At 15 years old, Radiance Davis could not have known she would become an attorney, launch a law firm, move into corporate leadership, and build a career around helping businesses solve problems. Yet if she could speak to that younger version of herself today, her message would be immediate and unwavering.
“Believe in yourself. Trust yourself even when the path is not clear. There will be moments when people underestimate you, but do not let that shake your confidence. The things that make you different will become your greatest strengths. Keep betting on yourself, take those risks, and remember you can build a career you are proud of while creating a calm, joyful, and meaningful life. You really can have both.”
That idea – betting on herself – connects nearly every chapter of her professional journey. It explains why she pursued law, why she started her own firm, and why she approaches her role at Edgewell Personal Care as a strategic business partner first and a legal advisor second.
As Senior Counsel for Contracts and Commercial, Radiance supports a global organization whose brands span shaving, grooming, sun care, and skin care. Working across sales, marketing, procurement, finance, and supply chain teams, she navigates commercial agreements and strategic decisions that influence both growth and risk.
“What I enjoy most about my role is that no two days are the same. One moment, I am negotiating a complex commercial agreement. The next, I am solving a business problem that calls for legal, strategic, and practical thinking. I love being seen as someone who helps move the business forward, not as someone who says no.”
Path to law
Radiance’s path toward law began with a chance encounter at 15 years old. “What made me go into law is simple. I met a lawyer named Ben Wilson through his daughter, Rachel (Wilson) Patterson, while playing AAU basketball. He was the first lawyer I ever met, and he shared stories about being a lawyer. I found it so intriguing. So, I was drawn to what he did and the opportunities of being a lawyer.”
From there, Radiance followed a deliberate route, attending Swarthmore College before earning her law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. She began her career in Big Law, where she developed the technical skills that remain central to her work today.
Betting on herself became more than a philosophy when Radiance established her own firm. “I have always been someone who is willing to bet on myself. I started in Big Law, then I opened my own law firm. Entrepreneurship was one of the most rewarding experiences because it taught me to think like a business leader and owner. Every decision touched the client experience, operations, finances, and growth.”
The experience changed how she evaluates legal questions. Today, she approaches them with a broader business perspective that weighs risk against what the business actually needs to move forward. “The business tries to balance revenue, customer relationships, timing, and operational realities. My job is to help them reach those goals while managing risk in a practical way.”
Business first
The lessons Radiance learned from entrepreneurship stayed with her when she moved in-house. Because she has experienced the pressures of running a business, she takes a commercial approach to legal questions. “I start by understanding what the business wants to accomplish. Once I know the objective, I focus on solving the problem instead of just pointing out risks. I have learned that not every issue needs the same level of scrutiny, so I am thoughtful about where we need stronger protections and where we can be more flexible.”
Commercial teams rarely have the luxury of waiting for perfect answers. Legal guidance needs to arrive while decisions are still being shaped. “Speed matters, but judgment does too.” As decisions evolve, legal input must keep pace. “A delayed answer can turn into a business problem. I make it a point to be responsive and offer practical options, not roadblocks. For me, being a good legal partner means helping the business make informed decisions,” she adds.
Seat at the table
Legal departments now sit closer to strategic decision-making, operational planning, and business transformation. “Today’s in-house lawyers need to understand the business as well as the law. My conversations focus less on quoting contract law and more on strategy, commercial goals, operational challenges, and long-term business relationships.”
Radiance’s view of contracts extends beyond redlines and clause language. “For example, I helped implement our contract lifecycle management system and develop our contracting process. It is not just a legal project. It is really a business transformation effort to improve efficiency, consistency, and collaboration across the organization.”
Her focus on efficiency and execution shapes her view of technology. “We have brought in AI to help us work more efficiently and serve the business better. I am a big supporter and user of AI, both at work and in my personal life.”
For all the focus on technology and transformation, Radiance always returns to people. She believes relationships form the foundation of effective legal partnerships. Trust grows by understanding how different teams work long before issues arise. Communication is at the core of getting the right message across.
“I am one of those people who does not speak or write like a lawyer. I use plain language, layman’s terms, because most of my business partners are not lawyers. It is our responsibility in legal to explain concepts in a way that is easy to understand and actionable. When people trust you and know you are trying to help them succeed, it is easier to collaborate.”
Sustainable success
Radiance champions sustainable leadership over sheer volume of hours. “It is not about doing less; it is about doing the right things well. I prioritize my work, protect time for focused thinking, and know that constantly operating in crisis mode is not sustainable for anyone.” She believes performance improves when people create space for reflection, recovery, and deliberate priorities.
She is also deliberate about challenging one of the profession’s longstanding norms. “The legal profession has long treated burnout as a badge of honor, but I truly believe high performance and well-being can go hand in hand,” she shares.
Her lesson about boundaries is a message to others. “I have learned you have to create time blocks in your life. I work really hard between set hours, and after that, I turn off. If you are checking emails on your phone after hours, you are technically still working.”
Outside the office, she spends time with family and friends, travels, lifts weights, practices hot yoga, and goes to concerts and comedy shows. “I have learned I do not need to earn rest by being productive all the time. These moments of fun and recovery help me come back to work with more energy, a clear perspective, and they make me a better lawyer, business partner, and leader.”
Her current definition of success captures her journey and echoes the message she would share with 15-year-old Radiance. “Success is living a calm, healthy, financially abundant life where I am respected for my expertise, well compensated for the value I bring, present with my family, and still have the time and energy to enjoy what matters most to me.”
