Rachel Hymel

Strong family members shaped and supported me throughout my life. From my mother who had 10 children to my six older sisters, who literally embody the definition of the female warrior archetype, they convinced me by example that women were strong and capable from my earliest experiences. As the youngest of the family, with 9 older siblings, I had incredible role models who charged out into the world ahead of me and encouraged me to strive for excellence when it was my time. My parents, particularly my father, placed a strong emphasis on education. He insisted that all of his daughters attend college and graduate with knowledge that we could depend on. All 10 of us went on to earn college degrees (some earning multiple professional degrees including several MDs and PhD’s among them). Growing up surrounded by people who challenged (demanded) me to succeed and expected me to do well instilled me with determination and a strong work ethic. Overachieving was the standard. I couldn’t help but be influenced and those influences have been instrumental throughout my life.

I didn’t get much career advice as this was an emerging field and there was no set curriculum for what I do. I am the first woman in this role at Greenberg Traurig. Over my career, I had to cultivate self-reliance and develop the resilience to navigate challenges independently. I’ve learned the importance of building strong, authentic relationships with the people I work with. I stay curious-a true “intellectual omnivore”—always learning across multiple disciplines, asking questions, and remaining open to new perspectives. Most importantly, I recognize when it’s time to pivot, make thoughtful decisions early, and embracing change as an opportunity for growth.

Stay curious! Take the time to truly understand the problem before trying to create a solution. Start by asking the right questions, listening carefully, and understanding the needs of the people you are trying to serve. Embrace the power of AI, learning to use it thoughtfully, and view emerging technologies as tools that can expand capabilities, accelerate innovation, and create new opportunities. Don’t wait to be asked! Learn as much as you can about your industry and its related fields, obtain as many credentials as possible (even when they’re not required) and perform to your very best in every situation, even in small daily interactions.

Expectations are high. We are the go-to subject matter experts in our field, so we are expected to know a lot of details over a wide spectrum of possible solutions and then implement each one well-typically, on tight deadlines. It’s challenging to stay on top of new technology and apply it in a way that best serves the case and our clients. Demands are tough, things move quickly and excellence is always the standard at this level of litigation. I’m still tickled to be working with some of the finest legal minds in this country and throughout the world.

Truth, accuracy and integrity. I believe strongly in preserving evidence by carefully capturing, documenting, and maintaining information so it can be presented accurately and responsibly. I live on systems thinking and the importance of redundancy. Building reliable systems that protect critical information and ensure its integrity over time are key. “Capture, preserve, present.” Learn the system well enough to teach it and then engage audiences with accurate information, engaging visuals in variety of different forms, geared precisely to the right audience. Evidence usually speaks for itself. Let that evidence tell the story.