Inclusive leadership

To expressly lead and execute the Firm’s DEI vision, the Firm established a Firm-wide Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee composed of Partners, Associates and Team Members. The DEI Committee — through the work of its five subcommittees: Firm Engagement, Recruiting, Retention and Advancement, Client Engagement and Program/Communications — manages the overarching operation of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan. The Firm also enjoys a full-time C-suite level role to lead and implement all of the Firm’s internal and external diversity initiatives. And to complement this senior-level position, the Firm makes very intentional appointments to other leadership roles, including in the composition of its most senior body, the Executive Committee, to cultivate variety in viewpoints and perspectives. Below is an example of the diversity present in several of the Firm’s leadership positions.

To begin, our Firm Chair Emeritus is Jerry Clements, one of very few women to have been at the helm of one of the 100 largest law firms in the nation. Additionally, Jennifer Kenedy serves as General Counsel, and Kenedy, Nina Huerta, Allison O’Neil and Tai Tran are members of the Executive Committee. Victoria de Lisle serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Board of Directors. Kyle Davis, Lauren Fincher, Megan Foscaldi, Denise Hanna, Andrea Verney Kerstein, Elizabeth Mack, Jennifer Capasso Mendonça, Hanna Norvell, Adrienne Walker and Ziwen Zhu serve on the Board of Directors, which is a governing body that reports directly to the Executive Committee.

Notable leaders in the Firm include:

• Cynthia Bast serves as Managing Partner of the Austin office and Chairs our Affordable Housing and Community Development Section
• Sharon Blinkoff Co-Chairs our Advertising, Marketing and Social Media Section, our Cosmetic and Personal Care Products Practice Group and our FDA Regulatory Section
• Victoria de Lisle also serves as Co-Chair of the Finance, Banking and Real Estate Department
• Lauren Doughty Chairs the Private Wealth Practice Group
• Julie Dziobak Co-Chairs the Attorney Development Committee
• Laura Edrington serves as Managing Partner of the Houston office and Chairs our Corporate Trust Section
• Lauren Fincher also Co-Chairs the Administrative and Regulatory Practice Group and Chairs the Marketing/Practice Development Committee
• Vicky Gunning Co-Chairs the Attorney Development Committee and our Women’s Initiative
• Denise Hanna also serves as Managing Partner of our Washington, D.C., office and Co-Chairs the Health Care Practice Group
• Nina Huerta is also the Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office, Chairs the LA office Diversity & Inclusion Committee and sits on the Firm-wide Diversity & Inclusion Committee
• Toyja Kelley Co-Chairs the Firm-wide Diversity & Inclusion Committee
• Jennifer Kenedy also Co-Chairs our Artificial Intelligence Practice Group and Chairs the Flexible Work Arrangement Committee
• Andrea Verney Kerstein also serves as Managing Partner of the Chicago office and Chairs the Health & Managed Care Litigation Practice Group
• Elizabeth Mack also serves as Managing Partner of the Dallas office and Chairs the Firm-wide Environmental Section – Real Estate and Corporate
• Stephanie Massey Co-Chairs our Public Finance Practice Group
• Christine McCay is the Managing Partner of the Firm’s Boston office and Co-Chairs our Debt Finance Group
• Regina McClendon is the Managing Partner of the Firm’s San Francisco office
• Molly McGinnis Stine Co-Chairs our Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group
• Hanna Norvell also Co-Chairs our Labor and Employment Practice Group
• Allison O’Neil also Co-Chairs our White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group and Co-Chairs our Women’s Initiative
• Lisa Ruggiero is the Managing Partner of the Firm’s New York and Newark offices
• Heather Stone Co-Chairs our Investment Adviser and Alternative Funds Section
• Jennie Simmons Co-Chairs our Corporate Practice Group
• Ann Taylor Chairs our Aviation Section
• Cynthia Timms Chairs our Appellate Practice Group and the Wellness Committee
• Ann Walsh Chairs the Firm’s Products Liability and Toxic Tort Practice Group and Co-Chairs our Pro Bono Committee
• Julie Webb Co-Chairs the Firm-wide Diversity & Inclusion Committee
• Tammy Ward Woffenden Co-Chairs our Health Care Practice Group
• Tim Xia is Co-Chair of our International Transactions Practice Group for Asia
• Julie Young serves as Co-Chair of the Litigation Department
• Ziwen Zhu also Co-Chairs the Firm-wide Diversity & Inclusion Committee