Nashville partner Kate Skagerberg is speaking on the panel, “‘The Best Thing I Ever Learned from a Mentor or Mentee’: 2023 Edition” at the American Conference Institute’s (ACI) 10th Annual Summit for Women Leaders in Life Sciences (WILS) Law in Boston on July 27. 

Along with Skagerberg, panelists include Vertex assistant general counsel Jennifer DiFruscio, Sumitovant Pharma senior vice president, head of legal, regenerative medicine, and gene therapy Diane E. Lifton, Paul Hastings LLP partner Melanie Rupert, and Dechert LLP partner Emily Van Tuyl. The group will discuss meaningful lessons learned from individuals who have significantly impacted their careers, share instances that have benefited job performance and job satisfaction, pass along advice that can aid in preparing the next generation of women in life sciences law, and much more.

Nelson Mullins is a proud sponsor of WILS and attorneys Alana Bassin, Melissa Foster Bird, and Kate Helm will join Skagerberg at the conference.

Skagerberg serves as trial counsel in high-exposure cases in federal and state courts across the country and is especially interested in medical devices affecting women's health. She serves as first-chair trial counsel for an international medical device manufacturer facing tens of thousands of suits across the country and thrives in the "virtual law firm" model often utilized for those trial teams. 

In a space that has been on the rise in recent years, ACI believes it is essential for female leaders in life sciences to network and support one another in their careers and personal goals. This effort allows women in leadership to increase their prominence and recognition in the field. For the last decade, the ACI WILS Annual Summit has become known as the one and only forum for these women to connect and aim to “increase the prominence of women through professional development, substantive legal discussion, and woman-to-woman networking” according to ACI.