Legal careers often follow a set path: law school, firm jobs, and a steady climb up the corporate ladder. Simone Silva-Arrindell describes this track as “autopilot.” Now, as Director and Senior Legal Counsel for Litigation at Samsung Electronics America, Inc., she approaches her career with intention, leading high-stakes disputes and aligning legal risk with broader business strategy.
In her role, Simone supports several major business divisions, including consumer electronics such as TVs and soundbars, home appliances like refrigerators and laundry products, and commercial display operations. She also partners with corporate teams on logistics and privacy matters when litigation arises. The scope of her work places her at the intersection of legal risk management and business innovation inside one of the world’s leading technology companies.
Joining Samsung in 2021 during the height of the pandemic, Simone’s responsibilities broadened rapidly, earning her a promotion to director after a merit review. The moment marked a turning point, a shift from professional autopilot to active, deliberate career management.
From courts to commerce
Raised in the New York City area, Simone attended Rutgers University before earning her law degree from Fordham Law School, where she initially envisioned a career in sports law and possibly becoming an agent. At the time, her goals felt clear, but the path forward still followed a familiar script.
Like many law students, she advanced through her education following a set trajectory. “I stayed on autopilot through law school,” she recalls. “The first year is set, and in the second, you pick interesting classes. I took sports law because it felt more exciting than evidence.”
That sense of forward motion without reflection shifted after graduation, when she clerked for Judge Esther Salas in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Two years in chambers gave her invaluable insight into how judges analyze cases and how federal litigation unfolds. “Samsung faces federal litigation in New Jersey, so understanding how the district operates and how judges think has become incredibly useful in my current role,” she observes.
The clerkship marked one of the first moments where observation turned into intention. Rather than simply learning procedures, Simone began to understand how strategy shapes outcomes, an insight that would later define her career path.
She later joined Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP in New York City, where she handled complex commercial litigation and government enforcement matters. Alongside that work, pro bono litigation became a defining early experience, reinforcing her growing interest in the strategic side of litigation.
One particularly impactful case involved a federal class action on behalf of residents of New York City nursing homes who had been unable to return to community life despite a state program intended to support that transition.
Although Simone left the firm before the case concluded, the experience proved formative. “Pro bono or not, it gave me hands-on litigation experience, working with experts, taking depositions, and learning how cases develop. It was incredibly rewarding,” she shares.
Strategy not performance
Time in private practice ultimately forced Simone to examine her professional preferences. While the experience helped to develop strong courtroom skills, she realized that strategy interested her more than standing at the front of the courtroom.
“I recognized I was good at litigation, but I didn’t necessarily want to be the one giving opening statements or oral arguments. What I really enjoyed was the strategy behind the case.” The shift wasn’t about leaving litigation, but about redefining how she wanted to engage with it. That realization ultimately drew her in-house, where legal thinking connects directly with business decision-making.
At Samsung, Simone’s litigation work rarely involves the dramatic courtroom battles you might expect from complex federal cases. Her role requires her to translate complicated legal matters into concise, actionable business guidance. “I translate legal issues for internal clients who don’t have time for long legal explanations,” she explains. “They need practical answers that help them make business decisions.”
In practice, she presents clear options instead of lengthy legal analysis. “I lay out the case, the possible outcomes, and the risks. Then the business decides which path makes the most sense,” she adds.
Her role is therefore less about dictating outcomes and more about enabling informed decisions. She identifies risks, outlines opportunities, and works collaboratively with business leaders to evaluate available paths. Ultimately, this framework ensures that legal insight becomes part of the decision-making process rather than an afterthought.
As such, the work is often proactive rather than reactive. Innovation teams frequently seek Simone’s guidance before launching new initiatives. “They might ask, ‘We want to make this change, what do you think?’ There may not be a law that directly prohibits it, but part of my job is assessing the broader risk.”
Her earlier clerkship experience often proves valuable in these gray areas, allowing her to anticipate how regulators or courts might respond and helping teams move forward with greater confidence.
Over time, her approach has reinforced Simone’s belief that effective legal work isn’t defined solely by courtroom performance; it depends on the ability to think ahead, weigh risks carefully, and guide decisions with intention.
Mentorship for the future
As her responsibilities have grown, leadership and mentorship have become central to her role. Where earlier stages of her career required mastering technical skills, her current role demands intentional investment in others’ growth.
While law firms tend to operate through informal peer collaboration, corporate environments introduce clearer hierarchies and management responsibilities.
“In a law firm, you’re working alongside other attorneys, but you don’t necessarily have a traditional manager-employee structure. In-house, there’s a true hierarchy and people management becomes part of the job,” she explains.
Simone is still refining her leadership approach, but already understands the balance she wants to strike. “I don’t want to micromanage, but I also don’t want to be completely hands-off. My team knows they can come to me with anything, and no issue is too small,” she points out.
For Simone, people management extends past just delegating tasks; it’s about shaping careers. Her mentorship extends beyond Samsung. She regularly makes time to speak with students and young professionals pursuing careers in law, viewing these conversations as opportunities to provide the kind of access she knows can shape long-term outcomes, access she didn’t have. “I always take the time to talk with younger attorneys or students who reach out,” she remarks.
Simone’s commitment to diversity, evident since her involvement with the United Black Council at Rutgers, has remained a defining aspect of her professional identity. From early on, she recognized that visibility and representation can influence how individuals see their own potential.
At Patterson Belknap, she continued that work by mentoring high school students in mock trial and moot court programs. “Watching those students stand up and argue cases, sometimes doing things I was still learning as a junior lawyer, felt incredibly rewarding.”
Her commitment to representation continues at Samsung, where she served as national chair of the company’s Galaxy of Black Professionals employee resource group. In that role, she launched initiatives designed to advance career development and representation.
“Representation matters,” she affirms. “If you don’t see someone who looks like you in a role, sometimes you can unintentionally count yourself out. Being accessible and visible can change that.”
Just as intentional choices shaped her own path, she now works to ensure others have the guidance and the necessary support to shape theirs.
Success beyond the numbers
Early in her career, success was defined by accuracy and performance: producing strong legal research, supporting judicial decisions and receiving positive reviews. Today, her definition of success has evolved.
“Success now means impact, the impact I have on colleagues, on the business, and on the broader community,” she reflects. Being a trusted resource for colleagues is one of the clearest indicators of that impact. “When people come to me for advice because I’ve helped them before, that’s success.”
Looking ahead, she measures success by her team’s growth. “If the people around me do well and grow, I feel proud.”
Living with intent
For Simone, intentionality extends beyond the workplace. Earning her promotion at Samsung meant she had to advocate for herself, a moment that reinforced the importance of taking ownership of her career. “I told my General Counsel I wanted a promotion. If it wasn’t on his mind before, it was definitely after that conversation,” she remembers.
The same philosophy shapes her personal life. Whether planning large family trips, organizing reunions, or baking for friends and family, she approaches each activity with the same sense of purpose.
Simone believes intentionality creates better outcomes both professionally and personally. Her career evolution is less about changing titles and more about shifting perspective.
Today, she defines success not as a destination, but as a continuous practice of mentorship, strategy, and impact.
By prioritizing thoughtful decision-making over routine, collaboration over hierarchy, and growth over comfort, she demonstrates that intentional leadership is not a static trait, but a deliberate choice made every day.
Greenberg Traurig proudly congratulates our client Simone Silva-Arrindell on this well-deserved recognition. We value the opportunity to work with leaders like Simone. It is a privilege to support accomplished professionals who continue to shape their industries and communities. We celebrate Simone’s achievements and look forward to her continued success in the years ahead.
