HONOREE

Aline Taireh

Executive Vice President & U.S. General Counsel
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Brooklyn Law School

Aline Taireh is the executive VP&U.S. general counsel of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), one of the world’s preeminent developers and operators of flagship shopping centers and lifestyle destinations, with a portfolio valued at $68.8 billion (as of December 31, 2020). In her role, Taireh advises the company on all aspects of shopping center and airport operations, property acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, secured and unsecured financing transactions, litigation, employment and all other legal process and matters. She also serves on the supervisory board of the publicly listed Dutch holding company comprising part of URW’s corporate structure. URW has undergone a massive transformation since Unibail-Rodamco's acquisition of Westfield in June 2018. The transaction created significant opportunities and challenges in the organization – requiring key leaders to drive change management to successfully adopt management practices in order to ensure organizational success. Taireh was instrumental in this effort, and her impact, accomplishments, and ability to drive results was quickly recognized by the senior management team, leading to her promotion to her current role.

As a member of the company’s U.S. leadership team, Taireh continues to contribute to the definition of the strategy and vision for the global company and takes part in key business decisions. In addition, she is a strong champion of the company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives in the U.S. In that capacity, she mentors young women at the company, has led efforts to recognize and celebrate International Women’s Day within the business, and was the driving force behind the company’s modernizing of its paid parental leave policy. Throughout the unique challenges confronted by our society this past year, Taireh has been an ardent advocate for URW’s efforts to support community healing to the greatest degree possible. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the company launched its #WestfieldCares initiative – a program dedicated to reaching out and giving back to those most vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic – as well as encouraging others to do the same. As part of this effort, URW has been supporting and working alongside more than 100 NGOs, nonprofits, and community organizations nationwide to help drive awareness and marshal resources for those in need.

FINALISTS

David J. Katz

Executive Vice President & General Counsel
Radnet, Inc.
Loyola Law School

David J. Katz has served as RadNet, Inc.’s executive vice president and general counsel since March 1, 2020. Katz joined RadNet, Inc. from the international law firm Perkins Coie LLP, where he was a partner for 20 years, and has been in private practice for 30 years. Katz’s legal practice has focused on corporate finance, international transactions, mergers and acquisitions, business planning and SEC compliance for domestic and foreign companies. Since his arrival at RadNet, Inc., Katz has closed 17 acquisitions and oversees all legal matters related to the company and its subsidiaries. The most significant transaction was the acquisition of DeepHealth, Inc., which launched the company’s efforts to bring artificial intelligence for breast and other cancer detection into the diagnostic radiology field. Katz has also served as a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Reserve Deputy since 1990 and is a two-time Medal of Valor recipient from the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department.

Donald J. Rosenberg

Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Qualcomm Inc. St.
John's University School of Law

Donald J. Rosenberg is executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Qualcomm Incorporated. In August, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals handed Qualcomm a seismic victory in its antitrust fight with the Federal Trade Commission. The unanimous, bipartisan opinion marked a turning point not just for general counsel Rosenberg and his team of Qualcomm lawyers but for the San Diego-based company as a whole. The ruling allows the company’s broad innovation and investments to realize their potential, which had been limited as long as its business model was under fire. The decision also likely ended five years of bet-the company litigation for the San Diego chipmaker over its licensing practices. Rosenberg, a veteran antitrust and intellectual property whiz, guided Qualcomm during each of these legal assaults, winning every time. Thanks to Rosenberg, Qualcomm’s business model is now secure, and the company is well-positioned to be the dominant chip supplier in 5G.

Hadiss Sisson

Senior Director & General Counsel, Small Business Dun & Bradstreet
Southwestern University Law School

Hadiss Sisson is not a typical in-house attorney or general counsel. She is a legal business affairs partner, bridging the traditional gap between sales, product and marketing, bringing legal expertise to each function in a partner-like way. After a successful run in the entertainment law field, she entered the world of data, product, and technology at Dun & Bradstreet, where she has been thriving for the past ten years working directly with product, technology, and marketing teams to create and launch products that help small businesses. A major factor in her decision to take this role was the opportunity to give back to the small business community by helping them find and use products that serve their needs and address their challenges. As the lead small business attorney for Dun & Bradstreet, Sisson is responsible for product parity, messaging and enablement and works diligently to ensure that all teams are serving the end customer.