Students Connect with Industry Experts at MSU Law's First Supply Chain Event

On April 7, 2022, MSU College of Law hosted the Supply Chain and the Law panel, the first event of its kind at the law school, connecting students with professionals working at the intersection of business and the law.

The panelists included Lauren Beagen (Principal and Founder of Squall Strategies, LLC), Brittain Ladd (Chief Supply Chain Officer for Kuecker Pulse Integration), as well as MSU Law alumni Michael Kaiser, ’06 (Associate General Counsel for May Mobility), and Evelyn Sullen Smith, ’95 (Legal Director of Global Logistics, International Trade, and Supply Chain Assurance for Dell Technologies, Inc.). 

Moderator Dennis Kennedy, adjunct professor and director of MSU Law’s Center for Law, Technology & Innovation, led the discussion about the current and future status of supply chain and the increasing impact of lawyers in that field. Conversation also shifted to supply chain complications endured amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as ongoing challenges resulting from the war in Ukraine, and more.

The four speakers shared their own unique starts in the supply chain industry – some pursued it from the get-go while others found a passion for it during their education and subsequent legal careers.

After graduating from MSU Law, Kaiser began working in criminal law, serving the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for a time, before understanding that his aspirations lie elsewhere. “I realized technology was really the future and a place where I could make a difference, and there was a need,” he explained, discussing the additional studies he undertook to make the change. “I eventually worked my way into a position at a small startup in Detroit. I started to cut my teeth there, and then I was fortunate to get a job at Ford Motor Company.”

He is with May Mobility today, working on autonomous vehicles. “Dumb luck, fortunate timing, and maybe one or two good decisions got me here,” Kaiser joked.

Meanwhile, Beagen graduated from Hope College, where she was a student athlete on the sailing team, and she readily pursued law school in hopes of becoming a maritime lawyer – a position she now serves today.

As lawyers in the business sector, their varied tasks differ from those of their law school peers who pursued private practice or judicial routes. While they may not use everything they once learned in class, they are often surprised by the concepts that resurface in their work.

“For the last two years, starting before the pandemic and throughout, there’s been a concept that I did not think I would spend as much time on and that’s force majeure,” Smith explained, receiving nods of agreement from her fellow panelists. “I learned about it in law school – it got packed away, of course, and it has emerged on a number of fronts.”

Smith works for Dell Technologies, which Professor Kennedy called “one of the real pioneers” in supply chain. She attended MSU for her bachelor’s degree and joked about looking back, knowing that she somehow overlooked the university’s premiere supply chain program. It wasn’t until she was well into her career that she found herself in the world of supply chain, following her start in labor and employment law with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She later moved to Volkswagen, where she supported the parts and service distribution.

The panel spoke for two hours, answering questions from attendees, Professor Kennedy, and Matthew Leffler, ’10, who represented the MSU Law Alumni Association at the event.

“I love talking with supply chain lawyers because they understand the practical potential of things like blockchain, smart contracts, and how we need to start thinking about them. We also see where the chokepoints are starting to be,” Professor Kennedy said in his closing remarks. “I think it’s a super fascinating area, and one where I think there’s going to be more opportunities.”

The recording of the event is available online; watch the panel here.