Shayon T. Smith ’02 quite literally has one of the “sweetest” jobs as she is head of global litigation at The Hershey Company, where she is responsible for managing Hershey’s global litigation portfolio and claims including class actions, employment litigation and commercial disputes. She is also responsible for providing commercial legal support to the Hershey’s Chocolate World retail business. Shayon is currently serving as interim IP counsel managing Hershey’s global IP portfolio.
The day-to-day for Shayon ranges from product and premises liability disputes to multi-million dollar matters in both foreign and domestic markets. Simply put, every day of work for Shayon at The Hershey Company is different. Notably, Shayon had the opportunity to provide legal support on the acquisition of the Skinny Pop brand. Shayon enjoys seeing people eat Skinny Pop because it reminds her of her role in the acquisition.
Among many things, Shayon enjoys the people she works with at Hershey along with all of the accessible chocolate, candies and other snacks located throughout the corporate offices. During her time at Hershey, Shayon has been reminded that as a professional “you are never too old to learn a new trick.” Shayon has had the opportunity to continue to grow her litigation skills, but also has had the opportunity to develop skills in a whole new practice field of IP. Hershey’s IP portfolio is incredibly important as the company has some of the most recognized brands on the planet.
Now more than ever, Shayon would advise students to “be very intentional with forming connections and to remember that forming a connection with someone is a two-way street.” Shayon notes that you cannot just reach out to a connection when you need something. Especially in current times where networking events have turned completely virtual it is important to make connections that are meaningful.
Shayon joined Hershey in 2015 from the Baltimore office of Goodell DeVries where she was a Partner. Her practice focused on the representation of pharmaceutical and medical device companies facing products liability litigation in both state and federal jurisdictions. Prior to that, she served as in-house counsel with Steelcase Inc., managing disputes, claims and litigation matters both domestically and abroad. At Steelcase, Shayon led the minority law student summer intern program. Shayon began her legal career as an associate at Goodell DeVries.
Shayon is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. where she is currently the Second Vice President and Membership Chairman in her chapter. In her spare time, Shayon enjoys spending time with family and volunteering with local community partners in East Baltimore, Maryland.