Nancy J. Sylvester

Nancy Sylvester is a trusted legal advisor with over a decade of experience guiding organizations and governmental entities through complex employment law, regulatory compliance, and policy matters. Currently serving as counsel at Ogletree Deakins, Nancy partners with HR leaders and executives to navigate workplace challenges, mitigate legal risk, and foster inclusive, compliant, and high-performing environments.

Her career spans leadership roles in the Utah State Bar (General Counsel) and the Utah State Courts (Associate General Counsel), where she provided strategic legal counsel on attorney and judicial ethics, governance, and access to justice initiatives. Nancy most recently served as in-house Labor & Employment Counsel for Management & Training Corporation, a government contractor.

Nancy has played a key role in shaping policy and legal reform in Utah, including through her contributions to the Utah Supreme Court’s Advisory Committees on the Rules of Civil Procedure and Professional Conduct and the development of Utah’s Model Civil Jury Instructions.

A frequent speaker, Nancy is known for her thought leadership on workplace culture, professional ethics, and innovation. She has developed training programs for judges and legal professionals and has presented at judicial and Bar conferences, the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law and Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School, and in community forums. Her work reflects a deep commitment to empowering others and advancing fairness in the legal system.

Nancy is also active in community advocacy, serving as pro bono counsel for the We Believe Foundation, and co-leading the Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination spoke of A Bolder Way Forward. Her leadership is grounded in empathy, strategic insight, and a passion for building better systems—whether in the courtroom, the boardroom, or the broader community.

Nancy holds a J.D. from Southwestern Law School, where she served for two years in the Moot Court Honors Program, and a B.A., magna cum laude, in Modern Languages and Literature from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Nancy is licensed to practice in Utah and California (active status pending).