Shane St. Hill – Studs

Shane St. Hill’s career has never been about following straight lines. Born and raised in Naples, Florida, to parents from Trinidad, St. Hill initially envisioned a future in architecture. He was fascinated by buildings, floor plans, and the creativity behind designing spaces. But after interning at two law firms while in high school and college, he realized he had a greater passion for the practicality of a career in law. So, when finally confronted with deciding between graduate paths, he chose the LSAT over the GRE and committed to law—a choice that would ultimately allow him to build something every bit as structural and creative as architecture: teams, organizations, and frameworks for success.

Shane St. Hill | Studs | Chief Legal Officer & Chief Compliance Officer

After earning a degree in international relations and history from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Boston University School of Law, St. Hill began his career in private practice. Intellectual property litigation was his first focus, a field that honed his analytical and technical skills while giving him a foundation in risk management. Yet, as he often describes, the work was too narrowly confined for his ambitions.

“I wanted to be part of building something and not just working on one dispute after another,” he says.

That motivation led him to in-house roles with some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Warner Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Rent the Runway, Godiva, and Sotheby’s. Each step added another layer to his skillset, and more importantly, confirmed his attraction to high-growth, brand-driven companies where the legal roadmap had yet to be written.

Disrupting tradition

That background made him a natural fit for Studs, an experiential retail and e-commerce brand founded in 2019, which is building a needle-based ear-piercing business at scale. The company has reimagined the ear-piercing experience by offering consultative, expert needle piercing services alongside a wide assortment of stylish, accessibly priced earrings. With its philosophy of “Earscaping”—treating the ear as a canvas for curated piercings and jewelry—Studs has become the first company to mainstream piercing as a cultural and fashion-forward experience.

Its values reflect its disruptive spirit: We’re All in This Together, We’re All Ears, and We’re Always Growing. The company emphasizes teamwork, feedback, transparency, and a commitment to continuous learning. That alignment of vision and values is part of what drew St. Hill to join in 2022, first as general counsel and now as chief legal and compliance officer.

At Studs, piercing isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s also about health, safety, and trust. Because Studs runs its own studios (not franchises), and only offers needle-based ear piercings, the business operates under a highly regulated framework. From sterilization standards to state-specific licensing, compliance is central to the business model. That means St. Hill’s legal department is not only protecting the company but enabling its expansion into new cities and states.

“Our health regulations compliance is my biggest focus,” he explains. “Every state has its own rules for sterilization, PPE, or licensing. That requires constant communication with our retail teams, training cohorts of piercers, and reminding managers about inspections and renewals.”

With 36 locations nationwide and plans to reach 40 by early 2026, Studs’ growth relies on a seamless integration of legal, compliance, and operational leadership—an integration St. Hill is uniquely equipped to deliver.

Building a legal function for growth

When St. Hill arrived at Studs shortly after its Series B funding round, the company was still in its infancy. Some startups wait years before bringing on an in-house attorney, but Studs’ leadership recognized early that the nature of their business required a strong legal and compliance foundation.

“Because we’re dealing with health, safety, and consumer trust, legal couldn’t be an afterthought,” he says.

Today, his department consists of three people: himself, a senior counsel focused on employment and labor, and a senior corporate counsel managing a wide variety of business needs. Together, they cover everything from regulatory compliance and intellectual property to corporate governance, contracts, and board relations.

What makes the function unique, however, is that Studs doesn’t see it as a back-office necessity. Instead, the legal team is considered a strategic partner in building the business. St. Hill has even taken on responsibilities beyond legal, including setting the foundation for the people team and launching version one of the IT function.

“I like that here, the legal function isn’t siloed,” he says. “We’re expected to be operational leaders, to work in the weeds, when necessary, but also to help shape how the business grows at the top level.”

That dual role requires more than legal acumen—it demands leadership, adaptability, and trust. St. Hill believes strongly in giving his team autonomy to learn and take risks, just as he did throughout his own nontraditional career.

“Interviewing and recruiting is hard,” he admits. “Over time, I’ve learned to look for people who are motivated, ambitious, and curious. That’s the kind of lawyer who thrives here.”

Leading with trust & empowerment

St. Hill’s leadership philosophy reflects both his architectural mindset and Studs’ brand identity. Architecture is about design and structure; piercing is about precision and daring—and both concepts describe how he approaches management. He doesn’t micromanage; instead, he sets frameworks, empowers his team, and trusts them to execute.

That approach mirrors Studs’ values of growth and transparency. “We can only build this company with a diversity of perspectives and a commitment to equitable treatment,” he says. His team, much like the company, thrives on feedback, iteration, and continuous learning.

His style is also deeply collaborative. With a lean legal department, cross-functional cooperation is essential. Whether working with retail teams on studio compliance, store development staff on new leases, or marketing reviews, he ensures no baton is ever dropped between departments.

“Not can we, but how do we?” is the ethos he applies to new business initiatives.

That perspective has been crucial as Studs expands into new markets. Every opening requires not just legal approvals, but operational readiness, training, and brand consistency. St. Hill’s department ensures all those moving pieces align, enabling the company to scale responsibly without compromising its ethos of safety and style.

Charting the next chapter

For St. Hill, the future at Studs is about balance: balancing regulation with creativity, compliance with growth, and structure with disruption. The company has already proven itself resilient, shifting to digital sales during the pandemic and emerging with an even stronger brand presence. Now, as it continues to expand its footprint across the U.S., the legal function will remain central to its ability to scale.

What excites St. Hill most is the chance to keep building—teams, systems, and a business that breaks away from tradition.

“Every day is different,” he reflects. “That’s what makes this work rewarding. We’re building something new in a space that hasn’t really been reinvented before.”

In many ways, his own career echoes Studs’ journey. Both are defined by nontraditional paths, bold decisions, and a refusal to follow the well-worn route. And just as Studs has redefined ear piercing for a new generation, St. Hill has redefined what it means to be a lawyer—an architect not of buildings, but of organizations, opportunities, and growth.