Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Daniel Swarovski Corporation AG
When she joined Daniel Swarovski Corporation AG, the leading maker of cut crystal, former Duane Morris associate Alison Lazerwitz added even more sparkle to an already eye-catching CV. While well-known in the United States for its products, especially crystal figurines as well as costume and couture jewelry and accessories, Swarovski is legendary in Europe. According to Forbes, the name Swarovski in Austria is tantamount to the name Rockefeller in the United States.
Of course, Alison is no stranger to leading legal teams at large, global companies. She previously held in-house positions at food service giants ARAMARK and Sodexo as well as having earlier created the in-house legal department at prominent regional food service firm, The Wood Company, based in Allentown, Pa. As the chief lawyer at Swarovski, a $2 billion privately held global company based in Zurich, Alison manages a legal and compliance department of lawyers in offices around the world—in Europe, the United States and Asia.
What enabled this New Jersey-native and former Philadelphia litigation associate to land the top in-house spot in a European financial capital? The willingness and ability to embrace change and to keep focused on a sound legal principle she says she learned from former partners like the late Henry Reath and (now Judge) Michael Baylson: It’s “the client’s situation and the client comes first.”
Women's Network for a Sustainable Future 