Helen Wan
Novelist, Lawyer, Diversity and Inclusion Expert, Women and Work


Helen Wan is an author and attorney. She writes, speaks, and consults on diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging, especially relating to women and minorities on the career ladder, and the complicated pursuit of success. Her novel, The Partner Track, about a young woman of color navigating the alien culture at a powerful law firm, was a Book Club selection of Real Simple and The National Association of Women Lawyers and became the subject of a Washington Post cover story on glass ceilings. She has written for The Washington Post, CNN, The Daily Beast, and The Huffington Post. Previously, Helen was a media lawyer in New York, both at law firms and as Associate General Counsel at Time Inc.

 

Helen lives near NYC with her husband, their son, one fish, and a lot of Matchbox cars.

 

Her author website is helenwan.com.

 

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St. Martin's Press

Ingrid Yung's life is full of firsts. A first-generation Chinese American, the first lawyer in her family, she's about to collect the holy grail of "firsts" and become the first minority woman to make partner at the venerable old law firm Parsons Valentine & Hunt. But when an offensive incident at the summer outing threatens the firm's reputation, Ingrid's outsider status is suddenly thrown into sharp relief. For the first time, Ingrid must question her place in the firm. Pitted against her colleagues, including her golden-boy boyfriend, Ingrid begins to wonder whether the prestige of partnership is worth breaching her ethics. But can she risk throwing away the American dream that is finally within her reach?

Rocking the Boat (Without Tipping It Over) - Why All the Career Advice Your Asian Parent Gave You Was Probably Wrong Helen talks about career strategies for the corporate workplace, especially for Asian-American employees, including how to develop a successful personal brand, identify and overcome cultural stereotyping, cultivate mentors and sponsors, and avoid blending into the background.
The “Model Minority” in the Corporate Workforce Helen offers a candid, close-up view on how firms and companies can better recruit, develop, retain, and leverage Asian-American talent, including how to convert cultural insights into returns on investment.
Law and the Writing Life In this lecture, Helen offers strategies and inspirations for successfully juggling the full-time practice of law (or any other demanding career) alongside the pursuit of creativity.
Women in the corporate world, challenges and all Helen speaks about gender issues in the corporate world. As a woman and a corporate lawyer, she offers a unique look at the challenges of working in a predominantly male environment and breaking through the glass ceiling of corporate America.



Check out a CNN interview with Helen Wan.

Get the scoop on The Partner Track.

Learn more about Helen Wan here.

Check out this Glamour review about Partner Track.

"Everything was absolutely perfect—Helen was great. Our clients and attorneys enjoyed the event and I was so pleased with the number of people who came!"
-Elaine Carmichael, DLA Piper LLP

"The feedback has been fantastic!!!  Helen was wonderful.  The Q &A went on for quite a bit.  There were many thoughtful questions and answers."
-Angie Hankins, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

"The event was fantastic. Helen was brilliant. Everyone enjoyed it, and shared positive reviews. She was candid, personable, extremely humorous, poignant, and in command."
-Carlos Dávila-Caballero, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

"We had standing room only attendance. The fireside chat format elicited several questions from the involved audience and attendees enjoyed the event immensely. We found Helen to be warm, engaging, and very personable."
-Ketki Mehta, KMPG

"Our event with Helen went extremely well and she was well received!"
-Tina Dong, Colgate-Palmolive Company

"We thoroughly enjoyed Helen's presentation and absolutely loved her book."
-Sylvia James, Baker Botts, LLP.

"Excellent feedback and warm response from the audience…She even posed for photos and autographed them all personally. People were very excited to meet her."
-Lisa Ong, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

"Everything was great. Helen was really well received and I know the audience really enjoyed her presentation!"
-Jamie Sroczynski, Liberty Mutual

“Helen’s presentation was relevant, on point, and inspiring.”
-Tammy LeGrys, Ernst & Young LLP