Larry Tu has grasped opportunities with a seeming disregard for geographic boundaries, beginning with a trio of degrees earned at Harvard and Oxford universities.
His private practice in high technology, Internet, and media-related M&A transactions led him to partnership at O’Melveny & Meyers, which included a five-year stint in Asia as managing partner of the firm’s Hong Kong office. Furthering his managerial and business development skills, from 1994 to 1995 Tu served as general counsel Asia-Pacific for Goldman Sachs, a subsidiary of the Fortune 59 financial services giant.
“We live in an increasingly global world, which means we must be as diverse as our consumers, our suppliers, and the communities in which we operate.”
-Larry Tu
In 2001, Tu changed gears once again when he took the reins as general counsel of NBC, a subsidiary of the General Electric Company. He led the legal team that completed several key acquisitions with a total value in excess of $20 billion, including the acquisition that created NBC Universal—one of the fastest growing and most profitable media and entertainment companies in the world.
In late 2004, Tu was lured away to become the general counsel of today’s Fortune 28—and Fortune Global 93—ranked Dell Inc., with ever-expanding operations that include a thriving Asia-based business.
“Dell is a much bigger company with a more substantial global operation,” comments Tu. “The department I head is also larger, with a total staff of over 200 based around the globe. In addition, because Dell is a public company, I now have responsibilities for dealing with shareholder issues and with the board of directors.”
Tu’s global career experiences have given him a practical approach to corporate diversity. “We live in an increasingly global world, which means we must be as diverse as our consumers, our suppliers, and the communities in which we operate,” he says. The key to being culturally sensitive, says Tu, is to work in an environment that reflects a diverse array of perspectives and backgrounds, “so that you learn to be more aware of differences, and indeed learn to benefit from them.”
Speaking to the unique challenges faced by Asian American attorneys, specifically those dealing with cultural differences, Tu notes that, “Asian culture teaches you to be respectful of others, especially those more experienced, and I think that this is sometimes misperceived as subservience, or misinterpreted as a lack of ambition, assertiveness, or leadership skills.” To counter this, Tu advises Asian attorneys to “combine respect for those who have more experience than you with a willingness to take on new experiences and responsibilities.” Says Tu, “There is nothing disrespectful about speaking out at meetings. Don’t be afraid to stand out and be counted.”
Of his own experience, says Tu, Dell’s high appreciation for difference and diversity—as demonstrated in the incorporation of diversity goals within Dell’s corporate objectives—makes it that much easier to perform in his role. “We win awards for diversity, actively recruit diverse applicants within our search pools, and conduct business with many minority- and women-owned businesses.”
The values exhibited by Dell fall in line with the personal values that Tu developed as a clerk under the tutelage of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. “He was a hero of mine, and [the clerkship] was one of the high points of both my personal life and professional career.” Marshall, Tu says, taught by example the value of a commitment to social justice. “He was also the most generous person I’ve ever met. He didn’t expect his clerks to follow in his exact footsteps but, rather, taught us that it was possible to pursue these higher principles no matter what we did with our lives.”
With leaders such as Mayes, Gonzalez-Pita, Thompson, and Tu, along with the encouraging demographic trends, women and minority attorneys are well poised to continue their success in the country’s top companies. Diversity & the Bar looks forward to the 2006 report, which undoubtedly will reflect even greater gains.
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From the May/June 2005 issue of Diversity & The Bar®