Congratulations to CM Law PLLC’s Chief Operating Officer & Finance Director Nicole W. Joseph for her recognition by Richner Communications and Herald Community Newspapers as a Top Chief, as well as receiving a Citation and recognition from both Nassau and Suffolk counties of New York.
“We are delighted that this celebration of Nicole by the Long Island community at The Heritage Club at Bethpage in Farmingdale honors and recognizes her significant contribution to the business community at large, her success as an innovator and a driving force behind the local economy, and the extraordinary work she does on behalf of our firm,” says CM Law Co-founder and Managing Partner Kelly Rittenberry Culhane.
As the firm’s Chief Operating Officer & Finance Director, Nicole is an experienced leader who oversees day-to-day Operations and Finance, as well as leads the firm’s plans for strategic expansion into new territories. Collaborating closely with the other members of CM Law’s leadership team, she focuses on the firm’s innovative and diversity-focused approach to legal services for continued and steady expansion.
Throughout her career, Nicole also has advocated for underrepresented communities, serving as a volunteer and liaison for various organizations, including Girls Who Code, Career Gear, and Dress for Success.
In addition to her role at CM Law, Nicole has been an Associate Instructor at Columbia University since 2017. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Hofstra University and holds an Executive Master of Science from Columbia University and Executive Education from Harvard Business School.
At the request of the Herald nomination team, Nicole shared the following in a brief Q&A:
Q: Please share a significant failure or setback in your career and what did you learn from it that has influenced your leadership approach.
During my tenure as the Chief Operating Officer of a Fintech Firm, I made a few recommendations that were dismissed when the value proposition was not recognized. However, I understood the importance of data, so I took pride in being a data-based decision-maker, and I knew that this approach would bring validity to my recommendations, and ultimately bring validation to the firm.
So, after hours, I worked on formalizing the data. During a meeting 30 days later, a global investor requested the same items that I had previously recommended, and much to everyone’s surprise, I was able to provide them right away. My subsequent recommendations were accepted. I learned from that experience that irrefutable data, strength under pressure, humility, and focus were fundamental resources and tools that I needed to continue to integrate into my leadership approach, and I continue to leverage them today.
Q: In a rapidly changing business landscape, how do you ensure your organization remains adaptable and innovative in the face of disruption?
CM Law remains adaptable and innovative in the face of disruption by doing many things, but here are two key points.
First, we avoid business disruption by leveraging existing technology to mitigate risk, drive efficiency, and increase productivity. This keeps the organization nimble. We’re in the midst of a Business Transformation, which is also a great time to implement new technology that will take the organization to the next level, which we are doing.
Second, we strive to know our industry and audience (internally and externally) more and more, so the organization remains in an ongoing research and development mode. This enables us to identify key issues and problems and then provide an offering that solves them.
CM Law PLLC (cm.law) – formerly Culhane Meadows PLLC – is the largest full-service business law firm in the nation that is both women-owned and managed (WBE). Designed to provide experienced attorneys with an optimal way to practice sophisticated law while maintaining a superior work/life balance, the firm offers fully remote work options, a transparent, merit and math-based compensation structure, and a collaborative culture. Serving a diverse clientele—from individuals and small businesses to over 40 Fortune-ranked companies—CM Law is committed to delivering exceptional legal services across a broad spectrum of industries.
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