Cynthia J. Cole is a partner in Baker McKenzie’s Commercial, Technology and Transactions and Data and Cyber practices, and co-chair of Baker Women California. A former CEO and General Counsel, just before joining the Firm, Cynthia was Deputy Department Chair of the Corporate Section in the California offices of Baker Botts where she built the technology transactions and data privacy practice. An intellectual property transactions attorney, Cynthia also has expertise in AI, digital transformation, data privacy, and cybersecurity strategy. 

She advises clients across a wide range of industries including Technology, Media & Telecoms, Energy, Mining & Infrastructure, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Industrials, Manufacturing & Transportation. Cynthia has deep experience in complex cross-border, IP, data-driven and digital transactions, creating bespoke agreements in novel technology fields. She acts as outside general counsel to a number of executive teams and boards of directors.

Practice Focus: Cynthia has extensive experience in a wide variety of complex technology and intellectual property alliances and transactions. Cynthia's practice also includes providing intellectual property and data privacy and security assistance in connection with M&A, private equity and other corporate transactions. She advises clients on cybersecurity and incident response and compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) and the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). She is certified as an Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. 

A recognized thought leader, Cynthia is a frequent author and speaker and is often quoted by leading print and broadcast media on AI, IP, tech transactions, data privacy, cybersecurity and leadership. In 2024 she was recognized as a North America legal pioneer by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers awards and one of the "Top IP Lawyers" by the Daily Journal. In 2022, she was recognized as a "Top Cyber Lawyer in California" by The Daily Journal. In 2019, she was recognized as a "California Trailblazer in Data Privacy" by The Recorder for her foundational work in data privacy.

An adjunct Professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Cynthia teaches a course on information and data privacy. 

She has been recognized, as well, for her leadership in diversity, pro bono and community involvement and influence, most recently by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as a "2020 Women of Influence." 

Yen Chu, Chief Legal Officer, EVP, Tailored Brands 

Ms. Chu is the Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Tailored Brands.  

Since 2020, Ms. Chu has served on the Board of Directors of DirectWomen, a national nonprofit that works to increase the representation of women lawyers on corporate boards. Ms. Chu is an executive co-sponsor of Tailored Brands Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi Alliance (APIDA) Employee Resource Group. 

Prior to joining Tailored Brands in December 2022, she most recently served as EVP, CLO of Equinox Group LLC, overseeing legal, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and government affairs for the portfolio of brands, including Equinox Fitness, Equinox Hotels, SoulCycle, Blink Fitness, and Pure Yoga. Ms. Chu was formerly with Ralph Lauren Corporation, where she held numerous leadership roles, including SVP and Associate General Counsel, where she was the primary advisor to the Ralph Lauren Board of Directors on corporate governance and global regulatory compliance. Ms. Chu also worked as an attorney at the law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, where she executed complex corporate transactions for private equity firms, investment banks, public and private companies in various sectors, and nonprofit organizations. 

Ms. Anirma Gupta, SVP, Chief Legal Officer, Unity Technologies 

Anirma Gupta is the SVP and Chief Legal Officer of Unity. She was most recently General Counsel at Tanium Inc., where she built the legal and compliance function from the ground up, enabling the rapid growth of the company. She was previously Vice President at Intuit, Inc., has held various other roles at Sun Microsystems and in law firm practice, and has advised early-stage tech companies. Anirma is also the co-founder of a non-profit committed to connecting and advancing women in technology, law, and policy. She received her law degree from Georgetown University and has a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland. In her spare time, she likes to experiment with cuisines from around the world. 

Karyn Smith, EVP, Chief Legal Officer, Avalara 

Karyn leads Avalara's Legal team, overseeing all legal matters related to Avalara’s global operations and strategic business initiatives. Karyn brings three decades of experience working with and for high growth companies, helping them scale from under $100M to multiple billions in revenue. She has held leadership roles at numerous disruptive high growth companies, including Twilio and Zynga, where she led both companies’ initial public offerings. During her tenure as Twilio’s General Counsel, Karyn also led the Trust and Security team and the People team for periods of time. Karyn has extensive experience scaling teams, building trust with internal and external business partners, and navigating a wide range of novel regulatory issues. Prior to her in house career, Karyn was a partner at Cooley LLP.