Are You an Outlaw? Meet Robin Gerard

Who has redefined what it means to think outside the law (aka OUTLAW) and is helping each of us in the process?

Meet Robin Gerard, Chief Marketing Officer at Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, where she is responsible for the creation and execution of the strategic business development and marketing initiatives for the firm. This includes the implementation of practice group, regional, industry, and client level business plans, the development and implementation of cross-selling initiatives, client feedback, and client teams. Prior to her current role and others she has had in the legal marketing field, Robin was a commercial real estate broker at Cushman & Wakefield and Colliers International in Los Angeles, mainly focused on developing west coast law firm business. Robin received her J.D. from Pepperdine Law School and her undergraduate degree from Princeton University. Additionally, she currently serves as the 2020 President-Elect for the Legal Marketing Association’s Western Region.

We asked Robin a few questions, and her answers can be found below. Enjoy getting to know this Outlaw!

Q: What is your greatest fear?
A: Honestly, the first thing that always pops into my mind is losing my children. It is truly my deepest fear.

Q: To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
A: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO, Pringles, and regular Coke. Am currently binging Outlander – escapism at its finest.

Q: Who are your favorite authors/ what are your favorite books?
A: Way too hard to narrow this down. I primarily read fiction (and more recently, pandemic/post-apocalyptic fiction), so over the last few years, my favorite books have been Station 11 (the best in pandemic fiction), The Age of Miracles, Open, The 5 Second Rule, and The Testaments (sequel to the Handmaid’s Tale).

Q: What got you into working in the legal industry?
A: For better or for worse, I’ve been in the legal industry except for 5 years since I graduated college. I started out as a paralegal at Munger Tolles in Los Angeles, then attended Pepperdine Law School and worked for three years as a lawyer. I liked it, but I also knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer forever. I got a job in commercial real estate, where I learned a ton about sales and marketing, and went through sales training – you are essentially given an office and a phone and asked to get meetings and develop business for your team. Trial by fire. Towards the end of those five years, I knew I wanted to be in legal marketing because it was the perfect combination of my legal and sales/marketing backgrounds. Of course, no one would hire me because I didn’t have any experience. I am forever indebted to my close friend Cindy Holbrook (now at Winston & Strawn) who hired me at O’Melveny & Myers in 2003, when she was the Director of Marketing. I loved it immediately.

Q: What is your current state of mind?
A: Cautiously optimistic.

Q: Finish this sentence: “If I won the lottery tomorrow I would...”
A: …give money to several charities, and then take a year off and travel the world skiing and going to all four tennis grand slam events with my family (though they may not be quite excited about the tennis as I would). But the truth is that I would still want to work!