A Leader Vision

YVETTE OSTOLAZA

CHAIR-ELECT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP

The seeds for becoming a lawyer, and eventually a leader at Sidley Austin LLP, one of the world’s largest law firms, were planted in Yvette Ostolaza’s mind growing up in Miami.

The daughter of Cuban immigrants whose 58-year marriage began after their move to the United States, Yvette recalled that as a youngster, while her family and peers were not that attuned to the legal profession, her interest was piqued by television and the movies. “Seeing lawyers on the screen at a young age was something that has stuck with me,” she said, mentioning that she also loved “Perry Mason” and later “LA Law.” However, a legal career did not come into focus until she attended the University of Miami when, after a journalism course focusing on constitutional issues, the professor noticed that she had a special affinity for law.

Yvette, who has always been studious, did a lot of reading during her youth. Although as an admitted “water girl,” she also spent a lot of time at the beach. As she grew older, she enjoyed writing and was on the staff of her college newspaper—in addition to being active in journalism and debate. “The skills  learned through these activities are important in the legal profession.”

Yvette’s interest in law was heightened after college when she saw how much it impacted so many areas, both in government and in business. When she started noticing friends from college attending law school, “I thought that might be an interesting career,” she said. “I always enjoyed debates, writing, and reading.” After graduating and working as an airline industry marketing professional, Yvette enrolled in the University of Miami Law School, earning a Juris Doctor degree with honors. She was part of the University of Miami Law Review and Moot Court Board while working at law firms. 

Along the way, she accepted summer associate positions that brought her to Texas, where she acquired more than just legal experience. “I met my husband, who was a summer associate one year ahead of me and with another firm in Texas,” she said, and the two have been married for 30 years and have three children. 

Yvette has earned a reputation as a top-flight litigator, counselor, and leader. Early in her career at the Texas office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges Yvette specialized in commercial litigation and investigations for 21 years before she was recruited by Sidley, a global firm with a 150+ year history that was expanding in Texas.      

 “My client base matched quite well with Sidley’s global practice platform,” she said. The firm’s culture also was an attraction. “There was a lot of consistency with the way that I thought a professional services firm should operate.” According to 2020 law firm-reported results, Sidley is the sixth largest law firm in the United States in terms of revenue, with 2,000 lawyers advising clients throughout the world in 20 offices across a variety of leading litigation, corporate, and regulatory practices.

Since joining Sidley, Yvette has been chosen for a variety of leadership roles at the firm. In addition to serving on both the firm’s executive and management committees, she was the managing partner of Sidley’s Dallas office for eight years, and serves as the global co-leader of the firm’s litigation group. However, her biggest assignment to date lies ahead, as Yvette was recently named chair-elect of Sidley’s management committee. As management committee chair, she will co-lead one of the world’s largest law firms—the first Latina and woman to be in this role at the firm.

Yvette continues to be a full-time practicing attorney, and handles cases and investigations across the United States. At this point in her career, clients from a variety of industries call on her to navigate their most difficult legal issues, which she really enjoys.

A strong work ethic and commitment to development in a field that is rapidly evolving are keys to Yvette’s professional achievements and success. They are what she recommends to young associates. “This is a profession and there is no substitute for learning the skills needed to succeed through being a lifelong, intellectually curious person, working hard, and open to new ideas. Accept the opportunity for training at any time and be creative,” she said.

Working hard includes putting in the hours during the early stages of a career so that you have “reps” to impress clients. “There is no substitute for spending the actual time to learn your profession. Being a great lawyer to your clients is achieved by doing the work and accumulating experiences,” she said. In dealing with her colleagues and opposing counsel, the chair-elect said she doesn’t take things personally. She teaches young lawyers that, “there are always going to be people that perhaps are not easy to deal with, but I always assume positive intent and move forward.”  

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been an interesting time not only to lead but also to advise clients on how to deal with a variety of legal issues including restructuring, employee, regulatory, litigation, and insurance matters,” Yvette said. “The transactional practices are busier than ever.” 

At the same time, the pandemic “grew the legal market, but also disrupted it,” Yvette said. “We learned that we all could work from home, and also that there were many different parts of our business that were evolving rapidly because of the pandemic.” She added that the professional services industry should examine its environment wholistically—including how to train professionals in this new environment.

The pandemic also impacts talent recruitment, which has changed from years past, she said, adding that the firm’s recruiting footprint is not limited to the big cities. Sidley predicts robust growth for the firm based on several factors, Yvette said, “including being in the right places with the right clients, and being a place that welcomes diverse talent.”

Yvette will become chair of the management committee in April 2022, and feels honored to be a leader in a 155-year-old global firm with a rich history. “It is an exciting time to lead with Mike Schmidtberger, chair of the Executive Committee, as the legal industry continues to push forward and evolve–with every day presenting more opportunities to serve more clients.”

From her perspective as a Latina, Yvette said that the world has changed a lot since she started practicing in 1990 as a summer associate. “It has become more diverse, which I think is great not only for the profession but for our clients and the world generally.” She said it was hard to find role models who were experiencing the same challenges that she was, but she was fortunate to have mentors who would support her throughout her career.

Yvette views diversity of thought as essential to giving the best advice and counseling to clients. As a global firm, she said, it is important for Sidley to reflect its client base and the community. It also is important to engage in rewarding activities and have fun outside of work, she said. Sidley offices emphasize community and pro bono service.  

Yvette currently serves on the boards of the Dallas Theatre Center, the USAA Film Festival, and the ATT Performing Arts Center. 

She enjoys movies, an interest that has grown during her service as a member of the board of directors of Lionsgate, multimedia entertainment company that also owns STARZ.

What is Sidley Austin?

More than 150 years after the founding of our firm, Sidley today comprises a diverse group of

legal professionals from many cultures who are dedicated to teamwork, collaboration and

superior client service. Forging enduring relationships with the business community, while

remaining attuned to the dynamic legal landscape, we understand and work to fulfill the needs

of our global clients. We are proud to serve this varied and high-caliber group of market

leaders, many of whom are pioneers in their respective industries and professions.

Leadership in Law

The firm has built a reputation for successfully representing clients on complex transactional,

regulatory and litigation matters spanning a range of legal areas. From our offices in the

commercial, financial and regulatory centers of the world, we harness our knowledge to

provide thoughtful advice for the myriad legal and business challenges that our clients face. 

Committed to Positive Change

We strongly believe in creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds by retaining and

promoting outstanding lawyers who reflect the global marketplace and communities that we

serve. Our dedication to achieving greater diversity and inclusivity extends beyond our firm to

the legal profession as a whole. We are passionate about making a meaningful impact by

fostering positive change in many ways. Through our four firmwide pro bono projects, our

lawyers and staff devote more than 100,000 hours annually to pro bono work, playing a vital

role in people’s lives around the world. In addition, we partner with several charitable

organizations as part of our corporate responsibility program, enabling our professionals to

contribute their talents to a variety of volunteer projects that benefit communities in need.