In Fall 2025, on the Vancouver waterfront, ZoomInfo opened the doors of its new headquarters to L&C law students for an immersive, hands-on contract negotiation exercise designed to mirror in-house legal practice.
ZoomInfo service serves over 35,000 customers worldwide, from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises, providing comprehensive data and insights to help businesses identify, connect, and engage with their ideal customers and partners. For the workshop, ZoomInfo tasked L&C law students with strategizing and negotiating ZoomInfo’s contract terms, including payment, indemnification, and data storage and use.
The law students were greeted by ZoomInfo attorneys, James Henry ’14, a Lewis & Clark alum who serves as Chief Commercial and IP Counsel; Meredith Weisshar, Chief Corporate Counsel; John Rose, Senior Commercial Counsel; and Hannah Pageler, Senior Privacy Counsel. Then, the law students were given a guided tour of the ZoomInfo headquarters before transitioning into the negotiation workshop.
The students were assigned to groups of 6. Each group was then divided into two sides, with one side representing the subscribing business and the other side acting as ZoomInfo. Students met with their teams to develop a negotiation plan before engaging with the other side. The four ZoomInfo attorneys worked with students, answering questions.
“All of us at ZoomInfo were so pleased with the workshop and the enthusiastic response of the Lewis & Clark Law students,” said Henry. “We are already at work planning the next workshop for 2026. It is an excellent way for us to both offer practical training to students and also benefit from their creative input.”
Throughout the exercise, students tested various negotiation strategies and leveraged different contract terms, often proposing creative solutions that met the needs of both parties. When the negotiation concluded, the two parties presented the agreed-upon terms. Many teams presented creative financing solutions, data privacy terms designed to protect a company’s data, and indemnity clauses that satisfied each party’s goals.
Law students were thrilled to have the opportunity. Violet McAfee ’26, was impressed by how seriously the ZoomInfo attorneys approached the exercise. “They were very no-nonsense about it,” she said, adding, “the experience helped me understand what in-house attorneys think about on a daily basis.”
Leonie Fruehwirth ’27, shared that she appreciated this opportunity because “I find it hard to find and connect with in-house counsel, as they aren’t as visible as law firm attorneys,” she said. Fruehwirth added that she had not previously considered in-house counsel as a career pathway and valued the chance to mock negotiate and ask questions about that role.
The event concluded with a social hour, allowing students to continue conversations informally with ZoomInfo’s legal team. Many students received advice on areas such as data privacy and negotiations, positioning them to stand out as they move forward in their legal careers.
This event was organized as part of the program offerings of the Center for Business Law and Leadership. “These mock-negotiation events offer students valuable insight into the art of negotiating contracts, as well as the day-to-day activities of in-house counsel. By Zoominfo opening its doors to our students, they could see the spaces where attorneys work and perhaps envision themselves working there. I am grateful that the Zoominfo attorneys took the time and effort to plan and carryout this successful event.” says Susan Felstiner, Professor of Law and Center for Business Law and Leadership Faculty Chair.
