The view from the general counsel鈥檚 office is lovely when a lawyer believes in the company for which she works, Starbucks General Counsel Paula Boggs told a packed room of students during a visit on Nov. 14.
Calling Starbucks both a 鈥渕agnet for people who want to make a difference鈥 and 鈥渙ne of the biggest brands on the planet,鈥 Boggs oversees a small army of lawyers around the world who handle varied legal matters, from intellectual property, to real estate to employment law and deal-making.
Boggs, the general counsel, executive vice president and secretary of Starbucks, has a resume that includes stints as vice president of Dell Computer Corporation, partner with Seattle鈥檚 Preston Gates & Ellis, staff attorney for the White House and聽assistant United States attorney in the Western District of Washington State.
A delegate to the American Bar Association鈥檚 House of Delegates who was appointed by President Obama to the White House Council for Community Solutions, Boggs joked that she only went to law school because the three-year pursuit of a JD allowed her to postpone the start of her career a year longer than would a master鈥檚 degree.
Serving as general counsel allows Boggs to devote her energy to a single client, which she relishes, and to work with people who love the law and solving problems.
鈥淭he more complicated an issue is, the more exhilarating it is,鈥 Boggs said.