Jan Kang, chief legal officer, Chronicle. Courtesy photo

Jan Kang helped Google's parent Alphabet create Chronicle, where she serves as chief legal officer. Chronicle promises to be a game- and industry-changing company aimed at shutting down cyberattacks using technology already being tested by Fortune 500 organizations.

Name an important opportunity you got early in your career and what you did with it.

I took a leave of absence from Sheppard Mullin in LA and went to Korea. It was an incredible experience at a time when the markets were opening. Taking a break from Big Law gave me a chance to think long and hard about what I wanted to do when I returned to the States and where I wanted to be. Coming back to work in-house in Silicon Valley was the best choice I could have made.

What's the best piece of career advice anyone ever gave you?

I need to learn to advocate for myself and not just my clients.

No. 1 survival tip in a work crisis:

As Dory would advise, “just keep breathing, just keep breathing …” On a more serious note, staying calm and focused is always the goal. I have huge admiration for Hyun Park, former general counsel of PG&E who maintained a Zen state during the many years of crisis after crisis following the San Bruno explosion. I need to do better with my meditation practice!

In 50 words or less, how far has the tech industry gone toward tackling its gender gap since you started practicing?

When I founded WGCN (Women's General Counsel Network) in 2009, I didn't know that many female GCs. A mere five of us met for dinner in Burlingame. Now, almost 10 years later, there are approximately 700 members nationally, many of these at tech companies. There is speculation that the role has gone pink and is an easy way to add women to the C-suite. More needs to be done to make sure there are women leaders in other roles.

Name a lawyer whose work you admire and why?

Lee Gelernt of the [American Civil Liberties Union] is a true hero in the battle for immigration rights. He has led the charge in challenging the travel ban and fighting for separated families and has helped countless of families and individuals. He is a warrior for justice.

What's the best part about working in the tech sector?

How cool is it to be working in a place that's developing things that will change the world? Chronicle's mission is to change the face of security, which is incredibly exciting.

What's the biggest challenge?

Laws and regulatory frameworks don't keep up with changes in tech. The people governing often don't have a deep understanding of the technology they're trying to regulate either.

What piece of advice do you give to lawyers considering a career in tech law?

If I had to do again, I would have worked harder in my computer science classes!

What's one way technology has made your life easier?

I manage a lot of the family's life on apps now, including scheduling the kids' rides on Zum, ordering school lunches, signing up for volunteer events, checking out assignments on Classroom and even managing device time with OurPact.

One way it's made your life more difficult?

The kids are better at tech than I am and have learned how to hack at least one of the apps! The boys have become hypebeasts as a result of some of the influencers they follow.

What's one way you've had to change your thinking toward practicing law to succeed in-house at a technology company?

I spend as much time as I can understanding technology, whether it's attending our eng team's brown bags and demos or going to general education session on machine learning. It can be frustrating for team members to have a lawyer who doesn't take the time to understand basic concepts integral to the business.

What's one area of technology that you're most excited about and why?

I love working in cybersecurity. It's a mission I truly believe in. Chronicle's tagline is “Give Good the Advantage,” and I tell everyone we're the modern-day crime fighters. So much of our lives are on the internet these days, and I'm proud to be part of a company that is helping to make it safer for people to venture online.