum laude, from the American University Washington College of Law, where she served as an Articles Editor for the American University Law Review. Ms. Barlotta earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Syracuse University.

Cristina Regojo Gedan is Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at U.S. Bancorp. Cristina leads the Legal Regulatory Group (LRG) which provides enterprise-wide regulatory advice and guidance on domestic and international regulatory matters in jurisdictions where U. S. Bancorp and its affiliates have a presence.

Prior to joining the bank, Cristina worked at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), where she served in policy and legal roles focused on bankruptcy and resolution of complex financial institutions.

Cristina was Counsel in the financial institutions group at the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell, where she started her legal career and also has experience as a lawyer with Citigroup advising Citi Private Bank’s bankers in the International and Latin American divisions.

Cristina is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago Law School.

Molly is Senior Vice President and Senior Counsel at Citizens Bank, where she advises the Bank’s innovative consumer point-of-sale finance business on product development, regulatory compliance, and payments matters. Molly also leads Citizens’ Intellectual Property practice, managing the Bank’s extensive domestic trademark portfolio and advising on marketing and brand enforcement matters.

Molly has more than 20 years of experience counseling clients on emerging technology and strategic transactions in both private practice and in-house settings.

In addition to her practice-related work, Molly is committed to developing and sustaining a diverse and inclusive culture within the legal profession. She serves as the Chair of Citizens’ Legal Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council, is an active member of Citizens’ Pro Bono Committee and mentors diverse first-year law students.

Outside of work, Molly is a member of the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts and chairs the Advisory Board of a local social service organization.

Molly earned her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and her B.A. from Hamilton College.

Kristy serves as the General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer for Lidl US, LLC, the German international grocery chain that opened its first store in the United States in 2017. Kristy joined Lidl’s Arlington, Virginia headquarters in July 2019 overseeing the Legal, Compliance, Data Privacy, and Risk Management Department as Lidl grows its stores across the East Coast from New York to Georgia. Previously, Kristy was General Counsel at the US regional headquarter offices of a Zurich based international airline catering company.

Prior to that, Kristy was in private practice in Washington, DC with Mayer Brown LLP and Coudert Brothers LLP in the international trade and corporate compliance groups. Kristy is a current supporter of Feeding America and No Kid Hungry, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sichuan, China before entering law school.

Kristy attended The American University (B.A. International Affairs and Economics, 1992) and The George Washington University Law School (J.D., 2003).

Angela Spivey co-leads Alston & Bird’s food & beverage industry team and provides defense and counsel for food manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, and packaging entities in a host of FDA, USDA, and CBP regulatory compliance issues and litigation. She has extensive experience defending consumer class action labeling cases, implementing product recalls, and defending widespread international outbreaks and resulting civil litigation. Angela also defends corporations and individuals in FDA-OCI criminal investigations. In addition to consulting with food industry clients, Angela has first-chair trial experience before state and federal courts across the U.S

Angela is ranked by Chambers USA in Band 2 as a leader in the category of Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation and has been named a “Litigation Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal. Angela is also ranked in The Best Lawyers in America?. She is well known for her thought leadership in the industry as a co-author of Food Safety Law, the nation’s leading treatise, the firm’s monthly Food & Beverage Digest, and is a frequent speaker across the country at various industry group conferences discussing top-of-mind issues in the food industry.

Ms. Spivey received her J.D., magna cum laude, from University of Mississippi School of Law in 1996. She is admitted to practice in Georgia and Mississippi and before a number of federal district and appellate courts.