By: Michele Lynn
Patricia Brown ’86 has not walked a straight and narrow career path, which is just fine with her. “I think I’m a better person because of my history,” said Brown. “Everything you do in your life makes you part of who you are today.”
The experiences that have shaped Brown, executive vice president and chief legal officer at SAS, include teaching music in public schools in her native Kansas and serving in the United States Marine Corps. After going through basic training boot camp at Parris Island, Brown was invited by her Marine recruiter to become trained as a paralegal and to work with attorneys serving in the Judge Advocate General Corps.
“I loved the work and I appreciated gaining a skill that allowed me to help people,” said Brown. “I was grateful that the officers and attorneys recognized my ability and gave me many projects and opportunities.” Recognizing her passion for the law and its ability to prevent chaos, Brown decided to attend law school after completing her military service.
She said that UNC School of Law provided her not only with a grounding in the law but also the ability to “spot problems and think through them logically.” She appreciates the collaborative environment at the School. Carolina Law nurtures attorneys who can work together, which she believes is critical for the profession and society in general.
That collaborative approach is key to her work at SAS. “As an in-house attorney, I am not trying to win at any cost,” said Brown. “We’re here to make the business work.”
While Brown now oversees a global team of over 180 attorneys and support personnel, when she joined SAS in 1988, she was only the second lawyer on staff. “SAS had just hit 1,000 employees, so I had the opportunity to grow with the company,” said Brown. “That’s not something very many people get to do, particularly today, because a lot of startup companies want a more experienced lawyer.”
Brown oversees legal services for SAS and its 40 subsidiaries around the world. Her division, which handles all legal and licensing support for the company, includes SAS’ compliance, government affairs, enterprise negotiations, and risk departments. As part of the executive management team, Brown helps set direction and policies for the company.
She believes that her diverse background has facilitated her success. “Teaching helped me learn that people hear things differently,” said Brown. “I learned how to get my message across, which helps me reach the colleagues I advise.” Working with a wide range of people in the military, all with different goals and priorities, taught her that she sometimes needs to step back to understand what her teammates are trying to accomplish so she can determine how to use the law to help them.
“What’s important about my work is that I am helping people,” said Brown. “I work for a phenomenal company that does good in the world.”
Brown is similarly committed to making a difference. One of the ways she accomplishes that is through her involvement with Carolina Law. She serves on the advisory board for the UNC Institute of Innovation at Carolina Law, which provides legal counsel to for-profit and nonprofit ventures in the state. She makes herself available to Carolina Law students and alumni interested in learning more about corporate law and hires Carolina Law alumni when possible. “I know if I hire someone with a Carolina Law background, they’re going to have good training in the law and have the same values I do in terms of supporting their clients,” said Brown.
In addition, she provides financial support through both unrestricted gifts and a scholarship fund in her name. “I want other people to have the experience I did at Carolina Law,” said Brown. “I came from a lower-middle-class family and was fortunate to receive a Kenan scholarship, so a lot of my expenses were paid for. I want people of all different backgrounds to know that there’s a place for them at Carolina Law.”
She believes that it is critical to support the School, particularly in this era of cuts in state and federal resources. “Carolina Law is such an important piece of the North Carolina community,” said Brown. “You can learn the law anywhere, but what Carolina Law stands for is helping people out, whether that’s through a business or a nonprofit, and doing the best for our country and our state.”
