Valerie Chan, founder, Plat4orm PR Valerie Chan, founder, Plat4orm PR. Courtesy photo.
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There's a shortage of women in science, technology, engineering and math. And there's still a 17 percent gender gap in pay—across the board—in the legal profession (18 percent at Big Law firms). But within the legal technology community there are many women with thriving careers. Monica Bay recently interviewed Valerie Chan, 45, who left law firms so she could start a public relations firm, Plat4orm PR, to help legal startups.

Home base: Seattle and San Francisco—I split my time between both. San Francisco is such a rich technology hub, and I love learning and being part of the innovation that's happening there. Seattle is such a livable city. I went to law school and college in Washington, and it still feels like home. But Seattle is damp and cold in the winter, and San Francisco is not. I get the best of both worlds.

Education: University of Puget Sound, B.A., 1994. Seattle University Law School, J.D., 2008. I was admitted to the State of Washington Bar.

In your education, did you consider a career in science, technology, engineering or math? Yes. Initially, I wanted to become a sports medicine doctor. I loved (and still love) being around athletics and I am a committed to staying active. I began to pursue it in college, but realized that while I was good at math, science wasn't my strong suit. So I was time to rethink my career!

First paid job: At 16, I was a department store gift-wrapper. As a teenager and through college, I wrapped gifts for a living and was very good at it.

Current job: I advise entrepreneurial startups and mid-sized companies on how to grow their businesses via effective communications. I went into public relations after practicing law. As a lawyer, I first worked in-house and then at a boutique litigation firm.

In my last year of practice, I was put on two back-to-back cases. I didn't see daylight for six months. I realized it was time to rethink careers. Before I left the firm, a few clients asked me to handle their PR in addition to my legal work. When I decided to leave legal practice, it seemed like a natural progression to focus on PR in the legal world. It was the right decision.

Secret to your success: While having a J.D. helps get you in the game—especially working with legal technology and services companies—acquiring a deep understanding of the product or service in question is what helps you stand apart. From marketing to legal workflow to back-end infrastructure, knowing how the solution works, what makes it innovative and how it can impact the legal profession is vital.

Your “first seat at the table” and how it influenced you: DataChannel—a small startup that grew to more than 200 people. In this scrappy startup environment, it was all hands-on deck, and I was given the opportunity to lead communications. The results I delivered were recognized at the leadership level as of vital importance to the company. It was a great feeling to know that my skills were recognized, valued and rewarded. DataChannel was acquired by WebMethods, and then eventually IBM.

First obstacle and how you overcame it: I was working at a large public relations firm when an incident occurred that I considered racially insensitive. I am Asian-American. I was asked to be a “token” ethnic minority for a photo opportunity on a project I didn't work on or have any involvement with. I considered the request disingenuous and inappropriate, but my boss and unfortunately HR didn't view it that way. I instead was told to be more of a team player.

I was one of a handful of people in the company from an ethnically diverse background, so it was an isolating experience. But it taught me two lessons: 1) Be respectful of diversity and make an effort to see things from others' viewpoint. If you find yourself in a leadership role, work to create a collaborative, supportive environment. 2) I realized that the agency was not the right fit for me. It was time to take the leap and start my own agency.

Most flagrant sexism you personally encountered, and how did you address it? Early in my career, I was told multiple times that my skirt wasn't short enough or my pants were not tight enough by the company's senior executives.  And it wasn't unusual to be touched inappropriately.

I had a female boss who helped guide me on how to limit the harassment—I would wear baggy clothes and pants and make myself scarce when I saw the executives. While this tempered their behavior, the whole situation damaged my confidence. I was reluctant to speak up in meetings when the people in question were in attendance. In hindsight, I would handle the experience differently. What I wore wasn't the issue. The behavior of the harassers was and should have been referred to HR regardless of their position in the company.

Advice for young women: Now more than ever, you have a voice. Be inquisitive. Be authentic. Use that voice to speak your truth. Pursue the careers that you want to pursue.

Dress codes: Advice for both women and men: How you dress can influence how others perceive you, particularly in terms of your commitment and maturity for the job in hand. Mark Zuckerberg might wear a hoodie to work, but that look doesn't work in most environments—certainly not in communications in the legal technology industry.  There is always room for individuality, but it is important to assess the environment you are in and how those who have a seat at the table carry themselves.

Five favorite technology tools:

  • Boomerang: Gives me the freedom to send mail on my schedule.
  • Dropbox: As the owner of a virtual agency with team members scattered around the country, an effective tool for managing documents in the cloud is vital.
  • Slack: An easy way to communicate in real time — important when working remotely.
  • Zoom: The ability to communicate to multiple groups via one platform.
  • Fitbit: It tracks my fitness — and helps me stay accountable to myself.

Book that inspired you?  You²: the book is simple, but a good reminder of how people can reach their true potential.

Your mantra: Live your vision. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Be authentic. Be direct and honest with yourself and others.  

Favorite quote: “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” — Wilma Rudolph

Monica Bay is a Fellow at CodeX: The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics. She is a columnist for Legaltech News and a freelance journalist (Alchemizing Law LLC). She is a member of the California Bar. In 2015, she retired from ALM (Editor-in-Chief at Law Technology News). She lives in Connecticut but can get to Yankee Stadium in two hours.