Lucy Lee Helm
Position: Retired, Starbucks Corporation
Advisory Board
Lucy Helm is executive vice president and chief partner officer. A partner (employee) since 1999, Lucy previously served as Starbucks executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for more than five years, and served as the interim leader of the Partner Resources organization (PRO) from March to July 2017. She is part of the senior leadership team, reporting directly to ceo Kevin Johnson.
In her work in Law & Corporate Affairs, Lucy proved to be a trendsetter in the legal profession through diversity and pro bono work, and gained a reputation as an incomparable leader and advocate for the communities we serve. Lucy was recognized by the National Law Journal as one of America’s 50 Outstanding General Counsel in 2014, received Legal Momentum’s Woman of Achievement award, and was honored with the Washington Appleseed Bradley C. Diggs Outstanding Service Award for leadership in social justice in 2015. She is a member of the board of directors of the global humanitarian agency Mercy Corps, and also serves on the board of the Washington YMCA Youth & Government Program. Since 2013, Lucy has served as the co-chair for the Campaign for Equal Justice, supporting Washington civil legal aid. She is an active volunteer with Parkview Services, a Seattle based non-profit providing housing and other services to people with disabilities.
As general counsel, Lucy led the global Law & Corporate Affairs department, including more than 225 legal and compliance partners in 16 offices around the world. She served as a member of Starbucks senior leadership team and supported the company’s Board of Directors. Throughout Lucy’s tenure at Starbucks, she has been a voice for equality and a champion for diversity—she started the Starbucks Global Inclusion Council and served as a sponsor of multiple Partner Networks, including the Women’s Development Network, Pride Network, and Access Alliance Network.
Prior to joining Starbucks, Lucy was a principal at Riddell Williams P.S. in Seattle, where she was a trial lawyer. She was also an assistant director and advocacy director at the Center for Accessible Living in Louisville, Kentucky.
Lucy received her B.A. in political science with highest honors from the University of Louisville and is a cum laude graduate of the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. She was recognized as an Alumni Fellow of the University of Louisville School of Arts and Sciences (2008) and as an Alumni Fellow of the Brandeis School of Law (2014). Her favorite Starbucks beverage is a Nitro Cold Brew.