Lisa Beattie Frelinghuysen
Founder and Managing Partner, LBF Advisory
Lisa Beattie Frelinghuysen is the Founder and Managing Partner of LBF Advisory, a boutique family business advisory practice dedicated to guiding the owners of privately held companies through complex situations. Drawing on a distinguished career in law, corporate leadership, and enterprise advisory work, she is known for bringing clarity, structure, and long-term perspective to clients navigating challenging transitions.
Background
Early Life & Education
Raised in New England in a family rooted in both corporate law and public service, Lisa developed an early commitment to thoughtful decision-making and community impact. She graduated from Stanford University, and Stanford Law School, where she led the Stanford Law Review and distinguished herself as a student dedicated to rigorous scholarship and real-world impact.
A Career in Law
Lisa began her legal career with a clerkship at the U.S. Supreme Court with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During her time there, Lisa drafted the landmark gender-equality decision in United States v. Virginia, grounding her early work in both principled analysis and the advancement of equitable rights. She later joined Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C., representing media clients in high-stakes litigation and sharpened the analytical and strategic skills that would become central to her advisory approach.
Corporate Leadership & Enterprise Strategy
Lisa’s career expanded into corporate leadership when she became Chief of Strategy and Chief Legal Officer at David Yurman Enterprises. In that role, she oversaw corporate strategy, governance, legal affairs, and enterprise planning for the iconic luxury company. Her work provided her deep insight into privately held, founder-led businesses, multigenerational issues, and the organizational dynamics that shape long-term success. She led the engagement to retain BanyanGlobal Advisors to counsel the David Yurman founders, initiating a long-standing partnership with the firm.
Family Enterprise Advisory Experience
As a Senior Advisor at BanyanGlobal, Lisa counseled owners of large privately held companies on ownership, governance design, succession planning, board development, and philanthropy. She supported business-owning families in defining roles, aligning on values, and making decisions that strengthen both enterprise performance and family communication.
Having worked on gender equality in her legal career, Lisa brings a gender lens to her work, making sure the women in the system are well educated, thoughtful decision makers, with a seat at the table. She resides in New York City, with her family, and remains active in civic, cultural, and philanthropic initiatives.
Experience
J.D., Stanford Law School | B.A., Stanford University
Law Clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Supreme Court of the United States
Chief Strategy Officer & Chief Legal Officer | David Yurman Enterprises
Senior Advisor | BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors
Founder and Managing Partner | LBF Advisory
Mountain Climbing: A Personal Note
Lisa has long been drawn to mountain climbing, and has spent time hiking across the Alps, the Dolomites, the western Rockies, as well as landscapes in Africa, Patagonia, and Peru. She values the challenge and spirit of adventure—and the humility that comes from standing in awe of the natural world’s vastness. Just this year Lisa returned to Mount Kenya for a second ascent, this time alongside her four children.
Lisa draws on her experience as a climber to illuminate the dynamics of a family enterprise. The path can be demanding, but a shared commitment makes it deeply rewarding. Along the way, teams encounter inevitable peaks and setbacks, and the journey itself reveals character, strengthens trust, and clarifies what matters most. And when the climb is complete, Lisa says, families often emerge with stronger governance and decision-making—along with a few memorable stories and a healthy sense of humor.