On July 26, Marin Bar was introduced to Rhonda Hjort who spoke to our members about working as Deputy Chief Counsel to Lucasfilm, Ltd. I was fortunate enough to interview my friend Rhonda, who is thoroughly engaging and has a deep reservoir of fascinating personal and professional experiences, along with an insider’s perspective as to the form and function of one of Marin’s most celebrated companies.

Background

Rhonda is the eldest of seven children born to a family whose father worked in the United States Diplomatic Corps. This provided her with rich and unique life experiences, as well as a panoramic view of the world, as she and her family were stationed in numerous countries around the globe, including Japan, Hong Kong, Portugal, Mexico, Bolivia and Brazil. She earned her J.D. from UC Davis and began her legal career practicing employment law.

Rhonda is also a litigator and she spoke to our members about the importance that aspect of the law has and continues to have in her strategies and practice as counsel to Lucasfilm. “You have to know where to give,” she told our audience. “A litigation background provides that platform.” She spoke too of the importance of listening. There is perhaps no greater quality in an attorney than the ability to truly listen. It has served her well in all her professional endeavors and we as attorneys should always remember to employ that critical practice.

The “Galactic Quarterback”

Rhonda wears those many hats one might imagine at a company like Lucasfilm and we discussed her role as “quarterback” there. She oversees the spectrum of issues attendant to such arenas as employment law, business law, global IP, entertainment law, and the multitude of ever-present security issues. She works closely with the CFO on law and profit matters and is always challenged to balance the financial and legal concerns with the desired risk to be assumed by those at her company pushing the envelope of creativity and innovation.

Rhonda’s role necessitates travel across the globe and she does that willingly. She spoke of the need for “face-to-face” interactions with those involved in the company’s many different projects. “In order to have an effective understanding of the matter at hand, you need that eye-to-eye contact.” Even in this era of lightning speed, global connectivity with the multitude of mediums, the human, one-to-one experience is still exceedingly important. Deals can be made (or lost) through the ability to see reactions and nuance from the other parties. It is enlightening to hear that the personal connection for attorneys is as important as ever, even in our techie-centric “galaxy.”

The Merger

Our talk naturally led us to discuss the acquisition and merger of Lucasfilm into the Disney family of companies. In 2012, Disney bought Lucasfilm, assuming the companies, including Industrial Light and Magic, from their then owner and creator (and Marin resident!), George Lucas. Rhonda was instrumental in the movement of that deal. She discussed how Disney really was the natural fit for Lucasfilm given their organic similarity of purpose and agenda. She also illuminated the inherent demands counsel faces in maintaining the unique and precious culture, brand, and ultimately the value of a once privately held concern, which has now merged into a publicly traded, multinational corporation. Some might call it the “Dark Side.”

She identified how Lucasfilm has been able to preserve its autonomy and beyond that, to cultivate and expand its cultural uniqueness, all the while improving the value of its brand. She ensures us that Lucasfilm and all that which George Lucas and his team worked so very hard to imagine, build, and foster is thriving. May the force be with you, indeed!

Security, IP and Employment

Rhonda made a point to discuss elements of her employ which, as she put it, “keep her up at night.” She touched on class action suits and employment issues and expanded on the case law in the written materials that were provided to further explain what Lucasfilm does to guard against potentially devastating employment-related lawsuits.

Intellectual property rights were another territory where Lucasfilm must necessarily be ever vigilant – indeed, they are a core value of the company. Lucasfilm and Disney share the pursuit, but Rhonda illustrated the rare balance that Lucasfilm maintains between its need to protect the property coupled with the enormously enamored and uniquely interactive fan base. Fans make “Star Wars” the magnificent and iconic success is has become. George Lucas was the visionary that accepted and embraced that culture of interdependence. Rhonda’s job is to ensure that interactivity remains vibrant, tempered by the obligation to real world property concerns.

Our members got an insider’s look at the magnitude of importance Lucasfilm places on security – both to in-house matters and outside counsel concerns. Keeping data secure is of paramount importance and the protocols necessary to effect that security are ever changing. Rhonda’s team must keep ahead of the hackers, thieves, and extortionists, both foreign and domestic, who are constantly attempting to access their data for monetary gain. Our attendees were enlightened by Rhonda’s discussion of Lucasfilm’s pragmatic, yet creative approaches to data security and how they work to defeat the “evil empire” of raiders.

We wrapped up the discussion with Rhonda fielding questions from our audience. She was informative, clever and gracious in her responses – even when declining to discuss privileged information.

Special acknowledgment goes out to our MCBA President Dorothy Proudfoot, Mee Mee Wong, Ed McGill, and Steve Nielsen without whose efforts this presentation would not have been such a success. A big thanks to Rhonda Hjort – we so very much appreciate her for being there! The Bar will always be with you!