GCs as Leaders: Collaborating with the CEO, the Board & Understanding the Needs of the Corporation

Lucy is responsible for overseeing the Global Legal, Compliance and Regulatory groups. Prior to joining AIG, Lucy was Managing Director, Head of the Americas & General Counsel of Nardello & Co., a global private investigative firm, where she remains on the Advisory Board.

Previously, Lucy was Executive Vice President & General Counsel of McGraw Hill Financial (now known as S&P Global). Prior to joining McGraw Hill Financial, Lucy was Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Marsh & McLennan Companies. Lucy began her legal career at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell where she spent fourteen years, including five as a partner in the capital markets group.

Lucy is a member of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) State Insurance Advisory Board and a member of the Life Insurance Council of NY (LICONY) Board of Directors.

In 2018, Lucy was included in NACD Directorship magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the boardroom community, including directors, corporate governance experts, regulators and advisors. Lucy was recognized in 2017 as an “Outstanding Woman in the Legal Profession” by the New York County Lawyers Association. In 2015 and 2017, she was named by Ethisphere Magazine as one of the “Attorneys Who Matter” for her dedication to furthering corporate ethics. In 2009, Lucy was inducted into the YWCA-NYC Academy of Women Leaders.

Lucy serves on the Board of Directors of Advocates for Children of New York, a non-profit organization that works on behalf of children who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure to ensure a high-quality education. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance, a non-profit organization that works with the City of New York and local communities to maintain the park for the wellbeing of all New Yorkers. Additionally, she serves as a member of the Board of the Coalition for the Homeless, the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless men, women and children. 

Lucy graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in business and economics, and received her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Law. She is admitted to the State Bars of New York and California.

Robin Elkowitz is the Executive Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Citizens Financial Group.

Ms. Bonica joined Alliance in 2011 and serves as Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. In this role, Ms. Bonica oversees compliance and regulatory matters, supports the divisions in mitigating risk related to employee relations and patient/team member safety and oversees a variety of outside counsel who support Alliance.

Prior to joining the company, Ms. Bonica was an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, NY, and a litigation partner at Kurland Bonica & Associates in New York City.

Ms. Bonica holds her undergraduate degree from University of Albany (SUNY) and her Juris Doctor from New England School of Law.

Elsa Ben Shimon represents institutional investors in joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions, and financings of large-scale commercial real estate projects, including office buildings, shopping centers, industrial complexes, condominium properties and multifamily residential projects throughout the United States. She also has experience representing U.S. clients in cross- border real estate transactions particularly in Europe and Asia, acting as lead counsel on the corporate real estate aspect of the transaction and providing oversight on the acquisition and financing of the assets.

Elsa counsels a wide variety of client types on their real estate investments, including pension funds, private real estate funds, and public and private REITs, as well as their investment advisors. She has also counseled clients with distressed real estate.

Elsa has also developed a deep experience helping Israeli investors expand their holdings in U.S. real estate on the debt and equity side. Major Israeli institutions regularly call on her for assistance in investing in U.S. real estate assets. Beyond traditional legal counsel, Elsa regularly provides clients with introductions to potential deal and business partners. An Israeli national, Elsa has many ties in the Israeli business community and is uniquely positioned to assist leading U.S. institutions and real estate companies in navigating the Israeli capital markets.

Elsa also has experience in the real estate technology sector, connecting leading real estate companies and institutions with technology startups, and providing counsel on investment rounds in such startups.