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Ironclad x Panelle: An Interview With Laura Garcia

January 7, 2026

By:

Panelle Press Team

Laura Garcia, Head of Commercial Legal at Ironclad, found her voice and her “why” by stepping off the traditional path.

Leaving a high-paying in-house legal role to serve as Immigration Counsel for a U.S. Senator was a defining career risk. It taught her public speaking, empathy, and crisis navigation. But, more importantly, it reminded her what kind of lawyer and leader she wanted to be.

Her advice? Say yes to the hard things. Raise your hand early. And remember: you don’t have to follow a linear path to build a meaningful one.

What has been your career defining moment as a woman in business?

My career defining moment was when I stepped away from being an in-house counsel focused on corporate transactions and insurance regulatory work and accepted a position as Immigration Counsel for a U.S. Senator.

When I first started in-house, I felt very fortunate to get a wonderful position right after law school and earn a good salary in order to pay off my student loans.

When I took the position I took it with a very significant financial impact on my income but I decided I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and provide support to New York constituents.

I had some experience in immigration law, taking on many pro bono cases but quickly had to adjust and gain expertise in the field.

Ultimately, my time working for the U.S. Senator helped me re-centre the “why” I loved working in-house and collaborating with business leaders.

I gained skills like public speaking, diffusing highly escalated situations, and being an active listener to individuals with different view points.

There has not been an interview or position since my “break” from commercial work has not come up in conversation.

The lessons I learned are with me on a daily basis.

Were there any obstacles you had to overcome as a woman in business?

For a while I was always the youngest woman in the room and quite often the only Latina.

Carving an unconventional path in-house means that by and large most of the attorneys have over 10-20 years of experience.

One of the most intimidating things that can happen is the business you support does not want to listen or wants to loop in your supervising attorney because they feel you do not have the experience to support them in a quick and efficient manner.

It took coaching, talks with supervising attorneys, and listening to other attorneys while they provided counselling that helped me overcome the early inexperience with a dabble of imposter syndrome.

Over time, I learned how to talk to different folks within the company and figure out how I can best support them.

The simple thought, “I belong in this room,” is a statement I often repeated to myself.

"If you look back you'll regret it. The only path was forward"

My mom would always say to me, “El que mira para atras se arrepiente,” which translates to, “If you look back you'll regret it. The only path was forward".

What advice would you give to a younger woman looking to join your industry?

Be an active participant in the story you create for yourself.

My story is an unconventional path for an attorney with a start in-house, a departure to public service, work in two fortune 500 companies, and tech start-ups.

I would not be able to do this if I was not open-minded and thinking about what skills are transferable experience to experience.

"I may not be the smartest person in the room but I will be the most prepared."

As a younger woman, I raised my hand to do the most complex work and told myself I may not be the smartest person in the room but I will be the most prepared.

Sometimes the opportunities come even in the most mundane work but actually sticking it through with that supervising attorney or other business partner pays off in the long run.

If you could do one thing to accelerate the pace of change for gender equality, what would it be?

I am always open to a cup of coffee and conversation. I am happy to connect folks. If I can’t help someone directly and there is someone I know that can, I am happy to make that introduction.

What compelled you to attend a Panelle event?

Panelle provides a space for women to come together and share their collective experiences. Panelle events are a beacon and serve as a lighthouse for women to relate to and learn from others.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Trust that the dots will connect and have a little faith. The path to success isn’t linear and sometimes you just have to trust and bet on yourself. Have faith that you have made a reasoned decision and if not, you can always change the circumstance.

What’s your go-to advice for preventing burnout?

Take a walk. For me burn-out happens out of frustration in things I cannot change or do not have control to change.

The walk helps in figuring out the root cause of the burn-out and what my next steps are. Is there a conversation that needs to be had regarding the current way of working? Is there a process that needs to change to avoid the repeated frustrations?

The walk serves a two-fold purpose of removing myself from the immediate burn-out, changing the scenery and finally, evaluating the cause.

It does help that my two dogs join me and are readily available to receive belly rubs.

Why do you think it’s important for women to help other women win?

Life is not a zero-sum game meaning that as many women can win as possible. It’s important for women to help other women because women are acutely aware of the hurdles that need to be jumped.