Marilyn Sobel: “My Career as a Corporate Lawyer”

Birnbaum Women's Leadership Network

Recorded in December 2017 - Marilyn Sobel ’78 is currently Of Counsel at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where she previously served as partner. She specialized in mergers and acquisitions, advising multinational corporations and private and hedge funds on business combinations and a wide variety of other strategic transactions. Sobel has acted as a legal and business advisor to a wide range of clients. She has advised on acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and licensing transactions. As senior advisor on these matters, she has led teams of lawyers and coordinated closely with investment bankers and financing sources. Her role of trusted adviser has provided her with an understanding of a variety of issues critical to business transactions, including intellectual property, corporate governance, securities, tax, and finance. Sobel was honored for her leadership by the Kate Stoneman Project. In 2012 through 2014, she was recognized as one of the Best Lawyers for Corporate and Venture Capital Law in America and in 2013 was named among the Legal 500 U.S. Technology lawyers. Sobel is respected for leadership contributions at Paul Weiss, where she chaired the Women’s Initiatives and Associates Committees. She also served as mentor and coach to women lawyers; led task forces related to recruiting, developing, advancing, and retaining women talent; and participated in recruitment and talent selection. She served as co-chair of the Internet, Technology, and Intellectual Property Corporate Group. Sobel graduated magna cum laude from Boston University and holds a JD from New York University School of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review and Order of the Coif. She completed the Executive Women’s Director Development Program at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Sobel lives in New York City and is the mother of grown twins, a daughter and a son.