Diversity Newsletter

Spring 2014

Letter from the Chair — Jen Rubin

Happy new fiscal year and happy spring. We have been very active with a variety of diversity initiatives throughout the winter as you will see in this edition of our newsletter. Notably, several of our Associates (Kanasha S. Herbert, Andowah Newton, and Stephanie Willis) have been honored for various professional achievements. I am also pleased to introduce you to ELB Associate Gauri Punjabi — President of the South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston — who is featured below. I encourage each of you to participate in the Firm’s Do1Thing initiative, which celebrates the different things each of us does in our daily professional life to promote diversity and inclusion here at the firm and in our communities. Stay tuned for our next installment, and feel free to send a note to Renee Winchell, our San Francisco–based Marketing Manager, about any activities you would like to highlight.

Jen Rubin

In This Edition

Meet Gauri Punjabi

Recognitions & Awards

Out & About: Diversity at Mintz Levin

Requesting Funds from the Diversity Committee

Upcoming Events

 

 

Meet Gauri Punjabi, Associate, Employment, Labor & Benefits

Gauri Punjabi Gauri Punjabi joined Mintz Levin in late 2013 from a Boston-based international firm. Gauri’s employment law practice covers the full scope of labor and employment law issues and encompasses employers of all sizes from a wide range of industries, including hospitality, education, technology, and health care. She regularly represents clients in employment-related litigation, including discrimination claims, noncompete, and trade secret issues. She also advises clients with respect to employee and executive employment agreements and terminations. In January 2014, Gauri became President of the South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston (SABA GB), a chapter of the South Asian Bar Association of North America. The organization serves as the regional voice for the concerns and opinions of South Asian attorneys in the community and provides a forum for professional networking and development, legal scholarship, and education.

ML:

What motivated you to join Mintz Levin?

 

I was always aware of Mintz Levin and its great reputation. When a position became available, it seemed like the natural progression for my career to make the move. I was attracted to the way the Employment, Labor & Benefits group was organized overall, and I see a lot of opportunity here to grow my practice and skills.

ML:

What keeps you busy here at Mintz Levin?

 

A little bit of everything! I’ve been spending a lot of time on noncompete work recently. I’ve also been assisting with ligation matters as well as corporate transactions.

ML:

What could a first-year Associate learn from your experience?

 

Mentors are key. I was lucky to have great mentors who provided advice and guidance — even the most fundamental suggestions like “always take a pad and paper when you go to a partner’s office.” I would tell people to be yourself, be open to new things, and to take constructive feedback as a valuable component to your growth. Soak in whatever you can and don’t shy away from something just because you can’t bill for it.

ML:

You were recently elected President of SABA Greater Boston. How did you get involved with that organization?

 

I’m from the Boston area, but I went to law school out of state at Notre Dame. When I returned to Boston after law school, I needed to develop my professional network, so I joined SABA GB as a way to meet people. As a result, I’ve developed a diverse network of people — in-house counsel, members of the judiciary, prosecutors as well as others with similar experiences to me.

I’ve been on the Board of Directors of SABA GB since 2010, and the Executive Committee for the past three years. Being President has propelled me out in the community at a higher level. For example, in just the past month, I was invited in my capacity as SABA GB President to participate in separate roundtable discussions with justices on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the United States Attorney for Massachusetts. I may have been the most junior person at each event, but I was given the same attention and respect as the more well-known members of the legal community who were also present.

ML:

Aside from growing your network, what else has your experience with SABA contributed to your professional background?

 

SABA GB has helped me develop and refine my networking skills. I’m completely comfortable with walking up to a group of people and introducing myself. SABA GB has also given me many opportunities to practice my public speaking, from moderating panel sessions to making remarks at our annual gala. Involvement in organizations such as SABA GB can add many dimensions to your resume — make the most of them!

ML:

What do you like to do outside the office?

 

Travel! Last year, I visited seven different countries. There are many more places left to see on my bucket list, but I’m hoping to knock at least one off this year!

 

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Recognitions & Awards

A sincere congratulations to Kanasha S. Herbert, Andowah Newton, and Stephanie Willis, who were all recently recognized for their outstanding achievements.

Kanasha S. Herbert was selected as an Up & Coming Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and the Massachusetts Bar Association as part of their annual Excellence in the Law event, which honors the “very best in the legal profession.” Kanasha is one of only 25 attorneys selected as Up & Coming Lawyers. To qualify, attorneys must be members of the bar for 10 years or less, have distinguished themselves in practice and in the community, and “appear poised for even greater accomplishments.” Kanasha will be recognized at the Excellence in the Law event on May 1, 2014.

Andowah Newton was selected for the esteemed Dale Carnegie Latina Commission Leadership Program at the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Conference. Andowah was one of 15 lawyers with 6 to 10 years of experience to be selected for this great program.

Stephanie Willis was honored by the National Association of Health Services Executives-Washington Metropolitan Area Chapter for her dedication and work in the community.

Currently, Stephanie works with health care clients seeking to comply with state and federal laws and regulations in their daily business dealings. Her passion is working to create innovative care pathways to address the needs of underserved communities, whether it’s through Accountable Care Organizations, the creation of clinical trial partnerships for diseases that affect minorities, or the development of a new smartphone mobile application to give patients control of their care.

 

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Out & About: Diversity at Mintz Levin

The Legal Field’s Leaky Pipeline: Retention of Diverse Legal Talent Through the Ranks

On January 29, Mintz Levin hosted a diversity program, The Legal Field’s Leaky Pipeline: Retention of Diverse Legal Talent Through the Ranks, in the San Diego office. Jen Rubin moderated the panel discussion, which addressed strategies law firms and in-house legal departments should employ to increase retention of new attorneys from diverse backgrounds. Jen was joined by speakers Sabina Clorfeine, Managing Attorney, Litigation and FCPA at Sempra Energy, and Lilia Garcia, Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General of California, as well as Dawn Saunders and Jake Romero of Mintz Levin. The event was well attended and included in-house counsel from CareFusion and Union Bank. Julie Muyco, Tech Specialist in the San Diego office, was key to conceiving and implementing this event.

The discussion was lively and members of the audience joined in the conversation. Some of the topics discussed included how to broaden the base of potential diverse candidates, making diverse candidates feel included and accepted after recruitment, and finding role models or mentors. One idea discussed was beginning to instill an interest in social justice and the legal system in students when they are younger than high school age to familiarize students with aspects of the legal field that may interest them. Another area that was discussed was special interest groups within organizations and law associations that identify or support a particular background and the role that they play with respect to mentorship. Further, the business case for diversity was discussed as it applies to the public sector as well as the interaction between a firm and a company. In the end, the attendees agreed that the discussion was a useful one to have and that it is a topic worth revisiting to monitor our progress toward an inclusive industry.

CMCP Reception

On January 30, Jen Rubin and Tyrone Thomas attended a reception hosted by the California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) in San Francisco, where they met the CMCP board members and staff and learned more about CMCP’s initiatives for 2014. At the event, Mintz Levin was recognized as sponsor of the CMCP’s annual business conference, which will take place in September.

BALIF Annual Gala

Mintz Levin was a proud sponsor of the Bay Area Lawyer’s for Individual Freedom (BALIF) 34th Annual Gala, held on February 28 in San Francisco. BALIF is the nation’s oldest and largest bar association of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered persons in the field of law. Founded in 1980, BALIF represents its members’ interests in the wider San Francisco Bay Area. BALIF members and supporters include San Francisco Bay Area judges, lawyers, law students, and legal workers. Judge Vaughn Walker was one of the honorees at this year’s Gala. Judge Walker’s ruling in Perry v. Schwarzenegger overturned California’s Proposition 8 and returned marriage equality to the state.

California Diversity Council Women in Leadership Symposium

Dawn Saunders participated on the panel of women at the California Diversity Council’s Women in Leadership Symposium in San Diego on March 18. The session was moderated by Michelle Bergquist, CEO and co-founder of Connected Women of Influence, and also included speakers from Jack in the Box, ABM Industries, Alere Inc., and LGC Law Offices. Dawn was the lead speaker on the topic of Lean In — a discussion surrounding the book by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Other topics discussed included Making a Workplace of Your Own, Leadership Lessons Learned, Strategies in Positioning Yourself for Success, Super Women – Can I have it All?, Smart Women Take Smart Risks, Women of Color Striving for Excellence, and Changing Lanes: How Do I Know the Time is Right? The overall conclusion was that women are making progress but still have a long way to go to reach equality to male counterparts. The group also agreed that there are a lot of factors that play into the disparity in leadership positions and pay. Some of the factors are internal issues women can try to change, and some factors are social circumstances or external issues that may take another generation or two to overcome.

CMCP & IILP Diversity Symposium

On March 27, Mintz Levin, the California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) and the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP) hosted a Diversity Symposium in the San Diego offices. Speakers addressed a wide range of topics during the six-hour event, including A Study of Diversity in Law Reviews; A Comparative Look at Work and Professional Lives of Woman Lawyers in the US and Germany; Overcoming Unconscious Biases Against Lawyers with Disabilities; Redefining the Black Fact of Affirmative Action: The Impact on Ascendant Black Women; American Indians in the Diversity Discourse; and Transgender in Law. After all the panel discussions, Marty Lorenzo of Mintz Levin, together with Marci Rubin, the Executive Director of CMCP, hosted a roundtable discussion on the state of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in San Diego.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Requesting Funds from the Diversity Committee

The mission of the Diversity Committee is to support diversity within Mintz Levin and within the legal profession. The Diversity Committee considers requests for funding to support initiatives that reflect the mission of the committee. When submitting your request for funding from the Diversity budget, please keep in mind the mission of the committee and note how your request supports this mission.
Submit requests directly to Jen Rubin.

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

Thursday, April 17

Boston Spirit's LGBT Executive Networking Night sponsored by Mintz Levin.

This annual networking event attracts more than 1,000 attendees.

» Event Details & Registration

Friday, April 25

Lambda Legal San Francisco Soiree sponsored by Mintz Levin.

Thursday, May 8

Lawyer's Club of San Diego 2014 Annual Dinner sponsored by Mintz Levin.

The keynote speaker will be The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor.

 

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Diversity Committee

Jennifer Rubin, Chair
Member, New York/Stamford
[email protected]

Kathy Armstrong
Corporate Practice Manager, Boston
[email protected]

Elizabeth B. Burnett
Member, Boston
[email protected]

Theresa C. Carnegie
Member, Washington, DC
[email protected]

Shannon Davis
Director of Legal Recruiting,
New York
[email protected]

Peter Demuth
Member, Boston
[email protected]

Meryl J. Epstein
Member, Boston
[email protected]

Michelle Gillette
Member, San Francisco
[email protected]

Kanasha S. Herbert
Associate, Boston
[email protected]

Fred C. Hernandez
Member, San Diego
[email protected]

Narges Kakalia
Member, New York
[email protected]

Heather Kelly
Senior Manager of Professional Development, Boston
[email protected]

John B. Koss
Associate, Boston
[email protected]

Cynthia J. Larose
Member, Boston
[email protected]

Marty Lorenzo
Member, San Diego
[email protected]

Jessica Mendoza
Associate, San Francisco
[email protected]

Andowah Newton
Associate, New York
[email protected]

Dawn Saunders
Member, San Diego
[email protected]

Benjamin Sigel
Associate, Boston
[email protected]

Wendy Starr
Director of Human Resources, Boston
[email protected]

Sahir Surmeli
Member, Boston
[email protected]

Tyrone Thomas
Of Counsel, Washington, DC
[email protected]

Renee Winchell
Marketing Manager, San Francisco
[email protected]

 

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