Diana Arredondo

Senior Corporate Counsel,
Amazon.com, Inc.

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“As a minority in the legal field, it’s an honor to serve on the LMJ Scholarship Selection Committee and work with MCCA to move the needle and provide meaningful opportunities, support and guidance to outstanding law students from diverse backgrounds, and build a much needed pipeline to increase diversity in the legal profession.”

Diana is an attorney with over fifteen years of experience in Intellectual Property, Domain Names, Digital, Media, Privacy and Data Protection, licensed to practice in Mexico and the United States. Her practice includes trademarks, copyrights, related and neighboring rights, right of publicity, collective management societies, domain names, digital media, privacy and data protection.

KISHAN BAROT

Associate,
Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP

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

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

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

CHARLOTTE BORROUGHS

Tech and Privacy Attorney,
Salesforce.com, Inc.

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

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

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

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

DIANE BUTLER

Partner, Immigration Law,
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

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

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

JANE CAMPBELL

Senior Counsel, CNAEP Law and Land,
Chevron Corporation

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

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

Candice Carr

Senior Corporate Counsel,
Microsoft Corporation

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“As a Caribbean immigrant, I understand the social and cultural barriers that one may face as they pursue the challenging education and career of law. Also, as a former member of Microsoft CELA African American/ Black Employee (AA/BEN) Network Steering Committee leading Diversity and Inclusion efforts to foster education, career development and leadership within our communities, I remain committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal industry. The MCCA Scholarship speaks to the authentic promotion of such DEI work and, as I “meet” the talented and diverse students through this process, I am excited and honored to be a part of the reviewing committee and this journey.”

Candice Carr is an Assistant General Counsel in Microsoft’s Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) department. She is Chief of Staff for CELA’s Marketing & Consumer Business team.

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

She has also served as the lead attorney for the Microsoft Online Stores ecommerce business, which operates in over 190 markets, where she managed global outside counsel to support new business model developments, market expansions, customer satisfaction issues, and regulatory matters.

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

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

Rachel Cheeks-Givan

Senior Manager, Global Diversity ＆ Inclusion Group,
Pfizer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NKECHI CHUKWUEKE

Corporate Counsel,
VMware, Inc.

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

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

MIKE DEE

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

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

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

GEORGE GONZALEZ

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

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

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

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

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

Stephen Kampmeier

Associate Director, Emerging Growth & Incubation Group,
Intel Corporation

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

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

NEEL LIMAYE

Commercial Counsel,
Chime

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

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

MALAIKA LINDO

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

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“Since I joined the legal community, I have been a big fan of the MCCA’s vision and contribution to the legal industry. I look forward to participating in the LMJ Scholarship Committee because I am deeply connected to the experience of being a first generation lawyer and know the importance and value that this scholarship and network will provide each recipient. I was the direct beneficiary of a wonderful law school pipeline initiative and scholarship. Individuals dedicated to diversifying the legal industry made the path to and through law school accessible. Later, they were my network of trusted advisors that provided me access, information, and resources that changed the trajectory of my professional career. I look forward to following in their footsteps and contributing to the efforts of LMJ Scholarship Selection Committee.”

HISHAM MASRI

Employment Counsel,
Flowserve Corporation

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“Financial hardship is one of the largest barriers of entry into the legal profession. The Minority Corporate Counsel Association provides a direct solution to this problem by providing a scholarship, and I am privileged to provide input about selecting the recipient. It is my hope that the scholarship will motivate and inspire a deemed diverse attorney to pursue a legal education and make their pursuit of that opportunity easier.”

Fatema Merchant

Partner,
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

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“When I think about my parents’ story – immigrating to the United States for a better life for me and my brother and my sister, I think of the moments where my father got an opportunity or where he fought for one, where someone took an interest in him or he passionately pursued an interest. In my life, I think of those moments too – and I am so thankful for those opportunities and those people who took an interest in me and supported me. I want to participate in the selection committee because there are so many young, talented, hardworking, passionate students of color who are seeking that opportunity and seeking that person to give them a chance. I am honored and humbled to be able to be part of providing this amazing, valuable opportunity to diverse students to support them in their careers.”

Andrea Moody Turner

Counsel, Product Litigation & Autonomous Vehicles,
General Motors

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“Participating in the LMJ Scholarship Selection Committee is important to me because it is absolutely necessary for diverse future lawyers to have champions throughout their journey – even if that champion is unknown. I am well aware of the privilege I hold as a fellow diverse attorney and welcome the opportunity to to be a champion – even if it is an unknown champion – for a deserving law student. Participating on the LMJ Scholarship Selection Committee provides me the platform to both be a champion and an active participant in helping to to ensure that the legal profession continues to be open and inviting to all.”

Natasha Newberry

Corporate Counsel,
LexisNexis

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“It is important for me to be part of any opportunity that is geared towards providing minority law students with the support they need to become successful thriving attorneys. I believe that supporting, encouraging and empowering minorities to enter the legal profession is the only way we can begin to transform it.”

Thomasina Poirot

Counsel,
Venable LLP

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

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