COVER STORY
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Mary-Christine “M.C.” Sungaila
Partner with Snell & Wilmer in Costa Mesa
20 Women to Watch, continued ...Published: March 01, 2011
Hometown: Newport Beach
Age: 44
Family: Parents, John and Mary (longtime Newport Beach residents), and brother and sister bichon frise shelter adoptees
First job: Sales associate at Judy’s/GHq clothing boutiques in South Coast Plaza
Worst job: Each job is important in its own way and helps you grow.
Biggest break:
Filing my first brief in the U.S. Supreme Court just shy of my 30th
birthday, then helping win the case, which meant putting a judge who had
sexually assaulted and raped female court employees and litigants back
in jail. The high-profile and emotionally charged case put me on the
road to becoming an appellate lawyer.
Secret to your success:
Tenacity, a drive for excellence, and creative and cross-disciplinary
thinking. The belief that one person can and should make a difference.
Plus an incredibly strong and supportive network, namely my parents.
Advice to other women in business:
Challenge yourself. Take calculated risks; do not choose the safe
route. Support other women in ways that are tangible, direct and impact
the bottom line. Find openings to provide other women with opportunities
to shine. Refer business to other women in your trusted network.
Favorite legal movie or book of all-time:
Movie – “To Kill a Mockingbird”; book/CD – “May It Please the Court”
(recordings of arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court). I love the law!
A partner with Snell & Wilmer, Sungaila has
successfully argued appeals for ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Honeywell
and Medtronic, to Amnesty International and Human Rights USA. Her pro
bono work in the areas of human rights includes a win last year in the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights that’s been described as “one of
the most important legal victories for international women’s rights in
decades.”
Sungaila was recognized last year as one of the
Top 100 Women Litigators in California by the Daily Journal and received
the Alpha Phi International Fraternity Alumni award for career
achievement.
She’s serving as counsel for companies such as
Ford and Allergan, and recently filed an amicus brief in the U.S.
Supreme Court in one of the most closely watched cases this term, the
Wal-Mart v. Dukes class-action lawsuit, which alleges that Wal-Mart
discriminated against its female employees. As a result, she recently
was recognized as Appellate Lawyer of the Week by the National Law
Journal.
OC METRO'S 20 WOMEN TO WATCH FOR 2011
Carol A. Taylor | Staci Brillhart | Kay S. Napier | Eve Lowey
Julie Lim | Kate Klimow | Monica Wise | Marcy McKenna
Victoria Wade | India Hynes | Farrah Emami | Lisa Wolter
Mary-Christine “M.C.” Sungaila | Shirley Balarezo
Renee P. McLeod | Laura Khouri | Alyson Noël
Brenda Brkusic | Cathy Thomas | Sue Swenson
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Age: 44 Family: Parents, John and Mary (longtime Newport Beach residents), and brother and sister bichon frise shelter adoptees First job: Sales associate at Judy’s/GHq clothing boutiques in South Coast Plaza Worst job: Each job is important in its own way and helps you grow. Biggest break: Filing my first brief in the U.S. Supreme Court just shy of my 30th birthday, then helping win the case, which meant putting a judge who had sexually assaulted and raped female court employees and litigants back in jail. The high-profile and emotionally charged case put me on the road to becoming an appellate lawyer. Secret to your success: Tenacity, a drive for excellence, and creative and cross-disciplinary thinking. The belief that one person can and should make a difference. Plus an incredibly strong and supportive network, namely my parents. Advice to other women in business: Challenge yourself. Take calculated risks; do not choose the safe route. Support other women in ways that are tangible, direct and impact the bottom line. Find openings to provide other women with opportunities to shine. Refer business to other women in your trusted network. Favorite legal movie or book of all-time: Movie – “To Kill a Mockingbird”; book/CD – “May It Please the Court” (recordings of arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court). I love the law! A partner with Snell & Wilmer, Sungaila has successfully argued appeals for ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Honeywell and Medtronic, to Amnesty International and Human Rights USA. Her pro bono work in the areas of human rights includes a win last year in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that’s been described as “one of the most important legal victories for international women’s rights in decades.” Sungaila was recognized last year as one of the Top 100 Women Litigators in California by the Daily Journal and received the Alpha Phi International Fraternity Alumni award for career achievement. She’s serving as counsel for companies such as Ford and Allergan, and recently filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in one of the most closely watched cases this term, the Wal-Mart v. Dukes class-action lawsuit, which alleges that Wal-Mart discriminated against its female employees. As a result, she recently was recognized as Appellate Lawyer of the Week by the National Law Journal. OC METRO'S 20 WOMEN TO WATCH FOR 2011 Carol A. Taylor | Staci Brillhart | Kay S. Napier | Eve Lowey Julie Lim | Kate Klimow | Monica Wise | Marcy McKenna Victoria Wade | India Hynes | Farrah Emami | Lisa Wolter Mary-Christine “M.C.” Sungaila | Shirley Balarezo Renee P. McLeod | Laura Khouri | Alyson Noël Brenda Brkusic | Cathy Thomas | Sue Swenson |
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