R to L: Ellen Dwyer, Kim Rivera, Deneen Donnley, Former Harvard Law Dean Martha Minow, Dev Stahlkopf, and Laura Stein speak on a panel to LCLD Members at the 2018 Annual Membership Meeting. (Photo by Joe Mahoney)
The LCLD Board of Directors is a hands-on group of committed Members whose responsibilities include the long-range vision of LCLD.
Kim M. Rivera
Chair
Kim Rivera is the Chief Legal and Business Affairs Officer for OneTrust. She was previously President, Strategy and Business Management and Chief Legal Officer for HP Inc.
Kim has more than 20 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies on significant corporate transactions, governance matters, securities, compliance, risk management, audit, and litigation matters.
Kim has also served as the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for DaVita HealthCare Partners, a Global Fortune 250 healthcare services company. Previously, Kim was the Chief Compliance Officer and Head of International Legal Services at The Clorox Company, where she also oversaw labor and employment counseling and litigation. Before joining Clorox, Kim served as Chief Litigation Counsel for Rockwell Automation as well as General Counsel for its $2 billion Automation Controls and Information Group.
Kim is passionate about giving back to the community. She has served on numerous non-profit boards including the California Latino Community Foundation and the Denver Metro Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Kim is a frequent speaker on diversity and inclusion in corporations and the legal profession, with emphasis on women in leadership.
Kim is based in Palo Alto, California.
Eric Friedman
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP
Chair Elect
Eric J. Friedman has served as Skadden’s Executive Partner since 2009. Under his leadership, Skadden has been the only firm to be named one of the nation’s two most innovative law firms in the Financial Times’ “U.S. Innovative Lawyers” Report for each of the five years the report has been published.
Eric has been involved in a number of significant transactions in the financial services industry. For example, he has represented Citigroup Inc. in many of its most important M&A deals over the past decade. He is also experienced in matters involving financial exchanges. He represented The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. in its initial public offering and its acquisition of the Nordic exchange operator OMX and the related sale of a 19.9% interest in NASDAQ to Borse Dubai; and the New York Mercantile Exchange in its sale of a 10% stake to General Atlantic Partners, and its initial public offering.
As Executive Partner, Eric has reinforced Skadden’s long-standing commitment to attracting, retaining and developing a diverse group of talented lawyers and staff. In recognition of Skadden’s diversity, inclusion and public service efforts, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund presented Skadden with its first-ever Law Firm of the Year Award in 2011. In 2012, Eric received a Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award from the New York City Bar Association in recognition of his commitment to initiating and sustaining change at Skadden.
In 2011, the National Law Journal acknowledged Eric’s accomplishments since becoming Skadden’s Executive Partner by naming him as one of its three “Most Influential” law firm leaders. He has been listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America, and the Directorship 100. Under his leadership, Skadden ranked as a top firm in the Financial Times’ “U.S. Innovative Lawyers” Report (2010 and 2011).
Ellen Dwyer
Immediate Past Chair
Ellen Dwyer is a Member of the Executive Committee at Crowell & Moring LLP. In 2012, she was named one of America’s most innovative managing partners, in part for increasing the numbers of women and minorities in leadership positions at her firm. Her initiatives included a sponsorship program that pairs young lawyers with partners for mentoring and professional development.
Ellen serves on Crowell & Moring’s Management Board. She is also a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment Group and represents employers on a variety of employment matters. Part of her work includes providing training to her clients on employment issues like diversity and sexual harassment.
Ellen is a fellow of the American Bar Association and director of the nonprofit Focus on the Children. She graduated cum laude from Cornell Law School with a J.D. in 1985 and received her B.A. from St. Lawrence University in 1982.
Rick Palmore
Founding Chair Emeritus
Roderick A. (Rick) Palmore is a Senior Counsel at Dentons. With nearly 20 years of experience serving as a general counsel, including the role at General Mills from 2008 to 2015, and as a public company director, Rick advises public and private corporations and their leadership suites on risk management and governance issues across practices and industry sectors. He focuses on issues such as regulation, internal investigations, board responsibilities and performance, due diligence, litigation, brand protection, advertising, marketing, and labeling.
Rick also is a nationally recognized advocate for diversity in the legal industry. He is the author of A Call to Action: Diversity in the Legal Profession, a legal industry manifesto urging general counsel to drive diversity by demanding results in the law firms with which they work as well as in their departments. The initiative later grew into the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), a collaboration between general counsel and managing partners, which was formed in May 2009 and now includes more than 225 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners. Rick was the founding chair of the LCLD and continues to serve on its executive committee.
From 1996 to 2008, Rick was an executive and counsel at Sara Lee Corporation, where he was general counsel from 1999 to 2008; he ultimately held the titles of executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary for the consumer food giant from 2004 to 2008. Rick was executive vice president, general counsel, and chief compliance and risk management officer of General Mills Inc. from 2008 to 2015.
Rick received the Corporate Exemplar Award from the National Legal Aid & Defender Association in 2007, the Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in 2006, the Scales of Justice Award from the Equal Justice Works Foundation in 2005, and the Excellence in Corporate Practice Award from the Association of Corporate Counsel in 2003. He also has been recognized by The National Law Journal, Inside Counsel magazine, and Corporate Board Member magazine as one of the most influential general counsel in America.
Rick attended Yale University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. He earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Chicago Law School.
Joel Unruch
Treasurer
Joel Unruch is Accenture’s General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, responsible for leading the company’s global legal function. He is also a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee.
Joel joined Accenture in 2011 as assistant general counsel and assistant secretary and became Corporate Secretary in June 2015. In addition to his responsibilities as Corporate Secretary, Joel oversaw ventures & acquisitions for legal, which includes global acquisitions, dispositions, and strategic minority investments. He also led the legal organization’s Alliances & Ecosystems practice, which drives growth through Accenture’s strategic relationships with partners and suppliers, and led the Global Legal Network—a team that delivers a comprehensive suite of legal services.
Prior to joining Accenture in 2011, Joel served as corporate counsel at Amazon.com and previously worked in the corporate department of the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions transactions as well as corporate securities.
Joel holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, a Bachelor of Common Law degree, and a Bachelor of Civil Law degree from McGill University, and a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School.
Carlos Brown
Secretary
Carlos Brown is Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer of Dominion Energy Inc.
Carlos joined Dominion in 2007 as senior counsel. He was named Director of Alternative Energy Solutions Business Development & Commercialization in 2013 and Director of Power Generation Station II, Dominion Generation, in 2015. In 2016, he was promoted to deputy general counsel responsible for litigation, labor, and employment for the Law Department. He was promoted to vice president and general counsel in January 2017. In January 2019, he was promoted and served as senior vice president and general counsel and the company’s chief legal officer until he assumed his current post in December 2019.
Prior to joining the company, Carlos was the managing partner of Carlos Martin PC and president and managing member of the Obsidian Capital Group LLC. Carlos previously practiced law as an associate at McGuireWoods LLP and McCandlish Holton PC.
Carlos received his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Virginia where he was an Echols, Achievement, Underwood, and Hardy Cross Dillard Scholar. While an undergraduate at the university he also had the honor of serving as president of the student body. He was recognized for his contributions to the university by being initiated into the IMP, Thirteen, and Raven Societies. In law school, he served as president of the Black Law Students Association.
In 2015, Carlos was appointed to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Carlos is also currently a member of the boards of directors of the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he served as chair; NextUp; and the Dominion Energy Credit Union. Until 2018, he served as the chair of the Dominion Energy African American Resource Group.
Previously, Carlos served on the boards of Feedmore, Inc., the Central Virginia regional foodbank and Meals on Wheels agency where he served as vice chair and secretary; the Virginia Small Business Advisory Board; the Board of Visitors of Christopher Newport University; the Richmond Virginia Chamber of Commerce Foundation; the Virginia Poverty Law Center; Boaz and Ruth, Inc.; and the transition teams of Governor Ralph Northam and Mayor Dwight Jones. He is a 2006 Richmond Style Weekly Top 40 under 40 award recipient. In 2017, in recognition of his work in the community, he was recognized as a Leader in the Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. In 2018, Savoy magazine named Carlos one of the most influential African American Attorneys in America. In addition in 2018, he was named to the Virginia Legal Elite for Corporate Counsel by Virginia Business magazine and inducted as a fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation. In 2019, he was named to the GC Power List. He is also a member of the Richmond Forum.
Maryanne Lavan
Vice President – At Large
Maryanne Lavan is the Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for Lockheed Martin Corporation. She is responsible for the corporation’s legal affairs and law department, including serving as counsel to its senior leadership and Board of Directors.
She previously served as vice president of corporate internal audit, providing independent assessments of governance, internal controls, and risk management. She joined Lockheed Martin in 1990 as an attorney and served in increasingly responsible positions.
Maryanne graduated magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Albany with a Bachelor of Science degree. She received her Juris Doctor degree from the Washington College of Law, American University.
Maryanne is a member of the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association. She serves on the governing bodies for the National Cathedral School, University at Albany Foundation, and Fordham University.
Dev Stahlkopf
Vice President – At Large
Dev Stahlkopf is the Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President at Cisco. In this role, she drives strategy on key issues including geopolitical matters and data privacy and security, while leading Cisco’s global legal team. Dev is a strong advocate for diversity in the legal profession and is passionate about building the next generation of leaders. She is also deeply focused on driving innovation in the legal profession.
Prior to joining Cisco, Dev served in a number of senior roles for Microsoft, most recently as Corporate Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Corporate, External, & Legal Affairs. She previously practiced law in the Seattle area at Perkins Coie and Cooley Godward.
Dev received her undergraduate degrees in English and philosophy from the University of Washington. She received her M.A. in philosophy from Duke University. She earned her J.D. from the University of Arizona, where she met her husband, Bill (also a lawyer), and where she was the managing editor of the Arizona Law Review.
Dev currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), and for BSA, a software industry group that promotes legal software use and advocates for public policies that foster technology innovation and drive growth in the digital economy. She previously sat on the board for the Center for Workplace Compliance, an employer association focused on workplace compliance.
Dev lives in the Seattle area with her husband, two sons, and dog. When not at work, she can be found on the water, as she is an avid stand-up paddleboarder.
Christa D’Alimonte
Christa A. D’Alimonte is Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Paramount Global.
Christa previously served as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of Viacom since 2017. During this time, she was responsible for overseeing Viacom’s global legal functions, as well as the company’s Human Resources organization and its Security, Facilities, and Real Estate teams. Christa joined Viacom as senior vice president, deputy general counsel, and assistant secretary in 2012 from Shearman & Sterling LLP, where she was deputy practice group leader of the firm’s Global Mergers & Acquisitions group. In her practice at Shearman & Sterling, Christa represented a broad range of domestic and multinational clients, including Viacom, on public and private mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions, as well as corporate governance matters. She joined Shearman & Sterling in 1993 and became a partner in January 2001.
Christa graduated from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was the Editor-in-Chief of the American Criminal Law Review, and received her A.B. in politics and a Certificate of Proficiency in Latin American Studies from Princeton University. She has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA, Legal 500, and Cablefax, and as a “Top Dealmaker” by Law360 and The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, Christa was named a “Wonder Woman” by Multichannel News in 2018, and was honored by the National Organization for Women New York Chapter with a Women of Power & Influence Award in 2019.
In addition to LCLD, Christa is a member of the Board of Directors of Asphalt Green, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting individuals of all ages and backgrounds achieve health through a lifetime of sports and fitness. She is a past member of the Princeton University Politics Department Advisory Council and a past participant in the Partnership for New York City’s David Rockefeller Fellows Program.
Halimah DeLaine Prado
Halimah DeLaine Prado is General Counsel at Google, leading the company’s world-class legal team, advising on some of the most complex and important legal issues of the digital age. Prior to that, Halimah was a Vice President of Legal. In this role, she managed the Products and Agreements Legal team, a global legal team responsible for the product and commercial counsel advising of Google’s products, including Ads, Search, Cloud, Hardware, Platforms & Ecosystems, and YouTube. She has been with Google since 2006.
Prior to joining Google, Halimah practiced media law and products liability law at Dechert LLP and Levine Sullivan Koch and Schulz, which has since merged with Balllard Spahr. She also clerked for the Honorable Mary A. McLaughlin of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Halimah obtained her J.D. from Georgetown, and her undergraduate degree from Yale. Halimah is a member of the American Law Institute.
Deneen Donnley
Deneen Donnley serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies. The company provides a wide range of energy-related products and services through its two regulated utility subsidiaries, its Clean Energy Businesses (ranked no. 2 among solar energy producers in North America), and Con Edison Transmission, Inc., investing in electric and gas transmission projects.
She previously served as chief legal officer, general counsel, and corporate secretary to USAA. As executive vice president, Deneen was a member of USAA’s Executive Council and contributed to a broad range of strategic, management, and commercial initiatives. She also previously served as the general counsel for USAA Bank from 2010 to 2015.
Before joining USAA, Deneen worked at ING DIRECT as the senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary. She was responsible for managing legal and compliance matters for that $90 billion organization. Prior to joining ING DIRECT, she served as an attorney for Pepper Hamilton LLP and a staff attorney with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
A graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics, she also received her Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law in New York. Deneen is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the American Bar Association.
Deneen is a member of both the Executive Leadership Council and the Direct Women Board Institute. Deneen also holds the Fellow designation from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).
Previously, Deneen served as a director on the boards of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation Girls, Inc. of San Antonio, the Girl Scouts of The Chesapeake Bay, which awarded her its 2008 Woman of Distinction Award, and the YWCA of Delaware.
She is passionate about promoting diverse and inclusive workplaces, and in 2016 was honored for her work in these areas by the National Diversity Council with its Texas Diversity Award.
Marie Oh Huber
Marie Oh Huber is the Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs, General Counsel, and Secretary at eBay Inc. and heads the global legal and government relations function for eBay. She and her team partner with the businesses to drive the purpose and success of eBay and its buyers and sellers. Her responsibilities include overseeing the company’s global legal department, risk management program, and its policy group. She is responsible for interactions with content regulators, law enforcement, IP, corporate governance and SEC compliance, contracts, and other legal and government relations matters.
Marie’s passion for eBay’s purpose of creating opportunity by empowering small and medium businesses is what compelled her to join the eBay family as it enters its next chapter.
She has 25 years of strategic business and legal experience in global Fortune 500 companies. She has an extensive track record as a business leader and advising boards of directors and executive leadership on global strategy, M&A, corporate governance, legal and compliance, IP, and operational matters.
Marie joined eBay in May 2015 from Agilent where she served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary since 2009. She was responsible for communications, regulatory affairs and quality assurance, government affairs, and philanthropy at Agilent. For the previous ten years she also held positions of increasing responsibility at Agilent and prior to that at HP.
She has a B.A. in economics cum laude from Yale, studied at the London School of Economics and received her J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law. She serves on the boards of the James Campbell Company LLC and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Marie is a strong champion for diversity and inclusion, paying it forward, and giving back to the community. She has received a Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund’s 2015 Women of Achievement Award, a 2014 National Diversity Council’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology distinction, and an Inside Counsel Transformative Leadership Award in 2013.
Her passions outside of work include her husband and two children, cycling (and coffee with friends afterwards), great food, sports, and reading.
Desiree Ralls-Morrison
As McDonald’s EVP, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Desiree Ralls-Morrison oversees the company’s global legal operations, responsible for supporting the company’s strategies, anticipating and managing risk, and advancing McDonald’s brand and values. She also advises both the Board of Directors and CEO.
Before joining McDonald’s, Desiree spent more than three years as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Boston Scientific Corporation, where she provided global legal leadership across all its businesses, regions, and functions. Desiree grew and strengthened a high- performing legal team, effectively aligning legal objectives to meet business objectives, and served as a trusted advisor to the leadership team and Board of Directors. Prior to Boston Scientific Corporation, Desiree served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Boehringer Ingelheim USA, Inc., and General Counsel of the Consumer Group at Johnson & Johnson. She began her career in litigation roles at the law firms of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and Shipman & Goodwin LLP.
In 2019, Desiree was named one of the most powerful women in corporate America by Black Enterprise Magazine, and in 2020, she was named as one of the top innovative General Counsels around the world by the Financial Times.
Desiree serves on the Board of Directors for DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. and as a Director for The Partnership, Inc., whose mission is to ensure the economic competitiveness of the Boston area by attracting, retaining, and convening professionals of color. Desiree is also a Founding Member of The New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund in Massachusetts.
She earned her juris doctor from Harvard Law School and her Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from Wesleyan University.
Lucy Stark
Since 2020, Lucy Stark has served as Holland & Hart’s Managing Partner, working closely with the Firm Chair and members of the Firm’s Management Committee to conduct the business of the firm in alignment with its strategic goals and objectives. A partner in the firm’s Corporate group, Lucy previously served as Corporate Practice Group Leader. Focusing her practice on securities and capital markets, she advises clients in a wide range of industries on debt and capital market deals, mergers and acquisitions, as well as public and private securities offerings. She also counsels boards and board committees on corporate governance, disclosures, SEC reporting, and other compliance issues. Lucy has been recognized by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers in Corporate since 2009 and in Natural Resources & Energy since 2019. In 2023, she was named The Best Lawyers in America® Lawyer of the Year in Denver for Corporate Compliance Law and Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law.
In 2011, Lucy founded and served as the first leader of Holland & Hart’s Women’s Forum Steering Committee, a networking and resource group for women lawyers which also has a critical advisory role researching, designing, and writing policies that intersect with women’s issues. Lucy has been a staunch supporter of other women lawyers in their professional development and career journeys, as a valued supervisor, mentor, and partner integration ‘buddy.’ She collaborates closely with the firm’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and other firm leaders to ensure the implementation, monitoring, and refinement of DEI policies, initiatives, action items, as well as community and partnerships that support the firm’s strategic DEI priorities.
Mitchell Zuklie
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Mitch Zuklie serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orrick. Under Mitch’s leadership, the firm has pursued a strategy to be a leading advisor to the global Technology & Innovation, Energy & Infrastructure, and Finance sectors. Financial Times has chosen Orrick as the Most Innovative Law Firm in North America in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Fortune has selected the firm among the 100 Best Companies to Work For three years in a row.
Named by Chambers USA as an “eminent practitioner,” Mitch is an experienced business and legal advisor who has completed hundreds of venture capital financings and numerous public offerings, mergers, acquisitions, and licensing transactions. He counsels technology companies at all stages of their life cycles, as well as their founders, advisors, and investors.
Mitch has led the firm’s portfolio approach to innovation, including the transformation of its West Virginia operation into a center for analytics and innovation, the launch of Orrick Labs to develop customized technologies, and the creation of partnerships with leading innovation initiatives in the industry. He has also led the firm’s entry into new markets, including Boston, Santa Monica, Houston, Austin, and Geneva.
He serves on the board of the Berkeley Center for Law and Business and the Advisory Boards of the Stanford Law School Center on the Legal Profession and the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession. He is also a member of the board of the Wild Salmon Center.
Mitch earned his bachelors degree summa cum laude from Bowdoin College and his J.D. degree from University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the California Law Review.
He and his wife, Holly, have been married for more than 25 years. They have two children, Hannah and Angus. Mitch posts regularly on social media about Orrick, venture capital, innovation and other interests. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Robert J. Grey Jr.
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
Robert Grey is the President of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. He is a retired Senior Counsel with Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. Robert’s practice focused on representing businesses in administrative, regulatory, and legislative matters. He has also served as a neutral in dispute resolution matters with the McCommon Group.
In 2010, Robert was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate to the Board of the Legal Services Corporation, and has been reappointed by President Trump.
Robert served as president of the American Bar Association from 2004 to 2005. During his term as president, he worked for justice through better juries via the America Jury Initiative. Robert was elected chair of the ABA House in 1998, the first person of color to serve in that role.
He received his B.S. in 1973 from Virginia Commonwealth University and his law degree in 1976 from Washington and Lee University, where he served on its Board of Trustees from 2006 to 2014.
Leadership. Action. Results.
