LATOSHA ELLIS | Age: 42 Associate

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Washington

Having a few family members already working in insurance, Latosha Ellis said she tried to avoid the industry. But after getting a business degree from the University of Cincinnati that’s precisely where she landed, working as an underwriter for several companies and learning everything from claims to marketing to policy analytics. An MBA followed and later a law degree and job offers: “There was a demand from the insurance industry for litigators.”

What’s your top tip for working remotely?

Just have a separation of office and living. Keeping business business and personal personal is easy with those boundaries. We could work for 24 hours so it’s important to step away from your desk and be in a different space.

How will your work change going forward?

We are going to be very busy for some time. The business model of law firms is going to change in terms of the ways that we leverage technology, whether that is meeting with clients remotely, less travel, some sort of a hybrid work schedule. It’s exciting but took a pandemic for us to see how much technology we could leverage to help clients and have work-life balance.

What should the industry do to attract more young people to work in it?

We have to be more inclusive, not just with young people but with women and people of color. The younger generation, those sorts of things are important to them. Inclusion will attract younger people. That, and making more room at the table for new people.

What’s one habit or hobby you adopted during the pandemic?

Roller skating. I used to skate when I was younger. During the pandemic I saw all of these Tik Tok videos of people roller skating and they looked so cool.

All-time favorite movie?

“Pretty Woman.”

What is your favorite meal?

Hamburgers and fries.