ADJUNCT LAW FACULTY

Elaine Barlas has practiced law for more than 20 years, predominantly in-house, with a focus on international business counseling and transactions. At Reebok International Ltd., she was responsible for the legal affairs of all of the international businesses. Prior to that, she was general counsel for the Asian and Latin American divisions of Bestfoods, for which she traveled extensively to counsel businesses and conduct transactions in China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela, among others. Elaine co-founded and co-chaired the International Practice Group of the Northeast Chapter of ACC . She has been a guest lecturer on international business transactions at Boston University’s LL.M. program, and is a frequent speaker on the effect of culture and communication styles on international business. Ms. Barlas received her J.D. from Columbia University, where she was an editor of the Law Review, and her A.B. in early childhood development from Tufts University. She recently earned an Ed.M. from Boston University in Teaching English at the College and Adult Level to Speakers of Other Languages, thereby combining her experience in international transactions with her love of language and teaching. She is an executive coach in intercultural understanding and communication skills to international executives and management teams on U.S. assignment; her clients include general managers, finance executives, lawyers, architects, marketers, regulatory experts, and operations managers from Asia, Europe and Latin America. She has taught at Harvard University’s Institute for English Language Programs, at the Boston campus of the Showa International Institute for Language and Culture (based in Tokyo), and, at Suffolk, teaches advanced English-language communication skills to international students preparing for graduate school.

Degrees:
JD, Columbia University; Ed.M, Boston University

Ms. Elaine M. Barlas                                    
Suffolk University Law School
120 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02108-4977