Commission on Women in the Profession Past Margaret Brent Honorees

Catherine Lamboley

Catherine Lamboley earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1972. She received her law degree from the University of Texas in 1979 and joined Shell Oil Company that same year. In 2000, Ms. Lamboley attained the position of Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Shell Oil Company. She is the only woman who is the general counsel of a major oil company in the United States.

For many years, she has pioneered the advancement of women in the legal profession at Shell and beyond. She serves as an advisor to Women Adding Value Everywhere (WAVE), which is a network designed to promote and develop women at Shell. Immediately upon assuming her responsibilities in leading the Shell Oil Company Law Department, Ms. Lamboley undertook to open doors for other women lawyers by seeking them out and placing them in positions not previously held by women.

Ms. Lamboley has worked hard to advance the interests of women lawyers within law firms as well. She instituted a majority firm initiative pursuant to which Shell asks its key outside legal services providers to report on each invoice the percentage of work done by women and minorities. Based on that information, on an annual basis Ms. Lamboley informs each firm of its progress in increasing the participation of women and minority lawyers. Though this expensive oversite, Ms. Lamboley reaffirms that progress on diversity is a central value when Shell awards legal outside counsel.

Ms. Lamboley instituted a diversity symposium several years ago to which law firms are invited to see and hear the importance that clients place on law firms advancing the development of women and minority lawyers. She agreed to chair the Advisory Board of the Vinson & Elkins Women's Initiative, the first board of its kind to advise a large law firm on how to better retain and advance women. She has chaired that board for the last two years. In addition, Ms. Lamboley is a sought after speaker on issues involving women in the profession.

She further advances the interests of women lawyers through her work on the Advisory Board of Catalyst, a highly regarded and well-known organization working to advance the interests of women in business and the professions. Ms. Lamboley is an active member of the Board of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), which granted her its Employer of Choice Award for Shell's efforts in enhancing opportunities and advancement of women and minority lawyers.

The Association of Corporate Counsel recently selected Ms. Lamboley for its Annual Corporate Legal Diversity Award in recognition of her outstanding efforts to improve the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women and people of color in her law department and the outside firms that supply legal services to her client. Ms. Lamboley also achieved recognition as one of Texas' Top 50 Female Super Lawyers in 2003 and 2004.

Her leadership in diversity affairs extends to her she organized and has chaired the Women's Initiative for the United Way in Houston. She sits on the Board of Trustees for the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast; Houston Area Women's Center; and the Greater Houston Partnership's Executive Women's Partnership Committee and the Minority Partnership Task Force.

Catherine Lamboley continues to fight fearlessly for the advancement of women in the legal profession.