Rippi K. Karda, Associate General Counsel, Verizon
As an Associate General Counsel in the Public Policy, Law and Security department at Verizon Communications Inc., Rippi handles contracts for Sourcing involving Human Resources Benefits/Plans, Supplier Diversity, Advertising Agencies, Contact Centers, Contingent Workforce and Executive Recruiting. In addition, she works with the Diversity Equity & Inclusion Council, PACE and WAVE organizations at Verizon.
She has received the prestigious Verizon Pro Bono Service Award as recognition of her meaningful legal contributions in domestic violence and corporate matters. Rippi speaks frequently on diversity and business law at various conferences.Prior to entering the prominent Technology industry, Rippi worked at several well-known Pharmaceutical and Biomedical companies such as Schering-Plough/Merck, Zimmer/Biomet, Mylan Laboratories, and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. In these various roles, she supported commercial as well as research and development contracts, reviewed multimedia-branded promotional materials, and participated in regulatory, medical and legal review boards for orthopedics, gastroenterology and oncology products. Also, Rippi has provided counsel and guidance on complex matters related to antitrust, fraud and abuse, FCPA, Medicare, Medicaid, PhRMA Code and physician agreements.
Rippi is a member of the NAMWOLF Advisory Committee that promotes diversity by fostering relationships among minority and women-owned law firms and private/public entities. In 2021, she was appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement. Furthermore, she is the Treasurer of WEN - Women’s Excellence Network - an organization dedicated to impacting high performing women lawyers. Additionally, she serves as the 2023 President of SABA-NJ, Co-Chair of the NJ Punjabi Chamber of Commerce and Advisory Board Member for Centerforce Conference. Lastly, in 2023, Rippi was appointed as Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Commission of New Jersey by Governor Murphy.
Her Clifton Strengths are Woo, Communication, Activator, Strategic and Futuristic. She has been recognized by the following organizations for her legal achievements: Corporate Counsel Business Journal’s 2023 Inaugural Top 50 Women to Watch, NJBIZ - 2023 Leaders in Law Award, ROI-nj.com 2023 Women in Business Leaders Award, Rutgers Law School 2023 MAPS Groundbreaker Award, South Asian Bar Association of North America – 2022 Cornerstone Award, Tri-State Diversity Council – 2022 Authentic Leadership Award and the South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey – 2019 In House Counsel of the Year.
As a complimentary service, she runs a complimentary LinkedIn series titled “Attorney of the Week” to highlight the notable achievements of diverse attorneys.
What is your proudest achievement?
Being named as Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander Commission by Governor Murphy; Mother to two extremely skilled, young, opiniated negotiator-type daughters and my extraordinary network..
What is the most influential piece of advice (professional or personal) you have received?
Be self-aware, read the room, don’t anchor yourself early on in a tenuous negotiation.
Where do you see the legal profession in 10+ years?
More of a business partner type role focused on strategic advice; evolved into automated and readily-accessible information for most people.
What is/are your favorite extracurricular activity/activities?
Networking, Travel, Fundraising, Dining, Collaborating, Doing things I have never done before.
What is one thing people should know about you but don't?
What motivates me varies often and it’s not what you think it may be. I work on my legacy almost every day.
Name your hometown/where you were born/where you grew up and where you live now.
I’m from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and currently reside in New Jersey.
If you were not a legal professional, what other line of work would you pursue?
Public Relations, Business Development or Reality TV personality.
Anything else you would like to share?
It is such an honor to be named to this list. As a young, highly ambitious South Asian girl from the suburbs of Toronto who had big dreams and plans, I could not have foreseen an accomplishment of this magnitude. Thank you for this auspicious recognition. Also, it’s time to contribute to effective change in a meaningful, measurable way.
Published January 17, 2024.
