Wendy Johnson Lario practices in the New Jersey office of Greenberg Traurig and chairs the firm's labor and employment practice. As a practitioner, she defends and counsels employers on a variety of matters. She also is credited with being a mentor to her colleagues. One New Jersey-based Greenberg Traurig attorney said Lario “leads by example that hard work and professionalism are crucial factors to success” and “regularly makes time to meet with me and other lawyers at the firm because she genuinely wants us all to succeed professionally and personally.”

What's your single best piece of advice for handling a crisis?

Take deep breaths! Identify the issues, listen, get as much information as possible, put a plan in place, and enlist the assistance of those who can drive results. The key in any crisis, and the most difficult thing to do, is to stay calm.

Name a mentor or someone you admire, and why.

I'm a big fan of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her intellect, work ethic, and class are unrivaled. I also appreciate her soft-spoken and understated power of persuasion. Out of that small frame and gentle voice come powerful words and effective arguments. She is also passionate about gender equality and responsible for establishing important precedent that still influences many of our current laws, regulations, and legal opinions. Most importantly, how can you not admire her? The legal legacy Justice Ginsburg created has paved the way for so many of us behind her.

Best advice you ever got…

The best career advice I ever got was to use the active voice. This sage advice seems simple and obvious from a grammar perspective, but not very substantive, and yet it is. Focusing on the active voice in meetings with clients, adversaries, and in professional settings, sets me apart and demonstrates immediate confidence. It also drives results in negotiations, performance reviews, and oral arguments. Of course, writing in the active voice in briefs, letters, and memoranda is also very effective. Men seem to do this naturally. Women need to do this more often. I'm so glad I got the tip!

What has the #MeToo movement meant to the legal profession?

The legal profession has been, and remains, a male-dominated profession. Women are significantly underrepresented at the higher levels of law firms, corporations, and the judiciary. Over the decades, we have seen little substantive change. I am encouraged by the talk about gender equality, pay equity, and implicit bias in the workplace, but I believe that we need a hard look at these issues and how they can be addressed. #MeToo is forcing the legal profession to confront the issues of sexual harassment, controlling and manipulative behavior, and misogyny that affect almost every industry today. It is bringing men and women together to have frank and meaningful discussions about bias and how to stop it. It is also informing those just starting in the legal profession that harassment is not acceptable. I hope the movement will continue to drive change and ultimately make a real difference for our daughters—and sons.

In 50 words or less, what does the legal profession need to do to improve opportunities for women lawyers?

Let's continue to work on creating an even playing field where female attorneys are judged equally with our male counterparts, based on talent, skill and experience.