Les Boswell

Counsel,
State Farm

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Les Boswell is member of the State Counsel team for State Farm, currently responsible for government and regulatory affairs in New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. He assumed the role of State Counsel in October 2018. He joined State Farm in 2013 as Counsel to the Investment Department, focusing on real estate finance, state and federal compliance issues, and other financial transactions involving State Farm and its affiliates. During his time with State Farm, Les has been extremely involved the Law Department’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, including serving in multiple leadership roles within the Diversity & Inclusion committee.

Prior to joining State Farm, Les practiced at Moore & Van Allen and Kirk Palmer & Thigpen in Charlotte, North Carolina where he focused on real estate, real estate finance and various corporate matters. He also worked in-house with Electrolux North America where he handled an array of commercial matters.

Les received his undergraduate and law degrees from The College of William & Mary in Virginia.

Les and his wife, Jennie, have three daughters, ages 10, 8, and 6.

Michael Brown

Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary,
The New York Times Company

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Michael Brown serves as Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of The New York Times Company. In addition to his role as Corporate Secretary, Mike leads The Times’s corporate and securities practice. He oversees its core responsibilities of securities law compliance, corporate governance, executive compensation and transactional matters. Mike has also played a significant role in developing the company’s ESG strategic initiatives.

Prior to his role at The Times, he was Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Cipher Mining, an emerging technology company specializing in bitcoin. Before that, he was Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Clearway Energy, Inc., one of the largest renewable energy owners in the United States. In both roles, he led governance- and board-related activities, coordinated SEC reporting and advised on significant financial transactions. He also played a key role in the development of ESG and DEI strategic initiatives. Mike was a finalist for “Governance Professional of the Year” at the 2020 Corporate Governance Awards hosted by Corporate Secretary magazine.

Mike began his in-house career at NRG Energy, Inc., serving as Senior Counsel, Securities and Finance, and he also worked at the law firm of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. Mike serves on the board of directors of Clean Air Council, an environmental nonprofit located in Philadelphia, PA. He received his undergraduate degree from Williams College and his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Carmen Chan

Corporate Counsel,
Liberty Mutual Insurance

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Carmen Chan is an innovative, inquisitive, and introspective attorney for Liberty Mutual Insurance where she practices M&A, venture and governance as a Corporate Counsel. Carmen’s work is highly visible and complex; and she is able to deliver thoughtful and precise advice under the pressure of a transactional practice. Carmen is also Co-Chair of Liberty Mutual Pro Bono Committee, where she manages a program with 15+ pro bono partnerships and opportunities. Promotes pro bono participation by identifying and developing meaningful opportunities and relationships with civil legal aid and service organizations.

Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, Carmen was a Corporate Associate in Morgan Lewis’ Boston Office where she specialized in corporate law and investment transactions. Carmen is a Graduate of Boston College and received her JD from Northeastern University School of Law. She was an intern for the Hon. Marianne B. Bowler in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Julius Chen

Partner,
Akin

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A first-generation Asian American, Julius Chen attended Princeton University, where he graduated magna cum laude with an A.B. in U.S. history. His senior thesis—The Government on Wheels: Fixity, Mobility, and Centrality in Early American Capital Cities—won the Prize in American History.

Mr. Chen was then selected as a California Senate Fellow. Beyond studying pressing policy issues through a graduate-level program sponsored by the Center for California Studies, Mr. Chen staffed education and tax matters for Sen. George C. Runner.

Mr. Chen received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. At the end of his first year, he was awarded the Charles Bathgate Beck Prize (for the best first-year examination in real property) and was named to the Columbia Law Review. Thereafter, Mr. Chen was elected editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review and graduated with honors as a James Kent Scholar (the law school’s highest academic recognition).

Mr. Chen’s legal writing also garnered broad recognition. His exploration of the potential impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s then-recent decision in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), on pleading standards in state courts was published in the Columbia Law Review and received LexisNexis’s James William Moore Federal Practice Award for outstanding scholarship in federal civil practice and procedure. In addition, Mr. Chen’s nuanced examination of Asian Americans and “percentage plan” college admission programs was published in the Asian Pacific American Law Journal and won the Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund’s Robert T. Matsui Writing Competition.

Mr. Chen began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge T.S. Ellis III on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He then served as a law clerk to Judge Judith W. Rogers on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Over the past decade in private practice, and as described in more detail above, Mr. Chen has built an impressive record as an appellate advocate. He has presented Within Akin Gump, Mr. Chen received the Stark Ritchie Pro Bono Counsel Award, which recognizes unyielding commitment to providing free legal services to those in the community who need it most and can afford it least. Mr. Chen has also been named a rising star or otherwise recognized by several publications, including the National Law Journal, Bloomberg Law, Washington Business Journal, Euromoney’s Expert Guide and The Legal 500 United States. And just this year, the Washington Business Journal honored Mr. Chen as a Diversity in Business Leader.

Jacqueline Chung

Partner,
White & Case LLP

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Jacqueline Chung is a partner in the Commercial Litigation group. She has extensive experience litigating business disputes that involve complex cross-border issues. She helps foreign clients navigate state and federal court litigation in the United States. She regularly represents and advises clients dealing with conflicting demands from US and foreign courts and regulators. Her clients span a number of industries, including the financial services, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and food and beverages sectors. She has significant experience litigating judgment enforcement actions, commercial fraud claims, fraudulent conveyance claims, contract disputes, and actions alleging violations of state and federal consumer protection statutes and false claims acts. She has extensive trial and appellate experience in state and federal courts.

Jacqueline has an active pro bono practice that is focused on litigating on behalf of wrongfully convicted individuals. Recent matters include the successful representation at trial of a wrongfully convicted individual in a federal court action to obtain compensation for 27 years of wrongful imprisonment arising from a 1986 murder conviction, and the successful representation of an individual appealing a wrongful conviction for robbery in the first degree, which resulted in a reversal of the verdict and a dismissal of the indictment.

Jacqueline is an active member of the Firm’s Global Asian Affinity Network and served as co-chair from 2016 to 2022.

Jacqueline received her JD from William & Mary Law School and her BA from Yale University.

Jomaire Crawford

Litigation Partner,
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

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Jomaire Crawford is a partner in the New York office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, where she practices complex litigation in state and federal court. Recognized as a “Rising Star” by New York Law Journal for her plaintiff and defense side practice, Jomaire handles a range of high-stakes civil, criminal, and regulatory matters for individuals, non-profits, and corporate clients. Her recent matters include securities and privacy class actions, shareholder derivative suits, contract disputes, and cross-border investigations.

Over the years, Jomaire’s clients have ranged from individuals and non-profits, to public companies, institutional investors, higher-education institutions, and real estate investment trusts. Jomaire has experience in all phases of litigation from pre-complaint investigation to dispositive motion practice, summary judgment, and trial – and has successfully resolved numerous disputes without resort to litigation.

Jomaire’s contributions to the legal profession are not limited to her billable matters. She maintains a robust pro bono practice and has donated her time to community service projects and pro bono cases every year of her legal career. She has partnered with legal service providers like the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), and served as court-appointed counsel through programs facilitated by the Federal Bar Council and the Southern District of New York’s Office of Pro Se Litigation.

For her work inside and outside of the courtroom, Jomaire has earned numerous awards and recognitions, including from The New York Law Journal, the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP), and the American Bar Association Business Law Section. Jomaire was also named to the Power 100 List of Influential Black Attorneys and the Lawyers of Color “Hot List” in 2022, and will receive the Professional Achievement award from the Association of Black Women Attorneys (ABWA) at this year’s Ruth Whitehead Whaley Luncheon. For a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief that Jomaire co-authored with leading appellate advocate and Quinn Emanuel name partner Kathleen Sullivan in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, No. 19-123 (argued Nov. 4, 2020), Quinn Emanuel also received the “Pro Bono Champion” award by the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance.

Jomaire earned her law degree from Yale and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English and double minors in Philosophy of Law, and Rhetoric and Public Address.

Melissa Crespo

Partner,
Morrison Foerster

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Melissa Crespo helps clients navigate a wide range of challenging privacy compliance and data security matters with a focus on the health information and the health care sector. She regularly helps clients develop and implement privacy compliance programs and advises companies on managing risk in connection with cutting-edge technologies and data initiatives.

Melissa has particular experience in advising clients on compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other laws governing the collection and use of medical and health information.

Melissa regularly counsels clients responding to data breaches and security incidents. She has successfully defended clients in numerous regulatory inquiries regarding data security practices, including investigations by the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state attorneys general, and foreign regulators following data security incidents.

Melissa also advises multinational companies on the privacy and data security aspects of their M&A transactions and has experience drafting and negotiating tailored privacy and data security contract provisions.

In 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, The Legal 500 US recognized Melissa as a “Rising Star” in the area of cyber law, data privacy, and data protection. She was also named a “Rising Star” for Privacy & Data Protection in the IFLR Americas Awards 2021 and named “One to Watch” for Healthcare Law by Best Lawyers Americas 2023. In 2016, she was shortlisted for the “Future Leader – Gender Diversity” award at the inaugural Chambers USA Diversity Awards. Melissa was a 2015 recipient of the Burton Award for Legal Achievement, which honors excellence in legal writing.

Melissa earned her J.D., cum laude, from Howard University School of Law.

Diana Dessources

Legal Director, Assistant General Counsel,
Workday, Inc.

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Diana Dessources is an Assistant General Counsel at Workday, Inc., a cloud-based enterprise software provider specializing in finance, HR, and planning applications. Diana supports go-to-market commercial transactions, drafting and negotiating contracts with major multi-national companies. Diana concentrates on complex negotiations protecting Workday’s exposure to liability and overall business interests. Diana also supports and counsels sales on strategic initiatives, contributing to Workday’s continued growth. Diana’s clients have recognized her as an Extended Team MVP. Diana also leads the departments pro bono and recruiting/retention initiatives and is very active with Workday’s DE&I initiatives. Diana also works at Cornell as a Course Facilitator with their online certificate program. Additionally, Diana is active with several community and legal organizations, including serving as a high-school mentor for over ten years with the Legal Outreach educational program.

Immediately prior to joining Workday, Diana served as Associate Counsel with the Technology and Information Security Group at JP Morgan Chase. Diana has also worked as an Adjunct Professor of Business Law.

Diana received her B.A. from St. John’s University and her J.D. from Touro Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, receiving many awards and honors, including serving as the Research Editor of the International Law Review.

Rodney Dillard II

Associate Complex Torts Litigation Attorney,
Baker Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC

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Rodney Dillard II is an associate in Baker Donelson’s Birmingham office and concentrates his practice in high exposure commercial and business litigation, complex transportation, construction, insurance defense and complex tort litigation. Mr. Dillard represents regional and national clients across a variety of industries in all Alabama and Georgia state and federal courts.

Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Mr. Dillard worked as in-house counsel for a large national insurance company, representing the company and its insureds in a variety of disputes including first- and third-party litigation and subrogation matters and providing opinions on coverage issues. Further, Mr. Dillard recovered thousands of dollars for the company by filing and trying numerous subrogation claims on its behalf. He has obtained several defense verdicts throughout his practice in the areas of complex tort defense and construction litigation.

Prior to practicing law, Mr. Dillard worked for several years in the field of grants and contract administration for the City of Birmingham and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. While working for the City’s finance department as a grant administrator, Mr. Dillard collaborated with the Grants Management Division of the Mayor’s Office on grant policies for municipal employees, monitored the City’s state and federal grants to ensure compliance and provided grant management training. While at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he negotiated and redlined state and federal contracts and agreements between the University and federal government, other academic institutions, and health institutions.

EDUCATION

• Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, J.D., 2012
• Alabama A&M University, B.A., 2009

ADMISSIONS PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND ACTIVITES

• Alabama, 2012
• Georgia, 2019
• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama

Sebastian Fain

Partner,
Freshfields

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Sebastian L. Fain is a partner at Freshfields in New York focusing on M&A, activism defense and corporate governance. His experience is centered on domestic and cross-border M&A, including public company mergers and de-SPAC transactions, private equity acquisitions, joint ventures, complex business carve-outs and divestitures, hostile takeovers and defense, carve-out IPOs, spin-offs and split-offs. In addition, Sebastian extensively counsels management and boards of directors on governance, activism and disclosure matters.

Sebastian is recognized among leading corporate/M&A lawyers, winning both The American Lawyer’s “Dealmaker of the Year” and Bloomberg Law’s “40 Under 40” in 2021, being named among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers” in 2021 and 2022, and ranking among Legal 500’s “Next Generation Partners” for 2022.

Sebastian received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his A.B. in Biology from Harvard University.

Roger Gousse

Assistant General Counsel, Global Real Estate,
Nike, Inc.

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As an Assistant General Counsel at NIKE, Roger focuses his support on NIKE’s retail portfolio by negotiating high-profile retail leases and providing strategic legal support on retail store operations, real estate and store construction. Roger also provides legal guidance on innovative sports and recreation construction projects tied to major brand events and local communities. He is a member of NIKE’s Black Employee Network, as wells as the Latino & Friends Network, and co-leads recruiting and planning for the CAO Legal Internship summer program.

Roger earned his B.A. from Cornell University and completed his JD & MBA at Loyola University of Chicago. Prior to joining NIKE, Roger served as counsel for Simon Property Group where he provided legal support related to SIMON’s suite of sport and footwear mall tenants in North America. Outside of work Roger enjoys hiking, dancing, running, and live music.

Stephanie Green

Associate General Counsel,
USAA

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Stephanie Green is Associate General Counsel on the Corporate Regulatory Counsel team at USAA, a membership-based association offering financial products and services to present and former military personnel, their families, and other eligible membership categories.

In her role at USAA, Stephanie advises business partners across the organization on risk and compliance matters relating to the Federal Reserve’s regulation of USAA as an Insurance Savings and Loan Holding Company. Areas of support include compliance risk management, assessment and monitoring, and confidential supervisory information.

Stephanie is deeply engaged with initiatives seeking to further diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal profession, in particular, in USAA’s Chief Legal Office (“CLO”). She co-leads the Intern Coordinator team and has driven the adoption of practices to enhance DEI efforts in recruiting, attracting, and retaining diverse talent within CLO. Additionally, as a member of CLO’s DEI team, she works to support initiatives increasing USAA’s engagement with LGBTQIA+ legal professionals and inclusive measures within the department.

Prior to joining USAA, Stephanie held a number of roles in the legal department at Discover Financial Services, including Bank Regulatory and BSA/AML counsel and as a member of the Government Relations team. She earned her JD cum laude from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and clerked in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for the Hon. Procter Hug, Jr. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education from Arizona State University.

Outside of the office, Stephanie is actively engaged in her community as a member of the D.C. area Rainbow Families organization. She volunteers with Howard County Public Schools and with Howard County Recreation and Parks, as well as with local rescue organization Last Chance Animal Rescue.

In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her wife, two daughters, and four rescue dogs, especially attending concerts, hiking, playing tabletop games, or watching or playing soccer.

Ernest Hammond III

Associate General Counsel, Product Legal,
Meta

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Ernest Hammond III is Associate General Counsel, Product at Meta where he provides legal guidance and support for the development and launch of new products and features to Meta’s Central Social Impact teams and other stakeholders. With a focus on technology and privacy law, Ernest advises internal teams on a wide range of legal issues, including product development, data privacy and security, and regulatory compliance.

Prior to joining Meta, Ernest worked as product counsel at Twilio and Uber partnering with global product, engineering, compliance, and other teams to guide development of products and services to meet strategic objectives while ensuring compliance with rapidly evolving laws and regulations.

Ernest is actively engaged in efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal community including as a Board Director for BALIF (the nation’s oldest and largest association of LGBTQI attorneys) as well as an Ambassador for the California Minority Counsel Program. He previously served in a variety of other leadership positions including Co-Chair At Large for the Minority Bar Coalition of the SF Bay Area, Barristers Club Diversity Director for the Bar Association of San Francisco, and Men of Color Project Member for the American Bar Association. Ernest is recognized for his leadership in DEI, having been named the recipient of the 2022 Barristers Diversity Award from The Bar Association of San Francisco and the 2022 Minority Bar Coalition Unity Award. He is also an active advocate for access to justice in his community, serving on the boards of the Child Care Law Center and UnCommon Law.

Ernest earned his B.S. from the University of Florida, his M.B.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and his J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law.

TaCara Harris

Partner,
King & Spalding

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TaCara Harris is a Partner in the Atlanta office of King & Spalding and a member of the firm’s Trial and Global Disputes practice area. She is an experienced litigator and budding first-chair trial lawyer who represents the world’s most sophisticated pharmaceutical and medical device companies—including Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, Coloplast, Pfizer, and Eisai—in nationwide product liability litigation. TaCara handles all aspects of large-scale, high-stakes mass tort litigation across the country in state court consolidated proceedings and in multidistrict litigation from early case assessment, through discovery, and on to summary judgment, trial, settlement, and appeal. Through early case assessment and meticulous preparation, TaCara develops case strategy tailored to the litigation while prioritizing and aligning clients’ business needs and goals; understanding and helping to develop the company story through witnesses and documents; and building the scientific case through a review of the record evidence and preparation of world-class experts. Having actively participated on successful teams in eight multi-week, high-stakes product liability jury trials, TaCara handles each matter with a view toward trial, considering how to communicate effectively to a jury a host of complex scientific, technical, and regulatory issues.

Prior to joining King & Spalding, TaCara graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies. She then earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School with honors in 2013, where she was the recipient of multiple prestigious scholarships. While attending law school, TaCara served as a law clerk at the Office of the General Counsel of Vanderbilt University and as a summer associate at Maynard Cooper & Gale, LLP, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP, and Baker Donelson. Upon graduation from law school, she worked as a general litigation associate for Baker Donelson in Nashville, Tennessee.

Since joining the Trial and Global Disputes practice at King & Spalding, TaCara has emerged as a zealous advocate and young leader in the life sciences space and served as National Coordinating Counsel in hundreds of product liability cases. For example, she was an integral part of the team serving as national coordinating and trial counsel for GlaxoSmithKline in litigation alleging in utero injuries caused by the prescription antidepressant Paxil, which culminated in favorable resolution of all plaintiffs’ cases.

Likewise, for an international medical device company, TaCara recently led a cross-office team of 16 associates and partners and 4 paralegals in preparing for trial—developing the case theory; leading client and team meetings; managing a trial budget; and overseeing all critical pre-trial and trial tasks. Following a two-week trial, a federal jury awarded the plaintiff only $500,000 in compensatory damages and no punitive damages—a fraction of the $2.5 million plaintiff’s counsel had requested.

Just recently, TaCara was asked to help lead a large, multi-office team defending TikTok in a newly formed MDL in Northern District of California and in state courts across the country. These high-profile lawsuits involving underaged users of the content-sharing platform and claims of “social media addiction” implicate cutting-edge issues of Internet law, as well as novel theories of product liability.

At a young age, TaCara has emerged as a thought leader in her field. Even during the pandemic, she creatively developed best practices for maximizing effectiveness in remote depositions and hearings and tracked the pandemic’s impact on jury composition and attitudes. Leveraging this research, she and three colleagues presented to clients on best strategies for “Litigating in a Pandemic.” Because of her expertise and commitment to excellence in the profession, this year, she was appointed as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Vanderbilt Law School.

In addition to her litigation practice, TaCara has leveraged her skillset to help lead significant investigations. For example, in October 2022, the U.S. Soccer Federation retained former deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an investigation into allegations of abuse in women’s professional soccer. TaCara led one of three primary workstreams for an all-female team; developed findings and recommendations for corrective action; and drafted a significant portion of a 172-page public investigative report. Released October 3, 2022, it has garnered substantial media coverage, nearly 300,000 downloads, and praise for its breadth, boldness, and impact. In fact, U.S. Soccer recently announced that it intends to implement all of the report’s recommendations to ensure soccer players across the county have a safe place to learn, compete, and grow.

On top of these efforts, TaCara co-leads the firm’s Women’s Health Initiative—a business development effort intended to help K&S become the leading firm representing companies whose products target or disproportionately impact women. In her role, TaCara has created a multi-disciplinary working group that follows trends in women’s health and educates clients about the firm’s capabilities in this space. She regularly speaks and publishes thought leadership pieces noting the increased focus on women’s health in the government, marketplace, and media, and recently helped land an engagement with a newly formed global women’s health company.

As a result of TaCara’s outstanding legal talent, leadership abilities, and standing in the profession, she has already made herself integral to the most significant clients and laid the foundation for amassing a robust book of business. For example, while still an associate and after a competitive nationwide vetting process, TaCara was selected by Pfizer for its Raising the Bar Initiative as preferred counsel, an exclusive group of only 10 lawyers, including seven partners and one counsel. The program is designed to increase the participation of minority attorneys in Pfizer matters. TaCara has also been recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star and as a member of the “Top 40 Under 40” class by National Black Lawyers.
From these experiences and many others, TaCara has honed her talents as a litigator with robust trial experience, early-career business development victories, strong interpersonal skills, and a proven track record as an enthusiastic, visible leader in her firm and in the profession. These qualities and accomplishments, along with her charismatic personality, positioned TaCara to be promoted to partner after only eight years of practice.

Morgan Hollins

Partner,
White & Case LLP

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Morgan is a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group in the White & Case Houston office. Her practice consists of a wide range of both domestic and international corporate and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, MLP dropdowns, joint ventures and company formations. She also advises clients on corporate governance matters and deal structures relating to acquisitions, divestitures and exit strategies. Morgan has experience representing both public and private companies, as well as conflicts committees, in a variety of industries, including oil and gas and other natural resources, solar energy, entertainment and financial services.

Morgan was named to The Deal’s “Top Rising Stars” for Mergers & Acquisitions in 2021. She is listed as a “Rising Star” for Mergers & Acquisitions in the United States by Euromoney (2020).

Morgan received a B.S. in Economics, cum laude, from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2004 and she completed her J.D. at Harvard Law School in 2008.

Marshall Jackson, Jr.

Partner,
McDermott Will & Emery LLP

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Marshall E. Jackson, Jr. focuses his practice on transactional and regulatory counseling for clients in the healthcare industry, as well as advises clients on the legal, regulatory and compliance aspects of digital health.

Marshall provides counseling and advice to hospitals and health systems, private equity firms and their portfolio companies, post/sub-acute providers, physician practices, and other public and private healthcare companies in a variety of complex transactions and health regulatory compliance matters. Marshall assists clients in all aspects of healthcare transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic affiliations. Marshall focuses his regulatory practice on advising clients with respect to federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse compliance, reimbursement issues, behavioral and mental health regulatory compliance, licensure, and operational matters.

Additionally, Marshall advises healthcare providers, private equity firms and their portfolio companies, and technology companies involved in “digital health” – the intersection of health software applications, analytical tools, medical technology and electronic data assets enabled by the Internet and mobile devices –on a variety of legal, regulatory and compliance matters with a particular focus on digital health topics, including telehealth, telemedicine, mobile health and consumer wellness. Such engagements include assisting clients in developing and implementing telehealth programs by advising on issues related to professional licensure, scope of practice, informed consent, prescribing and reimbursement.

Marshall has been recognized by The National Law Journal, The Legal 500, The Best Lawyers in America, American Health Lawyers Association, and The National Black Lawyers. Prior to joining McDermott, he was an associate in the healthcare and life sciences practice group of a national law firm.

Marshall earned his law degree with a health law concentration and, while in law school, served as senior articles editor of the Journal of Healthcare Law and Policy and as captain of the National Trial Team.

Karen Jordan

St. Louis Managing Partner,
Dentons US LLP

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Karen Jordan is the office managing partner of Dentons’ St. Louis office and a member of Dentons’ Corporate practice. She concentrates on advising corporate clients in a wide range of corporate, public finance, corporate finance, real estate and securities transactions.

In her public finance practice, Karen has represented underwriters, borrowers, issuers and political subdivisions in transactions totaling in excess of US$5 billion. She focuses on all aspects of project financing for commercial facilities; real estate developments; health care facilities; senior living and retirement facilities; airports; utilities; manufacturing facilities; sports facilities; governmental, community and cultural facilities; and facilities for colleges, universities and other educational institutions, including public, private and “virtual” schools.

Karen has also represented a number of corporate clients in all aspects of their business, including mergers and acquisitions, financing and investment transactions, as well as general corporate matters. She has extensive experience in corporate procurement (including a secondment at a Fortune 500 company), providing procurement advice in the context of high-value transactions.

Karen has represented issuers in both private and public offerings, including initial public offerings and equity and debt offerings of existing public companies. She also represents a number of nonprofit corporations on structure, governance and compliance issues.

Karen has been a featured speaker on the corporate law, municipal finance and the use of public incentives to finance private development, including speaking engagements for the Women’s Business Development Center, the National Association of Bond Lawyers, Commercial Real Estate Women and the Jeffrey E. Smith Institute of Real Estate.

Karen serves on the boards of directors for the St. Louis Arc, the St. Louis County Library Foundation, the YWCA of Metro St. Louis and the Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and The Links, Incorporated.

Mia Lorick

Partner,
Locke Lord LLP

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Mia Lorick is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in civil appellate law ‎and concentrates her practice on commercial litigation, real estate litigation, energy litigation ‎and civil appeals. She handles jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations as well as appellate ‎briefing and oral argument, and she has argued before the Texas Supreme Court.‎

In addition to her practice, Mia has been an advocate for a more equitable legal profession, ‎having founded and directed her former firm’s diversity and inclusion initiative. She regularly ‎speaks on diversity and inclusion panels, most recently for the American Bar Association. Mia ‎is also the founder of the Suited for Success Scholarship, which awards law students with a ‎business suit for interviewing.‎

Mia’s representative experience includes:‎

• Tried a jury trial and obtained a unanimous jury verdict on a commercial real estate ‎dispute.‎
• Received result in favor of a land owner in a bench trial on a real estate transactions ‎dispute.‎
• Tried a jury trial and obtained a unanimous jury verdict on a breach of contract dispute.‎
• Briefed and argued appeal in favor of client to the Fourteenth Court of Appeals on the ‎lack of derivative standing for nonprofit corporations under the Texas Business and ‎Organizations Code.‎
• Briefed and argued appeal in favor of client to the First Court of Appeals in a legal ‎malpractice case.‎
• Briefed and argued appeal in favor of client to the Fifth Court of Appeals on a motion to ‎show authority.‎
• Handled appeal in favor of client to the First Court of Appeals on a breach of contract ‎and declaratory judgment dispute.‎
• Briefed and argued appeal in favor of client to the Thirteenth Court of Appeals on a ‎motion for sanctions under the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 10.‎
• Handled mandamus in favor of client to the First Court of Appeals on the expungement ‎of a Lis Pendens.‎
• Briefed and argued appeal to the Seventh Court of Appeals on a fraud and tortious ‎interference dispute.‎
• Handled interlocutory appeal in favor of client to the Ninth Court of Appeals on an ‎Anti-SLAPP Motion to Dismiss.‎
• Briefed interlocutory appeal to Eleventh Court of Appeals on temporary injunction.‎
• Briefed and argued appeal to the Texas Supreme Court on interpretations of the Texas ‎Property Code.‎

Mia’s Awards Include:‎

• Recipient, Steven C. Haley Best Speaker Award, Texas State Bar’s ‎Advanced Real ‎Estate Law Course (2018)‎
• Named. Rising Star, Houston Association of Women Attorneys ‎Foundation
• Named, Woman to Watch, Houston Business Journal
• Named, Rising Star, University of Houston Law Center
• Named, Top Lawyer, Houstonia Magazine
• Named, Super Lawyers® Texas Rising Star, Appellate (2019-2022)‎
• Named, Top 50 Women Lawyers, National Diversity Council (2019)‎
• Named, Top 100, National Black Lawyers (2019)‎
• Named, Top Women Lawyers, Texas Diversity Council (2021)‎
• Recognized, Best Legal Article, Houston Bar Foundation (2021)‎
• Recognized, Best News Article, State Bar of Texas (2021-2022)‎

Mia’s Professional Affiliations Include:‎

• Treasurer, Houston Bar Association Litigation Section
• Council Member, State Bar of Texas Appellate Section
• Member of the Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
• Member of the CLE committee for the State Bar of Texas

Jon Mehta

Legal Director, Litigation & Investigations,
Johnson & Johnson

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Jonathan Mehta is the Legal Director, Litigation & Investigations – Asia Pacific at Johnson & Johnson. In his capacity, Mr. Mehta has led the cross-functional APAC Investigations Team, where he developed an innovative approach to manage internal investigations including: 1) partnering with several law firms to develop a set of best practices related to investigations; 2) creating an internal cloud database and dashboards to track key data points; and 3) developing consistent standards and fee structures with both panel law firms and eDiscovery providers to ensure Johnson & Johnson was receiving the highest value and efficiency given the volume of investigations that his team was handling.

Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Mehta was a New York-trained Senior Associate at Alston & Bird where he gained extensive experience conducting large-scale cross-border investigations. He spent three years as a secondee at Credit Suisse in Hong Kong, where he worked on APAC and MENA litigation and investigations. Experience during his secondment includes:

Investigations:

• Obtained favorable resolutions with the US SEC and US DOJ in parallel multi-year FCPA investigations of hiring practices in the Asia-Pacific region. Primary responsibilities included overseeing regulatory submissions, preparing witnesses for testimony, providing regional regulators and management updates on the investigation and managing document review teams in Hong Kong, India and the US.
• Managed internal investigations relating to activity identified by Compliance and whistleblower letters relating to (1) potential FCPA violations in the PRC and India; (2) insider trading in Hong Kong and Australia; and (3) research report front-running in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Thailand.
• Managed global cross-border investigations relating to potential breaches of regulations on research report disclosures and foreign financial service provider licensing conditions.
• Managed criminal investigation by the Indonesian Police relating to transactions associated with a hedge fund that was under investigation for allegedly facilitating a Ponzi scheme valued at US$1 billion.

Litigation:

• Managed affirmative disputes and directly negotiated favorable settlements, exceeding US$40 million, with a Hong Kong-listed counter-party in relation to defaulted convertible bonds, and a Taiwan-listed counterparty in relation to a defaulted total-return-swap.
• Negotiated a favorable settlement on a multi-year US$500 million negligence action in Hong Kong relating to CS’s role as a financial advisor to a US-listed company that allegedly defrauded investors.
• Managed dispute to ensure that a US$50 million subscription in a US IPO was settled following attempts by a Hong Kong-based client to refuse an allocation post-closing of the IPO.
• Acted as APAC lead on several US class action lawsuits relating to CS’s role as underwriter in the capital-raising activities of US-listed companies that are based in the PRC.

Operations:

• Developed a regional matter-management dashboard used to generate management reports tracking matters, trends, recoveries and legal spend.
• Developed an e-Discovery playbook to standardize the electronic discovery review process.

Mr. Mehta also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis in the U.S. District Court for the E.D.N.Y.

Mr. Mehta earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 2012, where he was the general editor of Journal of Law and Public Policy and was involved in the Latin American Law Students Association. He earned his B.A. from North Carolina State University in 2009.

Nicholas Meza

Partner,
Quarles & Brady LLP

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Nick Meza advises healthcare businesses, including retail, independent, mail-order and specialty pharmacies, pharmacy benefits managers (PBM), pharmacy hubs, wholesale drug distributors, and drug and device manufacturers. Nick’s clients also include hospitals, physician/oncology groups and integrated behavioral health practices. With a master’s degree in public health, policy and administration and prior clinical work experience, Nick brings broad knowledge of the healthcare industry to the legal advice he provides. He focuses on:

• Healthcare regulatory compliance
• Healthcare transactions
• Representing licensed professionals and entities before administrative boards

Clients rely on the responsiveness and collegiality that Nick and his team bring to the legal solutions they develop. Nick is known for providing practical legal and business solutions for healthcare clients. He is effective at building meaningful relationships with business partners and regulators to arrive at creative and compliant business solutions.

In addition, Nick focuses on:

• Advising pharmacy clients on practice of pharmacy compliance, automated dispensing systems, supply chain, controlled substance (both DEA and state controlled-substance acts) and business licensing, including change of ownership (CHOW), change of location (CHOL) and change of officer (CHOO) requirements.
• Providing strategic advice and contractual support to pharmacy clients seeking to enter into complex shared services arrangements, including central fill, prescription order processing and remote pharmacy models.
• Advising behavioral health entities on regulatory compliance and transaction matters.
• Counseling wholesale drug distributors, drug and device manufacturers, and repackagers on regulatory compliance, including assisting drug wholesalers with the development of federal and state-controlled substance monitoring and suspicious order reporting programs.
• Providing state regulatory and licensure advice for entities engaged in the dispensing and distribution of investigational drug products.
• Advising software and technology companies both currently operating in and entering the health space on scope of practice compliance and related operational business needs.
• Assisting national oncology and specialty physician practices with the development of specialty drug programs and in-office dispensing (IOD) operations.
• Defending health care facilities and licensed health care professionals against regulatory and licensing board investigations and complaints.

He was named one of Az Big Media’s “Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona” in 2023, has been named to Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” (Health Care Law) each year since 2021 and Southwest Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” (Healthcare) each year since 2018.

Prior to joining Quarles, Nick served as a judicial extern for the Honorable David K. Duncan in the United States District Court, District of Arizona. He also was a legal intern at PetSmart Inc. and the Arizona State University Office of General Counsel.

Nick earned a B.S. in health sciences and master of public health, policy and administration from the University of Arizona and a J.D. from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Nick was a recipient of MCCA’s Lloyd M. Johnson Jr. Scholarship.

Natasha Newberry

Director & Senior Corporate Counsel,
LexisNexis

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Natasha Newberry is Director & Senior Corporate Counsel for LexisNexis, a division of RELX, Inc. She is an accomplished and results-driven attorney passionate about contributing to the success of minority women within the legal profession. Natasha earned her Juris Doctor from Northern Kentucky University-Chase College of Law.

Natasha began her career as associate corporate counsel for a small business where she was able to assist with guiding minority business owners through the legal challenges of owning their first franchise. She then became an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney with the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office thereafter being promoted to the Montgomery County Child Advocacy Center where she prosecuted cases on behalf of child victims of sexual and physical abuse.

In 2018, Natasha started her career at LexisNexis. In her current role, Natasha negotiates complex vendor and customer contracts and provides business centric advice to various market segments, including corporate, intellectual property, print and editorial operations, large law firm, and government markets. She collaborates and partners with the business to address current legal needs and mitigate potential legal issues.

Natasha is an active member of various professional organizations including the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, the International Bar Association, and the Dayton Bar Association. Natasha is committed to the underrepresented members of the community and has served on the Board of Trustees for Legal Aid of Western Ohio & Advocates for Basic Legal Equality since 2013.

Ephraim Pierre

Partner, Labor and Employment,
Seyfarth Shaw LLP

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Ephraim partners with employers to manage the risk and cost of complex employment litigation in an ever-changing legal environment. Ephraim’s experience in representing employers in a variety of industries across the nation provides him with unique and practical insights into the challenges that employers face in complex employment litigation. He has extensive experience with single-plaintiff and class action employment litigation in state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Additionally, Ephraim has significant first-chair trial and arbitration experience, including arbitration proceedings before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority representing broker-dealers.

Ephraim also regularly provides clients with practical advice on workplace issues, including hiring practices, adverse actions, internal complaints and investigations, workplace training, employment agreements, and background screening.

Ephraim is chair of Seyfarth’s A+ affinity group for the firm’s Black attorneys and allies. Ephraim is an Advisory Board Member for Legal Outreach, Inc. In 2017, he was awarded Seyfarth’s “Inspirational Leadership Award” in recognition of his commitment to Legal Outreach, Inc., and for inspiring others to make a difference in the community. Ephraim is also co-chair of the National Employment Law Council’s strategic committee on programing and professional development.

Ephraim has been recognized as a “Ones to Watch” lawyer by Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Labor and Employment Law – Management (2021-2023) and Litigation – Labor and Employment (2021-2023) and as a New York Metro Area Super Lawyers Rising Star for Employment & Labor (Thomson Reuters) (2019-2022). In 2017, Ephraim was selected as a Pathfinder for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.

Ephraim earned his B.A. from Fordham University and his J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Karl Riley

Partner,
Cozen O’Connor

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Karl is an experienced commercial litigator and the Las Vegas Office Managing Partner (OMP) of Cozen O’Connor, a 775-lawyer law firm. Karl joined Cozen O’Connor in September 2020, becoming one of the first African-American OMPs of an Am Law 100 firm in Nevada.

Karl focuses his practice high-stakes commercial disputes, employment litigation, and consumer class actions, and is now leading efforts to build a sophisticated regional appellate practice. He represents Fortune 50 financial institutions, hotels, casinos, real estate owners and developers, insurance companies, and multi-billion dollar investment and timeshare companies. As a commercial litigator, he defends client in disputes regarding breach of contract claims, judgment recoveries, insurance coverage, commercial leases, land sales, receiverships, deficiencies, and frequently obtains injunctive, declaratory, and extraordinary relief. In the employment context, Karl defends employers in discrimination, wrongful termination, and wage-and-hour suits.

Immediately prior to joining Cozen O’Connor as partner, Karl completed a two-year clerkship for the Honorable Johnnie B. Rawlinson for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit). He conducted crucial legal research and analysis and assisted in formulating decisions. Having already practiced law for nearly eight years before doing the clerkship, Karl brought an unusual degree of legal experience to his appellate work.

Karl practiced as an associate in the Litigation Department of the Las Vegas office of Snell & Wilmer. One of his most formative experiences from those early years was second-chairing a federal cross-border breach of contract case with then-partner Aaron Ford, now Nevada’s Attorney General. Karl combed through thousands of pages of documents, depositions, and filings to draft motions and prepare for trial, ultimately helping secure a bench trial verdict of in his client’s favor.

He also served as litigation and appellate counsel in Pac. W. Bank v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Ct., 383 P.3d 252 (Nev. 2016), a case that changed Nevada’s legal landscape by allowing judgment creditors to execute against out-of-state accounts maintained by a Nevada garnishee. He also successfully defended an airline from a hostile takeover/receivership bid by one of the airline’s investors and a board of directors from a breach of fiduciary duty claim based on the sale of their company. The bulk of his work focused on defending Fortune 30 banks in hundreds of cases involving wrongful foreclosure and various consumer fraud claims, protecting the banks’ interest in significant real estate assets. Further, Karl defended these same banks and a television production company in employment discrimination claims.

With an exceptional litigation track record and the Ninth Circuit clerkship, Karl arrived at Cozen O’Connor well positioned to build a regional appellate practice in the Las Vegas legal market, with its still-nascent state court of appeals system and comparatively small Am Law 100-level appellate bar.

Karl has handled several major appeals since joining the firm. He successfully led oral arguments before the California Court of Appeals and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on procedural questions stemming from an asbestos exposure litigation. He won both appeals, which affirmed the lower court’s summary judgment determination in his client’s favor. Karl also led briefing in a matter before the Washington State Court of Appeals concerning the proper venue for litigation with co-defendants in two different states.

Karl has had more than 20 federal and state decisions published in online databases and has had articles posted through the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation Employment and Labor Relations.

Heidi Ruckriegle

Counsel, Compliance, Employment & Litigation,
Gates Corporation

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As Compliance, Employment & Litigation Counsel Heidi provides legal oversight and support to Gates’ businesses and employees worldwide. She is responsible for the design, administration, implementation, and evolution of Gates’ business integrity program. She partners with every aspect of the business to manage a cross-functional, enterprise-wide business integrity program that takes a practical approach to managing risk. Heidi serves a critical role leading internal investigations into potential, legal, regulatory, or policy violations. In addition, she develops productive working relationships with all levels of management and delivers global compliance and integrity education programs for employees.

Heidi is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado Law School where she teaches “The Evolution of the Whistleblower” as part of the Masters of Studies in Law Ethics and Compliance Program.

Before Gates, Heidi managed the Business Integrity Office at a Fortune 500 company.

Prior to moving in-house, Heidi’s practice focused on regulatory matters, government and internal investigations, and crisis management at WilmerHale. Her global practice included representation of high-profile companies in connection with inquiries conducted by Congress, the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, UK Serious Fraud Office, and other U.S. and international agencies.

Throughout her legal career Heidi has dedicated significant hours to helping those in need as pro bono counsel including women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, asylum, and bond and bail reform matters. Heidi received her JD and LLM from the University of Denver. Prior to law school, she worked as an instructor for Costa Rica Outward Bound where she led cross-country treks, raft trips, and surf camps. She is fluent in Spanish.

Heidi is passionate about the outdoors—her favorite activities include backcountry skiing, rafting, and mountain biking. She also serves on the Law School Yes We Can and Colorado Fourteeners Initiative boards.

Pritesh Shah

Partner,
Davis Polk & Wardwell

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IP and Tech Transactions partner Pri Shah joined Davis Polk in 2008 and was elevated to partner after only seven years, making partner at the age of 31. Pri currently serves as the firm’s Corporate Hiring Partner, one of the youngest in recent history, and co-head of the Recruiting Committee. Pri has advised on some of the firm’s most important and high-profile transactions over the last decade, including for clients such as Comcast/NBCUniversal, IHS Markit, PwC, Freeport, Reliance, Tencent, Brookfield and TPG.

Pri structures, negotiates and advises on complex IP and tech-focused M&A transactions, carve-outs, spin-offs and joint ventures, including a broad spectrum of standalone and bespoke commercial agreements. Pri also negotiates and advises on IP and tech-focused PE investments, financing, capital markets transactions and restructurings. His clients span industries, including telecommunications, media and technology, consumer product and fashion, fintech, cleantech, sports and PE and other investors, including SPACs.

Pri gives back to his community as a member of the firm’s Asian/South Asian/Middle Eastern affinity group and serves on the Board of Directors of iCivics and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. He serves as Davis Polk’s Corporate Hiring Partner, where he helps shape and drive the firm’s recruiting strategy and summer program and evaluates the success of our hiring process.

A sought-after thought leader, Pri is invited to speak at industry events, including TechGC’s 2022 “Blockchain & Web3 Virtual Forum,” and has authored articles in Lexology Getting the Deal Through: Private M&A 2023 and Practical Law on data privacy and cybersecurity as well as articles addressing unique issues arising from Generative AI and the metaverse/NFTs in M&A transactions.

Pri graduated from Columbia Law School where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and the Managing Editor of the Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts. He graduated from New York University magna cum laude and previously interned at MLB, McGraw-Hill, ABC and MTV Networks.

He was named a “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal in 2019, a “Next Generation Partner” in Technology Transactions by Legal 500 U.S. and is ranked by Chambers USA for Technology, NY.

Representative matters include:

Tech, Media & Telecom

• TPG on its acquisitions of Forcepoint G2CI and Thomson Reuters’ Elite business
• Taboola and Yahoo 30-year commercial agreement
• Facebook investment in Reliance Industries’ Jio Platforms unit
• Google investment in Reliance Industries’ Jio Platforms unit
• Industrial Media acquisition by Sony Pictures Television
• Emerson acquisition of Aspen Technology in $11B transaction
• Qualcomm and SSW Partners $4.5B acquisition of Veoneer

Consumer Products & Retail

• Victoria’s Secret spin-off and separation from Bath and Body Works
• Ferrero $2.8B acquisition of Nestlé’s U.S. confectionary business
• Spectrum Brands’ $4.3B sale of its Hardware & Home Improvement segment
• Heineken’s strategic partnership with China Resources to join forces in China

Fintech

• IHS Markit’s $44B merger with S&P Global and joint venture with CME Group
• cxLoyalty Group Holdings’ sale of Global Loyalty to JPMorgan Chase
• MoneyLion’s $2.4B combination with Fusion Acquisition and acquisition of Even Financial
• PwC’s sale of Global Mobility Tax and Immigration Services to CD&R

Industrials

• Freeport on a number of technology development, licensing and joint venture arrangements
• Technip Energies spinoff from TechnipFMC
• FirstGroup’s $4.6B sale of First Student and First Transit to EQT
• General Electric’s $11.1B merger of GE Transportation and Wabtec

Sainabou Sonko

Senior Counsel,
Tyson Foods, Inc.

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Sainabou Sonko is a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in high-stakes litigation, including federal class actions and multi-district litigation matters. She currently serves as Senior Counsel in the Commercial Litigation group at Tyson Foods, Inc. In this role, she manages a wide range of global litigation matters, including false labeling class actions, consumer fraud and contract disputes. Prior to Tyson, Sainabou had considerable private practice experience representing multinational corporations and was recognized by the Best Lawyers in America® as a 2021 “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” for her work in commercial litigation, medical malpractice (defense) and products liability litigation (defense).

Sainabou is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Arkansas Access of Justice Foundation and previously served on the Board of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas. She also served as Chair of Tyson’s Global Governance and Corporate Affairs’ inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and remains an active member of the Council.

Sainabou has post-graduate judicial clerkship experience and previously served as an adjunct professor of Business Law. She is a graduate of Rutgers School of Law-Newark, where she served as a Legal Research & Writing Teaching Associate and was the Managing Notes & Comments Editor for the Rutgers Race and the Law Review Journal.

Juliette Stancil

Assistant General Counsel, Data Privacy,
Intuit

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Juliette currently serves as Assistant General Counsel, Privacy at Intuit, where she supports the organization’s mission to Power Prosperity Around the World by providing pragmatic and tailored guidance on navigating the complex and ever changing data protection legal and regulatory landscape in the United States and abroad. Juliette primarily focuses on supporting Intuit’s largest business unit by revenue, the Consumer Group, which comprises its industry-leading TurboTax product as well as supporting global teams on marketing and advertising privacy.

In addition to her in-depth engagement with the business teams she enables, Juliette is active in Intuit’s goals of creating a Stronger Together culture through its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These DEI initiatives focus on providing an environment for the top, diverse talent to do the best work of their lives at Intuit. In this capacity, Juliette has served as co-chair of its African Ancestry employee resource group, and actively supports the legal department’s DEI efforts as a member of its summer intern program serving in the past as a manager, mentor and buddy to 1L law students who choose to spend their summers learning the ins-and-outs of corporate legal teams at Intuit. Juliette has been an active driver DEI priorities aimed at creating an environment for the identification, support and development of ready now leaders within the department.

Prior to joining Intuit, Juliette spent the majority of her career in healthcare, serving as privacy and compliance officer and counsel for a variety of healthcare organization. She was most recently Corporate Counsel at iRhythm Technologies, Inc., a rapidly growing healthcare technology company that manufacturers remote cardiac monitoring devices and provides related healthcare services. At iRhythm, Juliette was responsible for building and managing the organization’s global data privacy, ethics and compliance program through a period of rapid global growth and international expansion.

Outside of her engagement at work, Juliette has served as board member for various community organizations aimed at providing resources to the disadvantaged and underserved, including community health provider PCC Wellness, and youth services non-profit Alternatives Inc, both based in Chicago. Specific to her desire to support the diversity of the legal profession, Juliette serves on the privacy group for Black Girls in Cybersecurity, a nonprofit organization focused on helping women of color transition into entry level roles in cybersecurity, privacy and STEM careers. She has also served on the planning committee for state diversity bar associations, supporting efforts to create communities and safe spaces for diverse legal professionals.

A native of North Carolina, Juliette received her bachelors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, W.H. Bowen School of Law, and a master of law (LL.M) in Health Law from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Juliette holds certifications in healthcare privacy compliance, healthcare compliance, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

Ruth Tisdale

Senior Counsel,
Walmart Inc.

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Ruth L. Tisdale is a senior counsel for Walmart Health and Wellness Division. Ruth, a proud graduate of the Wake Forest Law School, began her legal career in the State of New York in 2014, as an Assistant District Attorney in the District Attorney’s Office in the Bronx. In 2016, she transitioned into private practice where she represented physicians, hospitals, clinics, and other health-related entities in major litigation and transactional matters. in 2021, she accepted a new position as an Assistant Corporate Counsel with the Christiana Care Health System, the largest hospital system in Delaware, where she was primarily responsible for handling polices, contracts and other legal matters. In addition to meeting the challenges of her current position, Ruth is a candidate for a Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH) at Harvard University.

Demetrius Warrick

Partner,
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates

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Demetrius Warrick is a corporate attorney focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities and general corporate law. Mr. Warrick regularly advises public and private clients in a variety of corporate matters, including strategic acquisitions, divestitures, auctions, strategic investments, reorganizations, financial advisor engagements and joint ventures. He also has represented many companies with respect to shareholder activism, takeover preparedness, unsolicited proposals, contested proxy solicitations and other contests for corporate control. In addition, he has advised clients in designing and implementing shareholder rights plans and other corporate protective measures.

Examples of Mr. Warrick’s experience include representation of:

• NextGen Acquisition Corp. in connection with its business combination transaction with Xos Inc.
• Dentsply Sirona in connection with various matters, including its acquisitions of Byte and Propel Orthodontics
• CoreLogic Inc. in connection with its activist defense and proxy contest against Senator Investment Group and Cannae
• Mars, Incorporated in connection with various matters, including its acquisition of one of the largest privately owned chains of freestanding veterinary hospitals in the U.S.
• Hg in connection with various matters, including its acquisition of Litera Microsystems and its investment, alongside TA Associates, in Insight Software
• ECI Software Solutions, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of Shoptech Industrial Software Corp.
• Intel Corporation in connection with its joint venture with TPG Capital, L.P. to form an independent cybersecurity company called McAfee
• Social Finance in connection with various matters, including its acquisition of a U.S. technology company
• Navient Corporation in its proxy fight and settlement with Canyon Capital Advisors
• Pier 1 Imports, Inc. in connection with various matters, including its adoption of a shareholder rights plan and activism defense in response to activist shareholder Alden Global Capital LLC
• PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab in connection with its participation in an investor consortium for purposes of acquiring InterPark, the largest owner-operated parking infrastructure in the U.S.
• The Howard Gilman Foundation in connection with its sale of the operations of the Gilman Companies to West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
• Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in connection with its successful proxy contest against dissident ILJIN SNT
• Lumber Liquidators in connection with various matters, including its response to a threatened unsolicited proposal from a dissident and its response to a threatened proxy contest by dissident shareholders
• Fox Sports Network in connection with various matters, including several joint venture agreements with Major League Baseball, and its acquisition of a U.S. sports technology platform
• Harland Clarke Holding Corp. in connection with various matters, including in connection with its sale of Faneuil, Inc. to ALJ Regional Holding
• Dean Foods Company in connection with its sale of its Morningstar Foods division to Saputo Inc.
• Thomas Properties Group Inc. in connection with its stock-for-stock merger with Parkway Properties Inc.

Mr. Warrick has been a member of Skadden’s Black and African American Affinity Network since joining the firm in 2011 and served as a member of the Steering Committee from 2015-18.

David Williams

Partner,
Faegre Drinker

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David Williams represents and counsels clients in the investment management industry, with particular focus on counseling investment advisers on registered investment company fund formation, regulatory requirements and corporate governance. He also counsels institutional investors on fund due diligence and investment management agreement negotiations. David’s practice also involves advising global fund managers on environmental, social and governance (ESG) and impact funds, and their unique investment and governance considerations. In addition, David counsels investment advisers on the design and launch of closed-end interval and tender offer funds that enhance distribution channels for advisers.

Registered Investment Companies

Mutual Funds
David counsels registered investment companies, their boards and registered investment advisers on SEC registration, operations and regulatory obligations. David advises multi-series and multi-class mutual funds and their boards, including money market funds, exchange-traded funds and multi-manager funds.

Closed-End Funds
David has significant experience advising clients on the registration process for, and ongoing regulatory obligations of, continuously offered closed-end funds, including interval funds and tender offer funds.

Environmental and Socially Responsible Funds
David has recognized experience in the formation of socially responsible, ESG and impact funds, and in advising fund managers and sponsors regarding their unique considerations. He advises global money managers on funds, concentrating on investments in socially responsible entities, renewable energy companies and sustainable companies.

Sheila Willis

Partner,
Fisher Phillips, LLP

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Sheila Willis is committed to finding practical, real world solutions to her clients’ employment law needs. She represents companies—large and small—as they navigate employment issues related to hiring, discipline, investigations, employment discrimination, unemployment, and other related issues. Sheila provides guidance to higher education institutions on Title IX Compliance and investigations. She has extensive experience providing compliance advice to federal contractors on affirmative action and OFCCP regulations and audits. Sheila also has extensive experience working on collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and class actions under wage and hour state laws. Sheila also provides training for supervisors and managers on harassment, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance, the Family Medical Leave Act, diversity and inclusion, and many other areas.

Sheila is involved in various professional and community activities. She is a past president of both the South Carolina Women Lawyers’ Association (SCWLA) and the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers (SCYLD) Division. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Columbia – Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the board of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations. Sheila is active in the Richland County Bar, American Bar Association, and is a member of the Junior League of Columbia.

Prior to attending law school, Sheila was a member of store leadership for a Fortune 500 retail company, providing employee supervision and managing a variety of employee issues related to wage and hour, workers’ compensation, discrimination issues, performance management, and other personnel issues.

Sheila is a 2019 recipient of the Silver Compleat lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association. This award recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and who exemplify the highest standard of professional competence, ethics, and integrity.

She has also been named to the Columbia Regional Business Report’s list of 2018 Women of Influence, Columbia Business Monthly’s 2018 Best and Brightest 35 and Under, Columbia Business Monthly’s Legal Elite of the Midlands in 2017 and the American Bar Association’s On the Rise – Top 40 under 40 in 2018. She is also a 2018 South Carolina Super Lawyers – Rising Star and a 2019 recipient of the Leadership in the Law award. She was awarded the Johnathon Jasper Wright Award by The Honorable Matthew J. Perry Chapter of the Black Law Students Association at the University of South Carolina School of Law, is a three-time recipient of the President’s Award a and a four-time recipient of the Start of the Quarter award from the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers’ Division.

Alyse I. Adamson

Principal,
Beveridge & Diamond, PC

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Alyse uses her experience as a federal prosecutor to assist clients with compliance, enforcement, internal investigations, and white collar matters.

As a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Alyse offers firm clients strategic counsel on high-stakes enforcement and compliance matters, particularly in complex or large-scale white-collar litigation and internal investigations. Her strong background in criminal investigation, prosecution, and litigation complements the firm’s robust environmental and natural resource regulatory practices.

Highlights of her career include:

• Serving as the U.S. Attorney’s Office Deputy Chief of the Felony Trial Unit, capping a distinguished seven-year career at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in which she received multiple DOJ Special Achievement Awards in recognition of her trial and investigative work.
• Serving as the Early Case Assessment Section’s first Deputy Chief, supervising more than 20 attorneys involved in case screening, warrant review, and arraignment and detention hearings. She received the 2020 U.S. Attorney Team Award for her work in establishing this new section, which is responsible for all case initiation (except for sex offense and homicide) in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
• Arraigning on local charges the first defendants arrested in the January 6th U.S. Capitol insurrection.
• Trying over 40 cases (15 of which were jury trials), consisting of various criminal offenses, with complex cases including counts of obstruction of justice and conspiracy. She also served in the Appellate Division, where she authored appellate briefs and prepared oral arguments.
• Reviewing, investigating, and approving the highest level of warrants submitted to the section, to include complex long-term investigations, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, and high-profile local cases.
• Leading extensive criminal investigations on social media, telecommunications, transportation, and other tech companies, while working closely with the FBI, Secret Service, ATF, Capitol Police, and the DC Metropolitan Police Department on pending cases.
• Coordinating grand jury investigations, issuing subpoenas, questioning witnesses before the grand jury returned indictments for a variety of offenses.

Alyse is also a former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Associate Director of the Civic Legal Corps, a non-profit entity designed to close the gap to legal services.

Throughout her career, Alyse has participated in numerous diversity, equity & inclusion efforts in various capacities, including serving as Eastern Regional Director of the National Black Prosecutor’s Association, Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee of the DC Women’s Bar Association, and on the Diversity Committee in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. She also speaks frequently on the topic of diversity in the legal field.

Shahira D. Ali

Senior Director, Deputy General Counsel — Global Litigation and Cybersecurity Legal,
Workday Inc.

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Shahira Ali is Director, Associate General Counsel of Litigation & Cybersecurity at Workday, Inc., where she leads Workday’s Litigation and Cybersecurity Legal teams.  Shahira represents Workday in a wide variety of commercial litigation, pre-litigation, and alternative dispute matters.  As Workday’s dedicated cybersecurity counsel, she also plays a key part in supporting and developing Workday’s ongoing efforts to ensure secure networks and products, and leads Workday’s cybersecurity legal strategy in alignment with evolving global cybersecurity laws and regulations.  Shahira received the Outstanding Contributor Award, a company-wide award that recognizes select employees who go above and beyond business as usual to inspire a brighter work day for all. 

Shahira is heavily involved in Workday’s DEI initiatives, serving as Co-Chair of the Legal Department’s Value Inclusion Belonging Equity (VIBE) Committee to lead DEI-focused efforts for pro bono services, recruiting & retention, learning, and outside counsel. In addition, Shahira has initiated multiple DEI programs for Workday’s legal department, serving as a critical stakeholder from inception to execution, including the Street Law Program and Legal Fellows Program. Through the Street Law Program, Shahira leads Workday’s efforts to bring exposure to the legal profession to a local high school with a large under-represented minority population, with the goal of increasing diversity and equity for the next generation of legal practitioners. As a Co-Chair of the Legal Fellows Program, Shahira has created a direct track from law school to an in-house career at Workday. The Legal Fellows Program highly values diversity and strongly encourages traditionally underrepresented law students to apply.

Shahira also serves as a Lecturer at Berkeley Law School, where she teaches Legal Research & Writing.  Before Workday, Shahira worked as an attorney at the New York office of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.  At Davis Polk, she represented clients in a broad range of matters in state and federal courts and government investigations, with specific experience involving antitrust, securities, fraud, and contract actions; cybersecurity and privacy issues; and FCPA, DOJ, SEC, and FCC investigations.  During her time at the firm, Shahira maintained an extensive pro bono practice related to immigration, civil rights, and criminal justice reform, and received The Legal Aid Society’s “Pro Bono Publico Award,” which recognizes outstanding pro bono services to the Legal Aid Society and its clients.  Prior to joining Davis Polk, Shahira clerked for Judge Barrington D. Parker, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Henry H. Kennedy, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  Shahira earned her J.D. at Harvard Law School, cum laude, where she served as Notes Editor on the Harvard Law Review.  Shahira also holds a master’s degree in business administration, summa cum laude, and a bachelor’s degree in management information systems, summa cum laude, from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Wesley Cheng

Senior Corporate Counsel,
Apple, Inc.

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Wesley Cheng is a Corporate Counsel in Apple’s Global Security Investigations team that focuses on issues related to IP and cyber security. Additionally, Wesley contributes significant time to Apple’s pro bono and inclusion and diversity programs, serving as the volunteer lead for both AsianPacific@Apple and Legal & Global Security. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco where he teaches a course on electronic surveillance law.

He previously was an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as well as Director of the Criminal Prosecution Clinic at New York Law School. Wesley is a graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law where he was selected as a recipient of the Inspire! Award for his demonstrated commitment to public service.

Michelle Park Chiu

Partner,
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

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Michelle Park Chiu is a seasoned antitrust litigator, representing clients in all phases of antitrust litigation from trials to appeals, including cartel allegations, monopolization claims, and vertical restraint cases. She is also adept at defending clients facing complex civil litigation, including matters brought under California Business & Professions Code § 17200 (UCL), as well as representing clients in complex breach of contract disputes. She currently serves as the San Francisco office’s hiring partner.

Twice recognized in Best Lawyers (2023 and 2024) for her commercial litigation work and in Bloomberg Law’s inaugural “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40” in 2021, Michelle served as trial counsel for a global technology company in a jury trial in November 2023 and currently defends an international technology company against price-fixing claims in multiple markets for electronic components.

As lead counsel in another commercial litigation matter, she successfully obtained a $24 million judgment on behalf of a financial institution pursuant to an indemnification agreement relating to a data breach in the Southern District of Texas, which was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit. Additionally, she has successfully enforced arbitration clauses on behalf of financial institutions in multiple putative class action claims.

She also played a vital role on the team defending Intercontinental Exchange’s acquisition of Black Knight against an FTC challenge. It became one of the only technology deals the FTC challenged and then closed under the current FTC administration with the vision of making the mortgage origination process more affordable and accessible to all.

Michelle has an active pro bono practice representing individuals in immigration matters. She successfully defended a detained refugee in removal proceedings, resulting in the complete dismissal of all charges against the client during a multiyear representation that resulted in the client becoming a naturalized US citizen. Michelle also successfully obtained a U-Visa for a victim of criminal activity and secured asylum for a client from Syria. Michelle currently serves on the Morgan Lewis Foundation Board.

Melissa Colón-Bosolet

Partner,
Sidley Austin LLP

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Melissa represents clients in high-risk business disputes in federal and state courts, arbitrations, and internal investigations. Her extensive litigation experience spans all aspects of pleadings, discovery, evidentiary hearings, and trial. Melissa’s engagements span numerous industries and legal claims, including those involving breach of contract, business torts, and securities claims. Melissa also represents companies and board committees in some of their most complex and sensitive enforcement and investigation-related issues.

Melissa’s litigation and leadership skills and reputation as a trusted business counselor, writer and speaker has earned her industry accolades. In 2023, Melissa co-authored “M&A Buyer’s Remorse: Fraud or Breach of Contract,” which was published in the New York Law Journal. In 2021, Melissa was named to Bloomberg Law’s inaugural edition of “They’ve Got Next: 40 Under 40.” In 2020, she was recognized in Crain’s New York Business’ “Notable Women in Law” and New York Law Journal’s “Rising Stars.” She has also been named a “Rising Star” for Business Litigation in New York City by Super Lawyers from 2014 through 2018. Additionally, Melissa is a recipient of the Hispanic National Bar Association’s 2017 “Top Lawyers Under 40” Award.

Jemar Daniel

Vice President & Senior Counsel,
Paramount Global

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Jemar Daniel is currently a Vice President and Senior Counsel at Paramount Global. Jemar has been a member of Paramount Global’s Business and Legal Affairs department since 2014. He advises clients on various pre-production-related legal matters, including defamation. intellectual property. right of publicity. production transactions, marketing and promotions. and pre-litigation strategy. His clients include scripted, unscripted. digital. news, off-channel production teams and various ad-sales business units. Jemar also works closely with other Paramount law department teams to create legal guidelines and policies for integrated marketing business units that produce branded content for digital platforms.

Jemar is also a member of Paramount Global’s legal departments Diversity, Equity. and Inclusion Committee. As co-chair of the Partnering with Outside Counsel subcommittee, he leads initiatives and coordinates programs to foster a more diverse and inclusive field for minority and underrepresented legal practitioners.

Jemar is a frequent panelist and guest lecturer on First Amendment law, production legal matters, intellectual property, advertising Law, and general media law developments. He is also a Legal Council on Legal Diversity Fellow alumnus and was a Black In-House Counsel “Rise Up” executive leadership development program cohort member (2023).

Before joining Paramount Global. Jemar was a member of BET Networks’ Business and Legal Affairs department. He obtained his J.D. from The American University’s Washington College of Law and is admitted to practice in New York. He is a graduate of McDaniel College and a visiting member of its Board of Trustees.

Patrick S. Dorime

Corporate M&A Partner,
Ropes & Gray

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Patrick Dorime (36, March 13, 1987) is a nimble and versatile deal lawyer who advises investment firms and their portfolio companies in corporate transactions, many involving companies in distressed and special situations. Patrick was elected to the partnership at Ropes & Gray in October of 2021 – the firm’s youngest partner at the time of his election. He leads clients across industries through mergers and acquisitions, structured equity investments and other bespoke corporate transactions, including special situations. Patrick also works closely with the firm’s restructuring group to offer a corporate perspective for clients undergoing in- and out-of-court restructurings and similar distressed transactions.

A natural problem solver, Patrick enjoys working with clients and counterparties to come up with creative solutions to complicated issues that arise in deal-making. He is also commended by clients and colleagues for his calming presence in negotiations and his exceptional ability to read the room. He brings these strengths to counseling clients in many industries, including health care, technology, energy and infrastructure, manufacturing, chemicals and industrial services.

As the son of two Haitian immigrants, Patrick is active in giving back to his community, representing Haitian immigrants seeking asylum in the United States. Patrick and his family also participate in periodic missions to his grandparent’s home in Arcahaie, Haiti, which they converted into a medical clinic after the couple was tragically killed by gunmen during a break-in. The medical clinic provides free medical services to the community in Arcahaie, Haiti through a non-profit organization established by his family, the Dorsainvil Foundation.

Avia M. Dunn

Partner,
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates

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Avia Dunn provides bespoke and practical solutions to life sciences companies on matters related to the development, implementation and oversight of their health care compliance programs, both proactively and in connection with the negotiation of corporate integrity agreements.

Ms. Dunn advises clients on matters related to compliance with fraud and abuse laws, HIPAA privacy restrictions and industry codes related to product promotion and manufacturer interactions with providers and patients. She also counsels extensively on product support programs, providing strategic guidance on program structures, program tactics and policies and procedures. Additionally, Ms. Dunn regularly represents life sciences companies in government enforcement actions and internal investigations involving a full range of fraud and abuse issues. She also conducts pre- and post-transaction reviews in connection with transactions in the life sciences industry and has advised clients on more than 100 life sciences-related transactional matters.

Ms. Dunn was recently named one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America. She is active with Skadden’s diversity leadership initiatives and serves on the firm ‘s Women and Diversity committees. Ms. Dunn also was recently named to the Lawyers of Color’s inaugural list of Wonderful Women, which recognizes dynamic women attorneys working in law firms, companies and government agencies across the U.S. who show promise in their careers and demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession. In addition, she previously was a fellow in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s Fellows Program, a yearlong leadership and professional development initiative.

Jaelyn Edwards Judelson

Partner,
Akin

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Since joining the firm in 2012, and as described in more detail above, Jaelyn Edwards Judelson has built an impressive record as a go-to advocate for clients, deploying innovative solutions to solve complex issues. Her most successful accomplishments routinely involve navigating the intersection of international business and trade regulations, assisting clients in conducting global investigations and audits, and developing compliance programs and strategies spanning export controls, economic sanctions and anticorruption matters.

A decorated lawyer with several recognitions under her belt, Jaelyn was named among the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2023 Leaders of Influence: Thriving in Their 40s list. She has also been named among The Recorder’s 2022 “Lawyers on the Fast Track,” National Bar Association’s 2020-2021 Top 40 Under 40: Nation’s Best Advocates and The Network Journal’s 2019 40 Under Forty Achievers Award winners.

Jaelyn is an esteemed alumna of the University of Chicago, where she graduated with honors with an A.B. in Public Policy Studies and Georgetown University Law Center, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree.

Adrienne Gittens

Corporate Deputy General Counsel,
Comcast Corporation

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Adrienne is an integral part of the Comcast Corporate Compliance team, which oversees and reports on the compliance programs across Comcast’s global subsidiaries: Xfinity, NBCUniversal and Sky.  Adrienne works closely with the legal teams and key business leaders of Comcast’s subsidiaries to ensure that the Company conducts business in compliance with existing and developing laws and regulations and agreements.  Adrienne also has led on key aspects of the Company’s compliance program, including managing the Company’s statements and strategic oversight of procedures related to human rights and anti-forced labor. 

In 2023, Adrienne was appointed and served as the Interim Chief Compliance Officer for Sky, Comcast’s UK-based subsidiary.  During this time, Adrienne led a team of more than 45 Compliance and Data Protection lawyers and legal professionals across Sky’s UK, Italy and Germany offices.  Adrienne oversaw and reported to Sky’s senior executives on all facets of the Company’s Compliance and Data Protection programs for Sky’s 34,000+ global employees including training, communications, due diligence and third-party risk management, complex investigations, and risk assessments. 

Adrienne’s impact is not limited to her compliance role.  She serves as the Chair of Comcast’s Law Firm Diversity Committee, in which she leads the Company’s efforts to improve DEI in the engagement and retention of diverse outside counsel and legal service providers.  She is also an active member of Comcast’s Legal DEI Committee and leads on the company’s strategic relationships with organizations such as the National Bar Association and Corporate Counsel Women of Color. 

Due to her outstanding work at Comcast, Adrienne was selected in 2021 as Comcast’s Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow.  Adrienne was also recognized as a “Next Generation Leader” by Legal Momentum, the nation’s first and oldest legal defense and education fund for women, and as a top 40 under 40 lawyer in Pennsylvania by National Black Lawyers.  Prior to joining Comcast, Adrienne was a senior associate at a global law firm, where she was named a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” by the Legal Intelligencer for her complex commercial litigation practice and extensive pro bono work. 

Adrienne graduated from Princeton University magna cum laude and received her juris doctorate from Harvard Law School.  Following law school, Adrienne clerked for the Honorable Robert B. Kugler for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. 

Mari Grace

Partner,
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

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Mari Grace is a partner in Davis Polk’s Civil Litigation practice. She represents clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters, including complex commercial and contractual disputes, securities litigation, bankruptcy-related litigation and class actions.

Mari’s extensive clientele features major energy companies, telecommunications companies and financial institutions, among others, which she has advised on matters in both federal and state courts across the country. Most recently, this includes reaching a favorable resolution for Murphy Oil in a multi-million-dollar contract dispute, as well as helping telecommunications company BT Group win a putative class action over alleged securities fraud.

Outside of her full practice, Mari has a deep focus on supporting the next generation of associates through mentoring. She is an active member of the firm’s DPWomen, Asian/South Asian/Middle Eastern (ASAME), LGBTQ+, and First Generation Affinity Groups – which are a cornerstone of the firm’s culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. The various firmwide affinity groups have enabled Mari to network, mentor and take on leadership opportunities as well as further develop her robust career.

Additionally, Mari is an active member of the Asian American Bar Association and is actively involved with DirectWomen — an organization dedicated to increasing the representation of women lawyers on corporate boards. She’s also an active member of Women in Securities Litigation, an organization created to promote and support collaboration, networking, profile-raising, and mentoring among women who practice in or are associated with the field of securities litigation defense.

Widely recognized as a leader in her practice area, Mari was awarded Lawdragon 500 X’s “The Next Generation” award in 2023 as well as being named a “Future Star” by Benchmark Litigation. She was also selected as a fellow by Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, and was awarded the Pro Bono Publico Award by Legal Aid Society.

Mari graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 2011. She has two additional master’s degrees from Fordham University and Columbia University in international political economy and development and social work, respectively. While at Davis Polk, Mari also briefly served as a public defender for Legal Aid Society in Manhattan.

LTC Corey P. Gray

Partner,
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP

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Corey Gray is a commercial litigator with Boies Schiller Flexner, based in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office, and he is also a board member on the firm’s diversity council. Corey specializes in high-stakes contract, antitrust, and energy litigation that often involves issues of first impression. With a mindset focused on serving the people, he’s also active in pro bono outreach.

Before becoming an attorney, Corey served as an Officer in the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division and was deployed twice to Iraq. It was during his second deployment, when his service included a counterinsurgency strategy course, that his moral compass pointed him toward law school. Today, Corey continues to serve as Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University and his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.

Ravdeep Singh Grewal

Senior Counsel, Employment and Litigation,
TikTok Inc.

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Rav Grewal is Senior Counsel, Employment and Litigation at TikTok Inc. Previously, Rav served as Senior Employment Counsel at both Shutterfly and SunPower where he counseled and supported business partners throughout North America, EMEA, and APAC on all matters related to labor and employment law. Prior to joining Shutterfly, Rav led successfully 24 Hour Fitness’ Covid-Response Taskforce where he effectively helped convince numerous local and state governments to safely reopen gyms across the United States.

For almost the last decade, Rav has served on the Board of Directors for the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California (SABA-NC), and most recently, as its President. During the past four SABA-NC galas, Rav’s fundraising efforts have raised more than a record-breaking $150,000 for charities and non-profits who operate in Northern California. In an unprecedented and remarkable evening at SABA-NC’s 2023 annual gala, Rav single-handedly raised almost $50,000 in 15 minutes on behalf of the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) of North America to help create its very first South Asian legal defense fund, South Asian American Justice Collaborative (SAAJCO). For his selfless efforts and dedicated service to SABA, Rav is the inaugural recipient of SABA-NC’s Kohinoor Award.

Upon graduating high school at the age of 16, Rav attended the University of California, Berkeley, where completed degrees in both Economics and Political Science within 3 ½ years. Shortly thereafter he earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Davis – King Hall.

Jack Hamilton

Partner,
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

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Jack Hamilton is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where they are a member of the mergers and acquisitions practice. Jack has extensive transactional experience, having represented clients in both public and private mergers, stock purchases, asset acquisitions, tender and exchange offers, SPAC transactions, and other strategic corporate transactions. In addition, Jack has counseled privately and publicly held companies on general corporate governance and disclosure matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Jack practiced at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

Lisa Maria Harris

Partner – Labor & Employment,
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

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Lisa Harris is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm’s Orange County and New York offices. Her practice focuses on Labor and Employment and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion counseling and compliance.

Areas of Practice

Lisa counsels and represents management in both employment and traditional labor matters. She regularly conducts and advises on high-level investigations and trains HR professionals on how to conduct such investigations internally. She also advises on diversity, equity and inclusion best practices. As a member of the firm’s ESG and Sustainability Industry Team, Lisa supports clients in addressing the social aspects of ESG through development and promotion of a healthy and equitable workplace. In addition to her experience as outside counsel, Lisa has several years of experience as in-house counsel both on a full-time and seconded basis. This experience gives her specific insight into the challenges and issues faced by in-house employment counsel and DE&I teams.

Employment Counseling. Lisa regularly counsels management in all aspects of California, New York and federal employment law, including employee hiring and discipline procedures, worker classification issues, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, wage and hour compliance, employee severance and termination procedures, and restrictive covenants. She has significant experience drafting all types of employment agreements and policies, including employee handbooks, sexual harassment policies, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, and severance agreements. 

Investigations. Lisa is an experienced investigator. She regularly assists employers with sensitive internal investigations. She has conducted several investigations into alleged misconduct by senior executives of sports teams, a publicly traded alternative investment advisor, a publicly traded utility, and a national communications firm. 

Training. Lisa conducts harassment prevention training for both supervisors and non-supervisors, which satisfies current state-mandated training requirements in both English and Spanish. She also conducts DE&I training for both employees and HR professionals addressing various topics, including implicit/unconscious bias, promoting an equitable workplace, bystander intervention, and allyship. Additionally, she trains HR professionals on wage and hour compliance, conducting internal investigations, managing leaves of absence and reasonable accommodations, and other employment matters. 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Lisa assists clients with the development and roll-out of their employee resource groups, drafts DE&I policies, and advises on the implementation of DE&I initiatives within legal parameters.

Traditional Labor. Lisa counsels and represents management in the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements and regularly advises on labor disputes. Lisa frequently represents management in labor arbitrations involving both contract interpretation and employee discipline and termination matters. She also represents management before the National Labor Relations Board defending against unfair labor practice charges.

Employment Litigation. Lisa represents employers in single and multi-plaintiff harassment and discrimination claims. She also has extensive experience representing employers before administrative agencies and responding to complaints filed with those agencies alleging violations of federal and state employment laws.

Lisa earned her law degree from St. John’s University and graduated with a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Kyle Jason Hayes

Partner and Co-Chair, Hydrogen Practice,
Foley & Lardner LLP

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Kyle Hayes is a partner and corporate lawyer in the New York office of Foley & Lardner LLP and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Hydrogen practice. His practice focuses on all phases of renewable energy project development and M&A across a wide spectrum of assets and technologies, principally including solar, battery storage, wind, EV charging infrastructure, hydrogen and renewable fuels. Having previously served as a federal regulator and in-house counsel to one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the U.S., Kyle brings both deep industry connections and experience to clients within the renewables and energy transition space, having handled hundreds of transactions over more than a decade.

Kyle’s representation includes that of developers, sponsors, utilities, investors and corporate offtakers, with a focus on helping clients create both financeable and marketable renewable assets, as well as counseling buy-side clients in both corporate and project-level acquisitions. Kyle also counsels infrastructure-focused asset managers with respect to fund formation focused on renewables and energy transition assets.

Prior to entering private practice, Kyle served as an in-house counsel to Con Edison of New York, where he handled a variety of legal and commercial matters within the utility’s wholesale and retail energy markets. He began his legal career at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Kyle is an active thought leader and participant in the renewables industry, having provided analysis and perspective to major industry publications and media outlets, including, for example, on the role of RNG as an asset class and how to best mitigate the nature of equipment supply chain constraints. He currently serves as a member of Dynamo Energy Hub’s Board of Advisors.

Renny Hwang

Deputy General Counsel,
OpenAI

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Renny Hwang is currently Deputy General Counsel at OpenAI as the head of all litigation and regulatory matters. Previously, Renny Hwang was Senior Director of Litigation for Google where he worked for nearly 14 years. In this role, Renny worked on the Oracle v. Google and Gonzalez v. Google, the only two cases where Google appeared before the Supreme Court, and secured victories for both. He managed a team of over 50 attorneys and technical advisors worldwide. He also successfully managed a docket of approximately 250 patent and other intellectual property matters. Renny advised on intellectual property issues related to open source, as well as complex licenses, acquisitions and transactions.

Previously, Renny practiced IP litigation in Los Angeles at a global law firm. He also has experience in product management and software development, leading product and engineering teams in building Internet software technologies.

Renny received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a B.S. in Computer Science and M.S. in Engineering Management from Stanford University.

Kail Jethmalani

Partner,
Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP

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Kail Jethmalani represents clients across industries in all areas of antitrust law, including high-stakes litigation, domestic and cross-border mergers, and investigations. As one of only three attorneys named “most highly regarded” Future Leaders in Competition in North America” by Who’s Who Legal in 2021 and 2022, clients rely on Kail’s pragmatic approach to advancing cohesive defense strategies as coordinating counsel in multidistrict litigation. His recent litigation experience includes multiple treble-damage class actions and State Attorney General litigations alleging industrywide conspiracies to raise the prices of broiler chicken and pork, and to suppress compensation to broiler chicken farmers.

Kail serves as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law’s Marketing Administrative Committee. His diverse pro bono practice includes helping immigrants obtain asylum in the U.S., representing a prison inmate in a civil rights case against government officials, and representing a class of restaurant workers to recover unpaid wages.

Prior to joining Axinn, Kail interned at the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. He earned his JD from the University of Michigan Law School.

Vinita Kailasanath

Life Sciences & Tech Transactions Partner,
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

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Vinita Kailasanath has extensive experience in strategic intellectual property and data-driven transactions in life sciences and technology, and particularly at their intersection. Vinita leads the MedTech practice at Freshfields and has represented life sciences companies, technology companies, healthcare companies and providers, and investors in connection with the execution of their cutting-edge MedTech and digital health strategies in addition to many of their other complex licenses and collaborations, strategic investments, and R&D and supply agreements. Vinita has advised clients on transactions involving medical devices (including SaMD), wearables, mobile apps, telemedicine, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), IoT, software, hardware, pharmaceutical products and biologics, and also routinely advises on the intellectual property aspects of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures.

Vinita’s work across the life sciences and technology sectors makes her uniquely well-equipped to structure a wide variety of agreements to enable clients to develop, use, commercialize and protect innovative offerings. In doing so, she draws on her graduate degree in molecular and cellular biology and in-depth knowledge of intellectual property gained through a clerkship at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She is well-versed in the business, regulatory environment, and goals of the healthcare sector, while also being deeply familiar with Software as-a-Service (“SaaS”), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (“IaaS”) and Platform-as-a-Service (“PaaS”) arrangements as well as other cloud and technology-related considerations.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Vinita conducted graduate-level neuroendocrinology research; worked in the legal department of a leading alternative energy company specializing in the production of algal oils and bioproducts; and assisted pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies with product launches and other marketing and sales matters.

Vinita is the co-chair of the Freshfields Asian, Pacific, South Asian American Employee Resource Group and serves on the Stanford Law School Board of Visitors.

Colleen Lee

Partner, M&A, Corporate Securities and Venture Capital,
Baker & McKenzie LLP

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Colleen Lee is a partner in the Palo Alto office of Baker & McKenzie LLP, where she focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and startup investments, spin-offs, carve-outs, corporate securities, corporate governance and other corporate matters. Recognized as a “One to Watch” by Best Lawyers in 2023 and 2024, Colleen represents and advises companies and private equity firms in a variety of U.S. and cross-border acquisitions and dispositions, restructurings, strategic investments and governance matters.

In addition to her corporate law practice, Colleen gives pro bono presentations at schools to educate students on their legal rights in relation to cyber, hate and sex crimes.

She is an active member of diversity and API initiatives in her community. 

Colleen received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and her law degree from New York University School of Law, receiving many awards and honors, including first in her major at Berkeley.

Winnie Ling

General Counsel, Head of Legal & People,
Blend Labs, Inc. (NYSE: BLND)

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As the General Counsel and Head of Legal & People at Blend Labs, Inc. (NYSE: BLND), a technology company powering the future of banking by bringing simplicity and transparency to financial services, Winnie oversees all aspects of its Legal & Compliance functions, in addition to leading Human Resources and Strategic Operations.

Winnie is a trusted advisor, strategic partner and dynamic executive who helped steer Blend through a successful IPO and NYSE listing in 2021, the pinnacle of the company’s growth trajectory to date. She has a track record of guiding cross-functional teams towards operational excellence and financial improvements, including through times of intense organizational change and market volatility. Winnie’s leadership extends beyond legal expertise as she drives business success, navigates complex regulatory landscapes, and mitigates risks, all while fostering an inclusive and high-performing culture.

Prior to joining Blend, Winnie was a corporate attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, a prestigious law firm, where she advised financial institutions, technology companies, and other clients on a wide range of capital markets, financing, M&A and other strategic transactions as they expanded their impact and reach. As an Australian with extensive experience in New York and London, Winnie brings an international perspective and invaluable cross-border expertise when leading companies and teams through key opportunities and challenges.

Winnie was honored by NYC FinTech Women as an “Inspiring FinTech Female” in 2023, recognizing her impact, influence and advocacy efforts. 

Winnie graduated from Columbia Law School as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and also holds a business degree and a law degree from the University of New South Wales.

Jesse Ryan Loffler

Member,
Cozen O’Connor

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Jesse focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, including matters relating to real estate litigation, securities law, shareholder litigation, contract, governmental investigations, insurance, bankruptcy, and employment disputes. He has handled matters at all levels of the state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States.

In particular, Jesse has extensive experience in real estate litigation and has handled a wide range of complex real estate disputes in state and federal trial and appellate courts around the country, including but not limited to cases arising out of distressed assets and foreclosures; commercial mortgage-backed securities and trust issues; disputes between trustees, special and master servicers, lenders, and borrowers; disputes relating to purchase agreements, including options and rights of first refusal; complex landlord-tenant disputes, including the interplay between ground leases, subleases, and commercial financing; and multimillion-dollar cases involving damage and destruction to real property and its owners.

Jesse also has experience with significant shareholder and securities litigation, including actions involving breaches of fiduciary duties, squeeze outs of minority shareholders, joint venture and intra-corporate disputes, derivative lawsuits, securities fraud and 10b-5 actions, and disputes relating to convertible notes and other complex financing arrangements.

In addition, Jesse’s broad complex commercial practice ranges from constitutional law claims (including a victory before the U.S. Supreme Court in Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck, 139 S. Ct. 1921 (2019)) to corporate and governmental investigations, board and audit committee representations, adversary proceedings and other bankruptcy-related proceedings, and all manner of commercial contract disputes.

Before joining the firm, Jesse was a litigation associate at the New York headquarters of an international law firm. While there, he engaged in all aspects of complex commercial litigation at trial and appellate level in federal and state courts.

Jesse also serves as president of the board of directors of the National LGBT Bar Association. Jesse also maintains an extensive pro bono practice serving a diverse range of clients in impact litigation, including matters relating to LGBTQ and political asylum, voting rights, women’s access to health care, and transgender rights.

Jesse gained valuable business experience before attending law school.  He was co-founder and managing director of Magellan Publications, Inc. and manager of Research & Business Development for the Regina Regional Economic Development Authority (now Economic Development Regina, Inc.).

Jesse earned his undergraduate degree in Government from Harvard University, and earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he was head editor of the Cardozo Law Review and member of Order of the Coif. While attending law school, he was a research assistant to Professor Marci Hamilton, with whom he was a founding board member of CHILD USA, a nonprofit think tank dedicated to protecting children and preventing abuse.  Jesse was also an Alexander Fellow, acting in the capacity as junior clerk, to Chief Judge Loretta A. Preska, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Lauren Moore

Partner,
WilmerHale LLP

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Lauren Moore, 36, is a partner at WilmerHale LLP in Washington, D.C.

Lauren earned her B.A., magna cum laude, in political science and communications from the University of Southern California in 2009.  She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2012, where she served as articles editor of the Harvard Law and Policy Review and an executive board member of the Black Law Students Association.  She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Lauren began her career at WilmerHale in 2012 as an associate in the firm’s Litigation/Controversy Department.  As an associate, she participated in the work and life of the firm in ways that far surpassed her age and experience.  For instance, she provided meaningful contributions to help establish the firm’s Anti-Discrimination Practice.  She advised colleges and universities on Title IX matters; advised corporations and other entities on sensitive internal investigations; and helped respond to subpoenas and civil investigative demands from federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

In 2018, Lauren left the firm to serve as deputy general counsel and then general counsel to then-Senator Kamala D. Harris on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.  In that role, she led the Senator’s work on judicial nominations and civil rights policy.  Lauren’s leadership qualities, maturity, and judgment put her in position to lead high-stakes hearings, including Supreme Court confirmation hearings and oversight hearings involving then-Attorney General William Barr, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and other senior Justice Department officials.

In 2021, Lauren was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to serve as associate counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office.  In that role, Lauren worked closely with the U.S. Department of Justice to respond to litigation challenging various federal programs—including provisions of COVID-19 relief funding that were focused on historically underserved populations.  She also advised the Domestic Policy Council on executive orders involving civil rights and equity issues, advised the Gender Policy Council on Title IX and reproductive health policies, and helped establish and lead policy initiatives relating to clemency and access to counsel.

Since returning to WilmerHale in 2022, Lauren’s practice has grown rapidly to support clients on matters at the intersection of law, government, media, and public policy. She is currently leading civil rights reviews for corporate clients; assisting clients with reverse discrimination lawsuits and demand letters; representing clients in congressional investigations; and representing major technology companies in False Claims Act litigation.  Lauren also has an active pro bono practice, where she has advised nonprofit organizations on racial equity and DEI initiatives after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. UNC. 

Juan Morado Jr.

Partner and National Co-Chair of DEI Committee,
Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff

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Benesch Partner and National Co-Chair of the firm’s national Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Juan Morado Jr. is a seasoned health care regulatory and policy attorney with a history of public service and mentorship of young Latinx attorneys throughout the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. Juan has extensive experience working with state and federal agencies, and provides strategic counsel to private and public corporations, organizations, and individuals. He also serves as a critical point of communication between state regulators and members of the community when new health care facilities are planned and built.

At Benesch, Juan advises hospitals, health systems, physician groups, pharmacies, cannabis businesses, and other clients, helping them to ensure compliance while navigating complex regulatory requirements and the implementation of industry best practices.

Juan has risen in the ranks quickly at Benesch. In 2021, Juan was named an equity partner after just four years at the firm. Juan also serves as the relationship partner for several client matters and leads attorney teams for clients NANI, Advanced Orthopedic and Spine Center, Resilience Healthcare, Rush University System for Health, Dialysis Care Centers, Insight Hospital and Medical Center, Humboldt Park Health, Ignite Resorts, Tampico Beverages, and The Jellyvision Labs.

In his health care practice, Juan is one of the leading Certificate of Need (CON) attorneys in Illinois, a marquee skill set valued by clients that sets him apart from his peers. In Illinois, hospitals and health services operators seeking to open or significantly expand facilities must receive a CON from the state, confirming that there is, in fact, a need for their services in the area where they wish to locate. Juan guides clients through the process of establishing new hospitals, surgery centers, and nursing homes, and obtaining regulatory approval for complex multimillion-dollar facility changes of ownership.

Juan also works with a wide range of clients dealing with both internal and government investigations, issues involving disadvantaged business enterprises, litigation related to government procurement, and property tax exemption appeals. In addition, Juan assists clients through the federal, state, county, and city Minority-Owned Business and Women-Owned Business certification and appeal processes.

Throughout his career, Juan has honed his ability to work within the complexity of Illinois’ health care regulatory laws. Prior to joining Benesch, Juan was general counsel for the Health Facilities and Services Review Board of the State of Illinois. He provided strategic counsel on a wide range of legal matters having statewide ramifications, developed administrative rules governing the CON process, and managed the Board’s Long-Term Care Advisory Subcommittee.

Juan also served in the Office of the Illinois Governor from 2013-2015 as a Deputy Chief of Staff and Associate General Counsel. During that time, Juan acted as the Governor’s Senior Advisor on Transportation and Infrastructure Policy. Juan was also appointed by the Governor to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Board. Juan began his legal career as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, where he focused on land use and zoning issues, and municipal code compliance.

Juan’s continued ascension, both at the firm and in the broader community, has earned him many recognitions and accolades. In 2020 and 2021 Juan was listed as a Chambers USA Leading Lawyer in Healthcare and was named by Crain’s Chicago Business as a “Notable Leader in DEI.” From 2018-2022 he was named to the “Most Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting and Law” list by Crain’s Chicago Business. He was also named to the 40 under 40 lists by Chicago Lawyer Magazine and Chicago Daily Bulletin, and Negocios Now.

Juan is a graduate of DePaul University, where he majored in American Political Systems, and the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Josh Morales

Associate General Counsel, Reality Labs,
Meta

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Josh Morales leads product counseling for virtual reality devices and related accessories at Meta’s Reality Labs. In this role, he advises on all legal and regulatory aspects of Meta’s VR hardware development roadmap and has served as cross-functional legal team leader for Quest 2, Quest Pro, Quest 3, and all other VR headsets currently in development at Meta. He has also counseled Reality Labs researchers, scientists, engineers, and business leaders on matters impacting research and development, including the negotiation of IP and other technology driven transactions.

Prior to joining Meta, Josh honed his technology and IP transactional expertise in private practice. He began his career at Kirkland & Ellis LLP where he represented private equity funds and their affiliates in structuring and negotiating domestic and international M&A transactions and other corporate matters.

Josh credits his subsequent experience at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP with igniting his passion for the intersection between law and technology and what would become his ultimate focus on building the metaverse. At Parker Poe, Josh represented companies engaged in IP and technology driven transactions in various industries, including consumer electronics, education, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, life sciences, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and software/information technology. He regularly advised clients on the preparation and negotiation of a variety of commercial agreements, including IP licensing and assignment agreements as well as purchase, supply, distribution, services, employment, and consulting arrangements. He also frequently counseled clients regarding their trademark, copyright, domain name, and other proprietary rights, including in connection with acquisitions, divestitures, licensing, and the clearance, adoption, registration, and protection of new brands.

Josh has championed diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the various stops in his career, often in leadership roles focused on amplifying LatinX voices in legal practice. He has served as regional deputy president of the Hispanic National Bar Association, mentored Miami-area LatinX youth through starting their careers in the law, and provided pro bono legal services for Female and BIPOC owned and operated businesses for over a decade.

Josh grew up in Miami, Florida and received a BBA in Legal Studies (Business Law) from the University of Miami in 2008. He received his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2011. Today, he resides in Seattle, WA with his wife, Rebecca, their 13-month-old daughter, Amelia, and a vintage guitar collection he has been building since he was 10 years old.

Robert Niles-Weed

Partner,
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

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Robert B. Niles-Weed is a partner in Weil’s Complex Commercial Litigation and Appeals and Strategic Counseling practices, where he focuses on various commercial disputes at all phases of trial court litigation, as well as appeals in state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Robert’s work mainly involves developing case strategy, drafting and arguing dispositive motions and appeals, and serving as appellate counsel at trial in cases addressing high-stakes and cutting-edge legal issues. His practice encompasses a variety of subject matters and disciplines, including bankruptcy, intellectual property, antitrust, securities and M&A, constitutional and administrative law, and other complex commercial litigation.

Robert’s notable recent experience on Weil teams includes:

Bankruptcy

Securing a unanimous win for the respondent in the U.S. Supreme Court in Bartenwerfer v. Buckley, a case involving the Bankruptcy Code’s fraud exception to discharge.

Representing Westinghouse Electric Company in a successful certified interlocutory appeal before the Third Circuit on a first-impression issue of bankruptcy claims administration. (Robert’s successful oral argument can be heard here.)

Winning significant appellate victories in the Second Circuit in multi-hundred million dollar cases arising out of the bankruptcies of Sears and Lehman Brothers.

Intellectual Property

Drafting an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of small and medium biotechnology companies in Amgen v. Sanofi on the standard for patent enablement.

Securing pre-verdict judgment as a matter of law of non-infringement for Comcast in a $150M+ patent infringement case initiated by WhereverTV, Inc. in the Middle District of Florida related to Comcast’s X1 interactive guide.

Antitrust

Representing Microsoft in litigation arising from its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc., a leading publisher of popular PC, console and mobile games.

Representing Regeneron in connection with a monopolization claim in Delaware federal court against Amgen for leveraging sales of Otezla and Embrel to boost sales of Amgen’s drug, Repatha.

Securities and M&A

Winning a significant victory in Delaware Chancery Court on behalf of Carlyle Group in a seminal business litigation arising out of the triggering of a material adverse effects clause in a deal negotiation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representing Sasol Ltd., a South African energy and chemical company, and senior executives in a securities class action in the Southern District of New York relating to the construction of a multi-billion dollar chemical plant in Louisiana.

Constitutional and Administrative Law

Successfully bringing and arguing a landmark First Amendment case for Upsolve Inc. in the Southern District of New York to empower non-attorney justice advocates to provide legal advice to expand access to justice for low-income defendants in debt collection lawsuits. The case was featured in the New York Times and described by Law360 as one of “the cases that most affected access to justice in 2022.”

Winning a significant victory against the Small Business Administration in a case under the Administrative Procedure Act that helped to obtain loan forgiveness for small business owners with prior criminal history struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Complex Commercial Litigation

Representing NBA #1 draft pick Zion Williamson in high-profile multi-jurisdictional litigation, including several appeals in Florida state court and North Carolina federal court arising out of a dispute with a marketing agency, with asserted claims of more than $100M in potential damages.

Prior to joining Weil, Robert clerked for Justice Elena Kagan of the United States Supreme Court. He also previously served as a law clerk for Judge David Tatel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Judge J. Paul Oetken of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Robert graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the Harvard Law Review. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and his A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard College.

Philip I. Person

Labor & Employment Shareholder,
Greenberg Traurig, LLP

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Philip I. Person serves as the Co-Lead of the firm’s California Wage & Hour Taskforce. Philip focuses his practice on representing employers in wage and hour, wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, trade secret misappropriation, non-competition, non-solicitation, and whistleblower claims. He is an experienced litigator, having defended employers against single-plaintiff and class action litigation in both federal and state courts. He also represents employers in labor and employment arbitrations.

Philip coordinates with executives and management to develop and implement plans to mitigate the employer’s risk. He often counsels and advises his clients on employment issues pertaining to leaves of absence, disciplinary actions, terminations, restructurings, reductions in force, employee classifications, handbooks, and policies.

Philip is also a recognized thought-leader in the area of employment law. He has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Corporate Counsel, and Law360 Pulse; is the Co-Editor and Co-Author of PLI’s Employment Law Yearbook, an annually updated treatise on employment law issues; and is the Co-Host of The Performance Review, a California labor and employment podcast available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Philip is Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Due Diligence Subgroup, the firm’s Co-Chair of the Greenberg Traurig African American Inclusion Network, and a member of the firm’s Justice Initiative.

Experience

Labor & Employment Litigation

• Co-chaired a 3.5-week jury trial regarding professional negligence and negligent misrepresentation against insurance brokers for their failure to provide employee health care plans and health reimbursement accounts compliant with San Francisco health care ordinances. The jury awarded a $2,335,008.21 verdict in favor of the client. Thereafter, first-chaired the appeal, where the appellate court affirmed the judgment in its entirety.
• First-chaired a labor arbitration involving a large casino’s decision to terminate an employee for possessing marijuana on casino property. The arbitrator declined to award the employee any back pay, reinstatement, or any other requested remedy.
• Co-chaired an employment arbitration involving 24 causes of action asserted by a former employee of a large cruises and events company. The arbitrator declined to award the employee any recovery against the individual respondents or on 22 of the 24 causes of action. The arbitrator only granted $4,500 on the remaining two causes of action.
• Represented executives and investors of a medical device and equipment company in an arbitration against claims from a terminated executive for defamation, intentional misrepresentation, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and conspiracy. The arbitrator granted a motion to dismiss and subsequent motion for summary disposition in favor of our clients, thereby dismissing the clients entirely from the arbitration.
• Represented a large cruise and events company in an audit by a local employment government agency. The government agency initially found that the company was required to provide certain health care plans and make health care expenditures to employees. At the conclusion of the audit, the local agency reduced the assessment against the company by more than $11 million.
• Represented an international company in a lawsuit by a former employee claiming that he was entitled to stock options. The California Superior Court sustained a partial demurrer in favor of the employer on the grounds that stock options are not wages. The parties settled soon thereafter.
• Represented an insurance provider against its former officer’s whistleblower retaliation claims. The California Superior Court sustained a partial demurrer in favor of the employer on the grounds that an associational retaliation cause of action does not exist under the California Labor Code. The parties settled soon thereafter.
• Represented one of the largest healthcare systems in the nation against a doctor’s claim for age discrimination.

Employment Counseling

• Advised and counseled an out-of-state health information management and technology systems company as it opened its first California office. Drafted California-specific addendums to the company’s handbook and policies.
• Advised startup as it retained an independent contractor to establish its national marketing program. Drafted independent contractor agreement to significantly minimize risk of litigation.
• Revised a renewable energy education center’s employee handbook as to comply with state and local employment laws.

Labor & Employment Due Diligence

• In connection with SemiFive’s acquisition of Analog Bits, Inc.
• In connection with Aveanna Healthcare, LLC’s acquisition of Dunn & Berger, Inc. dba Accredited Nursing Services, for a base purchase price of $180 million, plus up to $45 million subject to satisfaction of certain 2021 volume targets.
• In connection with IF&P Food Holdings Company, LLC’s (a portfolio company of Rotunda Capital Partners) acquisition of Get Fresh Produce, LLC.

Adam Reinke

Partner,
King & Spalding LLP

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Adam Reinke defends class actions and high-stakes product liability lawsuits involving automobiles, medical devices, and consumer goods in federal and state courts throughout the United States.

Adam represents product manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in all phases of class actions and other complex cases.  In addition to his experience as a litigator, Adam has written chapters in several practitioner treatises, including a chapter on class actions in Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy (2d ed.) and a chapter on food and drug litigation in Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts (4th ed.)  

Adam graduated first in his class from Emory University School of Law.  While in law school, Adam served as the Executive Articles Editor of the Emory Law Journal.  After law school, Adam clerked for the Honorable Edward E. Carnes, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

 

Joe Santiesteban

Partner, Cybersecurity,
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

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Joe Santiesteban is a trusted cybersecurity lawyer and strategic advisor, who regularly steers clients through data breaches as a partner in crisis management.

He brings significant experience advising companies – from one of the largest telecommunications providers to leading entertainment companies to startups on the cutting-edge of AI and more – on the full cycle of an incident. Joe also advises clients regarding regulatory investigations, class actions, and contract disputes that frequently flow from privacy and cybersecurity incidents.

His goal is to help clients respond quickly and with integrity to protect their brand, build trust and mitigate legal risk. Joe is highly adept at directing incident investigations, analyzing potential claims and defenses, examining potential notification obligations and advising on communications strategies that build trust and engagement.

Joe is committed to using these experiences to find creative and engaging strategies to help companies proactively prepare for an incident and mitigate cybersecurity legal risk. This includes helping to build and improve incident response programs through incident response plans, simulated incidents, threat workshops, and training. It also includes assisting clients with practically evaluating the legal risk of security decisions in a variety of transactions and across the product lifecycle.

He also provides strategic advice to cybersecurity companies, including those looking to push technological and defense boundaries in cyber defense, incident response, and threat intelligence. This includes helping companies maximize their security offerings by navigating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), and the Federal Wiretap Act, as well as state law analogs.

Joe serves on Orrick’s Pro Bono Committee. A leader and advocate for diversity and inclusion initiatives, Joe is the co-head of the Latinx affinity group at Orrick and served as a fellow for the Leadership Counsel on Legal Diversity. He is also a member of the Washington Latino Bar Association and the Hispanic National Bar Association.

Sean Spence

Partner,
Proskauer

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Sean Spence is a partner in the Corporate Department and a member of the Private Funds Group. He advises asset managers in connection with private equity fund formations, internal governance and ongoing fund operations.

As a US-qualified lawyer based in London, Sean maintains a global practice covering multiple fund jurisdictions across several strategies, including buyout, energy and infrastructure, real estate, credit and emerging markets funds.

Sean also advises a diverse group of institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds in connection with their global alternative investment strategies, including negotiating investments in primary and secondary transactions across a variety of vehicles and asset classes.

Sean has received several awards for his contributions to the Firm’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, including for his tenure as chair of the Black Lawyer Affinity Group and having launched the Firm’s A Path Forward speaker series on racial equity. He has also served as a key member on the Firm’s Hiring and Summer Program Committees.

Sean was previously based in the Firm’s New York office and, prior to joining Proskauer, was an associate in the investment funds group at White & Case.

Other Distinctions
Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch 2023-2024
National Bar Association: “40 Under 40”
The Legal 500 United Kingdom: Investment Fund Formation & Management: Private Funds 2024

Brian P. Sylvester

Partner,
Perkins Coie LLP

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Brian Sylvester, a partner in Perkins Coie’s Washington, D.C., office, focuses his practice on food and beverage regulatory matters before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and analogous state regulatory bodies. He is a leading authority on food tech regulation and serves as a trusted advisor to global brands, startups, life science companies, investors, and trade associations.

His practice also extends beyond food and beverage to include cosmetics, OTC drugs and other consumer products and, across all these regulated product categories, spans enforcement actions, audits and investigations, regulatory compliance, labeling and advertising, import and export, due diligence, consumer litigation, comment preparation, public policy advocacy at the federal and state levels, and new product development.

Brian has particular and extensive experience in developing regulatory strategies to commercialize a range of food tech innovations, including transgenic crops and alternative proteins like cultivated meat, among others. He leverages his experience as a former regulator at USDA to counsel clients on strategic considerations around engagement with and advocacy before USDA and FDA on numerous complex issues, including those of first impression. For example, within the past year, Brian obtained a greenlight from FDA for a leading Israel-based precision fermentation startup to commercialize a proprietary milk protein produced without cows.

Brian is a prolific author and frequent speaker at industry-leading events in the United States, Asia, the European Union, Israel, and other parts of the world.  Examples from the past year include: (1) In February 2024, Brian was a featured speaker in Barcelona, Spain at the Meat Evolution Leaders Summit (MEVO); (2) this past November 2023, he presented in Beijing, China at the China International Food Safety & Quality (CIFSQ) Conference; and (3) last summer, Brian presented a session on US food tech regulation to MassChallenge Israel in Jerusalem, Israel.

Allison Brooke Tomlinson

Principal, Regional Counsel,
Gensler

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As the Northeast (and formerly, Latin American) Regional Legal Counsel, Allison is responsible for multiple offices across the region. She developed the firm’s first compliance program, which acts as the foundational guide for Gensler’s business practices. She also is a Strategic Legal Advisor to various practice areas and communities, including Product Design, Digital Experience Design and the Global Design Realization leaders. Additionally, Allison is a co-Chair of Gensler’s Global Race and Diversity Committee.

In 2017, Allison was recognized by Engineering News-Record as a “Top Young Professional” for her impact in the design industry, as well as being named to the GC Powerlist U.S. Latin American Specialists list. In 2019 and 2020, she was named as a Lawyer of Distinction in the In-House Counsel category. In 2021, she was listed in the National Black Lawyers Top 100 List. And in 2022, she was selected as one of Crain’s New York Business Notable Black Leaders. She was the Co-Vice President of the NY Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute, and is a member of The Fourth Floor, a networking community for women in leadership. She is a former board member of the Greater NY Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, and Co-Chair of the ACC’s Long Island Chapter, and former member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, where she served on the annual gala committee. She currently is on the board for the Center for Architecture and is active in the scholarship committee. Allison holds a Bachelors in Architecture from University California Berkeley, a Masters in Urban Planning from Columbia University, and a Doctorate in Law from Hofstra University.

Kenneth Trujillo-Jamison

Co-Managing Partner,
Willenken LLP

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Kenneth Trujillo-Jamison uses his sharply honed analytical and strategic skills to efficiently handle his clients’ most complex and challenging matters. Having spent time on secondment, Kenneth knows the importance of aligning litigation strategy with his clients’ business objectives. Kenneth has been recognized as “One to Watch” in the 2021 and 2022 editions of Best Lawyers and a SuperLawyers Rising Star for 2021, and has been selected to The National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 List.

Kenneth’s successes in the courtroom abound. As but one example, as a member of AbbVie’s 100%-diverse trial team in “one of the five big healthcare lawsuits” of 2020, Kenneth helped convince the Delaware Chancery Court to find Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. liable for breach of contract. At trial, Kenneth examined and defended multiple expert witnesses.

Kenneth also has deep experience litigating entertainment matters. Kenneth is currently defending Disney and Pixar in a copyright infringement case involving the film “Moana,” and a prominent portrait photographer in a right-of-publicity case brought by the rapper Jay-Z. He also helped convince two other district court judges to dismiss on the pleadings copyright infringement claims involving motion pictures, ending those matters before discovery.

Kenneth also is experienced defending technology companies in litigation about users and user-generated content posted on their platforms. As but one example, he successfully obtained dismissal, on Communications Decency Act grounds, of an action seeking to hold a social media company liable for claims arising from the suspension of a user from its platform.

Kenneth also has experience in consumer class actions. He has, for example, represented Procter & Gamble in a dispute involving claims of unfair and deceptive labelling for a popular body wash product, and Mattel and Fisher-Price in false advertising cases involving a popular infant product. Kenneth also has experience counseling Southern California Gas Company on regulatory issues before the California Public Utilities Commission.

Aside from his practice, Kenneth is a leader in the Los Angeles legal community. Kenneth is a past member of the Board of Trustees for the Los Angeles Copyright Society, a members-only organization of attorneys who practice in copyright, trademark, communications, and related areas that meets monthly to hear speakers present on varied topics of vital and current interest to practitioners. He is also the President of the Board of the Inner City Law Center, which works towards ending the homelessness crisis by providing free legal services to the poorest and most vulnerable residents of Los Angeles, and is also a past president and current board member of the Housing Rights Center, Los Angeles’ largest public interest law organization dedicated to enforcing fair housing laws.

Kenneth is also active in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal community. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the California Minority Counsel Program and the past Chair of California Minority Counsel Program’s Ambassadors Council. He also served on California Minority Counsel Program’s 2019 Annual Business Conference Planning Committee. Finally, Kenneth is also a 2022 Fellow and a 2018 Pathfinder in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity program.

Prior to joining Willenken, Kenneth practiced at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. He also served as a law clerk for The Honorable Judge Paul J. Watford of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In his time away from the law, Kenneth enjoys listening to podcasts and spending time with his wife and his two young children.

LeDeidre S. Turner

Assistant General Counsel,
Exelon

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LeDeidre S. Turner is an Assistant General Counsel in the regulatory litigation department of Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd). In this role she represents ComEd in regulatory proceedings and other relevant litigation as well as advises clients with respect to all legal matters. During her time with ComEd, LeDeidre has been an active member of her company’s Legal’s DEI Committee Community and Pipeline Subcommittee as well as volunteered with her colleagues to create wills for veterans and first responders and complete expungement documents for those seeking to move forward in life.

Prior to joining ComEd, LeDeidre served as a Commissioner on the Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC) where she also served as the vice-chair. In this role, she resolved complaints of discrimination filed under the Illinois Human Rights Act. Prior to joining the IHRC, she was an Assistant Commissioner of Prosecution and Adjudication for Business Affairs and Consumer Protection with the City of Chicago. In this role she provided guidance, direction, and training to attorneys and law clerks in the division. She also co-managed labor relations for the department and assisted all divisions with labor-management issues. Prior to joining the City, LeDeidre was an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO). She began her career there in the Child Support Enforcement Division. From there, she moved to the Juvenile Justice Bureau, Child Protection Division. She was also assigned to the Juvenile Justice Bureau, Delinquency Division where she reviewed and prosecuted misdemeanor and felony offenses committed by juveniles. She ended her career with CCSAO in the Felony Review Unit where she reviewed cases presented by law enforcement and made ultimate charging decisions for felony cases in Cook County.

LeDeidre currently serves as the Vice President of Education and Information for the Cook County Bar Association, as well as the Co-Chair of its annual Minority Law Student Job Fair, the largest of its kind in the Midwest. She is also a member of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago. LeDeidre serves as a Board Member for Legal Aid Chicago and Foster Progress. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Lambda Tau Omega Chapter. LeDeidre received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School now known as UIC School of Law.

Onika K. Williams

Of Counsel,
Steptoe LLP

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Onika K. Williams is Of Counsel in Steptoe LLP’s Transportation practice in Washington, DC. Onika advises clients on compliance and enforcement before Surface Transportation Board (STB), the economic regulator of the railroads. Clients benefit from her experience as a legal advisor in the STB’s Office of Proceedings. While there, she advised the Board in proceedings arising under the ICC Termination Act of 1995, involving questions of statutory, administrative, and constitutional law.

Prior to the STB, Onika served as a Law Clerk at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission where she advised and assisted three judge boards in adjudicating cases under the Atomic Energy Act, regarding nuclear safety, security, and the environment.

Outside of private practice, Onika is involved with various bar associations on the local and national levels. For instance, Onika served as the 2020-21 Chair for the National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Onika’s leadership, the NBA YLD led or co-sponsored almost 70 virtual programs and was named the 2021 Division of the Year by the NBA President. She has volunteered as a writer with the American Bar Association’s Litigation News publication and has published over 30 legal articles.

Onika is also an avid volunteer within the Washington, D.C. community and serves through several organizations, including the Junior League of Washington (JLW), where she previously served as a Presidential Appointee for the Junior League for Washington’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Task Force. In her prior role as Assistant Council Director for the JLW’s Community Affairs Council, Onika helped to oversee five committees that are responsible for bringing JLW’s focus on literacy to the forefront of the League’s programming in the community, provided increased opportunity for hands-on work for JLW members, and forged new literacy-focused partnerships and collaborations. Onika also serves as DC Social Action Coordinator for her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In this role, she leads DC-wide social action activities for the organization’s local chapters to assist DC’s most vulnerable communities with voting registration and education efforts and other outreach efforts. She also assists in organizing the organization’s local advocacy efforts in meetings with our U.S. Congressional delegate and DC councilmembers.

A member of the Florida Bar and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, Onika was named a 2023 Law360 Rising Star in Transportation; 2023 Rising Star in Transport: Rail & Road – Litigation & Regulation by Legal 500 US; 2021 Kim M. Keenan Advocacy & Leadership Award Recipient by the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (WBA YLD); a 2020 Rising Star Award Recipient by the Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division, National Bar Association (GWAC); a 2019 Young Lawyer of the Year by the WBA YLD; a 2019 “Nation’s Best Advocates” 40 under 40 Honoree by the National Bar Association; and “Top 40 Under 40” of Washington, D.C. by The National Black Lawyers in 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018.