Ralph Carter

Senior Counsel, Litigation and Cybersecurity Legal — Workday, Inc.

Description of field of expertise

Ralph Carter is Senior Counsel, Litigation & Cybersecurity Legal at Workday, Inc., an Enterprise Management Cloud software provider. As a member of Workday’s Legal, Compliance and Corporate Affairs team, Ralph provides strategic guidance and counseling in matters relating to litigation, dispute resolution and cybersecurity preparedness and response. Ralph is also a certified mediator in the State of New York.

Prior to joining Workday, Ralph served as senior associate in the New York office of Duane Morris LLP, an AmLaw 100 law firm, where he managed complex commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts, as well as internal investigations and regulatory matters before various governmental agencies.

A native of Brooklyn, and product of New York public schools, Ralph is a 2014 cum laude graduate of the evening program at St. John’s University School of Law, where he was a Ronald H. Brown Scholar and served as Executive Notes and Comments Editor for the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development. Upon law school graduation, Ralph was recognized with the award for the best journal note by a member of St. John’s Law graduating class.

Ralph is a committed St. John’s Law alumnus and member of the board of the law school’s Alumni Association; from 2021 through this year, Ralph served as President of the St. John’s Law School Alumni Association. Ralph is an ardent supporter of the law school’s pipeline programs and diversity initiatives.

Ralph also serves on the board of A Call to Men, a violence prevention organization and respected leader on issues of manhood, male socialization, and its intersection with violence, and preventing violence against all women and girls.

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

I will share advice that one of my mentors offered to me: It is critical to be intentional about your career objectives and in developing your personal brand. I would recommend looking for opportunities to contribute to the substantive work of bar
associations and other professional organizations in your field(s) of interest. This will help you in two ways: you will have an opportunity to develop your expertise in your areas of interest, while also developing your personal brand, both externally, and
internally within your organization.

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Angela A. Smedley

Partner — Winston & Strawn LLP

Description of field of expertise

Angela A. Smedley is a partner in Winston & Strawn’s New York office whose practice focuses on complex commercial and sports litigation.  Angela represents financial services firms in class actions relating to consumer lending, retail banking, business torts, and government program fraud.  Angela also employs her years of sports litigation experience in representing professional athletes, their unions, and agencies in labor arbitrations, antitrust litigation, and complex disputes at the trial and appellate levels. In this context, she has represented clients such as the National Football League Players Association, the National Basketball Players Association, and a variety of individual athletes and sports agents.  Angela was recently named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America for Commercial Litigation in 2023 and to Benchmark Litigation’s 2022 “40 & Under List.”  She was also recognized as one of Crain’s New York’s Notable Women in Sports for 2022 and as a “Key Lawyer” in Sports Law by The Legal 500 US in 2022.

Angela received her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was an editor of the Columbia Law Review.  Before law school, she earned her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, in Sociology and African-American Studies from Harvard College.  Angela served as judicial clerk to the Honorable George B. Daniels in the Southern District of New York for the 2013-2014 term.  At Winston, Angela is the Co-Chair of the Black Lawyers Network and was recently named Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee.

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

Litigators, develop your research skills early—in law school if there is a course available to you.  And be vocal about the type of work you want to do.  Especially for a field as small and sought-after as sports law, the first step is making your interest known so you learn the resources available to you and build the connections in the industry that you will need.  Be an apprentice as much as you can, even if it means doing it on your own time (and occasionally on your own dime!).  Nothing compares to being able to see a talented senior attorney put your work into action.  Lastly, join professional associations in your areas of interest, whether consumer class action defense, sports, or something else.  Through those organizations, you will meet a wide range of people who can expand your opportunities and from whom you can learn a lot.

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Alesha Dominique
Partner, Litigation — Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

Description of field of expertise

Alesha Dominique is the head of Stroock’s Trademark practice, where she represents clients in intellectual property litigation with an emphasis on patent, trademark, false advertising and unfair competition matters. Alesha’s experience includes representing clients before federal district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Alesha’s experience cuts across multiple industries, including real estate, pharmaceuticals, furniture, software, e-commerce, food and beverage, music, entertainment, fashion, and beauty.

Though now a resident of Los Angeles, Alesha began her professional career with two Teach for America placements — first in the Bronx and then in Chicago.

Alesha graduated magna cum laude from Howard University and received her law degree from The George Washington University Law School. She is now a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) Global TEC Forum Advisory Council, and continues to speak and publish on matters related to trademark litigation.

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

Preparation is the key to success. Ambition without the experience, skill and attention to detail to back it up is more likely to land a new lawyer in a state of embarrassment rather than acclaim. Take it slow, get things right the first time and never be afraid to ask questions.

In addition to your duties at work, pay attention to an often overlooked aspect of preparation: caring for yourself. Remember that a pile of papers left on your desk at the end of a day isn’t necessarily a sign of falling behind. That pile of papers is just as likely to be a sign that business is booming thanks to the hard work put in by yourself and your peers.

Lastly, take the time to cultivate genuine relationships with your peers and with more senior attorneys. Establishing genuine relationships early in your career is the best way to prepare your network for the years to come.

Final thoughts…

Alesha has been named one of “The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals” by World Trademark Review 1000, and has been featured on numerous lists including, National Bar Association’s “40 Under 40,” Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s “Rising Stars,” The National Black Lawyers’ “Top 100 Lawyers,” and Profiles in Diversity Journal’s “Women Worth Watching.”

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