Hi, I’m Michelle.
Thought Leadership
In-House Influence Podcast
Welcome to In-House Influence, a podcast that features interviews with some of the nation’s most influential in-house counsel.
Published Articles
Washington Lawyer Magazine
The official publication of the District of Columbia Bar.
Women, Influence, Power & Law 2025 Conference
Described as one of the most inspiring and empowering women's conferences in the legal space.
Podcasts
I’m a lawyer, an author, a public speaker, a wife, a mother & a professional relationship builder.
Wiley Trade Podcast
Making Trade inclusive for all Americans, hosted by Wiley Rein LLP Partner, Derick Holt.
Modern Counsel
Modern Counsel is a network of today’s most influential in-house counsel. Their stories shape the business of law.
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
ALM General Counsel Conference Southwest 2025
At the General Counsel Conference Southwest, you’ll connect with legal experts and peers from across the region while gaining critical insights into today’s most pressing issues, emerging trends, and best practices. Stay ahead of the curve with strategies designed to help you navigate the evolving legal landscape.
Be sure to check out Kindly, Michelle, my Amazon Best-Selling book, available now via all major booksellers.
Legal Speak Podcast
Legal Speak is a weekly podcast dedicated to making sense of what’s happening in the legal industry.
Export Compliance Manager
Export Compliance Manager addresses the challenges faced by trade compliance professionals with insight and practical guidance.
ACI New York Forum on Economic Sanctions 2025
Join senior compliance professionals, legal experts, and government decision-makers at the 14th Annual New York Forum on Economic Sanctions, taking place December 3–4, 2025, in New York City. As part of ACI’s acclaimed Economic Sanctions Global Series, this high-impact conference is designed to equip your organization with the insights and strategies needed to navigate the post-election U.S. policy landscape, escalating geopolitical risks, and the convergence of sanctions, export controls, and AML.
Career Unicorns Podcast
Join Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy podcast where we chat about how you can find a sense of belonging in a world that repeatedly tells you that you’re not supposed to be here.
The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast
Debbie Reynolds “The Data Diva” talks Data Privacy with industry leaders around the world about issues businesses need to know now.
About Me
Michelle is a seasoned international trade compliance leader with 20 years of practical experience through a combination of in-house; higher education; law firm; and Big 4 consulting roles.
Michelle is currently acting as SAP’s Chief Legal Counsel, Export Control/Sanctions, for the Americas. Michelle is the primary strategic legal advisor for all activities relating to the export of goods and services for North and South America. Michelle works closely with all SAP cloud business groups (Concur; Ariba; Fieldglass; Success Factors) and other functional teams within SAP to ensure compliance with trade laws and market requirements in dealing with customers, partners, authorities, and policy makers. Michelle helps define SAP’s export control and trade sanctions operations policies and standards; develops and implements export and trade sanctions authorization strategies and advises the lines of business on export control and trade sanctions best practices while monitoring SAP’s deliveries in the Cloud and on-premise. Michelle is also the visionary and lead for the export control legal team’s strategic role-based global compliance enablement/training program.
Prior to joining SAP, Michelle was part of the management team of Deloitte’s Global Trade Advisory Practice Group. Michelle led high performing teams to support global trade matters including the design and implementation of export compliance programs, providing guidance and solutions for proactive and remedial measures for global trade compliance; creating and leading customized export compliance training; and assisting global companies with strategic, operational, and compliance matters as related to mergers and acquisitions, integration activities, trade automation, and business model optimization.
Michelle received her Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the District of Columbia, Virginia, and New Jersey bars.
Michelle and her husband have one young son, and a very active goldendoodle. The family currently resides in the San Antonio, Texas, Hill Country.
