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Anthony Bégon’s variety of experiences is perhaps his greatest asset as a legal leader. The first-generation American is the son of two Haitian parents and spent his childhood as a military brat. He was born in Alabama, lived in Germany and, eventually, Lynn, Massachusetts, and has sought out opportunities that would put him face-to-face with people from all walks of life.
The current director and head of litigation, trade compliance, and ethics and compliance at Trellix spent his younger years traveling the Caribbean, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Cambodia, among others. “I didn’t have many resources, so I would just get out there and meet people and connect,” Bégon remembers. “You embrace the culture and you find that your life changes in the process.”
Prior to law school, Bégon spent time working in fundraising, once again finding essential growth and success in connecting on a one-to-one level. It was an early exercise in aligning priorities that would serve him well in private practice. The future lawyer got in-house experience at UnitedHealth and 3M, and intensive face time with judges in the courtroom at the Ramsey County Attorney’s office. It was a speed run of an entire legal career in just three years.
“I got to experience in two years what a lot of attorneys don’t get to until their sixth.”
Anthony Bégon
Those experiences are probably the reason Bégon was thrown into the deep end in his first firm role. “I got to experience in two years what a lot of attorneys don’t get to until their sixth,” he says. “Whether it was trial teams or visiting client sites, it filled me with the confidence and foundation to work on more complex cases and help advise my clients through difficult situations.”
Bégon’s diverse background and international experience also fueled his aspiration to work for a global company like Trellix. Since going in-house, Bégon has tackled commercial litigation, white-collar defense, government investigations, complex litigation, employment law, an IPO, and spin-off.
However, Bégon suggests that his most lasting contribution may be influencing the next generation of legal minds. He has served as an adjunct professor at University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law for two years and currently serves as a board member for Big Thought, a nonprofit seeking to equip youth in marginalized communities with the skills and mindset to pursue a successful future.
Anthony Bégon
“I’m at a place in my career now where I feel comfortable to give back to my community and being a mentor to all young attorneys, but especially those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.”
Bégon understands the struggle of being surrounded by people who do not look like him. “We’ve been battling diversity numbers in law for twenty years and it doesn’t seem like we’re getting anywhere,” the director says. “The pipelines don’t appear to be working yet. I know how exhausting it can be to try to be the sole spokesperson for an entire community of people, but I also feel that responsibility. I’m at a place in my career now where I feel more comfortable giving back to my community and being a mentor to all young attorneys, but especially those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.”
With three children, the director understands the kind of environment he wants his kids to grow up in. He wants them to experience a world where people seek out those with different backgrounds and experiences. It’s an innate part of Bégon—to both seek out those experiences and help others do the same.
Counseling the Next Generation
Anthony Bégon is at a place in his career where he’s focused on helping the next generation of lawyers develop into the best versions of themselves. The lawyer has planned on writing three insightful LinkedIn articles, the first of which was published in June 2023 and focuses on young attorneys communicating as outside counsel. Having been on both sides of the equation, Bégon provides expert counsel and advises responsiveness, leveraging brevity as an asset, and actively participate.
“A lot of being effective as outside counsel comes down to knowing who you’re dealing with,” Bégon says. “If you can understand what’s important to the company and its strategy, I think you’ll be ahead of a lot of firms out there. It’s rarer than you think.”
“Anthony is a hardworking, highly intelligent and productive attorney. As a litigator, he was uniquely cool under pressure. Trellix is extremely fortunate to have such a talented individual on their team.”
—Randy Lindley, Partner
