Chief Legal Officer, Aledade
Phuong Phillips is Chief Legal Officer for Aledade. Before joining Aledade, Phuong served as the
Chief Legal Officer at Zynga where she oversaw all legal affairs and government relations for the
company and its eventual sale to another interactive entertainment company. Prior to Zynga, Phuong
served as Associate General Counsel for Tesla, Inc. and was the lead M&A attorney. Before that,
Phuong spent more than six years at SolarCity as its Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and
Head of Corporate and Securities where she successfully scaled the company and led its initial public offering and eventual sale to Tesla. Before joining SolarCity, Phuong spent more than seven years at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
Phuong currently serves as a Board Member of three
organizations that serve underprivileged communities: Project Glimmer, Law Foundation of Silicon
Valley and California Minority Counsel Program. Phuong received her J.D. and bachelor’s degree
from UCLA.
EVP, Global Chief Legal Officer
McDonald’s Corporation
As McDonald’s EVP, Chief Legal Officer, Desiree Ralls-Morrison oversees the company’s global legal operations, responsible for supporting the company’s strategies, anticipating, and managing risk, and advancing McDonald’s brand and values. She also advises both the Board of Directors and CEO.
Prior to joining McDonald’s, she was the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Boston Scientific Corporation; General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Boehringer Ingelheim USA, Inc.; and General Counsel of the Consumer Group at Johnson & Johnson. Desiree was named one the most powerful women in Corporate America by Black Enterprise Magazine and one of the top innovative General Counsels around the world by Financial Times.
Under Desiree’s leadership, McDonald’s was named 2022 Best Legal Department by Corporate Counsel. She serves on the Board of Directors for DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. and is a Founding Member of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund (NCF), which was curated as a funding and support resource for Black, Latino, and Indigenous entrepreneurs, innovators, and non-profits.
She earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and her Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from Wesleyan University.
Southern Illinois University
Simmons Law School
Sheraya Bernard represents the evolution of legal excellence through lived experience and commitment to advocacy. A small-town girl from South Louisiana who made Houston, Texas her home before pursuing law school, Sheraya brings a perspective shaped by over 15 years of experience in the legal industry, advancing from file clerk to senior paralegal across boutique, midsize, and Big Law firms.
Currently a rising 3L at Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School, Sheraya has distinguished herself as a dual National Bar Association Law Student Fellow—a rare honor that reflects her exceptional versatility. She served as a 2024-2025 fellow in both the Intellectual Property Law Section and Insurance Law Section of the National Bar Association, engaging directly with leading practitioners while contributing to strategic planning for the NBA's landmark Centennial Convention. Her leadership is also evident in her former role as President of SIU BLSA. She simultaneously served as the 2024-2025 Vice Chair of the Midwest Region of NBLSA, overseeing roughly 47 law school chapters across 13 states. Her influence on institutional governance shines through her service on both the Dean Selection Committee and Faculty Selection Committee at SIU Law.
Sheraya's journey proves there's more than one way to pursue your dreams. Her global perspective, industry experience, and proven leadership within many organizations position her to contribute meaningfully to the evolving legal profession. Sheraya Bernard represents the future of transformative legal advocacy rooted in authentic experience and commitment to justice.
Ms. JD’s Limitless List acknowledges the exceptional achievements and contributions of women law students and early career attorneys (in their first 12 years of practice) who are driving change in their law school communities and the legal profession. Their passion, dedication, and commitment to empowering women in law is inspirational.
The prestigious Ms. JD Limitless Leadership Award celebrates (1) a promising woman law student, (2) exceptional woman attorneys (who have been practicing for 12 or more years), and (3) a pioneering organization embodying a spirit of excellence and a deep commitment to advancing gender equity in the legal profession. Presented by Ms. JD at the annual Limitless Awards & Gala, this award honors the women and organizations who have gone above and beyond in their leadership, in their innovative gender equity initiatives, and in their exceptional commitment to empowering and inspiring future generations of women lawyers.
Determined to Rise. Equipped to Lead.
Ms. JD is a national organization that helps women in law find community and opportunity at every stage in their career, from aspiring attorneys to seasoned professionals.
