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Breaking Barriers: Women in Law and Beyond

February 17 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PST

Virtual Event

Free

This is one of our free panels each month open to the public. we invite guest panelists to share their experiences, insights, tips and strategies that they have found to be effective in their professional or personal lives when tackling the featured topic for the month.

Breaking Barriers: Women in Law and Beyond

A dynamic panel discussion spotlighting women who are redefining leadership, success, and influence, both within the legal profession and far beyond it. This conversation brings together accomplished women with diverse career paths to share honest insights on navigating systemic barriers, challenging expectations, and building meaningful, impactful careers on their own terms. Whether you’re early in your legal career or charting your next chapter, this panel offers inspiration, connection, and a reminder that there is no single path to success.

 

Panelists

Jana Balik FitzGerald is an attorney at FitzGerald & Mulé LLP, where she advises and defends employers in all areas of California labor and employment law. Her practice includes class and representative/PAGA actions, single‑plaintiff litigation, and strategic counseling on compliance and organizational health. Jana’s experience spans federal and state anti‑discrimination and equal pay laws; and wage‑and‑hour regulations. Jana previously practiced at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Paul Hastings LLP.  She earned her B.A. from UC Berkeley, her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a management certificate from the Wharton School. Prior to law school, she worked in journalism and publishing in New York City. Jana serves on the Executive Committee of the California Lawyers Association’s Labor & Employment Section and previously served for three years on CLA’s Diversity, Inclusion & Outreach Committee, contributing to statewide efforts to expand representation and belonging in the profession. She was named to the 2025 Southern California Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers. She also serves on the Board of the Palm Springs Parks Foundation, supporting thriving public park systems.  Jana is passionate about championing women in the legal field; and reimagining how lawyers thrive. https://www.linkedin.com/in/janafitzgerald/

Profile photo of Hallie Tremaine Balkin

Hallie Tremaine Balkin is an experienced legal leader and professor with nearly 20 years of expertise across commercial and federal contracting, in-house legal leadership, international go-to-market strategy, and complex corporate transactions. She advises high-growth technology companies operating in highly regulated environments, with a focus on government contracting, data governance, intellectual property frameworks, and regulatory strategy for emerging technologies amid sensitive geopolitical and policy considerations. She is currently General Counsel at Rhombus Power, Inc., a defense technology company that provides advanced data analytics and decision-support software to help national security leaders. Previously, Hallie led Microsoft’s legal portfolios supporting the Department of Defense and the Defense Industrial Base. Prior to Microsoft, she served as Associate Counsel at the Department of Defense, advising on cyber, C4I, and major defense systems. Hallie also served as Director for Other Transaction Authority at the Defense Acquisition University, where she focused on modernizing acquisition strategies and enabling innovative public-private partnerships. https://www.linkedin.com/in/halliebalkin/
Adriana Marrey Sosa
Adriana Sosa is an accomplished global legal executive with deep expertise across commercial transactions, corporate governance, compliance, risk management, and international operations. She currently serves as General Counsel and Board Secretary at FullStack Labs, where she oversees all legal matters globally. Her responsibilities include advising executive leadership and the Board, managing transactions, governance, compliance, litigation strategy, employment law, and international legal operations. Prior to FullStack, Adriana spent more than a decade in senior legal leadership roles at TTEC, a publicly traded customer experience technology company, guiding global transactions and legal operations across the Americas. Her career spans multinational technology companies and cross-border legal leadership. Adriana began her legal career in Brazil, where she worked in both private practice and in-house roles supporting multinational technology companies. Driven by a desire to expand her impact globally, she made the bold decision to move to the United States, requalify as a U.S. attorney, and rebuild her career from the ground up. That journey, navigating a new legal system, culture, and professional landscape, shaped her perspective and ultimately enabled her to become a trusted legal leader across the Americas and globally. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriana-marrey-sosa/

Who Can Attend & Fee

Public Event

FREE

Date & Time

Online Only via Zoom: Link will be provided in confirmation email

Tuesday, February 17th, 2026

12pm-1pmPT/ 1pm-2pmMT/ 2pm-3pmCT/ 3pm-4pmET

 

About Koa Counsel

Koa Counsel empowers women in law to lead boldly, grow confidently, and thrive personally and professionally. Our members connect with mentors, peers, and opportunities that advance careers, strengthen leadership, and support overall well-being. Through dynamic programs, meaningful discussions, and inspiring experiences, Koa Counsel provides the tools and community women need to excel. Join us to learn, collaborate, and rise together—because when women in law thrive, the entire profession moves forward.

Become A Member

Koa Counsel membership is open to all women lawyers and law students, at every stage of their professional journey. We welcome members across the full spectrum of legal careers, including those early in practice, in leadership roles, on parental leave, navigating career transitions, reentering the profession, or applying their legal training beyond traditional practice settings. Our community is designed to support and empower women wherever they are and wherever they’re headed. Sign up here.

 

 

Bold. Brave. Beyond the Bar.

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us02web.zoom.us/j/86488128070 ID: 86488128070

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