Welcome to the LCLD Insider, our monthly newsletter. This publication is for you, and we welcome your feedback and ideas, as well as any news you might be interested in passing along. Please share the Insider with your support staff, diversity directors, and marketing departments to keep them better informed about what LCLD is doing.
-Robert Grey, President
In This Issue:
- Register to Attend the Sixth Annual LCLD Membership Meeting: Shaping the Future
- Mentor Registration Deadline Approaching
- Paulette Brown Becomes ABA President
- Transforming Target
- Cooley & Facebook Leadership Lunch
- Lori Lorenzo Named a "Game Changer"
- Staffing Changes at LCLD
- Welcome, New Members!
- In the News
Did You Know? You can now sort LCLD events to find those happening closest to you by using the new Regions filter on the Grid view of the events calendar.
Register to Attend the Sixth Annual LCLD Membership Meeting: Shaping the Future
Join us in Chicago on September 28-29 at The Peninsula Chicago to explore what Shaping the Future means to you, your organization, and your ongoing efforts to find, recruit, and promote diverse talent to positions of leadership.
Our keynote speaker will be Martha Minow, Morgan and Helen Chu Dean and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. There will also be opportunities to hear insights from, and network with, leading General Counsel and Managing Partners.
Click here to view the full meeting agenda and register to attend. For more information, please contact Barbara Roberts, Membership & Operations Coordinator.
Mentor Registration Deadline Approaching
Mentors and Mentees gathering at a Group Mentoring Program event at the Duane Morris LLP office in San Diego, CA. (Photo courtesy of Duane Morris LLP)
There are only five days left to register to mentor a first-year law student this fall, and there is still a great need for more Mentors to meet student interest. All attorneys at LCLD Member organizations are eligible to become Mentors, so we ask that you distribute this opportunity to all lawyers in your organization.
Please register now to be a Mentor for the 2015-2016 academic year. The deadline to register is August 31, 2015.
If you have questions about Mentor registration or the Success in Law School Mentoring Program, please contact Nancy Richardson, Program Manager.
Paulette Brown Becomes ABA President
LCLD is excited to announce that Paulette Brown, a Partner and LCLD Diversity Contact at Locke Lord LLP, is now officially President of the American Bar Association (ABA). She is the first woman of color to lead the ABA and she's stated that a focus on diversity issues will be one of her top goals during her one-year tenure. We congratulate her on this historic achievement!
Transforming Target
By Don Belt, Communications Director, LCLD
The Fellows listening to Brian Cornell, Target Chairman and CEO, speak. (Photo by Stephen Allen.)
MINNEAPOLIS — At the invitation of Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Timothy Baer, several dozen LCLD Fellows visited the headquarters of Target Corporation in late June for a memorable, day-long Learning Experience in the Twin Cities.
Welcomed by Target’s Chairman and CEO, Brian Cornell, the Fellows heard first-hand how Target, one of the world’s leading retailers, has set about transforming—some would say revolutionizing—its stores and operations to keep up with rapid changes in digital technology, fashion, and consumer lifestyles.
“I wish there was a formula for managing change,” said Cornell, who was hired as CEO in 2014 and hit the ground running, the first outsider ever to lead Target. One secret of his success: He came in with a keen appreciation for Target’s values—“what made it a
great company to begin with.”
Another secret: “Be a really good listener,” he advised the Fellows. “Always invite input, and pose three times more questions than comments.” Read the full article and view photos.
The next Learning Experience will be hosted at 3M Company by Ivan Fong, LCLD Member, and Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs, and General Counsel at 3M. The event will take place October 27, 2015 at the 3M headquarters in St. Paul, MN. For more information on how you can host a Learning Experience, please contact Stephanie Uzel, Program Manager.
Cooley & Facebook Leadership Lunch
Joe Conroy (center), CEO at Cooley LLP, and Colin Stetch (left), General Counsel at Facebook, speaking with LCLD Fellows during their Leadership Lunch. (Photo courtesy of Cooley LLP)
LCLD would like to thank Joe Conroy, LCLD Member and Chief Executive Officer at Cooley LLP, and his guest, Colin Stretch, Vice President and General Counsel at Facebook, for speaking at a Leadership Lunch on August 12, 2015. The event was hosted at the Cooley office in Palo Alto, California. Click here to view photos from the event and read the speakers' biographies.
For more information about speaking at, or hosting, a Leadership Lunch, please contact Stephanie Uzel.
Lori Lorenzo Named a "Game Changer"
Lori Lorenzo, LCLD Program Director, has been named a 2015 Game Changer by Workforce magazine. As one of a select group of 25 honorees, Lori has been recognized as a leader "in workforce management who is pushing the field forward with innovative people-management practices." This year's winners were selected based on their ability to drive measurable results within their organizations. We congratulate Lori on this great honor!
Staffing Changes at LCLD
Since June, Nancy Richardson has become the Program Manager for the LCLD Success in Law School Mentoring Program and the 1L LCLD Scholars Program. Prior to her promotion, Nancy was the program coordinator and has been an essential member of the LCLD team since she joined in 2012.
This month, Louise Bald transitioned into her new role as the Operations Specialist. Louise joined the LCLD team in 2012 and previously managed the two pipeline programs that Nancy now manages. Louise has been instrumental in growing both programs. Her new role is focused on financials, budgets, and Member recruitment; however, Louise will also continue to manage the Mid-Year CLE Seminar & Webinar.
We're excited to welcome Stella Askin as the new Program & Events Coordinator. Having joined the LCLD staff on August 3, Stella assists and supports the program team with logistical planning and production of events. Stella was born and raised in Richmond, VA, and received a B.S. from Virginia Tech in 2009. After graduation, she spent six years in Washington, D.C., working in the hospitality industry, with her most recent job as a senior catering sales manager for the Verizon Center, home to the Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics. Stella recently moved back to Richmond to be closer to family and friends and is very excited to be a part of the LCLD community.
Welcome, New Members!
Robert Bostrom, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. We approach each day with an inclusive mindset and embrace all backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and thinking styles. Attracting, recruiting, advancing, and retaining a diverse workforce that represents our customers and communities is essential to nurturing creativity and enhancing performance so that we can provide great experiences and products for our customers.
Inclusion plays a fundamental role in our daily operations and, as a player in an ever-changing business environment, we are always reflecting on our practices to maximize engagement, ensure that all of our associates can contribute to their fullest potential, and we do so not just because of the competitive advantage, but because it's the right thing to do.
James F. Kelleher, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Liberty Mutual Insurance helps people preserve and protect what they earn, build, own, and cherish. Keeping this promise means we are there when our policyholders throughout the world need us most.
In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, MA, today Liberty Mutual is a diversified insurer with operations in 30 countries and economies around the world. Liberty Mutual is ranked 78th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2014 revenue. As of December 31, 2014, the company had $124.3 billion in consolidated assets, $104.0 billion in consolidated liabilities, and $39.6 billion in annual consolidated revenue. Liberty employs more than 50,000 people in approximately 900 offices throughout the world.
Donald Prophete, Managing Partner, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP. At Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, workplace law is all we do—but we’re not your typical law firm. We are a preeminent firm for labor and employment law in the U.S. Our clients tell us there is also “a soul to Constangy that is unique and refreshing, that’s not found with other firms.”
For nearly 70 years, our clients have appreciated our common-sense approach and our commitment to being a real partner in helping employers navigate the prickly legal and regulatory environments of the changing workplace. Today we have more than 160 attorneys across 17 states. We are a growing and vibrant firm, yet we respect the heritage and culture that has built us into a unified team providing common-sense, practical, and out-of-the box solutions that mitigate risk and help you achieve your unique objectives.
Gary M. Wingens, Chairman and Managing Partner, Lowenstein Sandler LLP. Lowenstein Sandler is a leading national law firm with a reputation for pursuing every matter with creativity and passion. Our entrepreneurial attorneys have built long-standing relationships and work side-by-side with our clients as trusted advisors.
Our capabilities span all industries and types of matters; we are best known for our work in financial services, with an emphasis on hedge funds, private equity, and venture capital, along with technology, life sciences, and bankruptcy. We approach each case, each client, and each other with integrity and respect. And our award winning pro-bono work enables us to connect individuals and communities with unimaginable success. We pride ourselves on being a different kind of law firm – one deeply rooted in the interest of our clients, our communities, and our colleagues.
In the News
Rick Palmore, LCLD Founding Chair Emeritus, is now Senior Counsel at Dentons US in Chicago.
Brad Smith, LCLD Chair and General Counsel at Microsoft, announced a new policy that increases pressure on outside counsel to have diverse leadership.
Mark Roellig, LCLD Board Member and General Counsel at MassMutual, worked with 2015 1L LCLD Scholar Catherine Simes to compare diversity among law firm equity partners and general counsel of major corporations.
Mark Roellig (photo in previous news item), Susan Blount (left), LCLD Board Member and General Counsel at Prudential Financial, and Valeria Chapa (right), 2013 Fellow and General Counsel, Latin America at Honeywell International, were featured as top lawyers using their influence to increase diversity at major corporations.
Brian Brooks, LCLD Member and General Counsel of Fannie Mae, discussed diversity and the Fannie Mae GC Fellows Program in an interview with Bloomberg BNA.
Maryanne Lavan, LCLD Member and General Counsel of Lockheed Martin, was profiled by Inside Counsel.
Eduardo Leite, LCLD Member and Managing Partner of Baker & McKenzie, wrote an article on the importance of social media for lawyers and law firms.
Jorge Mestre, LCLD Member and Managing Partner of Rivero Mestre LLP, has had an article called, "A Bribe New World: The Federal Government Gets Creative in Chasing Foreign Officials for Taking Bribes," published in the University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy.
Stephanie Scharf, LCLD Member and Managing Partner of Scharf Banks Marmor LLP, co-led a study on female representation in lead counsel roles.
Deborah Broyles, LCLD Diversity Contact at Reed Smith LLP, will receive the State Bar of California’s 2015 Diversity Award.
Joshua Bosin (left), 2015 Fellow and Partner at Holland & Knight LLP, and Brian Seaman (right), 2013 Fellow and Counsel at Stradley, Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, were named Best LGBT Attorneys Under 40 at the LGBT Bar’s Annual Conference.
Sarah La Voi (left), 2012 Fellow and Associate General Counsel at Re:Sources USA; Linda Lu (center), 2012 Fellow and Chief Litigation Officer at Nationwide Insurance; and Raquel Tamez (right), 2011 Fellow and Principal, Litigation and E-Discovery at SourceAmerica, were recognized as three of 100 women likely to become general counsel in the next three years.
Jimmie McMillian, 2011 Fellow and Partner at Barnes & Thornburg, was profiled in The New York Times in an article about the obstacles faced by minority lawyers.
In March, LCLD shared that Vanessa Allen Sutherland was nominated by President Barack Obama as Chairperson and Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. Vanessa, a 2011 Fellow, was officially appointed to the role on August 7, 2015.
Various LCLD Member organizations were recently featured in the news, including top diversity rankings by Vault and Working Mother + Flex-Time Lawyers.
Jessica Smith, Communications & Marketing Manager, LCLD Insider Editor
If you have any news or honors that are relevant to LCLD Members, please email Jessica Smith at jsmith@lcldnet.com.
