Carolyn Hansen
The transcendental lawyer
International attorney Carolyn Hansen didn’t intend to become a Hudson Valley convert – her unconventional arrival in Ulster County came by way of the United States-Europe-Asia route.
Wisconsin-born Hansen has devoted her career to the practice of international law and includes international business mediation as part of her practice, an attractive alternative to arbitration, says Hansen, “where people can work to make their own decisions without having someone do it for them.” In the process of becoming an expert in her chosen field, she discovered a way to find spiritual peace and improved physical health before starting her work day: meditation. “Our minds and bodies are inexorably connected: Take away the mental stress, and you take away the physical stress,” says the globetrotting attorney.
That wasn’t always the case for the frequent flier. “I spent 50 percent of my time in my corporate practice traveling on airplanes and living out of a suitcase. I never got to learn about the communities I lived in because when I was on the road, I was on the job, and when I got back, I was in the office.” Hansen’s work for large multi-national companies took her all over the US, South America and Europe.
While working in New Jersey, Hansen took the New York bar exam because: “Manhattan had a wealth of attorneys who specialized in international law and was a great place to network.”
But by 1990, Hansen had enough of working for corporate America. She packed her bags and moved to Taiwan to open her own practice. “Why Taiwan?” asked family and friends. “It was a capitalist country and close ally of the U.S. that welcomed women in business,” was her answer. A desire to learn Asian culture was another factor.
Hansen immediately immersed herself in her new surroundings, mastering Mandarin within three years. “In my practice, it wasn’t necessary to write in the language, since English is a negotiating tool in Taiwan. The parties decide which language will control the contract, so it was not a concern; but being able to converse proficiently was essential.”
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