As VP and Deputy General Counsel of Google, Nicole Wong dealt with some of the Internet’s formative First Amendment challenges. What happens when a foreign government blocks access to YouTube for content it finds objectionable? How should Google deal with speech that is libelous? There were many different opinions at Google, but often the final decision was Nicole’s (friends nicknamed her “The Decider”). Nicole’s background as a First Amendment lawyer at Perkins Coie in San Francisco prepared her for many of these issues. But it was Nicole’s ability to resolve these issues at Internet speed, and globally, that make her a Fastcase 50 award winner.
