Lynne Hermle, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Courtesy photo

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe's Lynne Hermle played a leading role in persuading judges to deny class certification motions in closely watched gender discrimination cases against Microsoft and Twitter. Hermle, who is among the 21 lawyers chosen by The Recorder as Women Leaders in Tech Law as part of this year's California Leaders in Tech Law and Innovation Awards, recently reflected on her latest round of high-profile litigation wins in gender discrimination cases.

What's your proudest professional achievement of the past year and why?

Trying cases with my great partners Julie Totten and Rob Shwarts, who I first knew as associates, and seeing other partners like Jessica Perry and Joe Liburt kill it as first-chair trial lawyers. And the appellate affirmances of the cases Julia Riechert and I tried for SpaceX were great too.

What's your proudest personal achievement of the past year and why?

No question—having survived the LSAT and law school application process for my only (fiercely independent) child without having a stroke or heart attack. Now I have to get through the next three years.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to a woman starting out in tech law?

Don't be discouraged by what you read about bad numbers or attitudes! I work with a huge number of tech companies, VCs and executives, and virtually all of them embrace diversity and welcome what women bring to the table—including women with strong voices. And when you get there, put your money where your mouth is—look for qualified women candidates.

What concrete steps could be made to increase the number of women in tech law?

I'm still often the only woman in client board and executive meetings, and I was fascinated by something Christine Lagarde is reported to have said—she refuses to attend meetings in which she will be the only woman. Of course, as the most powerful woman in the world's economy she has the power to issue such a mandate. But I see progress in initiatives like the Mansfield rule and other collaborations on inclusion among law firms and corporate legal departments, and I think they will get us there.