Kristy Balsanek has been an attorney for 20 years at two global companies, including as General Counsel, and in private practice at three global law firms, focusing on international corporate compliance, global anti-corruption matters, environmental, social governance (ESG) and business and human rights. Kristy currently is a partner in the Regulatory and Government Affairs practice group at the Washington, DC offices of DLA Piper LLP. She advises public and private companies in business ethics, director/officer duties, global compliance programs, international trade, sanctions, whistleblower complaints, internal investigations, gender equity initiatives, third party supply chain due diligence, green initiatives and litigation and regulatory matters before various US courts and government agencies. She has counseled cross-cultural business teams from numerous countries drawing upon her past experiences of living and working abroad, including China, Singapore, England, Austria and the Czech Republic. Kristy is past Pro Bono Counsel at Women Thrive Worldwide (now Women Thrive Alliance), an international women’s rights non-profit organization and global advocacy network working with grassroots movements to promote gender equality and social justice in the developing world. She also has completed the Vital Voices Leadership Journey Program, a comprehensive global women’s leadership course on positive community impact, bridging divides in society, and empowering others. Kristy is a member of Vital Voices’ Regional Council in Washington, DC.
Kristy served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Daxian, Sichuan, China from 1997-1999 where she taught English and teacher education skills at the Daxian Teachers College to future rural middle school teachers. She lived and worked alongside local leaders to catalyze grassroots change in her community by fostering equity and inclusion via teaching courses, English radio dialogue programming and cross-cultural exchange initiatives.
Kristy received a bachelor of arts in international affairs and economics, cum laude, at The American University in Washington DC, and a juris doctor, with honors, from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC. She served as an Associate of the The George Washington University Law Review. Kristy currently resides in Washington, DC.
