Harmony Gbe
Senior Associate – Hogan Lovells US LLP
Description of field of expertise
Harmony is a Senior Associate in the Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment Practice of Hogan Lovells in Los Angeles, CA. Her practice focuses on class actions, complex commercial litigation, media and entertainment employment matters, and internal investigations. Harmony’s recent experience includes representing a health insurer in a multimillion-dollar payment dispute with a hospital system, defending a television studio against allegations of discrimination, responding to a government subpoena on behalf of a Fortune 500 office supplies company, and investigating a food company for potential Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations in Thailand.
Harmony Gbe graduated from Dartmouth College in 2010 with a B.A. in Government and Sociology and a minor in French. After graduation, Harmony served as a litigation paralegal in the Pro Bono Practice of Hogan Lovells in Washington, DC. In that capacity, she assisted attorneys handling wrongful conviction cases and immigration matters, coordinated staffing for legal aid clinics and free public information sessions. She also taught monthly workshops designed to familiarize high school students with the legal system through mock trials, roundtable discussions, and interactive case studies. Harmony now serves on the firm’s recruitment and diversity committees and devotes significant time to impactful pro bono matters.
Harmony earned her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. During law school, she served as a judicial extern in the Eastern District of Virginia – known nationwide as the “Rocket Docket” – and in the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District. Harmony also interned in the Business & Legal Affairs department of a major Hollywood film studio, where she handled global licensing disputes and facilitated content distribution across international platforms. Harmony recently served as a law clerk in the Central District of California and worked closely with the U.S. District Court Chief Judge.
What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?
My main piece of advice for new attorneys is to take the time to learn your client’s business. In law school, we learn how to “think like a lawyer.” We spend years honing our critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills by dissecting complex legal theories in textbooks. But court decisions are not issued in a vacuum. Your clients will often turn to you for legal advice to make real-world business decisions. As a result, learning everything you can about their business concerns and understanding how to “think like a business person” can only help you become a more effective advocate.
Final thoughts…
Harmony was recognized this year as one of the Top 40 under 40 attorneys in Los Angeles by the National Black Lawyers.
Harmony was part of a pro bono team recognized by one of the most prominent non-profit legal organizations in Los Angeles for representing a vulnerable resident who had been fraudulently led to signing over the title to his home.
