Profile

Elena Villaseñor Sullivan

Elena has been practicing law for 20 years in a wide range of roles, industries, and organizations. She leveraged her experience to build a portfolio of transferable skills that set her apart from other attorneys. She approaches her legal advice with a holistic business mindset, efficiently learns and translates the laws of various industries, simplifies the complex, and is dedicated to finding innovative solutions to legal challenges.

Most recently, Elena served as the General Counsel for Massage Heights Franchising, LLC, overseeing the Legal Department for a growing membership-based spa franchise system with 110 units in the United States and Canada. Prior to that, Elena was an executive in the Compliance Department at USAA, overseeing a team of nearly 30 compliance professionals, assisting the company to mitigate its regulatory risk. Elena was promoted to this role after serving as a Senior Attorney at USAA in the life insurance line of business. Elena also considers herself a “retired litigator,” who first-chaired cases valued up to $150 million. She was a commercial trial attorney for 12 years, serving as a Partner at the largest law firm in Texas after starting her career at an insurance defense firm.

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, GOULD SCHOOL OF LAW, Los Angeles, California, Juris Doctor, 2004

BOSTON COLLEGE, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, B.A., International Studies, 2000

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Licensed to practice law by the Texas State Bar, 2004

Licensed by the United States District Courts for the Southern, Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas, 2005

Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP), 2019

Certified SAFe Agilist, 2018

AFFILIATIONS

American Bar Association, Member

Texas Bar Association, Member

San Antonio Bar Association, Member

Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, Member

RECOGNITIONS

Outstanding Women in the Law, Scene in S.A., 2024

Best S.A. Lawyers, Scene in S.A., 2013-2016, 2018, 2021, 2022

Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star, Thomson Reuters, Texas Monthly, 2010-2017

ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award, North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, 2014

Member of Litigation Department of the Year, Texas Lawyer, 2013

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce “Leadership San Antonio,” 2012

San Antonio North Chamber of Commerce “Leadership Lab,” 2011

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES

Moderator, 2018 UT Corporate Counsel Institute, “Designing and Building a Diverse Legal Team Inside and Out.”

Chair and Emcee, Bexar County Women’s Bar Foundation, 2017 and 2018 Empowered Women’s Leader Luncheon.

Panelist, State Bar of Texas, 2018 Texas Minority Counsel Program, “Moving In-house.”

Panelist, State Bar of Texas, 2022 Annual Meeting, “Role of Companies in Shaping Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Law Firms.”

Panelist, State Bar of Texas, 2023 Texas Minority Counsel Program, “Own Your Career Path.”