Laura Hinchey, ACP
Laura Hinchey, ACP, is a Director of Contracts Management and Advanced Certified Paralegal based in Denver, Colorado, with over a decade of experience in SaaS contracting, legal operations, and contract lifecycle management. She has supported Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and startups, and previously worked at the international law firm Dentons, where she focused on government contract litigation and paralegal services. Laura is recognized for her ability to streamline complex contracting processes, drive operational improvements, and develop creative solutions to legal and business challenges.
Throughout her career, Laura has held leadership roles across contract management and legal operations, including managing daily contracting functions, leading process optimization initiatives, and supporting cross-functional teams in corporate, healthcare, and technology environments. She earned her Certified Paralegal designation in 2015 and her Advanced Certified Paralegal designation in 2020, reflecting her commitment to continued professional development. Laura also served on the board of the Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association and is active in professional communities such as Women in eDiscovery and NALA.
Beyond her legal and corporate work, Laura is deeply committed to disability advocacy and inclusive community engagement. She has been involved with the Invisible Disabilities Association, where she served as Young Professional Chair, and brings a personal passion for expanding understanding and accessibility for individuals living with disabilities. In her personal life, she enjoys pottery, paddle boarding, and outdoor adventures with her two teenage daughters in Colorado, where she balances a demanding career with family and community involvement.
• Certified Paralegal
• Advanced Certified Paralegal
• Notary Public
• Arapahoe Community College- A.A.S.
• Distinguished Alumni Award
• Arapahoe Community College (2014 and 2015)
• Young Professional Chair
• Invisible Disabilities Association (2017)
• Walks the Walk Talks the Talk Award (2019)
• Unsung Hero Award
• WellTalk (2020)
• Appointed as Quavo's Next Leader Now (2024)
• Women in Leadership Program Advisory Board Member (2024-2025)
• National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
• Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association
• Invisible Disabilities
• Woman in Leadership Program
• Walk MS team leader for multiple sclerosis fundraising
• Colorado MS Society
• Young Professional Chair
• Invisible Disabilities Association (2017)
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say my ability to create and foster professional relationships, as well as my own drive. I believe those relationships are huge. As you can hear from my job history, it's really those relationships that I've built that have got me to where I am today. Coming from being a single mom working in the restaurant industry and just getting by day-to-day, then going to school for less than 2 years to get into a field that would not only pay my bills but exceed that as well, and continuing to move up and up - as a single mom, it's been a huge achievement. Being that role model for my daughters has been incredibly important to me. Being a trusted confidant for executives and chief legal officers anywhere that I've worked has been huge, as well as working closely with outside counsel. Those professional relationships have been instrumental in my career progression.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
From a legal perspective, it's definitely: if you touch a document, it's yours. Make sure to take ownership of that, and check for everything, make sure that it's quality before you push it along. So just really double-checking that. I got some really great advice when I was working on the customer success side for Sunny from a woman that I appreciate, and it's: make your customers feel like the hero. Really give them props to make them feel like they are the ones who are to be celebrated. So always keeping that in mind. And then I think there is a lot that goes with fake it till you make it. Even if you don't feel confident in a position when you start out right away, just do your best. You're in that position for a reason, and you'll get it eventually. Just keep plugging away, one step at a time.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is to keep plugging away, take ownership of your work, and trust that you were hired for a reason. I believe growth comes from steady effort, learning as you go, and building strong relationships along the way.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
A major opportunity in the field is the integration of AI and emerging legal technologies to improve efficiency and better empower legal teams. At the same time, a key challenge is navigating complex and often overlapping regulatory frameworks across SaaS, healthcare, and fintech industries.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My daughters have been the primary focus and reason for my why. They're now 22 and 17, and everything I do is centered around being a role model for them. We love enjoying the outdoors together - hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, boating, camping, skiing in the winter - doing all of the Colorado outdoorsy things. Stress management is incredibly important to me, especially managing my MS diagnosis over the past 10 years. That's why I'm in training to be a certified yoga teacher, because I want to help other people dealing with autoimmune conditions. I also love pottery - throwing pottery on a wheel - because when you're trying to center clay on a pot on a wheel, you can't think about other things. It's very centering, pun intended. Building and maintaining professional relationships has been central to my success, and I believe in taking ownership of my work and making sure everything I touch is quality. I'm also passionate about helping others feel celebrated and valued, whether that's customers or colleagues.