Dean’s Council Spotlight: Kimberly Roy (’06)

LSU Law: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today! Let’s get straight to it. You’ve been a member of the Dean’s Council for more than 10 years now, almost the same amount of time as you’ve lived and practiced in Oklahoma. How has being a member of the Dean’s Council helped you to stay connected to LSU Law?

Kimberly Roy: It certainly has helped me stay in the loop and keep my finger on the pulse of what’s going on at LSU Law. I try to join the periodic Zoom calls with the dean, which is a really great way to understand what the vision is for the law school, where the focuses are, and what their long-term and short-term plans are. Being a member really has helped me to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s going on at the law school, especially being out of state.

LSU Law: Why is being a Dean’s Council member important to you?

KR: To support students. When I was a student at the law school, I received scholarships and overall support from the law school. Whether it was through the Career Services Office or mentorship from the faculty, I think my experience at LSU Law shaped my career and gave me a really strong educational foundation. The Dean’s Council is a meaningful way for those of us who have graduated to help students carry on this legacy.

LSU Law: What would you say to your fellow alumni who might be thinking about becoming Dean’s Council member?

KR: You need to join. One, it’s a rewarding way to give back. And it’s a way to give the law school some resources that unfortunately the state can’t always provide. Many of our alumni have these wonderfully successful careers and it’s important for us to remember where we came from and support those who are looking to have similar experiences. It is totally worth it!

LSU Law: In 2016, you and your husband, Marshall, relocated to Tulsa and you became senior litigation counsel at Williams, a clean energy and natural gas company. Was it hard to leave Louisiana, and do you have plans to return?

KR: It was truly one of the hardest decisions that I ever made! Both for my career and personal life. My husband and I love Louisiana. Our families are still in Louisiana, and my husband also graduated from LSU. We are very committed to the Baton Rouge area and LSU. So, it was a very difficult decision and a decision that we made ultimately for my career. But this has been a great move for us and both our careers. We really like Tulsa, but we definitely miss home. We do go home a lot! We come back for football games and to see family, and I actually travel back to Louisiana quite a bit for work.

LSU Law: Tell us about your role at Williams.

KR: Basically, I’m involved in any cases that are over $1 million. Williams has operations in about 25 states, so we’re often involved in litigation all over the country and, sometimes, overseas. We guide case strategy, and we also serve as liaison between outside counsel and internal clients. I also report on case statuses and litigation risks and work with other departments on pre-litigation disputes.

LSU Law: How your civil law background from LSU Law help you in your role at Williams?

KR: Last year, I went to Paris for an international arbitration. It was a foreign government that expropriated two gas plants that Williams owns, which means they just took the gas plants by force. We were suing them for violation of international laws and various treaties. These facts are public, but other details of the litigation are private. Now, the country we were involved in a dispute with was a South American country, so they did incorporate a lot of civil law concepts into their strategy. So, having the civil law background was helpful. A lot of the litigation that I’ve been involved with is in Louisiana, and, certainly, having the background in Louisiana legal systems is super helpful for Williams. I’m one of the only Louisiana licensed lawyers, so my colleagues will often come to me for even non-litigation-related issues if they’re dealing with a question or contract revision in Louisiana.

LSU Law: What do you enjoy most about your work and Williams?

KR: The company culture is great. Williams is very committed to the local communities where we do business in. I’ve seen how other companies have a different approach and a different attitude, and I just don’t think it’s a great way to do business or ingratiate yourself with the community. I think Williams does a really good job with their outreach programs to make people understand that we’re their community partners. We do great things in the community, things that I still learn every day!

Williams also has a very robust matching gift policy. Every employee is encouraged to give to charities and organizations that they support. Williams will match every employee’s donation dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000. That’s a lot of money and commitment to their employees’ favorite charities. It’s that culture that I think makes it a place that I’m really proud to work for.

LSU Law: You and your husband recently established the Kim and Marshall Roy Scholarship at LSU Law. What motivates you to give back to your alma mater?

KR: I really believe in the power of education to change and transform lives. I was raised by a single mom, and I was the first in my family to graduate from college, let alone with a graduate degree. I think it’s important to give others, especially those who might not have the means or the same opportunities as others, that exposure to education, which I really think can transform lives.

LSU Law: Okay, let’s get into some fun questions! You rescued two beagles and recently added a new puppy to the family. Tell us about your fur babies.

KR: Our oldest dog is name Clementine, but we call her “Tiny.” Actually, the connection to her is through LSU! She was found on the side of the road in Louisiana by a small-town sheriff’s deputy who brought her to the LSU Veterinary School. She’d been hit by car and had a broken hip. They performed surgery on her and found her a temporary home with a local beagle organization, which is how we learned about her. What’s unique about her, though, is that she was born without a tongue. Marshall and I fully knew that when we decided to adopt her.

We actually met the adoption organization at the Vet School because the school wanted to make sure she went to a good home. That adoption has sort of connected me and Marshall to the Vet School, as well. We’re big supporters because we appreciate what they did for her, and we want to help animals who may be in similar situations. We have another beagle that we rescued during Covid. We got her here in Oklahoma. And we just formally adopted a puppy a few weeks ago. She is already running our entire house!

LSU Law: You crossed off an item off your “bucket list” a few years ago by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. What was that like?

KR: Yes! For my 40^th birthday, we climbed the mountain. We didn’t summit on my birthday, but we were definitely on the mountain for my birthday. It was a life-changing experience. When I came home and people would ask me about that trip, I couldn’t even talk about it because I would get emotional. It was the first and only time I’ve been to Africa. The people there were incredible. We felt safe and taken care. It was a challenging experience, and you’re kind of putting yourself at risk. But it was an incredible experience, and the people there really made that trip.

LSU Law: So what’s tougher, getting through law school or climbing a mountain?

KR: I would say going to law school. Something about the mountains is peaceful and kind of reenergizes me. We did a decent amount of training before we climbed Kilimanjaro. I work on the 47^th floor in my building, and Marshall and I would come on the weekend and climb up and down the stairs. It wasn’t that challenging. Law school was much more challenging!