2020 40 Under 40: Elizabeth Wente, 38

Spencer Fane LLP partner Elizabeth Wente has dedicated time to working on both the firmwide Women in Business Leadership Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Serving as chair on the women’s leadership committee, she organized quarterly meetings for the members, a business development panel and a workshop on how to improve their networking efforts.

Through the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, she is working to help attorneys, staff and individuals with different life experiences fully integrate within the firm.

She also previously served on the Child Advocacy Center board for six years and on its executive board for two years.

What is your proudest moment? Having my kids, Leo and Ella Ann.

What was your professional aha moment? After several years of litigating employment matters, I realized that I might actually be able to put my skills to use helping employers avoid litigation. This changed my whole practice and allows me to serve more as an adviser to my clients.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Make your business/practice work for your life and not your life work for your business/practice. I work early in the mornings, remotely from my home and at strange hours. This type of flexibility works for me as I’m balancing a full-time job and a family. It often also benefits my clients because employee issues don’t happen only between 8 and 5!