Benesch Launches Innovative “B-Sharp” Program for Women In-House Counsel with Inaugural Event Next Month

Benesch is proud to introduce B-Sharp, a power coaching group for women corporate counsel at all levels to connect, expand their network, and better succeed in the legal profession.

Spearheaded by partners Margo Wolf O’Donnell, co-chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, and Tara Kamradt, partner in the firm’s Health Care & Life Sciences Group , the program’s inaugural event will take place on Oct. 17 at the Woman’s Athletic Club, in Chicago. O’Donnell and Kamradt both chaired women’s initiatives at their former law firms and both served as president of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law.  O’Donnell was recently recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of eleven women nationwide serving as an “Inspiring Role Model Promoting Gender Diversity.”   

“We are thrilled to be using our experience to launch B-Sharp,” said O’Donnell. “B-Sharp will bring together many fantastic women leaders in the legal profession. Our clients know that businesses are more successful when their management teams include diverse perspectives, so, as a business-focused law firm, we are committed to doing our part to making that happen.”

According to a recent survey by Russell Reynold Associates, the number of female general counsels within Fortune 500 companies continues to grow, with women now holding the top legal post in 28 percent of companies, up from 26 percent a year ago.

With that number in mind, the workshop, titled “Team Roles and Effective Team Construction,” will help participants harness their personal strengths to build, lead and empower teams. Participants will take a modified team role assessment, authored by Dr. Meredith Belbin, to identify individual strengths in team building. Participants will learn how they personally can use or change personal preferences to manage others and ensure team effectiveness. 

Jane Pigott, managing director of R3 Group LLC, will lead this interactive presentation and workshop. The event will help build leadership skills, enabling guests to recognize current preferred team roles, empower them to use that knowledge to troubleshoot, even from an inferior power position and build better teams.

This program is led by Benesch Law and the B-Sharp Steering Committee:

Jacquelyne Belcastro, Vice President and General Counsel, Extrusion North America at Hydro
Cynthia Boeh, General Counsel, Other World Computing, Inc.
Marcella Hein, Senior Corporate Counsel, CCC Information Services Inc. 
Deitzah Raby, Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.

Jennifer Desser, Partner, Benesch
Tara Kamradt, Partner, Benesch
Stephanie Penninger, Partner, Benesch
Margo Wolf O’Donnell, Partner, Benesch