By Billy Yost
CHICAGO (Modern Counsel) — Walgreens is in the middle of a massive turnaround. The pharmacy chain plans to close up to 1,200 stores and announced earlier this year that it has agreed to be taken private after almost one hundred years as a public company. But analysts are hopeful this big move could help mark the beginning of a recovery for one of the best-known names in pharmacy.
A turnaround isn’t easy. But it has been a learning experience unlike any other for Lisa Haidostian, senior director and managing counsel for commercial and securities litigation at Walgreens. Haidostian came in-house in 2021 after nearly a decade at Chicago-founded firm McDermott Will & Emery.
“There’s no doubt that a turnaround environment can be challenging, but I’ve tried to find opportunities,” Haidostian explains. “There are chances to stretch yourself and further your development in ways that might not have been available otherwise.”
Haidostian says she focuses on the aspects of her job that she can control. She loves her work, genuinely enjoys being around her coworkers, and she has faith in the direction her company is headed. She believes she has the dream job for her, focusing on litigation strategy and big picture issues.
The attorney has also had the opportunity to expand her own practice. A year into her in-house role, Haidostian was asked to manage compliance for Walgreens’ US healthcare segment, a wholly new experience for her. She eventually returned to her litigation practice, but says the detour was a good chance to develop different legal muscles.
