What This Recognition Means to Me: After more than a decade of being involved with OCWLA, this recognition is incredibly meaningful to me. I have always looked up to the women who received this award before me, not only because of what they accomplished, but because they led with kindness, grace and a genuine commitment to lifting up the women around them. To be included among them is an incredible honor, and one I also take as a responsibility to keep opening doors, creating opportunities and advocating for the women coming up behind me.
Any Organization, Initiative, Event, or Project I’d Like OCWLA to Help Promote: Two organizations I’m incredibly passionate about right now are Project Youth OC and CASA OC. Both do amazing work for young people in our community, and if anyone is interested in volunteering, getting involved or just learning more about either organization, please reach out to me—I would genuinely love to share why I care so much about them.
Company Name: Rutan & Tucker, LLP
Practice Area: Corporate & M&A
Fun Fact About Me: My fun fact is that I genuinely think I’m the luckiest girl in the world right now! I recently married the love of my life, I have an amazing family and the greatest friends, and I get to spend my free time outside, with the people I love and, of course, with my dog Cody. I’m just really grateful for this season of life.
What is your favorite part about OCWLA? The genuine support among the women in this organization. For more than a decade, I’ve watched women ahead of me reach back, pull me up, encourage me and celebrate my successes as if they were their own. Now, as a member of the Emeritus Board, I feel a real responsibility to turn around and do the same for the women coming behind me. There are women in OCWLA I could call tomorrow with good news, a hard decision or a crazy idea, and know they would genuinely want the very best for me. That kind of community is incredibly special. OCWLA has also shaped the way I practice law. It taught me that being a great lawyer isn’t just about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about connection, collaboration, civility and understanding that we are all part of the same professional community.
Is there anything else you'd like OCWLA members to know about you? I’ve gotten really excited about civic engagement in the last few years and finding new ways to give back to the community that has given me so much. I recently became a Commissioner for the City of Newport Beach and joined the board of the Newport Beach Foundation, and both experiences have made me even more excited about getting involved locally. We are incredibly lucky to live and work in Orange County, and I want to do my small part to make this community even better.
Find Me on Socials:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellylucindagalligan/
Instagram: @kellylucindagalligan
