Stories from our people: Gabe Martinez in Legal
By Gabe Martinez, Senior Director – Legal
My role at Clorox is helping folks find solutions to complex problems. Sometimes they’re legal problems, sometimes they’re business problems. Usually, they’re all of the above. My favorite aspect of the work, however, is that I’m not in it alone. It takes a village to manage complexity. And what I love about Clorox is the way people across functions come together, figure it out, and get the job done with best-in-class outcomes.
My initial legal specialty was consumer protection, so there’s no better place for me than a company that’s consumer obsessed. Before I joined, I was in private practice at a law firm representing an array of companies. Clorox has such a diverse portfolio of brands that people love — it stood out to me as offering the variety of private practice with the in-house benefit of really getting to know a business. I wasn’t disappointed. As a lawyer partnering with business units across the Clorox enterprise, I help folks navigate new and evolving laws that could impact our business. My favorite days are the ones where we figure out a compliance strategy that’s also a business opportunity to drive consumer value. I’m pleased to say that most days are my favorite days. And each day is an exciting challenge with new things to learn.
We strive to have an inclusive work culture — to me, that means having access to the right folks to bring the right thinking to the table, no matter their position in the world. And I love how our tech-enabled environment enhances this. We can tap into talent from our offices around the globe to collaborate in real time. With just a few clicks from my office in Oakland, I’m brainstorming with folks in Alpharetta, Willowbrook, Durham, and Sydney. The magic of it never gets old.
I’ve worked here for over 12 years in total, “boomeranging” back to the company in 2019. During my time away, I went to art school to study creative writing and oil painting. But I missed a lot of things about Clorox, especially its wonderful people and incredible brands. When I’m not practicing law at Clorox, you’ll find me working on my latest series of portraits or meandering in the forest. It’s amazing how much inspiration I draw from my experiences at Clorox, and I’m so grateful I was able to come back.