10 Cleveland Clinic legal leaders
Deborah Gordon, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Governance Officer at Cleveland Clinic, opens this list of Cleveland Clinic legal leaders, who also include deputy chief legal officers, practice group directors and a head of legal in London. A reader can learn how legal leaders work at Cleveland Clinic from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Deborah Gordon
LinkedInExperience: Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Governance Officer · Cleveland Clinic
Deborah Gordon has been Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Governance Officer at Cleveland Clinic since June 2024, based in Cleveland. Deborah Gordon was Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer And Chief Legal Officer at Memorial Hermann Health System from 2017 to 2024, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer at Memorial Hermann Health System from 2014 to 2017 and Partner, Vice-Chair, Corporate Department at Seyfarth Shaw LLP from 2009 to 2014.
Emily Williams
LinkedInExperience: General Counsel, Cleveland Clinic Akron General · Cleveland Clinic
Emily Williams is a former General Counsel, Cleveland Clinic Akron General at Cleveland Clinic, a role held from January 2019 to September 2023, based in Cleveland. Emily Williams has been Chief Compliance Officer at Cleveland Clinic since September 2023 and was VP/General Counsel, Cardinal Health at Home at Cardinal Health from 2016 to 2019 and Counsel at Cleveland Clinic from 2011 to 2016.
Farah Bridges
LinkedInExperience: Director, Litigation Practice Group · Cleveland Clinic
Farah Bridges has been Director, Litigation Practice Group at Cleveland Clinic since April 2025, based in the United States, and the profile headline also reads Director, Litigation Practice Group at Cleveland Clinic. Farah Bridges was Senior Counsel at Cleveland Clinic from 2019 to 2025 and Shareholder at Stearns Weaver Miller from 2008 to 2019.
Jessica Slifko
LinkedInExperience: Deputy Chief Legal Officer · Cleveland Clinic
Jessica Slifko has been Deputy Chief Legal Officer at Cleveland Clinic since January 2006, based in Cleveland, and the profile headline also reads Deputy Chief Legal Officer. Jessica Slifko was Associate Counsel at Case Western Reserve University from 2004 to 2006 and Attorney at Schneider, Smeltz, Ranney & LaFond from 1998 to 2004.
Lisa Barrett
LinkedInExperience: Deputy Chief Legal Officer · Cleveland Clinic
Lisa Barrett has been Deputy Chief Legal Officer at Cleveland Clinic since January 2019, based in Beachwood, Ohio, with a headline that gives the role as Vice President. Lisa Barrett was General Counsel at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Health System from 2016 to 2019, Senior Counsel Survey & Accreditation Practice Group Chair at Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 2009 to 2016 and Partner at Norchi, Barrett & Forbes LLC from 2002 to 2009.
Marleina Davis
LinkedInExperience: Deputy Chief Legal Officer · Cleveland Clinic
Marleina Davis is a former Deputy Chief Legal Officer at Cleveland Clinic, a role held from January 2011 to January 2025, based in Solon, Ohio. Marleina Davis has been Chief Legal Officer at Joint Commission since January 2025 and was Associate Counsel at Cleveland Clinic from 2004 to 2011 and Associate Counsel at Walter Haverfield from 2000 to 2004.
Matthew Donnelly
LinkedInExperience: Deputy Chief Legal Officer · Cleveland Clinic
Matthew Donnelly is a former Deputy Chief Legal Officer at Cleveland Clinic, a role held from June 2011 to November 2018, and also served as Director of Litigation there from 2009 to 2018, based in Atlanta. Matthew Donnelly has been Chief Healthcare Litigation Counsel at Emory Healthcare since November 2025 and was Vice President, Professional Staff Affairs at Cleveland Clinic from 2024 to 2025.
Michael Zadd
LinkedInExperience: Director and Practice Group Chair · Cleveland Clinic
Michael Zadd has been Director and Practice Group Chair at Cleveland Clinic since April 2025, based in Cleveland, with a headline that gives the role as Managing Counsel. Michael Zadd was Senior Counsel at Cleveland Clinic from 2021 to 2025, Counsel at Cleveland Clinic from 2017 to 2021, Corporate Counsel at Cherwell Software from 2016 to 2017 and Associate at Jones Day from 2011 to 2016.
Sarah Findlay
LinkedInExperience: Head of Legal · Cleveland Clinic London
Sarah Findlay has been Head of Legal at Cleveland Clinic London since October 2025, based in London. Sarah Findlay was Chief Legal Adviser at HCA Healthcare UK from 2017 to 2022 and Acting Vice President of Legal Services (General Counsel - maternity leave cover) at HCA Healthcare UK from 2019 to 2021, and was a Board Trustee at Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in 2025.
Shannon Jerse
LinkedInExperience: Associate General Counsel · Cleveland Clinic
Shannon Jerse is a former Associate General Counsel at Cleveland Clinic, a role held from June 1998 to June 2009, based in Cleveland. Shannon Jerse has been President of The Jerse Law Firm since August 2025 and was General Counsel at Sisters of Charity Health System and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center from 2009 to 2025 and Assistant General Counsel at University Hospitals from 1990 to 1998.
Choose the right perspective
Match each person's own role, scope and time in it to the decision you face. Check when each person started the current role, or when a former person left, to judge how recent their view is.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you change first when you took on your legal role, and why?
- 02How do you decide which legal work to keep in house and which to send to outside counsel?
- 03What has your own work taught you about legal work at a large health system?
Reaching Cleveland Clinic legal leaders
How can I contact one of these Cleveland Clinic legal leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 2 companies: Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic London, based on profile data retrieved on October 23, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Cleveland Clinic legal leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these Cleveland Clinic legal leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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