Profiles of Achievement: Sherry Williams, JD '95

Sherry D. Williams, who graduated from Miami Law in 1995 and went on to become a senior official at Halliburton, seems fond of unpredictability. In most cases, she says, it's an asset.

By UM News 02-15-2012

In an interview videotaped on the UM campus, she advised incoming students to be "very, very flexible" in their career choices.

"You will never know when an appropriate opportunity will present itself, and someone will give you the chance to do something new, different and exciting," Williams said. "You have to be open, trust yourself and trust your education, and be confident that you can do the work that needs to be done."

Williams is Senior Vice President and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for Halliburton, leading the company's global compliance functions. Before undertaking those roles, she was Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary, with responsibility for the Public Company Law Group. Williams serves on the Halliburton Legal Management Team, the governing body that determines the functions and development of Halliburton's Global Law Department. Prior to that, Williams was Senior Counsel for Halliburton, managing complex commercial litigation, both domestic and international.

She was formerly an attorney with the AmLaw 100 law firm of K&L Gates LLP, where she practiced in the areas of complex commercial litigation, employment, and class-action defense.

Williams earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1992. After obtaining her law degree, she was on the board of the University of Miami Law Alumni Association. She is a member of the state bars of Florida, New Jersey and New York; the Association of Corporate Counsel; and the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals; the Greater Houston Business and Ethics Round Table and the Ethics and Compliance Officer Association. She is a director of Houston's Alley Theater, and formerly served on the board of directors of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council, Women of Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization that mentors at-risk young women.

She is a frequent speaker and panelist on topics such as corporate governance, client management and client development for outside counsel, legal training best practices, career management, ethics and leadership, and diversity.