Heather Howdeshell spent nearly four years in our Atlanta office as a corporate attorney before joining Delta Air Lines in 2013. Heather discusses life in-house at the major US air carrier and the best career advice she ever received.
Can you tell us about your current role?
I’m a member of Delta’s Corporate Transactions and Marketing team within our Law Department. My role consists primarily of advising on Delta’s customer marketing plans, consumer policies and programs (like SkyMiles), and transactions (ticket sales). I spend a lot of time with my business teams in hands-on development and issue-spotting for new projects and initiatives.
What do you value from external counsel?
I appreciate outside counsel who treat me as part of the team and understand that I want to play an active role in pending matters and strategy. Most of the in-house lawyers I know have prior firm experience so can add significant value given their familiarity with private practice.
What's the best career advice you've ever received?
When I started at the firm, a senior associate told me to treat all projects as a chance to advance my skills. So I try to approach every piece of work as a way to learn something new about my practice, the law or the business. That shift of perspective gives an extra dimension to even routine matters like due diligence or reviewing contractual language. They’re no longer just tasks that cross your desk which you have to complete: they’re opportunities to improve. I think that mindset has made me a better lawyer over the years.