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Priyanka Timblo | From Outsider to First Chair: The Evolution of a Top-Tier Trial Lawyer

The Lawyer's Edge

Release Date: 02/04/2025

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Priyanka Timblo is a partner at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg, a New York-based litigation boutique. Her practice focuses on trials and high-stakes commercial litigation and arbitration, primarily antitrust and breach of contract. She represents several large companies in antitrust trials and arbitration, such as the payment card network Visa and the video game developer and digital distributor company Valve. As a first-generation lawyer, Priyanka spent much of her childhood growing up in Goa, India. She also spent part of her childhood in Canada and has won numerous accolades for her work,...

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Priyanka Timblo is a partner at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg, a New York-based litigation boutique. Her practice focuses on trials and high-stakes commercial litigation and arbitration, primarily antitrust and breach of contract. She represents several large companies in antitrust trials and arbitration, such as the payment card network Visa and the video game developer and digital distributor company Valve.

As a first-generation lawyer, Priyanka spent much of her childhood growing up in Goa, India. She also spent part of her childhood in Canada and has won numerous accolades for her work, including Bloomberg Law’s 40 Under 40 list and Benchmark Litigation’s Future Star Recognition.

WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF A TOP-TIER TRIAL LAWYER

Women have made great strides in the legal profession, but few are found in high-stakes trial practice. Priyanka Timblo is often the only female trial lawyer in the courtroom for her cases — and almost always the only lawyer of color.

In this episode of The Lawyer’s Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Priyanka Timblo, partner at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg, about her journey from outsider to partner in a prestigious law firm. Priyanka shares how opportunity and preparation have shaped her career, the critical role of teamwork in trial law, and the challenges and impact of being a woman and person of color in the courtroom.

2:08 – How Priyanka’s unique background and upbringing influenced her career

7:06 – What attracted Priyanka to trial law and how she knew it was her calling

10:14 – How Priyanka created opportunities for herself and got her big break at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg

13:35 – A crucial skill for trial lawyers that sets them apart from others

15:44 – The value of teamwork in trial law and why it feels like preparing for battle

19:20 – Developing leadership skills to guide trial teams effectively

23:10 – Navigating the challenges of being a trial lawyer as a woman and person of color

26:17 – The importance of external visibility for lawyers beyond the courtroom

28:44 – Why part of a trial lawyer’s job is to put everyone at ease in the courtroom and appear confident

MENTIONED IN THE EVOLUTION OF A TOP-TIER TRIAL LAWYER

Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP | Priyanka Timblo

Get Connected with The Coaching Team at [email protected]

The Lawyer’s Edge

SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE…

Today’s episode is brought to you by the Ignite Women’s Business Development Accelerator, a 9-month business development program created BY women lawyers for women lawyers. Ignite is a carefully designed business development program containing content, coaching, and a community of like-minded women who are committed to becoming rainmakers AND supporting the retention and advancement of other women in the profession. 

Early Bird Registration is now underway for our 2025 Ignite cohorts. If you are interested in either participating in the program or sponsoring a woman in your firm to enroll, learn more about Ignite and sign up for our registration alerts by visiting www.thelawyersedge.com/ignite.