Joiava Philpott functions as the assistant general counsel of KMC Telecom, working closely with the company’s sales, finance, construction, and risk management departments. She oversees all general business contracts, reviewing and negotiating telecommunication service, software licensing, non-disclosure, and settlement and release agreements, among others. “My greatest career challenge is achieving balance in my personal and professional life. It is easy for me to become consumed with professional advancement because my career is one of my greatest passions,” says Philpott.
Before joining KMC, Philpott worked in the government, first as an assistant city attorney in Atlanta, where she advised on telecommunications and cable matters, municipal financing, Title VII employment discrimination and general business litigation, and then in the Mayor’s Office, advising exclusively on telecommunications and cable matters.
She obtained a J.D. and an M.B.A. in corporate finance from American University after graduating magna cum laude from Hampton University with a B.S. in business administration, a blend reflecting the areas in which she now focuses.
Philpott advises women to make time for professional development, strive to exceed deadlines, and broadcast your achievements to those who need to know. In addition, offer sincere (and, when appropriate, public) praise for jobs done well by those around you.
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From the March/April 2003 issue of Diversity & The Bar®