Emily joined the Foundation in January 2016 as Associate General Counsel and became Deputy General Counsel in July 2020. She has practiced law for nearly 20 years, primarily in the not-for-profit and international development sectors. Emily serves as legal liaison to programs, provides legal counsel to operations across the Foundation, and supports corporate governance. She manages the team of Grant and Compliance Specialists.
Emily was previously at Room to Read where she established and headed the legal department. Her work included advising global leadership and managing legal issues spanning corporate governance, global compliance, contract, employment, and intellectual property for the organization’s 25 entities located in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Prior to joining Room to Read, Emily was based in Bangkok, Thailand where she served as assistant general counsel for Habitat for Humanity International and advised on the organization’s legal matters in 30 countries throughout Asia-Pacific. During her time in Thailand, Emily was the country representative for the Clinton Foundation’s Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and worked to increase treatment options for those living with HIV/AIDS. Prior to joining CHAI, she worked for the regional law firm, LS Horizon, and focused on cross-border transactions throughout Asia. Emily started her legal career working on counter sex trafficking efforts in northern Thailand.
Outside of work, Emily serves on the board of EverFree, an organization supporting women to achieve economic security and freedom, is a member of Liberated Together, a cohort of Christian WOC justice seekers, and is a member of the Green Beginnings Garden, a communal garden in Redwood City.
Emily holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she helped to edit the Virginia Environmental Law Journal, and graduated cum laude in sociology and Asian American studies from Bryn Mawr College.