Mel Flowers
Midwest Contracting Effectiveness Legal Lead – Accenture
Description of field of expertise
A day in the life…
As the Contracting Effectiveness Legal Lead for the Midwest region at Accenture, Mel leads a team of lawyers developing and managing client relationships, supporting venture and acquisition opportunities, providing legal advice and counsel to Accenture leadership and client account teams on legal strategy, marketing and disputes.
A self-professed ‘tech nut’, Mel’s early career in telecom (which included learning software programming) exposed him to cutting-edge projects, including one which was the genesis for Ameritech and SBC’s Dial-Up Internet Service Offering. He spent thirteen years at AT&T (successor to Ameritech and SBC) where he was exposed to more emerging technology and applications of law to those technologies—all important credentials for his current role where he negotiates various technology arrangements, from robotic process automation, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to SaaS, cyber security, and data privacy (among other procurement, outsourcing and consulting arrangements). As Mel puts it; “When you understand the tech, you can understand where you can flex on contract terms and conditions.”
But Mel is also a people person, and as Chicago Lead for Accenture’s Black Founders Development Program—which helps to level the playing field for Black technology startup founders and entrepreneurs through investment, mentorship, community, and support—he is responsible for assisting the development of the pipeline of the next generation of tech entrepreneurs. This program intends to mentor, coach and potentially invest pre-seed funds in Black entrepreneurs while growing a vibrant ecosystem of supporters and potential investors. He is also the Midwest co-lead for Accenture’s in-house pro-bono program, “Legal Access”, where he leads a Criminal Record Expungement program, which saw Accenture Legal join forces with Legal Aid Chicago, Kirkland & Ellis lawyers and lawyers from the Edward G. Irvin Foundation to review rap sheets, educate clients about the expungement process, and provide steps to retrieve necessary documentation.
And his work hasn’t gone unnoticed—he’s been named on Savoy Magazine’s List of the Most Influential Black Lawyers in the U.S., awarded at Accenture for his work in Corporate Citizenship and Inclusion & Diversity and won the Chicago Appleseed Pro Bono Champion Award.
What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?
Being an attorney is a great skill—it almost allows you to speak a different language—but it’s important to be able to think beyond being a lawyer and not let yourself be wholly defined by it. Figuring out how to bring your own interests and skills into your work enables you to think differently when solving complex and novel problems, which is a regular requirement when working with emerging technologies. But it also allows you to bring your whole self to work, and to tap into your passions and use your skills as a lawyer to work on other projects that are important to you and your community.
That authenticity also allows you to build successful relationships with people. And that’s the secret. For Mel, working with great people is the best part of what he does—and he’s resolute in his belief that it’s the people that bring others to Accenture, and what keeps so many of them there for long and fulfilling careers.
Final thoughts…
As we get more seasoned in our careers, it’s important to be intentional about how to evolve. As lawyers we’re taught to be risk averse, but when it comes to our careers, we should be comfortable with being uncomfortable and welcome failure as a necessary risk to learning. So, remain curious and open to saying yes, and don’t be afraid to flex outside your role—it’s what will keep you engaged for years to come!