Lauren Abbott

Senior Manager of Diversity & Inclusion,
King & Spalding LLP

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Lauren S. Abbott joined King & Spalding in 2014 and is currently the Senior Manager of Diversity & Inclusion.

In this role, she leads the development and implementation of diversity and inclusion programs including the firm’s Diversity Mentoring & Sponsorship Program and Women’s Leadership & Coaching Program, professional development trainings and events for the firm’s 26 affinity groups, and more. She works closely with the firm’s Diversity Committee and stakeholders to develop the firm’s D&I focus areas, and implements programs in partnership with the firm’s Recruiting, Professional Development, Marketing and Community Affairs teams; firm leadership; external diversity organizations; and clients.

Prior to joining the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion team, Lauren was the firm’s Community Affairs Manager. In this role, she led firmwide community engagement strategy, including strategic partnerships, charitable giving, volunteer service and pro bono.

Diana Arredondo

Senior Corporate Counsel,
Amazon.com, Inc.

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Diana is an attorney with over seventeen years of experience in Intellectual Property, Domain Names, Digital Media, Privacy and Data Protection, licensed to practice in Mexico and the United States. Diana is a Senior Corporate Counsel at Amazon, where she leads the Digital Device and Advertising Trademark Team, and is responsible for developing and implementing global IP strategies. Diana also serves on Amazon’s Legal Diversity Leadership Team and leads multiple DEI initiatives, including the Day 1 Legal Academy program for law students of diverse backgrounds. Prior to joining Amazon, Diana was a Senior Counsel at Grupo Televisa, where she led the International IP Division.

Nav Bhandal

Assistant General Counsel,
BASF

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Nav Bhandal is an Assistant General Counsel at BASF in its Compliance Group. He provides legal advice to business partners and HR professionals across North America on Canadian employment, labour, privacy, and compliance law matters, including preparing and implementing company strategies, policies, and procedures to mitigate risk for the Organization.

Prior to joining BASF, Nav worked in private practice for over 10 years and his practice focused on labour, employment, human rights, and occupational health and safety matters.

Nav is a business partner who focuses on understanding his clients’ needs and finding solutions that align with business objectives while complying with the law. He has a demonstrated history of fostering strong relationships with clients and gaining their trust to be an ally in their quest for business success.

Nav also actively participates in promoting BASF’s DEI strategies. As a son of South Asian immigrants, he recognizes the importance of organizations implementing programs to raise awareness and change practices to remove barriers that have historically prevented members of marginalized groups from reaching their full potential within the workplace. Nav is a member of the Canadian DEI Council, which serves to champion DEI efforts, and he recently led a workstream that enhanced BASF’s compliance program, including introducing a robust workplace respect policy.

KISHAN BAROT

Associate,
Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP

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“Participating in the LMJ Scholarship Selection Committee is important to me because diversity in law will not just happen by chance—practicing attorneys must put in the work.”

Kishan Barot is an associate at the firm’s Los Angeles office and a member of the litigation practice. He has prosecuted and defended a variety of business litigation cases, including employment, shareholder, real estate, and consumer protection actions.

Kishan was previously a litigation associate at a major California law firm. Prior to that, he clerked for the Honorable Jay C. Gandhi, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California. In law school, Kishan was an intern at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Contra Costa County Office of the Public Defender.

CHARLOTTE BORROUGHS

Tech and Privacy Attorney,
Salesforce.com, Inc.

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“Education is very important, but also access to financial resources to help you obtain an education is extremely important. I have seen and heard far too many stories from promising students that had to neglect their education because of the extreme burden of tuition costs. People should not delay their education because they cannot afford to do so. Education should not be seen as a privilege, but rather a right that should be enjoyed by all. Education should not only be for a select few who can afford to do so.”

Charlotte is a Technology and Data Privacy attorney at Salesforce, a global Fortune 200 international technology company. In her role, she advises business partners on the design, implementation and development of innovative technology products and works closely with the engineering team to design and launch new products and features. She also advises the team on regulatory and cybersecurity issues and serve as lead counsel in representing the company in regulatory engagements. She has been involved in the structuring of various technology contractual documents, including software and technology agreements, product development, commercial agreements, digital engagement agreements, strategic partnership agreements and data privacy.

Charlotte began her career at the New York City Law Department where she served as a key business and legal advisor to the City of New York and was responsible for managing all aspects of commercial and financial contracts. Her practice incorporated aspects of securities law, as well as developing plans for the structuring and issuance of fixed-income securities. She was also responsible for drafting, negotiating, and structuring a wide range of complex commercial and technology documents.

After the 7 years at the New York City Law Department, Charlotte served as an Assistant General Counsel at Raytheon Technologies. In that role, she advised business leaders on commercial, technology and global supply chain issues.

DIANE BUTLER

Partner, Immigration Law,
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

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“I feel so honored to be able to have a glimpse into the backgrounds and aspirations of such a wide range of diverse law students. It gives me a great deal of hope for a more equitable, innovative, and progressive future in the legal profession.”

Diane M. Butler is a partner in the Seattle firm, Davis Wright Tremaine, where she focuses on business immigration. Before law school, she graduated from the University of Wyoming, worked on Capitol Hill, then worked in Shanghai for a Canadian law firm. She received her law degree from George Washington University. Diane was a director of the AILA Board of Governors from 2011 – 2020. She has an active cross border practice and enjoys troubleshooting problem cases.

JANE CAMPBELL

Senior Counsel, CNAEP Law and Land,
Chevron Corporation

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“I am excited to participate as part of the scholarship selection committee. As an immigrant to the US and a committed pro bono volunteer, I have observed first-hand how critical diversity and inclusion is to achieving a more equitable society, and how further we need to go. This committee is just one part of a dynamic effort to bring change to our practice and to society more generally, and I am honored to be a part of it.”

Jane Campbell is Senior Counsel for Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company ( a division of Chevron U.S.A.) where she has a varied practice. Jane is Chevron’s most senior subject matter expert on matters relating to federal, state and private royalty but also serves as Investigations Coordinator, Advocacy Lead and handles many other special projects. Jane is also a member of the Chevron Law Function Diversity Council. Prior to joining Chevron in 2012, Jane worked at ExxonMobil and in private legal practice. She holds a B.A. Honors (Music) from the University of Durham (United Kingdom), a J.D. from Texas Tech University (2006) and an LLM (Tax) from Villanova University (2019). In her spare time, Jane is an avid runner who enjoys marathons.

Candice Carr

Assistant General Counsel,
Microsoft Corporation

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Candice Carr is an Assistant General Counsel in Microsoft’s Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) department. She is Chief of Staff to the Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of CELA’s Marketing & Consumer Business (including licensing and business planning) team.

Prior to that she was a member of Microsoft’s Modern CELA team within the Office of the General Counsel, helping to drive positive change in our legal ecosystem through digital transformation, successful use of our Microsoft solutions, and cultural adoption of Microsoft technology to help us work better.

She has also served as the lead attorney for the Microsoft Online Stores ecommerce business, which operates in over 190 markets, where she supported new business model developments, market expansions, customer issues, and diverse and complex regulatory matters.

Before her time at Microsoft, Candice was in private practice at Perkins Coie and Graham and Dunn as a Business and Transactional attorney representing emerging private companies and U.S. public companies. At Perkins Coie, she was part of the team to launch the firm’s Attorney Development Program focused on career development and mentorship for attorneys.

She has had a career long commitment to pro bono work, including participation in small business workshops and corporate governance advice to non-profit boards. At Microsoft Candice, as a native Jamaican, has been able to pursue her passion around immigration rights as a legal volunteer with the Kids In Need of Defense Organization.

As an immigrant, she understands the social and cultural barriers that one may face as they pursue the challenging education and career of law. Also, as a former member of Microsoft’s Blacks in CELA Employee Network Steering Committee leading Diversity and Inclusion efforts to foster education, career development and leadership within our communities, she remains committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal industry. The MCCA Scholarship speaks to the authentic promotion of such DEI work and, as she “meets” the talented and diverse students through this process, she is excited and honored to be a part of the reviewing committee and this journey.

Denisse Gonzalez

Director, Associate General Counsel,
Cisco

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Denisse Gonzalez, is Director, Associate General Counsel for Cisco AppDynamics, supporting the AppDynamics business unit in all corporate matters, with responsibility for supporting the sales, engineering, and commercial teams.

Denisse began her career at Cisco 7 years ago. In addition to supporting AppDynamics, she has also advised the Global Enterprise Segment where she supported a sales team generating over $2B in annual revenue, and provided support across Cisco’s $15B SaaS and Software recurring revenue portfolio as a member of the Offer Enablement team (now Buying Programs).

At Cisco, Denisse has been a champion of Women of Cisco, having co-led its flagship event, Women of Impact in 2021 and 2022. She also chaired the Cisco Legal Pro Bono Committee and helped organize Cisco’s first global Pro Bono & Give Back Week for the Legal Department resulting in contributions by 150 legal professionals to 40 non-profit organizations worldwide.

Prior to joining Cisco, Denisse served as Corporate Counsel at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions as the lead attorney for the business in Latin America and Europe. Denisse began her legal career as a civil litigator at the North Carolina firm of Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog (now Cranfill Sumner).

Outside of Cisco, Denisse serves as a coach for Girls on the Run, and as Vice-President for the Research Triangle Area Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC).

Hal Greenebaum

Associate General Counsel,
USAA

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Hal Greenebaum is Associate General Counsel in USAA’s Chief Legal Office supporting Bank Operations, Liens, Levies, Writ of Garnishment, Subpoenas, Escheatment, Pre-Litigation, and other non-product operational matters. Hal has over 15 of years of experience across both legal and compliance departments.

Prior to supporting USAA Bank Operations, Hal served as a Director of Compliance supporting Credit Card Strategies, Underwriting, Member Debt Solutions, and Home-Equity Lending. Prior to officially joining USAA, Hal served as a consultant in Banking Compliance and as a consultant aligned to Enterprise Marketing Compliance reviewing collateral for real estate, consumer loans, and banking deposits. Prior to that, Hal served as In-House Counsel at Bank of American and CitiFinancial in Baltimore, MD. Before going in-house, Hal was in private practice as a contract attorney with Weiner Brodsky Kider PC in Washington, DC.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Hal is a key member of USAA’s Chief Legal Office DE&I Team, specifically supporting supplier diversity strategies and objectives.

Hal is licensed to practice in Louisiana and New York. He received his J.D. from Tulane School of Law in New Orleans, with a Certificate of Specialization in Sports Law, and earned his undergraduate degree, with honors, from Boston University.

Sarah Hall

Member,
Reiferson Dee PLC

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Sarah has experience representing banks, institutional lenders and government-sponsored entities in commercial real estate finance transactions. Her practice is primarily focused on finance transactions involving multifamily properties and other commercial real estate, including mortgage loan origination and securitization due diligence. Sarah also has experience in commercial mortgage loan servicing, including representation of loan servicers, agency lenders and institutional lenders in loan assumptions, equity transfers and other asset management and loan servicing matters, such as parcel and property releases, condemnations, cash management issues, defaults and related matters.

Prior to joining Reiferson Dee PLC, Sarah was a senior associate in the finance group of Alston & Bird LLP in the firm’s Charlotte, NC office. Prior to that, she was an associate in the finance group of Dechert LLP in the firm’s Charlotte, NC office.

Heather Kees

Managing Counsel,
Walmart Inc.

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Heather is an attorney based in Northwest Arkansas. She spent the first part of her career at a national telecommunications company leading its learning & development team before attending law school at the University of Arkansas School of Law. After graduating from law school with honors, Heather practiced with the Asa Hutchinson Law Group, where she specialized in commercial transactions. In 2013 she joined Walmart, where she focused on building the company’s international compliance monitoring program. In her current role, she serves as in-house counsel for Walmart’s legal operations. Heather also serves on Walmart’s Global Governance Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Akina Khan

Legal Counsel, IP & Procurement,
Thomson Reuters

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TBD

MALAIKA LINDO

Senior Director of Diversity & Inclusion,
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP

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“At Morgan Lewis, diversity is not just a concept we talk; it is an asset we cultivate. Our firm’s culture emphasizes inclusion by ensuring access to development opportunities; by prioritizing collaboration of diverse perspectives to better support clients; and by holding ourselves accountable in having open conversations about our own efforts.”

Malaika Lindo directs Morgan Lewis’s global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and collaborates with senior leadership and the engagement and talent teams to create a workplace that is as diverse and inclusive as possible, consistent with the firm’s core values. In this leadership role, Malaika directs a team of six in developing data-driven recruitment, retention, and advancement programming for diverse talent; is a member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee; supports the firm’s lawyer and professional staff networks; liaises with firm clients; and collaborates across virtually every firm administrative department to achieve DEI goals.

Malaika, a lawyer by training, began her legal career representing global financial institutions in a wide range of complex domestic and cross-border financing transactions. During those six years, she assisted in the development of Georgetown University School of Medicine’s Department of Diversity and Inclusion, with a focus on community engagement, pipeline strategy, inclusive leadership programming and performance building initiatives. She later joined Sidley Austin as East Coast Regional Manager of Professional Development, where she focused on designing lawyer programs to promote career development ownership, collaboration with colleagues, and full engagement of each attorney within the firm. Following Sidley, she joined Eversheds Sutherland as Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to lead the development of diversity-related client collaborations, practice group integration of inclusive leadership best practices, and participation in the Move the Needle Fund initiatives by Diversity Lab. Her experience in private practice as an attorney and administrator has provided her with the unique ability to assess and develop internal structures in order to maximize effectiveness of law firm strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Malaika received her J.D. cum laude from Jacob D. Fuchsberg Touro Law Center, an M.A. in Political Science from Long Island University, and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia.

James McClammy

Partner,
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

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Jim has a broad litigation practice. Financial institutions, corporations, debtors, creditors and creditor committees look to Jim for representation in a wide range of matters, including securities, commodities and antitrust class actions, bankruptcy-related litigation, and other complex federal and state law litigation. He has substantial trial experience and has also participated in mediation and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings.

Jim’s recent matters include the representation of banks, other financial institutions and hedge funds in class actions asserting violations of the federal securities and antitrust laws; lenders and other creditors in contested bankruptcy litigation; pharmaceutical and other debtors in challenging chapter 11 proceedings; and the foreign representatives of numerous companies seeking relief from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Andrea Moody Turner

In-House Senior Counsel,
General Motors

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Andrea Moody Turner joined the General Motors Legal Staff in April 2015. She currently manages the company’s products, Maven, and company car litigation and not-in-suit claims across the United States and in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to claims and lawsuit management, Andrea is also a member of GM’s Driving Equality Coalition, GM’s Diversity Task Force, GM’s Compliance Liaison Committee, and GM’s Liaison to the Minority Corporate Counsel Association.

Natasha Newberry

Director & Senior Corporate Counsel,
LexisNexis

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RACHAEL VAUGHN RAY

Senior Counsel,
Google LLC

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Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Rachael studied mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan and attended law school at University of Houston while working as a patent agent for Shell Oil Company. After law school, she spent time working abroad in the Netherlands as a lawyer for the Shell IP department.

In 2012, she joined Microsoft as a licensing attorney in the OEM business and a product attorney supporting a variety of hardware projects including the Microsoft HoloLens, Microsoft Health, and the Microsoft Band. Rachael continued counseling clients developing new form factor devices at Google, where she was the lawyer for the Daydream AR/VR business. After a few years counseling in the AR/VR space, Rachael moved to the Payments legal team where she currently leads the product counsel team supporting Google Wallet.

During her free time, Rachael dabbles in video editing, practices yoga, and volunteers as a member of the legal committee for the Organization for Transformative Works. Her claim to fame: winning an international scavenger hunt known as GISHWHES with her awesome team known as the Vatican Cameos.

Vivian Turner

Principal,
Groom Law Group, Chartered

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tbd

Kathrine Vidnes

Assistant General Counsel, Legal Innovation,
Nike, Inc.

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Kathrine Vidnes is an accomplished Norwegian lawyer with expertise in digital communication, technology and intellectual property law.

As an Associate General Counsel at Nike, she demonstrates her expertise in leading the implementation of the company’s new legal strategy for enterprise contract management (ECM) and provides legal expertise on a wide range of commercial business deals across the Asia Pacific Latin America geography. Additionally, she has provided guidance on import/export regulations, regulatory and commercial matters, and established global compliance standards and best practice business strategies.

Kathrine’s extensive experience includes serving as a Legal Adviser at the Norwegian Communications Authority, where she was appointed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an official member and legal adviser to the Norwegian delegation at the 2016 Universal Postal Union Congress (UPU). She was also a founding member of the Nordic Electronic Consumer Protection group and appointed a national expert for Norway in international expert working groups related to electronic communications and cross-border e-commerce legal issues.

Kathrine brings a wealth of experience in implementing, negotiating, and drafting legal instruments such as contracts, treaties, legal acts, international regulations, and strategies. She is dedicated to delivering exceptional value to every team she collaborates with by offering high-quality legal advice and practical solutions to her clients.

Rosa Walker

Senior Director, Diversity & Inclusion,
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

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Rosa Walker has 25 years of experience working in administrative and management-level roles with large U.S. law firms. She has a strong background in human resources management and currently serves as the Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion.

As Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Rosa collaborates with the various affinity and ERG networks, the firm’s executive team, department directors, lawyers and staff across the firm’s global presence to continuously build and strengthen the firmwide mission of improving diversity and inclusion within the firm.

Her competencies focus on expanding recruitment, improving retention and promoting advancement of all attorneys and staff members, with an emphasis on those who have been underrepresented in the field.

Will Wilder

Senior Counsel, Compensation and Benefits,
LyondellBasell

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tbd

Heidi Yurkiw

Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel,
Bath & Body Works

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Heidi Yurkiw is Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel for Bath & Body Works and leads the Litigation, Employment/Labor and Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability groups.

Heidi joined L Brands in 2018 as Vice President of the Employment law team. Prior to joining L Brands, she served as Deputy General Counsel for Honda and led their labor and employment, litigation and immigration practice groups. While at Honda, she traveled to their Mexico plants to help establish their employment and labor operations and to Tokyo to meet with representatives at the U.S. Embassy. Prior to joining Honda, she practiced litigation with the Vorys law firm in Columbus, Ohio. She was the last law clerk to Joseph P. Kinneary, in the Southern District of Ohio (for whom the courthouse is named).

Heidi has a BS in Journalism, summa cum laude, from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, where she also minored in Spanish and studied in Merida, Mexico. She received her J.D. from the Ohio State Moritz College of Law and was a member of the National Moot Court Team and Law Journal.

Heidi is the Chair-Elect of the Board of Trustees for the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Garden. She previously served on the Boards of BalletMet and the YWCA in Columbus, Ohio. She was also a guardian ad litem for CASA, which advocates for abused, neglected children.

Heidi lives in Upper Arlington with her husband Jay (a litigation lawyer), daughter Natalie (17), and daughter Charlotte (13). When not attending her daughters’ sporting events, she might be out running with her local running club or planning the next family vacation.

Keyla Duran

Assistant General Counsel,
Thomson Reuters

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Keyla McCullum Duran is a practicing attorney at Thomson Reuters in the Office of General Counsel located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Keyla has over 20 years of experience in the practice of law. As Assistant General Counsel, she supervises a team focused on providing the tools to harvest, process and share, experience, information, and content with general counsel colleagues dedicated to negotiating contracts, creating efficiencies, and improving communication within the Office of General Counsel and with its business stakeholders. Additionally, Keyla negotiates, drafts, and advises on state, federal and commercial agreements; provides advice on Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and related federal regulations and advises on there solution of contract and compliance disputes. Keyla is originally from Mississippi. Prior to moving to Minneapolis in 2011, she served as Special Assistant Attorney General for the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office for seven years specializing in Higher Education Law. Keyla received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees with honors from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and her Juris Doctorate Degree from Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, Mississippi. Keyla resides in Southwest Minneapolis with her husband Bino and dog Kate Lee. She is passionately focused on promoting diversity and inclusion and giving back to the community through volunteerism. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, long walks outside and Minnesota Vikings Football.

Ammy Le

Senior Attorney,
USAA

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Ammy Le is a senior attorney at USAA providing legal support for the Bank’s Member Debt Solutions team. Ammy has over 17 years of experience in the financial services industry including 14 years of experience providing legal advice to major banks on both servicing and default servicing issues. Prior to joining USAA, Ammy was an Assistant General Counsel at JPMorgan Chase supporting Chase’s Home Lending collections group. Prior to that, Ammy also served as an Assistant General Counsel at Citibank where she supported teams handling collections and credit card operations. Before going inhouse, Ammy was in private practice focusing on all aspects of real estate law from origination and closing to foreclosure and REO. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Ammy has participated in diversity and inclusion committees and have presented on diversity and inclusion topics affecting in house attorneys. Ammy also supports the advancement of a diverse pipeline into the legal profession through her involvement in the USAA Legal Summer Intern Program as a point of contact for interns and a writing coach. Ammy is a member of the State Bar of Texas. She received her B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University.

Dave Louie

Senior Counsel,
LyondellBasell

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Dave is an attorney based in Houston, Texas with experience in both litigation and commercial transactions. Dave spent the first part of his career in private practice as a trial and appellate lawyer. In 2019, he joined LyondellBasell—a global petrochemical company—as in-house counsel, first as a disputes lawyer managing domestic and global litigation, and later in his current role where he supports commercial sales teams, corporate communications, joint-venture governance, and parts of the company’s sustainability efforts. Dave also serves as the 2022 Chair of the LyondellBasell Legal Department’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee

HISHAM MASRI

Employment Counsel, 
Flowserve Corporation

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Hisham Masri is responsible for employment law matters as Director of Employment Law, North America to Flowserve in Irving, Texas. In that role, he manages litigation, provides employment advice & counsel, develops training, and provides helps guide strategic initiatives. Prior to Flowserve, he practiced in the Dallas office of one of the largest employment law firms in the world.

CONNIE MATEO

Assistant General Counsel,
Pfizer Inc.

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Connie Matteo is an Assistant General Counsel at Pfizer in its Civil Litigation Group. Prior to joining Pfizer, Ms. Matteo was Senior Corporate Counsel at Wyeth. Ms. Matteo handles a wide variety of litigated matters including complex commercial disputes, mass torts, securities and antitrust matters. Ms. Matteo also counsels internal clients on issues related to risk prevention and mitigation. In addition, Ms. Matteo is the co-lead of the Legal Division’s Inclusion Workstream and co-lead of Pfizer’s 1L Summer Scholar Program.

Before going in-house, Ms. Matteo was a principal of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman in Morristown, New Jersey and a member of the firm’s Litigation Department. Her practice focused on complex product liability, pharmaceutical drug and medical device product liability claims.

Ms. Matteo has authored a number of articles related to product liability litigation and regulatory compliance. Ms. Matteo has spoken on topics related to litigation, conflict resolution and diversity and equity. She has also been a guest lecturer at two law schools.

Ms. Matteo’s professional affiliations include CPR, the Defense Research Institute (“DRI”), the Product Liability Advisory Council “PLAC”) and the Association of Corporate Counsel. Ms. Matteo is the co-chair of CPR’s Healthcare and Life Science Committee, a member of the Steering Committee of DRI’s Drug and Medical Device Committee and a Board Member of PLAC. Ms. Matteo also serves on the Dean’s Board of Advisors for Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Rachel Cheeks-Givan

Senior Manager, Global Diversity ＆ Inclusion Group,
Pfizer

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“It’s my way of “giving back” to support the nurturing of our future talent pipeline and everyone has to do their part to ensure they realize their potential and fulfill their career aspirations. When I was asked to participate, I didn’t hesitate even with a full schedule. I know how a scholarship will mean to a deserving student. Thank you for the opportunity.”

Rachel Cheeks-Givan is currently the Global Diversity & Inclusion Lead Enabling Functions for Pfizer, Inc. She is responsible for providing thought leadership around integrating the global enterprise Diversity & Inclusion strategy for Pfizer’s Enabling. At Pfizer she’s the “voice of the customer” and highly effective in implementing strategies to champion and inspire senior leaders and employees at all levels to deliver organizations D&I aspirations aligned to the business needs.

Rachel was formerly the Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion for PepsiCo. Her focus was on driving the diversity initiatives for the corporation in support of PepsiCo’s vision tied to Performance with Purpose (Human, Talent and Environmental Sustainability). She led PepsiCo’s global diversity and inclusion strategy, the development of the inclusion capabilities and the strategy for employee engagement including the Employee Resource Groups, Women of Color Multicultural Alliance, and Global Women’s initiatives across PepsiCo.

She served on the Multicultural Board for Working Mother Media, and the board of the National YWCA of USA as the Chair of the Global Relations Committee. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Manhattanville College and New York University teaching Global Diversity and Cultural Inclusion as a part of the Masters program.

With over 22 years at PepsiCo, Rachel worked at Frito-Lay in the Controller’s function for several years. Before that, her responsibilities included domestic and international audit at PepsiCo. Prior to PepsiCo, she worked as an Auditor for Richard A. Eisner a mid-sized Accounting Firm in New York City.

Recently Rachel was listed on North America’s Most Influential DI& Leaders in 2020. In 2019, Rachel received her Certified Diversity Professional Certificate from The Society for Diversity Inc. & Institute for Diversity Certification. Rachel holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a bachelor’s degree from Baruch College. She is a former Certified Public Accountant. In 2013, she completed ASCENT’s Mid-level Management Program at Dartmouth College.

Rachel was featured in the April 2007 issue of Essence Magazine for her contributions in the area of Diversity and Inclusion. At PepsiCo, she also won the Harvey C. Russell Inclusion award for her contributions in D&I three times. Rachel’s passion is working on the advancement of women in the workplace and building cultural competency. She also has a passion around promoting diversity in swimming and the importance of learning how to swim in her local communities.

Rachel resides in The Bronx where she pursues community involvement and mentors young adults in her neighborhood. She also volunteers and serves as the Board Chair for the National Give Back for Kids Campaign, Inc. and she is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., The Greater Bronx Links and Jack and Jill organizations. Rachel is married to Hosea James Givan II and they have a daughter, Rebekah.

NKECHI CHUKWUEKE

Corporate Counsel,
VMware, Inc.

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“As a mentor to law students for several years, participating on the LMJ Scholarship Committee is important to me because it provides me another means to help law students from diverse backgrounds to further their education and realize their aspirations in the legal field, while lessening their financial burdens.”

Nkechi Chukwueke serves in the role of Corporate Counsel at VMware in Chicago, IL. Prior to joining VMware, Nkechi was an Attorney at IBM, working in the Washington, DC area. Nkechi has experience in commercial technology transactions, including channel pricing matters, and public sector contracts with the U.S. federal government, state and local entities, and international organizations. She has a reputation for being a diplomatic negotiator and trusted business advisor to her internal clients. In her spare time, she enjoys mentoring law students, playing and coaching soccer and visiting new countries. Nkechi earned her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where she was a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Award for Academic Achievement, and her B.A. from Stanford University where she majored in International Relations and minored in African Studies.

MIKE DEE

Law School Relations & Diversity Recruiting Manager,
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

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“Right now, there’s a brilliant and hardworking student out there who wants to be a lawyer one day. That student sees injustice in our society and believes that if someone just gives them a chance, they can be a powerful advocate for change. That student knows that they don’t have the background or profile of a “typical” lawyer, but they’re undaunted because every hurdle they’ve come across, they’ve overcome. But then that student does their research and realizes just how expensive law school can be, and no amount of diligence or hard work can overcome that financial barrier. But, if during the course of their research, that student stumbles upon an opportunity like the LMJ Scholarship – a scholarship that helps ease the burden of law school expenses and fosters a pipeline of diverse legal talent aimed at individuals just like that student– suddenly, those dreams of being a lawyer seem possible once again. Participating on this committee is my way of thanking those who took a chance on me and to try to find and help those students who have made it this far, but just need a little more support to make their dreams a reality.”

Mike Dee is the US Law Schools Relation & Diversity Recruiting Manager for Orrick. Prior to this role, Mike served as a Legal Recruiting Manager and Associate at DLA Piper, where he specialized in litigation and internal investigations. Mike received his J.D. from Duke Law School and his B.A. from the University of California, San Diego. Mike resides in Washington, D.C. with his whippet, Pippin. He currently serves as General Counsel of the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to empowering Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander youth by increasing access to public service opportunities.

GEORGE GONZALEZ

Director & Sr. Corporate Counsel Business & Government Services,
LexisNexis Risk Solutions Inc.

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“I graduated from High School in 1995 with no plans for my next steps. During my senior year, I signed up to join the US Marine Corps. I thought I would spend four years in the military and then take advantage of the GI Bill. Unfortunately, two weeks prior to graduating, I developed a medical condition that resulted in my discharge from the Marines before I made it to boot camp. I spent the next two years taking classes at a local community college, but eventually had to withdraw because my car broke down and I did not have the money to fix it.

In the summer of 1998, I received a telephone call from my father that changed the course of my life. Dad finally received a 100% disability rating from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. He suffered tremendously to get this rating, but his disability rating now meant he would be more financially secure, and I was entitled to receive help from the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program. The DEA program paid for the remainder of my undergraduate studies and a portion of my law school tuition.

Without the DEA scholarship, I really don’t know where I would be today. My experience made me passionate about finding hard working, motivated individuals, and getting them resources they need to succeed. I’m really looking forward to being a part of the 2021 LMJ Scholarship Selection Committee. Please let me know if you need additional information.”

George is a Director and Senior Corporate Counsel at LexisNexis Risk Solutions where he focuses on complex commercial transactions involving big data/analytics, technology, professional services, and privacy matters. LexisNexis Risk Solutions is a leader in providing tools to customers to help them assess, predict, and manage risk. Before joining LexisNexis Risk Solutions, George spent 8.5 years in private practice at law firms in New York City, Miami, and the Washington D.C. area focusing on mergers and acquisitions, securities matters, corporate governance matters and financial transactions. He graduated from Cornell Law School in 2005 and earned an LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulations from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2011. He received a B.A. from the University of Central Florida in 2001. George lives in Boca Raton, FL with his wife and two daughters. When he is not working or spending time with his family, he is garage gym and fitness enthusiast.

Stephen Kampmeier

Associate Director, Emerging Growth & Incubation Group,
Intel Corporation

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“Intel’s vision is to cultivate a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative team to achieve excellent business results for Intel. We achieve this vision by attracting, developing, & advancing diverse talent inside and outside of Intel. Intel participates in the LMJ Scholarship Selection Committee because together everyone achieves more. #IAMINTEL”

A practical advisor to developing businesses in Intel’s Emerging Growth & Incubation group, Stephen helps innovators iterate quickly and efficiently. His portfolio includes entertainment, data acquisition and analysis, and product regulatory, privacy and security, IP counseling, licensing, and marketing issues associated with such work.

NEEL LIMAYE

Commercial Counsel,
Chime

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“Participating in the LMJ Scholarship Committee is important to me because diversity in the legal profession creates a path to a more just legal system. Programs like these have the power to change lives and make our world a better place.”

Neel Limaye is a commercial attorney at Chime, a San Francisco-based fintech company. Prior to this, he worked in-house roles at various technology companies and was a litigator, representing companies involved in false advertising and misrepresentation lawsuits. Neel is constantly seeking the Bay Area’s finest al pastor taco and enjoys watching basketball and reading books with his daughter.

Andrea Moody Turner

In-House Senior Counsel,
General Motors LLC

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Andrea Moody Turner joined the General Motors Legal Staff in April 2015. She currently manages the company’s products, Maven, and company car litigation and not-in-suit claims across the United States and in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to claims and lawsuit management, Andrea is also a member of GM’s Driving Equality Coalition, GM’s Diversity Task Force, GM’s Compliance Liaison Committee, and GM’s Liaison to the Minority Corporate Counsel Association.

Andrea Moody Turner

Partner,
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

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Meghan advises clients on supply chain matters, acts as general counsel and assists with mergers and acquisitions for clients in the food, beverage, agribusiness, manufacturing, outdoor/apparel and distribution industries. Meghan focuses on providing practical advice and understanding the business objectives for the deal at hand.

Prior to attending law school, Meghan was a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers for 8 years, building databases to analyze data in the white-collar fraud, healthcare, and litigation context.

Practice Highlights

Drafts supply and manufacturing/co-pack agreements, vendor agreements, distribution agreements, reseller agreements, and other supply chain-type contracts

Counsels in other supply chain matters such as Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) Policies and developing reseller policies and procedures

Counsels wineries in negotiating agreements for sale of grapes, custom crush, leasing, and sale of property

Drafts grower agreements for protection of growing crop including fruit, berries, and grapes

Represents clients on buy and sell sides of purchase and sale of assets and stock involving asset purchases of a variety of businesses including agriculture, restaurants, and wineries

Drafts and reviews nondisclosure agreements (NDAs)

Counsel clients on general corporate legal advice

Representative clients for supply chain work include Annie’s, Dave’s Killer Bread, Navitas Naturals, Sock It to Me, and Starbucks

Heidi Ruckriegle

Ethics Counsel,
Western Union

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Thomasina Poirot

Counsel,
Venable LLP

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“As a member of Venable’s hiring committee, I have interviewed hundreds of outstanding law students, including minority candidates. Awarding students scholarship opportunities—along with guidance and mentorship—allows these future leaders the ability to concentrate on their legal careers and give back to the community with less financial worries. I’m happy to be a part of it!”

Outside of Venable, Thomasina is very involved with the community. She serves on 5 nonprofit Boards, including Co-Chair of the Baltimore Tree Trust, Secretary of the Reginald Lewis Museum, and a Board Member of CollegeBound, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and Business Volunteers Maryland. She also mentors high school and law students to provide support throughout their paths toward a legal career.