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38
Lady of the law
IndustryLeader
Holli Targan's name is everywhere. Flip through
the pages of just about any payments industry
publication or attend a conference, and
her name will likely surface. Targan – a partner
at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss P.C. – devotes her
practice to electronic banking, electronic commerce and
credit card processing law. She counsels companies,
negotiates contracts and advises businesses on regulatory
issues and laws.
For more than a decade, Targan has written for numerous
publications. Her articles have covered such topics as data
security, when to sell a portfolio, starting an ISO, budgeting
for legal needs, and the ins and outs of contracts.
She has also done presentations on these topics and
more at the Electronic Transactions Association meetings,
regional conferences, NYCE Corp. conferences and bar
association events.
Targan has served as an ETA board member for the past
six years. She is currently a member and Treasurer of the
association's executive committee. She also belongs to
ETA's industry relations and nominations committees.
Targan has received numerous awards during the course
of her career, including ETA Committee Volunteer of
the Year and ETA Member of the Year. She has been
recognized twice by Who's Who in American Law, and
twice received the Transaction World Magazine Mover and
Shaker Award.
There's more: Targan is the co-founder and President of
Women Networking in Electronic Transactions (W.net),
a nonprofit organization that provides a forum to inspire
and empower women in the electronic transactions industry
through networking opportunities, education and
mentoring programs.
To succeed, Targan goes with her gut instinct, makes decisions
quickly, works hard and keeps her clients' needs at
the forefront. And occasionally, when the situation calls
for it, she plays hardball.
Growing passion
As a child, Targan had aspirations of one day becoming a
lawyer. She is fortunate to have fulfilled her dream. As the
years progress, Targan's appreciation for her field doesn't
fade, which is also part of her success.
"It makes it a lot easier when you love what you do,"
Targan said. "I love being a lawyer in this industry. I love
being involved in executive levels of the ETA and W.net,
two organizations that I passionately believe in. I just
make the time. … I don't mind working a lot."
There is only one area where Targan feels daily pressure.
"Most challenging for me is that there are only 24 hours in
the day, not enough time," she said.
Targan has few complaints. She enjoys being able to see
the bigger picture, spotting industry trends as they happen.
She likes helping clients craft deals to grow and
prosper. "My favorite single task is negotiating complex
agreements," she said. "I love the intellectual challenge
involved in advocating for my clients' positions."
Targan graduated cum laude from Wayne State University
Law School in Detroit. She is a member of the American
Bar Association, as well as the Michigan, Maryland and
District of Columbia bars. Initially, Targan wanted to
become a public defender, assisting destitute people who
were facing criminal charges.
"I tend to pull for the underdog," she said. "I thought I
would be doing society a great benefit by affording those