Women in Technology - Featuring Katie Curiel

This blog is part of our ongoing Women in Technology series.

Katie is a senior eDiscovery Counsel and Regional Vice President at Consilio. She has extensive experience assisting corporate legal departments and law firms with eDiscovery and needs that arise from complex litigation. She has resided in the legal tech industry for over a decade, assisting clients with solutions at the crossroads of legal and tech. Prior to joining Consilio, Katie led and help build the managed review practice as Director of Delivery at Special Counsel. She frequently managed matters that obtained significant data volumes and conducted complex reviews of 100+ attorneys. Katie is the founder of the Women in eDiscovery – Miami chapter and remains on the board. Before entering the practice of law, she worked at France’s largest national bank, BNP Paribas in New York City structuring products and alternative investments in the equity derivatives department. Katie is fluent in Spanish, is a University of Florida graduate, and a Pennsylvania State University School of Law alum.

How did you get into this industry?

I studied engineering in undergrad and worked at an IP firm during college searching up patents. In law school I always gravitated towards technology, privacy and discovery courses. The industry found me, as I was entering the workplace at a time where legal tech was budding. The industry has grown substantially since then and I feel lucky to have been able to marry a personal interest and passion with a profession.

What were some pivotal moments in your career that helped to get you to where you are today?

There were a few. I worked closely with the legal department when I traded at BNP Paribas. Outside counsel was from Davis Polk and the partner continuously encouraged me to enter law school, when I previously had no intention. This propelled me into thinking about a career at the crossroads of legal and tech. Another was my first year at Special Counsel. I won an award for performance and the President of Adecco US at the time sat with me at the awards dinner. In our conversations, he encouraged me to work alongside some colleagues to create and build out our managed review offering, and we did.

Have you ever noticed a time in your career where your gender proved to differentiate you?

Absolutely. In our industry, I am often the only female, in a room, on a panel, on the board, at the presentation, on a call and a few years ago, even at some events. There are many instances where a strategy, approach, or perspective is certainly unique and different from a female experience and hence valuable to vocalize and incorporate. Being in these rooms standing alone, it helps to remove gender bias that comes in both explicit and subtler forms to highlight and remove some of the inevitable stereotype-driven expectations.

What is your advice for someone working in a predominately male workplace?

Remain objective, stand firm, and retain your voice. I quite frankly need to take my own advice at times, as it is not for the lighthearted.

What do you think companies could do to motivate more women to pursue careers in technology?

Promote. There are highly skilled and talented employees in the workforce who are female and do not enter leadership roles, be it in technology or other industries. Lack of opportunity, lack of visibility, lack of vocalness, and lack of leadership, play a role. When it is optically visible that the majority of females cap out in middle management and have few seats if any at the executive and c-suite table, it fails to endorse a career roadmap for women and discourages advancement.