Jennifer Huber, partner, Keker, Van Nest & Peters (Courtesy photo)

Jennifer Huber, a partner at Keker, Van Nest & Peters, represented Google in an arbitration alleging Anthony Levandowski and the co-founder of his autonomous vehicle venture violated their obligations to Google when they solicited employees and then promptly sold that company to Uber at a publicly reported value of about $680 million.

In 50 words or less, how far has the tech industry gone toward tackling its gender gap since you started practicing?

I grew up in Silicon Valley. My mom was a marketing executive at Apple and Intel, so the gender gap in the tech industry is something that I've been hearing and thinking about for as long as I can remember—well before I started practicing law. Surely, there have been some advances. Companies don't look the same way as they did during my mom's era. But the progress is frustratingly slow and incremental.

Name a lawyer whose work you admire and why?

I can't pick just one. One of the greatest joys of practicing at KVP is being surrounded by many extraordinary lawyers and people. Growing up in this firm has allowed me to observe many different styles and approaches, try them out and adopt what feels right for me.

What's the best part about working in the tech sector?

The best part is the constant change, and innovation and disruption. It's impossible to predict what's next, and it's never boring.

What's the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is the unpredictability—the flip side of the excitement and challenge of new problems.

What piece of advice do you give to lawyers considering a career in tech law?

Be curious and be agile. Curiosity will make you a better lawyer, and it will help you find joy and intellectual fulfillment. Agility is just a necessary survival skill.

What's one way technology has made your life easier?

Connectivity—i.e., the ability to be in constant touch with people, the ability to work seamlessly from anywhere and having so many resources at your fingertips on your phone make life both easier and more difficult. I wouldn't want to live without it, but I am constantly having to remind myself to put the device aside and be present in the moment.

Name an important opportunity you got early in your career and what you did with it.

As a second-year associate, I took on a pro bono case on the eve of trial. A fellow associate and I tried the case before a jury in federal court—just the two of us. It was an incredible experience, and it gave me the confidence to know that I could take on something like that. I took that experience, and I used it to show I that I could and should be doing things like examining witnesses or arguing in court in our paying cases, even as an associate.

What's the best piece of career advice anyone ever gave you?

I have two favorite pieces of advice. First, be authentic. Second, think about where you want to be in five or 10 years and make a plan.

No. 1 survival tip in a work crisis?

Talk to colleagues. Oftentimes, what feels like a crisis is something that a colleague has tackled before, and even if not, fresh eyes help you put things in perspective and identify priorities or a plan of attack.

What’s one way you’ve had to change your thinking toward practicing law to succeed with tech industry clients?

I am, by nature, a conservative person when it comes to decision-making. I think a lot of lawyers are probably wired that way. I've found that my tech industry clients are not necessarily wired that way—they are, by nature, risk-takers. I've had to adjust my own thinking about risk-taking or approaching problems more creatively in order to give advice that matches a client's appetite for that.

What’s one area of technology that you’re most excited about and why?

Transportation. We all need it, and there are surely more efficient and environmentally friendly ways to do it.