Erica Lai

Experience

1. Senior Corporate Counsel, Litigation

   Northrop Grumman

   Jul 2021 — Present · Falls Church, VA, US

   Manage wide range of high-stakes litigation and arbitration disputes, including class actions, complex commercial, False Claims Act, environmental, insurance coverage, government contract, employment, personal injury, asbestos and/or intellectual property disputes before foreign, federal, state, and agency courts and tribunals • Lead teams to litigation victories, as well as favorable resolutions of significant and complex disputes • Brief and advise senior management on disputes presenting substantial legal exposure or risk to the company, including through quarterly docket reviews, detailed risk assessments, and quarter-close case assessments• Oversee outside legal support, and strategize and collaborate closely with stakeholders across company, including Employee Relations, Environmental Health & Safety, Finance, Human Resources, Investigations, Risk Management, and Tax• Develop and manage legal budgets; negotiate reduced rates, volume discounts, and alternative fee arrangements with outside counsel; and advise on potential loss contingency disclosures and reserves for litigation and arbitration matters• Co-chair Law Department’s E-Discovery and Outside Counsel Practice Group, help draft and train legal team on Procurement of Legal Services CONOPS, and advise on engagement letters and conflict waivers• Speak at industry conference panels on litigation management, and antitrust and False Claims Act litigation

Education

• Pomona College

  B.A., Public Policy Analysis-Psychology, Politics

  2001 — 2005

• University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

  J.D., Law

  2005 — 2008