Huong Nguyen: Uncompromising Authenticity

Sidebars

Huong Nguyen is currently Vice President, General Counsel, of Fosun Pharma USA Inc. She has spent the majority of her nearly two-decade law practice actively working in the pharmaceutical industry as both an in-house counsel and a private practitioner, with deep and wide-ranging experiences in litigation, IP, compliance, M&A, BD and commercial transactions, and employment. Throughout this time, she has partnered with a wide variety of cross-functional groups, and has directly counseled senior management and Boards of Directors in her areas of expertise. Huong received her BA at the University of California, Los Angeles and her JD at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Arriving in the U.S. as a child refugee from Vietnam, after her family was separated in the aftermath of Saigon falling to the North Vietnamese and her father being sent to a re-education camp, Huong had to learn a new language, reintegrate with her family, and find a new identity in her adopted country. In this episode, Huong shares her story of never giving up, devising solutions to whatever situation she found herself in, and creating a path that is truly her own. She is a gay Asian-American woman who’s achieved success in traditionally inhospitable terrains, such as the patent bar while staying true to her authentic self. Her grit, determination, and grace under extreme circumstances are truly inspiring.

Highlights include:

• How Huong’s family fared after the fall of Saigon (2:03)
• The fraught journey to America (4:20)
• How to speak to kids about challenging topics (12:30)
• The melting pot and how diverse a single family can be (14:20)
• The long-lasting effects of trauma (18:00)
• The principles that shaped Huong’s worldview (19:45)
• Starting to succeed by flourishing academically (21:09)
• Building self-respect and community through sports (27:51)
• The military comes calling, and Huong answers the call (31:16)
• The military in 1992: you can be gay, but we’ll kick you out for gay conduct (35:00)
• Choosing authenticity (36:40)
• A surprising pivot to philosophy, then law school (42:03)
• The importance of diversity in outside counsel pitch teams (48:27)
• Paying it forward – giving your kids a better life (53:36)
• Walking into a room with senior management and feeling like you belong, authentically (60:51)

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**The opinions expressed are those of the attorneys and do not necessarily reflect the views of the firm or its clients. This podcast is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.