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Diversity Newsletter
July 2013
A Note from the Chair — What’s New from the Diversity Committee
Welcome to the summer edition of the Diversity Newsletter. We have made a number of changes to our membership, in part to allow the participation of new firm members, and also to give other Mintz lawyers and professionals the opportunity to participate in our initiatives. New members include Michelle Gillette and Jessica Mendoza from our growing San Francisco office, Kanasha Herbert, Linda Pepe, and Ben Sigel from our Boston office, and Shannon Davis, our new Director of Legal Recruiting, who is based in New York.
The Diversity Committee has also decided to designate diversity “office heads” for each of our offices. Narges Kakalia (New York), Tyrone Thomas (DC), Meryl Epstein (Boston), Michelle Gillette (San Francisco), and Marty Lorenzo (San Diego) have agreed to take on those roles, which will mean managing local diversity-related efforts in each of those offices.
The Diversity Committee has also taken on a project of setting concrete goals for measuring diversity among lawyers at the firm, and expects to present a proposal to the Policy Committee by the end of this fiscal year.
Finally, the Diversity Committee will be sponsoring a multidisciplinary webinar on the United States v. Windsor DOMA decision giving legally married same-sex couples and their families the same federal rights as married heterosexual couples and their families. The webinar will feature a live online discussion about how the Supreme Court’s DOMA decision will impact employment, benefits, immigration, the transfer of wealth, securities, bankruptcy, and litigation matters, as well as personal income tax implications. Look for the e-vite and feel free to pass it along to clients or contacts who may find it of interest.
Jen Rubin
In This Edition
An Interview with Marty B. Lorenzo
Meet Shannon Davis, Director of Legal Recruiting
Meet Our Diversity Scholars!
Minority C-Suite Executive Roundtable
Member Marty B. Lorenzo of the Corporate & Securities Practice joined Mintz Levin’s San Diego office in December 2012 and recently became a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee. Marty has extensive experience assisting public and private emerging growth companies in domestic and international transactions involving private equity and venture capital financings as well as mergers and acquisitions. He has won many awards for his achievements as an attorney and his commitment to civic and pro bono service. Among other honors, he has been recognized as a 2012-2013 Rainmaker by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and received the San Diego County Bar Association’s Service to Diversity Award. Marty is General Counsel for the Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, and founder and co-chair of the Military and Veterans Committee of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. A 25-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps Reserves, Marty is also active in providing pro bono services to veterans and military families.
Interview:
ML: |
What drew you to Mintz Levin? |
MBL: |
I’ve known several members in the San Diego office for several years; some were my partners at my former firm. Mintz’s reputation in San Diego has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years and I wanted to be part of that growth. Everyone knows us here in this market and that’s remarkable. |
ML: |
A substantial portion of your practice is international in scope. Do you think a law firm’s diversity has any impact on its ability to attract and serve international clients? |
MBL: |
A law firm’s diversity certainly impacts its ability to attract and serve international clients. The business of law is a people business and it requires that we have a deep understanding of our clients and their businesses. The more diverse a team is, the better equipped it is to understand different people. |
ML: |
What do you see as the biggest obstacles to promoting diversity in the legal profession today? |
MLB: |
Recruitment and retention are the biggest obstacles to promoting diversity in the legal profession today. The job of recruiting smart young law students and lawyers who are diverse to a firm is difficult because the pipeline for such candidates is only so big – and there are a lot of firms vying for those candidates. Being able to go “further afield” to identify potential candidates will help with this – but that takes time and other resources. Retaining promising diverse attorneys and promoting to firm leadership is another challenge – this also takes time and resources to mentor and develop those attorneys so that they have fulfilling and fruitful practices that are accretive to a firm’s business. One area that is doing well in increasing diversity in the legal profession is minority-owned law firms – I see them as potential competition for the excellent diverse attorneys we want here at the firm. |
ML: |
You have been active with the Marine Corps Reserve for many years. Do you think there are lessons that law firms could learn from the armed services about how to support and promote a diverse workforce? |
MLB: |
This is an excellent question. From a recruiting perspective, the military is keenly aware that diverse teams are strong teams. The Marine Corps (and the Navy, I guess) are constantly forward-deployed and are often the “first responders” to provide international humanitarian aid. It’s important that we understand our potential allies (as well as our potential enemies) overseas and having a diverse team sets the stage for success in that regard. Specific units in the Marine Corps and the Navy recruit heavily those candidates who can speak multiple languages and understand multiple cultures. Corporate America learns a great deal from the armed services (particularly the Marine Corps) about how to lead business campaigns. Veterans who are experienced in operational planning help businesses think strategically, plan operationally, and execute tactically. I think my clients appreciate the fact that I bring this training to the table. Perhaps they can also take lessons regarding the recruitment and employment of diverse teams. |
ML: |
You have also done a lot of pro bono work throughout your career. Do you think there are synergies between your pro bono work and the rest of your legal practice? |
MLB: |
I’ve been fortunate to have done a lot of pro bono work for companies and entities whose missions align with my professional passions: education, entrepreneurship, and empowerment – particularly among diverse populations and veterans. I’ve worked with helping veterans become successful entrepreneurs and create small/mid-sized businesses that add strength to our economy. Some of those pro bono clients have gone on to become paying clients as well. As the outside GC for the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, I play a role in assisting APIA high school students who are the first in their families to go to college. The members of the Board of the APIA Scholarship Fund are national leaders of companies like Sodexo, Walmart, and McDonald’s. They’ve seen the way that I assist the Scholarship Fund in the boardroom and, as a result, have referred work to me from time to time. As a result of my work at the national level with the APIA Scholarship Fund, I was asked to assist in the formation of a new national APIA Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship. This new organization brings a lot of opportunities for synergy between pro bono work and the rest of my practice. |
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Meet Shannon Davis – our new Director of Legal Recruiting. Shannon joined the firm a few months ago and has settled in to the New York office after relocating from Chicago.
Interview:
ML: |
Tell us about your background in recruiting legal professionals. |
SD: |
I started my legal recruiting career at an agency placing attorneys and other professional legal staff into law firms. I have also held most of the positions found within a legal recruiting department. I have recruited law students, lateral associates, off-track lawyers, partners, and groups and have recruited teams to open new offices in London and Shanghai. My recruiting style is not just recruiting to fill a specific need, but to think strategically about how we want to grow our teams and who we need to hire in order to accomplish our goals. |
ML: |
I’m sure you know, based on your background, that Mintz Levin, like many other law firms, would like to see more diverse candidates – candidates of color, women, and LGBT candidates – than it does in the recruiting process. Can you share some of your views on this phenomenon? |
SD: |
Diversity recruiting is a very hot topic, and there is a lot of professional discussion about it among my colleagues in the marketplace. I think that the lack of diversity that we see currently in law firms is a reflection of a larger societal problem impacting the profession and, to a lesser extent, corporate America. Many firms struggle in recruiting diverse talent because they do not know how to begin or are looking for an easy solution. Like most things in our business, I believe that attracting diverse lawyers is all about relationships. It takes time, consistency, patience, and then more time to develop relationships with diverse lawyers and the diversity community and to then convert those relationships into recruiting opportunities. Success in diversity recruiting requires a commitment to the recruiting effort, the community, and to making those lawyers successful in their professional careers. Improving diversity is a priority at the firm, and I will be working with firm leadership to increase our profile within the diversity community and identifying opportunities to recruit diverse talent. |
ML: |
Can you give some examples of how Mintz Levin members and associates can contribute to the recruiting process in a way that might impact the hiring of more diverse lateral attorneys? |
SD: |
The responsibility of successfully building a diverse workforce at Mintz Levin rests with all of us. You are likely already engaged in interviewing and helping to recruit candidates to join the firm, but we also need your help in sourcing prospective candidates. Mintz lawyers can be our most valuable resource, helping to identify lawyers in their professional networks. Take a few minutes to look through your contacts and consider folks who you have worked with in the past (even adversaries), know from professional organizations, and keep in touch with from law school. Recruiting can also start with business development and community service activities. Any time you connect with other lawyers, you can not only view them as potential referral sources, but also as potential recruits. If you have someone in mind who you would like to refer to the firm, but you aren’t certain if he or she is the right fit or aren’t sure how to proceed, please reach out to me, a section manager, or any member of management to discuss the opportunity. Some of the best recruiting opportunities we have come from Mintz Levin attorneys. |
ML: |
Is there some type of formula the firm applies? |
SD: |
There isn’t a formula, but there are many factors at play to recruit the right lawyers for the firm. Some of those considerations include geography, practice area, and length of time practicing. Of course, quality is a common denominator at Mintz Levin as well as a fit with our culture, which emphasizes mutual respect, dignity, and tolerance. |
ML: |
I’m glad you accepted my invitation to join the Diversity Committee. How do you think you will be able to help the Committee prioritize some of our goals with respect to recruiting? |
SD: |
While I believe that recruiting is everyone’s responsibility, it is especially mine! That said, my role is to proactively advance the recruiting goals of the firm and to promote our diversity recruiting objectives in the market. This happens by identifying diversity recruiting opportunities and working in tandem with the Diversity Committee, firm management, and other members of the firm to try to make great hires. I would also like to work with the Committee to help open up lines of communication between management and the members, so that everyone invested in the success of our firm understands our goals and how we achieve them, and we remain accountable to each other. |
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 Philip Chang, a rising second-year law student at Boston University School of Law, is this year’s Richard Mintz Diversity Scholar. At Boston University, he is the 1L Representative for both the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and the Boston University Business Law Society. Philip received a BA and an MS in Accounting at Boston College. While at BC, Philip was the President of the Student Organization Funding Committee of Boston College, which was responsible for distributing funds to all of the student organizations. Prior to starting law school, Philip was a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Boston. In addition, he volunteers as treasurer for the Timothy Padulsky Memorial Public Charity. Philip is currently working as a Summer Associate in the Boston office.
 Nishant Dharia recently completed his first year at Boston College Law School, where he is a member of the South Asian Law Student Association as well as the Business and Law Society. Nishant is currently participating in the Boston Lawyers Group 1L Diversity Clerkship Program. During the 10 week program, he will split his time by working for 5 weeks as a Summer Associate in the Boston office and working for the remaining 5 weeks in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in the Civil Rights Division. Nishant received his BS, magna cum laude, in Finance from Bentley University. While at Bentley, he was the treasurer of the Adamian Law Club as well as a member of both the South Asian Student Association and the Bentley Debate Society. Prior to this summer, Nishant was an intern at Pearl Meyer and Partners. In addition, he was an intern at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office.
 Jacqulyn Lewis recently completed her first year at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego and is a member of the Black Law Students Association. She received her BA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley where she was also a scholarship athlete. Jaqulyn was a member of the Cal Track and Field team and served as a peer advisor/mentor for fellow student-athletes. Prior to starting law school, she worked in Provider Services at Aetna Health Insurance. Jacqulyn is participating in the San Diego Diversity Fellowship Program, and is working as a Summer Law Clerk in our San Diego office.
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On March 21, 2013, the National Association for Health Services Executives (NAHSE) held its Minority C-Suite Executive Roundtable at the Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, DC. NAHSE is an organization that was originally formed in 1968 to advance the interests of hospitals in underserved communities and to promote African-American professionals and executives in the health services industry. Stephanie Willis and Quincy Ewell, from Mintz Levin’s Health Law and Corporate & Securities practices, respectively, became members of the Washington Metropolitan Area Chapter (WMAC) of NAHSE last year. Stephanie was a co-chair of the planning committee for the C-Suite Executive Roundtable and gave introductory remarks at the event.
After the 120+ attendees enjoyed a cocktail reception and networking dinner, they were treated to the invaluable insights of eight featured executive panelists representing the following organizations: the AARP; the MedStar Washington Hospital Center; the Specialty Hospital of Washington; PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Advisory Services; nonprofit organization Volunteers of America; Chesapeake, Inc.; and the Furst Group, a healthcare executive placement firm. Guests included chief medical officers, chief executive officers, other high-ranking executives from local health care delivery and management organizations, and young health care professionals working in the metropolitan DC area. The attendees had the opportunity to probe the viewpoints of the featured panelists on topics related to the impact of health care reform on their individual careers and minority populations at large.
The WMAC was extremely grateful for Mintz’s generous sponsorship of the event, and is looking forward to collaborating on future matters where it can feature the expertise of the firm’s attorneys.
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Jennifer Rubin, Chair
Member, New York/Stamford
[email protected]
Nancy Adams
Member, Boston
[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 F. Demuth
Member, Boston
[email protected]
Meryl J. Epstein
Member, Boston
[email protected]
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Michelle Gillette
Member, San Francisco
[email protected]
Kanasha 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]
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Andowah Newton
Associate, New York
[email protected]
Jessica Mendoza
Associate, San Francisco
[email protected]
Linda Pepe
Director of Marketing, Boston
[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]
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