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Kelly Lucinda Galligan ’15 on living her dream as a go-to corporate lawyer and making community service a meaningful part of her personal and professional life

Dean Austen Parrish interviews Kelly Lucinda Galligan ’15, Partner at Rutan & Tucker, LLP, about charting her path to corporate mergers and acquisitions work, prioritizing community involvement especially as President of Orange County’s Project Youth OCBF, and her fondest memories and people of UC Irvine Law. 

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Featuring:

• 

  Austen Parrish

  Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law
  University of California, Irvine School of Law
  Expertise: Transnational Law and Litigation, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Federal Courts

  Austen Parrish assumed the role of Dean and Chancellor's Professor of Law of the University of California, Irvine School of Law in August 2022, becoming its third dean. He previously served as the Dean and James H. Rudy Professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law. In 2018 and again in 2021, he was named a Wells Scholars Professor for his work with Indiana University’s prestigious Wells Scholars program. In 2019, he was bestowed with IU’s Bicentennial Medal and, in 2022, he was awarded the Provost’s Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the Office of the Provost, recognizing outstanding and transformative contributions to Indiana University Bloomington. He serves on the board of directors of AccessLex Institute and is an elected member of the American Law Institute. Prior to academia, Parrish practiced law at O'Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles. He earned his law degree from Columbia University.

• 

  Kelly Lucinda Galligan ’15

  Partner, Rutan & Tucker, LLP
  Corporate and Tax

  Kelly Lucinda Galligan stands at the forefront of corporate law, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and corporate governance with a dynamic and strategic approach. Her expertise spans a comprehensive range of corporate transactions, where she adeptly navigates the complexities of stock and asset acquisitions, divestitures, privately-held company mergers, joint ventures, litigation funding, and private equity investments. Focused on the middle market, Kelly has skillfully guided transactions valued between $5 million and $500 million, earning her a reputation as a pivotal advisor in high-stakes negotiations.

Podcast Transcript

Intro 0:05
Welcome to UCI Law Talks from the University of California, Irvine School of Law for all our latest news, follow UCI Law on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Austen Parrish 0:21
Good morning. Thank you for joining us. My name is Austen Parrish. I'm the dean and a Chancellor's professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. This is UCI Law talks, a podcast where you learn more about the amazing and eater community that is UCI law, and also hear from leaders and lawyers of Southern California today, one of our star alums, Kelly Lucinda Galligan is joining us. Kelly, a 2015 graduate of the law school, is a corporate and tax partner with Rutan and Tucker here in Orange County. Kelly is deeply involved in the community too. She is the current president of project youth. She's a member of the board of the Orange County Bar Association, a past president of the Orange County Women Lawyers Association and its foundation, and a past president of the Orange County Bar Association, young lawyers division. Hey, Kelly, so great to have you on the podcast. Thanks for joining us.

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 1:07
Hi, Dean Austen, thank you for having me. I appreciate it. I'm excited to be here today. Yeah, it's

Austen Parrish 1:11
Great to be able to talk with you, and thanks for making the time. Maybe we can get started with some of the basics. Can you tell us a little bit about your practice and how you joined Rutan?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 1:21
So I am a corporate partner at Rutan & Tucker. We are Orange County's largest full service law firm, and I joined Rutan through UCI law, through the on campus interview program. I've been there since graduating from UCI Law, and as a corporate partner, I would say I spend about 25% of my time acting as like outside general counsel for private companies, predominantly in Orange County, actually, and in that capacity, I do a wide range of work for clients. If they have new customer vendor contracts, to help them negotiate those agreements. If they're having board or shareholder meetings, I can assist setting that up. If they're doing capital raises, I can handle that documentation. And then so I would say about that's about 25% of my work, and then the other 75 is mergers and acquisitions, which means I help my clients buy and sell other companies. And that is like what I wake up for, that I'm so passionate about it, and it's the reason I'll probably be doing this exact same thing 50 years from now.

Austen Parrish 2:15
Well, that's great every time it's such a great firm. Are there matters or deals that you've worked on since you joined the firm that you're particularly proud of or particularly memorable in your practice?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 2:25
Yeah, yeah. In fact, I love that you asked this question, because it's timely. So when I first started practicing, in my very first year, I started working with this new client. They're called box box, and they do tailored and also pre packaged, really high end gift boxing. Great company. They were founded by three just young, super ambitious females around my age. And so about 10 years ago, I started working with them, and I've been with them over the course of 10 years. And over that time, we've we've done their intellectual property work. We've helped them with new customer contracts that, you name it. We've been involved. And I've just seen them, them blow up. I remember the first time I saw their product at Nordstrom. I like I just lost my mind. So it was it's been exciting watching that company grow. And about a month ago, they celebrated their 10 year anniversary, and at around that same time, I also closed a deal for them. I have helped them sell to sugarfina. The press release went out. It's public now, so we can all chat about it, but it was a huge acquisition, and I just thought it was so cool to be with this company from start to finish, and watch these women who, if everyone loves entrepreneurs because they are the salt of the earth, they work their butts off, and when they get to an exit like that, you just think no one deserves it more. And to be with them through the course of their career was incredibly rewarding.

Austen Parrish 3:36
That's fabulous. And I always think that's one of the great things about being a lawyer, is that you're doing legal things and lowering skills, but you also get to learn about these amazing companies and amazing, as you said, entrepreneurs and leaders in a way that that changes, and get to new thing every day as you bring in a new client and a new business.

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 3:53
Yeah, and to get to work with these people that you're providing them services, but at the same time, they're remarkable people that you learn from. You learn about the way they do business, about the way they work with their employees. So it's, yeah, we're really fortunate as lawyers that we get paid to basically learn under these business owners. And

Austen Parrish 4:10
That makes sense. In addition to your practice, your I mentioned at the start, you're doing a ton with the community, and I think that's one of the things that distinguishes a lot of lawyers in Orange County. Certainly distinguishes lawyers that return your current president of project youth. Can you tell the listeners, what is project youth and what does it do?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 4:27
So project youth is, I love that organization. I've been involved for about 10 years now. We are a nonprofit that empowers young people through counseling, family strengthening and college and career development. We started so some people are familiar with us is the OC Bar Foundation, which is how we started. But we've been around for over 52 years, and we are elite, a local, leading legal charity. Let's see two of the programs that we're really well known for. The first is our flagship shortstop program, and then there's also this initiative in our college and career access program, which is called Project self, and this includes a paid. Eight week summer internship that places these students at local law firms throughout Orange County. For example, Rutan takes one or two interns every year, and it's a great experience. Students intern at the law firms. They get to know lawyers and the staff, and 100% of our students graduate high school and enroll in college and career programs. So it's a really rewarding program.

Austen Parrish 5:18
That's an amazing statistic. Yeah, I know this was a pivotal year for Project youth. What was important this year?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 5:25
This year was a lot in a great way, and it was a super transformative and exciting year for the organization. We launched our first strategic plan, which is going to guide us over the next three years. On top of that, we had a search committee that found and hired the organization's new Executive Director, which is the first new executive director in over 30 years. Her name is Laura Corona Markham, and she is like this little ball of excitement and enthusiasm and energy and optimism. And I'm sure you probably already met her out in the community. She just has big dreams, and she is out there, and she's excited to do big things for this organization. This year, we've already had a record breaking golf tournament. We raised over $165,000 at that event, and this year we'll we're projected to serve over 1500 students, and you through our programs. And it just there was a lot happening this year, and it was all about gaining momentum and setting up a foundation, because she has big dreams. We're looking forward to some long term success.

Austen Parrish 6:16
Well congratulations. If this all occurred during your presidency, that's impressive itself. You must have been busy. 

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 6:21
I do want to say that the people I worked with made me look good. Yeah, it was a big it was a big year. But luckily, I can't take credit for it. That's for sure.

Austen Parrish 6:29
It's still nice to be associated with it. I always think that is the great thing about being President of these nonprofits and leadership roles is you do have an amazing staff that's behind you and pushing things forward. Well, what are the plans for Project youth going forward. Can you give listeners just a little sense of some new goals or ambitions?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 6:45
Yes. So we do want to maintain our legacy in the legal community, because those are our roots. We are deeply committed to the legal community, but we're ready to evolve and grow. And we also want to invest in branding, marketing communication, so that Dean Austen, next time you're interviewing someone, your first question is, isn't tell us about Project youth. It's, hey, everyone already knows everything about Project youth. Let's dig right into it. So we want to raise awareness about the impact our programs have, because they're phenomenal, and raising that awareness will ultimately help us serve more youth. We also want to create some future UCI law grads, next generation of attorneys and leaders in our communities. If anyone's interested, law students, if you guys are listening to this and you want to get involved in Project Youth, please reach out to me. Please reach out to me.

Austen Parrish 7:23
You know what? We'll make sure that's on our pro bono projects list. I'm sure it is. The data is so clear that if you don't get students excited about law at a very early age, I think the most recent study said before 10th grade in high school, it just you don't have the same impact that you need, and so it has to be sustained over a long period of time.

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 7:41
It is so true. It's funny you say that. So the reason I ultimately decided to become a lawyer is, honestly, I think a family friend. I remember, I think I was maybe eight, and I was reading a book, and the family friend came over and he said, You are so smart, you're going to be a lawyer one day. And as an eight year old, you just think, Oh, my goodness, I am so smart, I could be a lawyer. And it's that little. It sparks it and it changes your trajectory.

Austen Parrish 8:02
Yeah. those nudges make a big difference. And I think the studies show that as you're if you're first in your family, your first generation, then you need a little more of the nudge. And so making sure the sustained connections and opportunities for people to be able to see themselves in a particular path make a major difference at a young age. Yeah, agreed. I said this was a pivotal year for Project youth, and it certainly is, as you say, with hiring a new executive director and all that was achieved, but it also was a big year for you. Looking just at the highlights of the bio, you were nationally recognized as a on the rise, top 40 young lawyer by the American Bar Association. I know you received the LA Times as inspirational women award, and you were named the Orange County Business Journal's OC 500 list, highlighting the top 500 influential individuals in Orange County. That's that's impressive. What? What does all this recognition mean to you in your career? Oh my gosh,

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 8:53
Yeah, it was a it was an exciting year. The Orange County Business Journal and the LA Times awards were huge to me, because I just so deeply value community engagement. I think, you know, giving back to your community is incredibly valuable. So it really warmed my heart to get recognized by my community. And then I also loved that they were, you know, they're, they're more like business industry awards rather than legal awards. And as a lawyer who works with founder entrepreneurs, and I really consider myself, you know, on part of the business team as well as part of the legal team for these companies. So to be recognized in the business industry was really rewarding. And then the ABA National Award, it was just like, pinch me, are you kidding? I could not believe I was being recognized nationally. What was fun about that was, so the award ceremony was in Chicago, and it was the same time as the ABA national conference, and so we had Orange County Bar Association leaders attending the conference in Chicago. So I had friends there who were able to watch the award ceremony, and we could go out in Chicago and have dinner and do a little sightseeing and stuff. So Orange County in Chicago that was pretty fun, too.

Austen Parrish 9:55
Congratulations. The Law School's really proud of all you've achieved, and we've got so many great alums that have done good things, but it's that's remarkable to get that sort of recognition, and you're not even 10 years out from graduation, right?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 10:07
Just about, almost there. Yeah.

Austen Parrish 10:09
That's impressive, though. It's great to see all this. Great to see all the hard work and all your commitment to community entrepreneurs and others all come together and congratulations on all that well deserved recognition.

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 10:19
Thank you.

Austen Parrish 10:20
We were just talking about some of that recognition. And you've you've been recognized as a lawyer and a leader and a business person, but through it all, you've been deeply involved with the local community. And maybe I should just ask what activities have been most important to you and why?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 10:34
Yeah, I, I absolutely, I do think it's incredibly important to give back to the community, and that can look like a variety of things that can can be being active or volunteering for your city. It can be philanthropic contribution. For me, I do think probably what's been most rewarding has been my involvement in Project youth. One thing to sit on a board and you can make meaningful change for this organization. You make you make thoughtful decisions about where the organization should head. But what's really cool about Project youth is you have opportunities to get to meet the youth that you serve. You attend a shortstop program, and through the eight to 10 week program, you see these kids transform. You see them work with their families during the project self, that's the internship program at the law firms. You see these kids become different people over the course of their summer. And it's such a testament to our staff that the kids, when they go to college, they come back during the summers or after they graduate, and they want to share what they've done. They want to let us know where they're at and their successes are impressive. But what's really cool is then they stand you get you got to meet them when they were students, and then they stand before you, and they're, at that point, young adults, and they just have this confidence and this pride in what they've accomplished. And it's just that's the rewarding part.

Austen Parrish 11:44
How did you first get involved? When did you first? When did your paths cross with Project youth?

Speaker 1 11:50
I was a law student at UCI Law, and I before class, I would go to a running class at Equinox, and I met an attorney in that class from Rutan, Maria Stearns, and she was telling me she was heavily involved in this organization, and she was telling me about it, and I was like, This sounds incredible. And so I the it was really the idea of helping youth that spoke to me. And so I said, I want to get involved, but what can I do? And they said, only practicing attorneys, or you have to be an attorney to get on the board. So the day I passed the bar, I remember I sent the we have a large board of directors, and then we have an associate board of directors, which is more junior. Directors, which is more junior attorneys in their in their practice. And I remember I sent the chair of that associate board an email like the day I found out I passed the bar, and I said, I just passed the bar. I get sworn in on this exact date. Can I meet you for coffee right after? I want to get involved. I want to know what I can do.

Austen Parrish 12:37
What a great story. It's interesting. You've been really involved, not just project youth, but others. Sometimes I think students think that public service work or volunteering for the community is perfectly aligned if you want to be a public interest lawyer or work for a nonprofit or work for a government agency. But sometimes students don't view it that if you're going to be a high powered corporate attorney or you're going to do corporate law, that you should be doing this volunteering, or they see it somehow different in your experience, like maybe not talking about yourself, but more broadly, what is the role of community engagement and public service for corporate lawyers? Is it important for a corporate lawyer to do public service work?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 13:11
I think it is personally and professionally. On the professional side of things as lawyers, not just as corporate lawyers. No matter what type of lawyer you are, you have received this specialized training that gives you an incredible opportunity to help companies organizations in ways that untrained individuals can't provide as a as a corporate lawyer, for example, if you sit on a board, you might they might be redoing their bylaws, or they might have questions about board governance that you are well equipped to answer. If you're a labor and employment attorney, and you're involved in an organization, there's probably going to be questions that come up about staff and hiring. So as lawyers, we have a unique, special ability to be able to serve these organizations. And then I think from a personal level, it's also incredibly important. I it's particularly at the community level. If it's where you live, it's where your kids, your family, the next generations, are going to live. So why not make it a better place? And we are lucky to live at least students currently, while they're attending UCI law in Orange County, and the opportunities here are endless. It's, it's very active community, and people want to make things better and improve the lives of other people. In my experience, the opportunities are endless. It's not going to be for students. It's not, Oh, shoot. What can I do? It's which of the amazing opportunities am I going to say yes to? Because there's a lot out there. A lot of things you can do.

Austen Parrish 14:25
That makes a lot of sense. We I think we have over 100 pro bono projects going at any given time, which is just show how much that. It's one of the largest in the United States. And I think it's because there are so many law firms and nonprofits and different lawyers that are working in the public interest sector, are willing to give back in that way and willing to involve students, which is absolutely fabulous. I've always thought it also plays even if you're totally selfish. I always thought it plays a really important role for networking, that your ability to meet leaders in the community that are on in in house, counsels at different corporations, that you're more likely to meet them if you're deeply involved in. Community organizations. And I Is that true? From your experience?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 15:03
100% there is, yes. Professionally, it has that added advantage. I think business owners like to work with someone that they see has a heart. So if you're working for an organization and you're committed, they like you more, and they want to send work to you also. I just think being involved in the community is a way to get your name out there, your face out there. People hear about what you're doing, and it just naturally leads to more connections. A good example is on the project youth board that I sit on one of it's a board of mostly attorneys. So you think, how does that network in over gang? And it wasn't meant to be, but one of the other lawyers was at another law firm, and he was retiring, and his firm was shutting down their corporate practice. So as he's retiring, he's I have clients coming to me with deals, and I don't know what to do with them. Good thing. I know Kelly at another law firm, and he started, I want, I started working with him on some deals, and he started sending clients to me. And yeah, our relationship started with we both cared about kids and we wanted to help kids. And oh, hey, I can help you in your business while we're at it.

Austen Parrish 16:00
Yeah, I think that story is so common that's sort of creating personal connections and then leading to positives in the in your professional life, as well, as you say, making a difference and making you feel more rewarding about what you're doing in life. Generally, people talk about big law or students as the first starting, and I think it's certainly true that when you first start in a large law firm, you're awfully busy and you're trying to balance just the day and getting through and not committing malpractice and getting meeting your deadlines. But what advice do you have for students about doing public service while they're in big law or while working for large law firms?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 16:32
Yeah, it's, I mean, it is tough, absolutely, I'm not going to sugarcoat that. It's a lot of work and transitioning from law school law school, and it's still education, but it really is that period of your career where you are transitioning into your professional life. So if you want to succeed, you have to work incredibly hard in law school and then in your first years of practice, and you can't bypass that. You can't miss client deadlines to attend events, because you think networking or community engagement is important, really, you have a job, and that will always come first, but I think very valuable, and it's an investment in yourself, if you can carve out some time each week, each month, each quarter, whatever works with your schedule, to at least start getting involved in the community, because it really will snowball, even if that means maybe I my first year, I don't have the time commitment to join a board, but I would love To attend an event each quarter, either an ocba event, to get involved in the community, or I really love this nonprofit. I want to attend their annual gala. Or maybe it's my first year I can only attend one event, but I'd love to donate $500 I just want to start that engagement. And each year you can look back at your goals and say, next year, I think I'd like to join a board, join a committee or so I think you need to work your way up to it, because your job, if you're not serving your clients, it's you, every everything else will fall apart. So that has to come first. But to the extent you are able to get involved in the community or a philanthropic organization, it's an investment in yourself, and so I highly encourage you to find a way to at least carve out some time for it.

Austen Parrish 17:56
With that understanding that you got to get the job done, which makes total sense. How do partners come as a partner? How do you view it when you see young associates being able to create that balance and doing some community engagement work while they're also meeting their billables and serving their clients? How do you view it? Do you do partners view it as a positive contribution?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 18:15
Absolutely, absolutely. I love it. I love it. If it was an if it was an associate who wasn't meeting deadlines and wasn't responding to me. I might feel differently, but in my experience, that's not the case. In my experience, what I find is the people who find a way to get involved are those who have this really go getter, optimistic, big this, I'm going to do it personality, and they make it all work. It's like it's a personality trait, and they don't shirk on the professional side of things, right? They make sure everything's handled before they move on to that contribution. I absolutely. I love it. I even encourage it. If I see somebody who is only tied to their desk, I'll actually talk to them and ask if they have if there's any other type of organization they want to get involved in. Because you mentioned your first year is really challenging. In my experience, every year gets you like it more. I don't want to say it gets easier, but you like it more. It just gets it's always challenging, but it's different, right? You get more autonomy, you get more direct client communication, and your job becomes more enjoyable. You get better at it. So all of a sudden it's more fun, because you're like, oh my goodness, I'm really good, so that's really fun, but it's the clients that are not starting to call you directly, so the demands, they don't really let up, and it's a lot of pressure. And what I think has kept me going so often is that I am not just an attorney who closes my door and works for 24 hours a day. And you know, I go outside, I'm meeting people. I'm going to networking events. These people have become my friends. I see you, Dean Austen, every other night at an event, it's, you get to chat with somebody, you get to smile. And it is, it's a relief. It's like a pressure relief to be able to connect with people in your community. So I think I encourage it, not just because it's good for their professional development, but because I think it's better for their mental health to have these kind of more balanced interests in their career.

Austen Parrish 19:56
Yeah, I think that's such good advice. And I think maybe 30 years ago. Or so you could get away with just doing good work behind the scenes and writing the brief or working on the document or whatever it is. And now I do think you've got to think about how you're networking and how you're creating that sort of broader reputation. And I think, I think many firms, they like good lawyers, but they also need people that are eventually going to bring in business, and it's hard to see how somebody's going to bring in business unless they're connected and networking. So I think that's, I think that's fabulous advice. I've got to think the last decade has gone quickly for you. But looking back, do you remember most about what do you remember most about your time at UC Irvine School of Law? Where were the things that particularly stood out during your time?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 20:38
First a decade, that blows my mind. So I still speak to, I speak at 1l panel every year at UCI law, and I try to connect with law students. And it still is so confusing to me that it's been 10 years, because I'll chat with them, and in my head, we're the exact same age. I don't so yes, it's it flew by. It makes no sense to me. So 10 years ago, I UCI law. The most memorable thing about UCI law hands down, the people, your fellow classmates, the faculty, the staff, the I remember conversations and things I've done with people far more than I remember substance of what I learned. This practice is hard. You will learn a lot in practice, and UCI law will prepare you, I think, better than any law school in the country, but it is the people and the relationships you make that are what are really lasting. It's just UCI law fosters this community that is so supportive, encouraging, positive everyone wants everyone else to do well, I think a great example of that is one of my biggest mentors throughout from day one as a lawyer, is has been Christina zavit Fran one of our inaugurals, who everyone knows and loves. That woman is so kind and selfless and generous and equally as successful and impressive and all the things that she does, but she has always encouraged me. She wants the best for me. She just has encouraged me to take chances and to dream big through my entire career. And I don't think it would surprise anyone that our relationship started at UCI law, because to me, it really is just an extension of that UCI law mentality, right? Like we love and support each other, and it doesn't change when you go into the legal community and some of my very best friends from UCI law, I'm still really close to today, many of them whom I work with now at Rutan, which is really fun. It's absolutely the people.

Austen Parrish 22:24
I think you make a good point. I think, from my own perspective, I think students today, you think about the legal community, and you think it's so big and and then actually, you get out to it and you realize it's actually it's pretty small, and you end up seeing the same people. And you run into UCI grads all the time, if you're in Orange County, I think anywhere from LA to San Diego, you throw a stone and you run into a UCI law grad, and that's special, but it also emphasizes why those relationships are so important. You're not just graduating, going on, you're graduating, and probably your classmates are going to be your future colleagues for the rest of your career.

Kelly Lucinda Galligan
Colleagues, clients, referral sources that you name it. Yeah, you're going to be working with your UCI law classmates for the rest of your life?

Austen Parrish
Yeah, I think you're right. We have such a we do have such a nice community here, but I often mention that in orientation is, don't be nice to the person next to you, because you never know they will be your client in 10 years, or they could be your referral. Exactly. No, I think that's so true. Hey, when you started law school, did you know exactly what you wanted to do? Did you is where you are now? Is that what you envisioned when you started? Or how would have things changed?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 23:24
So I did always want to be a private company. I'm an attorney, which is silly, right? Every girl's little dream. But I remember interviewing, and I wanted to do it at Rutan. Actually, I remember going into my interview at Rutan & Tucker my first interview, and then saying, What do you want to do? And I was like, I would actually like I would actually like to work in your corporate department. I'd love to do mergers and acquisitions for private companies. And I almost don't like telling students that, because I'm the exception to the rule, right? Most kids that we interview are like, I'm not sure yet. I'd like to see more. So did I know what I wanted to do? Yes. I think what surprised me, though, is I didn't know how much I'd love it. I didn't realize I thought, but seems it I thought that the work seemed interesting and cool and oh my gosh, I love to be on the involved in these deals. They seem so fun. What I didn't realize is how much I would fall in love with the founder entrepreneurs that I worked with. I love being their person. They can call, they can text, they can email, any time of day with a legal or a business. Need anything that's going on. Sometimes it's it's not even in my field, it's an insurance question or whatever, but I like being their person, and it makes me founder entrepreneurs. They care about contributing their creators. And it is this infectious energy, and I love being around it. So I think that's that, that part did surprise me. I didn't realize I'd love it so much.

Austen Parrish 24:38
Well, am I right that Orange County is a great place to practice that type of work, too. Just because of that kind of entrepreneurial spirit in the area?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 24:46
1,000% entrepreneurial spirit and civic responsibility that's huge in Orange County, people who start businesses, in my experience here, they care not only about but what's happening to their employees if they're selling their business, one of the first questions I get is. What does the buyer look like and how are they going to treat my employees? Is everyone staying on? What about the employees that have been with me for 10 plus years? I want to take money out of my own pocket, and I want to bonus them out, even though they're not entitled to that. It's it's a very generous community, oriented business community. It's great.

Austen Parrish 25:15
So what advice do you have, if any, for current students? So if I'm a first year or starting my second or halfway through my second year. What advice do you have for students now?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 25:24
So I can't ever give advice without first saying, work first. Always work first. Do the work. Get your work done and get good grades. Because if you want to open the doors that you want opened, it all starts with performing. Well, always put that first. But after that, I would say, sounds like Dean Austen, you advise this during orientation, but take the time to make relationships with the people in your class, with alumni, because I think that will serve you more than people realize. I also think it'll make you a happier lawyer. So it's helpful in that respect, but it's a better it'll, it's a better way to practice law. It'll, it'll show up in ways you wouldn't even suspect. It'll be a girl who you shared notes with one day because she was sick but never had a relationship, who pops up as opposing counsel on a case and makes her whole life easier because she's got a soft spot in her heart for you. It is uncanny once you start practicing the way clients come to you or the world shakes out. It really is small. So I would say, take time to not be a total stress case. Leave the library every now and then, have dinner with some classmates, and just don't forget to smile and enjoy your time there.

Austen Parrish 26:29
Yeah, I like your outlook on life here. I think you've had a number of answers where you're talking about balance and working hard but getting the most out of the community and making long lasting lifetime relationships, which I think is such great advice for students. And I think sometimes, while you're going through it, it's hard to navigate, but it's it makes sense, instinctively. Yeah. What are you looking forward to? We're almost at the end of 2024 or things that you're looking forward to in your career or personal life in 2025?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 26:55
Yes. So the M&A market is heating up. People are anticipating a huge year for deals transactions in 2025 so I have a lot of clients who have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for things to pick up, and they're starting to put their name out for bids. So I'm excited to really help a lot of these clients who've been ready to exit for a while. Some people retire professionally. I'm excited to close some deals. Personally, my little brother just had a baby, and he actually lives on we both live on Goldenrod in Corona del Mar, so I'm excited to spend a little more time with her and the rest of my family. And just, yeah, I work a lot, so it'll be nice to have a little more time for family and loved ones.

Austen Parrish 27:34
Makes sense. I think it goes back to that sort of balance that you're trying to always get. How do you stay connected, but also stay connected with family too. Kelly, it's been absolutely fabulous. Thank you for joining us. Congratulations on what an incredibly successful year, both both the project youth, but also professionally and all that well deserved recognition. We're so proud of you as one of our graduates. Any final words for our students or for our listeners before we sign off this episode of UCI law talks?

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 27:59
Yes, thank you. First of all, thank you. And what I want to say is thank you, specifically, Dean Austen, for all you've done for UCI Law. And I want all the students to hear it from someone who's in the community that this man, I would estimate you attend three events a day. I see you more than I see many of my family members. And every time I see you, you are surrounded by a group of UCI Law students, you are finding a way to unite the law school to the greater community, and it is incredibly invaluable to the Law School and the students and the alumni. So I just want to thank you. Your work does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate all you're doing and your positivity and your energy, and You are the epitome of UCI Law. So we really appreciate you,

Austen Parrish 28:38
Kelly, really appreciate you saying that. Kelly, it's been absolute privilege. I got a feeling I'm going to see you.

Kelly Lucinda Galligan 28:44
See you tonight!

Austen Parrish
Exactly. Thank you so much for joining us on UCI Law Talks.

Kelly Lucinda Galligan
Thanks, Austen.

Intro 28:56
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