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Narges M. Kakalia

(she/her/hers)

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

[email protected]

+1.212.692.6215

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Narges Kakalia is the firm’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. In that role, Narges leads the firm in developing and implementing its DEI strategy and goals, and is in charge of implementing thoughtful and innovative steps towards fostering a culture that values and celebrates difference, and ensures that every employee has an equal opportunity to succeed. By fostering a culture in which all individuals can bring their whole, unique selves to work, Narges will help Mintz bring multiple perspectives to each matter, thereby providing the highest level of client service and community engagement.

Prior to serving as the firm’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Narges was a Member in the firm’s Litigation Practice, Vice Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Program, a leader of the firm’s Women’s Initiative, and a member of the firm’s MIATTY (Minority Attorney) affinity group.  

Experience

  • Represented Hexion Specialty Chemicals, an Apollo portfolio company, in a derivative action arising from Hexion’s failed merger with Huntsman Corporation. Won dismissal of the action.

 

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viewpoints

Opening the Door to the New Beginning

January 10, 2022 | Article

In a multistage pro bono engagement, Mintz represented a young man who fled gang violence in Ecuador in detention hearings after he entered the United States, then helped him obtain state court findings supporting a petition to USCIS for permission to remain in the country in the custody of an aunt.
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Mintz's Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Narges M. Kakalia, participated on a panel of DEO and well-being professionals for the Well-Being Week in Law After Party. The panel discussed new ideas for bridging the gap and increasing effectiveness in these important areas.
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Mintz's Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Narges M. Kakalia was among law firm diversity leaders on The American Lawyer’s Legal Speak podcast to discuss a renewed push for progress on racial and social justice following the death of George Floyd, strategies to create a more inclusive and equitable profession, and what is most encouraging and troubling as the year draws to a close.
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Mintz’s recently appointed Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Narges M. Kakalia appeared on “In House Warrior,” the Corporate Counsel Business Journal’s daily podcast with host Richard Levick of LEVICK, to discuss the new role, its challenges, and her vision.
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Arbitration is a creature of contract, and an arbitrator’s powers are in effect defined by the parties’ arbitration agreement. Paradoxically, although an arbitration agreement can be written (double-spaced) on one side of a cocktail napkin, in some cases it may grant greater authority to an arbitrator than a judge has.
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Arbitration is a creature of contract. So is the law concerning contracts with an arbitration clause the same as the law concerning any other contract? Almost. One must always bear in mind the “separability” or “independence” of the arbitration agreement -- the autonomy principle.
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Forum non conveniens is one of several judicial abstention doctrines, applied from time to time by U.S. courts, that permit a court to dismiss (without prejudice) a plenary action in its discretion. In a forum non conveniens case, the court’s jurisdiction is not in question, but the relative legal “inconvenience” of having the matter heard in that court, as opposed to another court of competent jurisdiction, is deemed sufficient for the U.S. court to abstain from exercising its authority.
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In an earlier post we provided advice on how to interpret the words “may” and “must” when they appear in arbitration clauses that are to be interpreted under U.S. law. Among other things, we explained that an arbitration clause that says that a party “may” submit a dispute to binding arbitration will be viewed as mandatory in U.S. courts if any party chooses to arbitrate.
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Is an arbitration clause mandatory or permissive when it provides that either party to the contract may elect to submit a dispute to binding arbitration? What if the contract also provides that the right to arbitrate is not exclusive of any other rights that a party has to pursue legal action in an appropriate forum?
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My colleagues Heidi Lawson, Dionne Lomax, and I just finished our tour of four Texas cities in as many days, meeting a lot of incredibly talented, smart, and fun Wall Street women (yes, and some men too) in San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Dallas.
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News & Press

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Corporate counsel can reinvigorate their companies’ DEI commitments even amid concerns generated by the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decisions and the divisive political landscape. In an article published by Corporate Counsel, ESG Practice Co-Chair and Employment Member Jen Rubin and Chief DEI Officer Narges Kakalia explored how in-house attorneys can influence corporate DEI efforts.

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Mintz continues its ongoing commitment to ensuring the firm is an equitable workplace, establishing a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee that reports directly to the firm's main decision making body, the Policy Committee. The new Equity Advisory Council (EAC) will be responsible for driving equity for the firm’s attorneys, especially women, attorneys of color and LGBTQ+ attorneys.

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For 15th consecutive year, firm earns top score of 100 on Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s annual scorecard for LGBTQ workplace equality.
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In an article published by Law360 Pulse, Mintz Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Narges Kakalia discussed the importance of law firms facilitating psychological safety in the workplace in order to retain minority lawyers.
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In a Law360 Pulse expert analysis article, Mintz’s Narges Kakalia reflected on her career transition last year from litigator to the firm's first Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In the article, she shared her professional experience as a woman of color and how it led her to this new role, as well as provided insights on how to become an effective DEI leader in the legal industry and beyond.
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Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Narges M. Kakalia was quoted extensively in an article published by The American Lawyer examining diversity fatigue, and how it threatens the progress law firms are making around eliminating systemic racism and creating a more inclusive environment.
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Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Narges M. Kakalia participated in a DEI Twitter panel co-hosted by Law.com and GlobeSt. covering a range of topics from the effects of remote work on inclusion and equity to the problem of implicit bias and how to remove it from the process of evaluating legal talent.
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Bloomberg Law reported that Mintz appointed Member Narges Kakalia as the firm’s first Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, effective November 2.
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Mintz shortlisted for Inclusive Firm of the Year, two individuals shortlisted for Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year and Diversity & Inclusion Lawyer of the Year
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Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly covered Mintz’s second annual “She's the Boss” event, which drew a record crowd of more than 180 professionals and their young relatives, friends and mentees for a discussion aimed to inspire the next generation of women leaders.
On Thursday, October 10, more than 180 guests attended Mintz’s second annual “She’s the Boss — An Event to Inspire Future Female Leaders” in Boston, which featured an inspirational panel discussion on societal pressures, finding the right career path, discovering one’s true passions, redefining failure as a learning experience, and achieving a work-life balance, among other topics.
Mintz is pleased to announce that Narges M. Kakalia has been named to the inaugural “Leading Women Lawyers in New York City” list by Crain’s New York Business, for juggling "distinguished careers with exceptional civic and philanthropic activities.”
Sixteen Mintz attorneys have been named New York Super Lawyers for 2016 and twelve have been named New York Rising Stars. The list will be published in a special advertising supplement in The New York Times Magazine and in a stand-alone magazine, New York Super Lawyers - Metro Edition.
Thirteen attorneys from Mintz have been named New York Super Lawyers for 2014 and eleven have been named New York Rising Stars. The list will be published in a special advertising supplement in The New York Times Magazine and in a stand-alone magazine, New York Super Lawyers - Metro Edition.
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Events & Speaking

Moderator
Nov
12
2021

2nd Annual Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Conference

ACC National Capital Region

Virtual Event

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Oct
7
2021

Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards 2021

Corporate Counsel

Washington, DC

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Moderator
May
27
2021

Onboarding Diversity & Inclusion

ACC New York City

Webinar

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Speaker
Apr
27
2021
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Speaker
Feb
2
2021
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Panelist
Nov
21
2019

Leaders of Color: The Changing Landscape

Centerforce

East Side 525 Lexington Ave. at 49th St. New York, NY 10017 212-755-4000

Speaker
Sep
5
2019

Inaccessible Websites: Risks, Remediation and Defense Strategies

Association of Corporate Counsel - New York

Fordham Law School 150 West 62nd Street, Costantino Room (Second Floor) New York, NY 10023

Panelist
Oct
15
2018

She's The Boss

An Event to Inspire Future Female Leaders

Convene, 117 W 46th St., Midtown West, New York, NY 10036

Speaker
Apr
24
2018

2018 Ethics Marathon

Association of Corporate Counsel – New York

Fordham University School of Law, Skadden Conference Center 150 West 62nd Street New York, NY

Speaker
Feb
1
2017

Mintz and Grant Thornton Present a Multitopic CLE Workshop

Grant Thornton 757 3rd Avenue and 47th Street New York, NY

Moderator
Speaker
Mar
22
2016

Pro Bono Institute Conference

Pro Bono Institute

Capital Hilton,1001 16th St NW, Washington, DC

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Recognition & Awards

  • Lawyers of Color: Nation's Best List of "Leading Attorneys with a Commitment to Promoting Diversity in the Legal Profession and Advancing Democracy and Equality in Marginalized Communities." (2019 - 2020)

  • ​​​​​​Crain's New York Business: Leading Women Lawyers in New York City, a list of 100 “women who juggle both distinguished careers and exceptional civic and philanthropic activities" (2018)

  • ​​​​​​New York Super Lawyers: General Litigation (2015 – 2018)

  • Human Rights First: Pro Bono Star Award for Excellence in Legal Advocacy (2013

  • New York Super Lawyers: Rising Star – General Litigation (2011 – 2014)

  • Mintz Pro Bono Award (2008)

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Involvement

  • Board Vice-Chair, Womankind
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Narges M. Kakalia

(she/her/hers)

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

New York