Four Goldberg Segalla Attorneys Featured in Women-Focused Special Issue of Attorney at Law Magazine
Goldberg Segalla partners Jennifer L. Budner, Jill Forman Marks, Mitra Karimi, and Christine E. Taylor are featured in Attorney at Law Magazine’s inaugural “2025 National Women in Law Special Issue,” which highlights a lineup of standout women attorneys across a range of practice areas.
As part of the “Women in Law Spotlights” section of the issue, the publication invited women attorneys from around the country to share about their experience in the industry – anecdotes of support, challenges faced, and work still to be done.
Q. Please share about a mentor who supported you or a time in which you felt supported and encouraged in the practice of law or witnessed something that demonstrated support for women in the practice of law.
A. “I began my legal career at the NYC Office of the Corporation Counsel where I tried cases early on, trained by the director of the civil court trial division. She generously shared her time, experience, constructive criticism and praise. She taught me the art of cross-examination, listened to arguments, worked late into the night and supported me in court every morning for my first trials. She saw my potential, helped me recognize it and fanned the flame. I am forever grateful for her time, patience and belief in me. Her gifts inspire me to mentor the next generation of women.”
An accomplished litigator and trial counsel with more than 20 years of experience, Jennifer represents construction clients in personal injury and wrongful death litigation, focused primarily on high-exposure labor law cases. She has served as national coordinating counsel for a Fortune 500 company, conducted trials in matters with multi-million-dollar verdict potential, and achieved favorable settlement of numerous catastrophic loss matters.
Q. Share about some of the ongoing challenges you believe still exist in the practice of law for women and how some firms/careers could better address those challenges.
A. “Starting my career at the state attorney’s office, I felt supported by supervisors and colleagues. However, transitioning into the private sector was initially a shock. I was often encouraged to use my femininity to influence judges and opposing counsel, which was disheartening. I wanted to be recognized for my intellect and legal skills, not my appearance. This experience was challenging, but it also strengthened my resolve to be valued for my professional abilities rather than superficial attributes. I’m grateful to now be a part of a firm that champions and supports women attorneys and is invested in helping them succeed.”
Jill has more than two decades of legal experience, and has been defending employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators in workers’ compensation matters since 2001. Her clients have included large trucking companies, major liquor distributors, construction companies, general contractors, and hospitals.
Q. Share about some of the ongoing challenges you believe still exist in the practice of law for women and how some firms/careers could better address those challenges.
A. “As minority female attorneys, we can face gender and race challenges in the legal profession. We may feel the need to prove ourselves to combat bias and stereotyping. My mentor, a judge, once advised me after my first court win: “You have already proven your worth by being here. Allow your success to speak for itself.” Remembering these words, I mentor younger female colleagues as they navigate this role to combat feelings of isolation and exclusion. I hope to play a significant role in how women view their worth in our industry and help prioritize diversity and inclusion initiatives.”
Mitra has extensive experience representing self-insured employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators in litigation before the California Workers’ Compensation Board and other venues. She counsels clients on a wide range of complex workers’ compensation and employment matters and develops effective and innovative litigation strategies. In addition, Mitra provides proactive guidance in improving clients’ return-to-work, workforce management, opioid impact, Medicare compliance, Medicare set-asides, and workers’ compensation programs.
Q. Share an anecdote/experience/story that you think would be relevant to women lawyers.
A. “Early in my legal career I was making appearances for an attorney who could no longer hear. My role was simple, listen and take notes. An accomplished female attorney didn’t like this and called me yelling, “You’ve been an attorney for like 60 seconds – who even are you?” This became representative of many interactions I had with other female attorneys – the “because it was hard for me it has to be hard for you” mentality. Instead, I try to actively bring up the women around me, so we can finally make this profession easier and more welcoming for all.”
A recognized leader in providing the outdoor hospitality industry with the full range of legal services necessary for the successful operation of their business, Christine E. Taylor is a partner in Goldberg Segalla’s nationwide Retail and Hospitality practice group. She represents self-insured and insured owner/operators of campgrounds and RV parks, franchisors and franchisees, owner/operator associations, as well as businesses in the rapidly growing area of high-end glamping in everything from acquiring and establishing the business, to developing employee and guest contracts, waivers and releases, resolving disputes, removing guests from a property, and defending clients faced with premises liability, personal injury, workers’ compensation and other claims.
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE: “2025 Women in Law Special Issue,” Attorney at Law Magazine