Partner Shoba Pillay was recognized by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs with the Council’s Inaugural Emerging Leader Award in recognition of her extraordinary leadership and commitment to Chicago, the nation, and the world.
Shoba was honored at the 21st Annual Global Leadership Awards dinner, where she gave a special shout out to her parents, who joined her at the dinner.
“I am truly honored and humbled to be the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Leader Alumni Award,” she said in her acceptance speech. “My passion for global affairs came from one critical source: my extraordinary parents.”
“After immigrating to the United States, they both chose careers in public service in order to give back to the country that took them in — my mother at the University of Illinois Health Services and later the Cook County Public Health System, and my father at the Jesse Brown VA, from where he retired after over 50 years of service to our veterans,” she said.
“I’m a first generation American and a first-generation lawyer with a winding a career, ultimately finding love for the law as a federal prosecutor, in victim advocacy in working on human trafficking and child exploitation matters and pursuing public safety in national security investigating and prosecuting or disrupting matters involving terrorism, espionage, and cybercrime. All of these mandates required a deep understanding of our global history and current affairs.” Shoba said.
Shoba went on to discuss her experience in the Council Emerging Leader’s Program and the contributions of her cohort.
A Co-Chair of the firm’s National Security and Crisis Practice, Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice, and Reproductive Health Task Force, Shoba leverages her technical skills and depth of understanding on global issues and risk to provide guidance to clients across a range of sizes and sectors.
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