LCLD Member Maryanne Lavan (second row, third from right), GC of Lockheed Martin, and colleagues Susan Dunnings (second row, right) and Jeff Divney (second row, second from left), hosted an intimate lunch with LCLD Fellows.

LCLD Member and Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Lockheed Martin, Maryanne Lavan, hosted an LCLD Regional Roundtable for Washington, D.C.-area Fellows on March 30, at Eddie V's Prime Seafood in McLean, VA. Her colleagues Susan Dunnings, Associate General Counsel Employment & Labor Law, and Jeff Divney, Associate General Counsel of  EESH, IP, and Technology Law, also joined Lavan in sharing their experience, speaking to a group of nine Fellows about work-life balance and diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

“I was encouraged that many of the lunch participants were eager to talk about diversity in our profession," Lavan said. "All of us can play a role in making sure our profession is more diverse and inclusive.”

Fellows like Guillermo Christensen, a 2016 Fellow who attended the lunch, were grateful for the opportunity to hear from esteemed lawyers from the LCLD Member organization.

"There is no substitute for relaxed discussions and networking among Fellows and senior lawyers at a prominent company like Lockheed Martin, that so strongly supports LCLD—it's exactly what LCLD is all about," said Christensen.

In addition to Christensen, Fellows Maritza Okata, Kishka McClain, Bina Reddy, Iris Rosario, Karen Hermann, Stacey Grigsby, Paula Aguila, and Christopher Wilkinson attended the lunch.

The event is part of the 2016 Fellows Alumni Program Development Committee’s series of Regional Roundtables that are taking place across the country. These roundtables feature a general counsel, managing partner, or other respected member of an LCLD organization and consist of a group of less than 10 Fellows or Fellows Alumni in order to keep the conversation intimate and informal.

“We decided to limit attendance so that each and every Fellow has an opportunity to benefit from hearing about the featured guests’ experience and is able to walk away from the lunch feeling like they have a relationship with an inspirational lawyer or executive,” said 2013 Fellow and Co-Chair of the Program Development Committee, Paula Aguila, who has been instrumental in organizing roundtables over the past two years.

Lavan summed up the discussion of the D.C. roundtable perfectly. “Law firms are taking action in their hiring, but also companies like Lockheed Martin have a responsibility too. In addition to our own approach to hiring, we’re actively asking the firms with which we work how they’re addressing diversity. We let them know we’re holding them to a high standard and that helps drive action.”

If you're an LCLD Member who is interested in hosting a 2016 Regional Roundtable, please email Paula Aguila, Co-Chair of the Fellow Alumni Program Development Committee, or Anny Huang, the committee’s Roundtable Subcommittee Chair, for more information. 

Amanda Piguillem is the Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator at LCLD Member firm Rivero Mestre LLP; Jamie Cotera is Rivero Mestre's Director of Marketing.