Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership: Washington DC
CenterForce is hosting the Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership Summit, an exclusive event dedicated to providing solutions and fostering collaboration in tackling the critical DEI challenges currently affecting the legal landscape in Washington D.C. and surrounding areas.
Our summit takes a comprehensive approach to address the obstacles posed by the backlash against DEI initiatives and the consequences of Affirmative Action repeal, encouraging an insightful dialogue on the continuously evolving aspects of the legal profession.
We invite you to join us and be a part of this solution-oriented event. Connect with industry leaders and legal professionals for a day filled with powerful discussions, fresh perspectives, and practical strategies centered on empowering talent across socioeconomic lines, breaking down glass ceilings, and effectively navigating the ever-changing landscape of workplace diversity initiatives.
In addition to these enlightening discussions, our summit provides unparalleled networking opportunities, offering a vibrant platform to engage with industry leaders and benchmark against best practices. By participating in this event, you will not only gain valuable knowledge but also become part of a dynamic community of support that extends far beyond the conference itself. We eagerly anticipate your presence at the summit, and we look forward to your active involvement in shaping the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal field.
- The Diversity Dividend: Strategies for Making a Stronger Case for the ROI of Diversity
- Breaking the Mold: Empowering Legal Talents Across Socioeconomic Lines
- Shattering Glass Ceilings: The Unwritten Playbook for Career Success Beyond Hard Work
- From Fitting In to Standing Out: Transforming Code-Switching and Imposter Syndrome into Strengths
- De-Risking and Future-Proofing Workplace Diversity Initiatives in a Changing Legal Landscape
- Redefining Success: From Burnout to Balance in a Multigenerational Workforce
- From Vision to Reality: Making ERGs a Driving Force in Your DEI Initiatives
- Chief Legal Officer
- C-Suite Executives
- General Counsel
- Associate General Counsel
- Assistant General Counsel
- Senior Vice President Legal
- Vice President Legal
- Assistant Vice President
- Senior Counsel
- Corporate Counsel
- Counsel
Agenda
Businesses invest millions of dollars to gain a competitive advantage and boost their revenue and profitability. Yet, some companies are hesitant to prioritize diversity within their leadership and key stakeholders, despite numerous studies demonstrating that achieving a 25% diversity threshold can lead to increased profits. Explore effective tactics for obtaining buy-in from management, showcasing the ROI of diversity, and aligning DEI initiatives with overarching business goals.
This panel will explore:
- Strategies to securing management buy-in and overcoming resistance
- Showing leadership the organizational pitfalls of ignoring DEI
- How to align with business objectives
- Demonstrating the ROI on DEI using Metrics + KPIs
Lusanna Ro is a Vice President and East Region Chief Counsel for the Americas’ Design and Consulting Services Group of AECOM, a publicly traded global infrastructure consulting firm. She is based in AECOM’s Glen Allen, Virginia office and provides legal guidance to the U.S. East Region and Latin America on complex projects for public and private clients in the transportation, buildings, water and environment sectors. She leads a team of attorneys and legal professionals in the US, Mexico and Peru. Ms. Ro is a current co-chair of the ACC National Capital Region’s Corporate Scholars and past president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado.
Travonte Warren is a Senior Counsel at the Procter & Gamble Company providing general legal support to its North American Feminine Care and Family Care businesses, with a focus on marketing/advertising. Prior to his current business-facing role, he was a Senior Counsel in Procter & Gamble’s Global Health, Safety & Environmental practice group counseling its multinational Product Supply organization on matters related to occupational safety, environmental protection, hazardous goods shipment, etc. Aside from his core work at Procter & Gamble, Travonte supports many organizational efforts including work on Legal Operations, driving a positive working culture on the North American Culture Network, etc. Travonte attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he earned his Bachelors’ degrees in Political Science and Public Policy and he received his JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Matt is a Director & Associate General Counsel at Meta, where he leads a team responsible for counseling business groups on compliance with global anti-corruption laws and administering Meta’s anti-corruption compliance program. Matt joined Meta from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where he worked as a Director & Managing Counsel, Anti-Corruption in HPE’s Ethics & Compliance Office. Before moving to the private sector, Matt served as an Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, as an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, and for over ten years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he investigated and prosecuted dozens of cases in the District of Columbia.
Nakia Arrington assists clients by assessing, investigating, and resolving compliance issues across a variety of industries. Her practice covers environmental policy, pipeline safety, citizen suits pursuant to the Clean Water Act, hydroelectric power, compliance planning, incident response, internal investigations, and American Indian Law, as well as a broad range of civil litigation in federal and state courts. She also advises on environmental, social, and governance issues (ESG).
Nakia has recently advised clients navigating interactions with the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
During law school, Nakia was accepted into the U.S. DOJ Attorney General’s Honors Program. Following graduation, she served as Assistant General Counsel at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Sensitive and Strategic Information Litigation Section, where she handled complex litigation involving the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act with a nexus to national security, technology, data, high-visibility activities, and an array of sensitive matters.
In 2021, Nakia retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as an Operations Officer.
Since joining Van Ness Feldman, Nakia’s Pro Bono practice has focused on representing underserved individuals.
Nakia is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe.
Esther is a senior associate in the Insurance Recovery Group, focusing her practice on representing corporate, commercial, and residential policyholders in disputes with insurance companies. She works primarily with Commercial General Liability (CGL), Directors and Officers liability (D&O), Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O), and first-party property policies, providing coverage opinions, counseling, and dispute resolution. Esther serves well-known clients in the banking and financial institutions, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, transportation and energy sectors, as well as religious institutions and small and medium sized businesses. In law school, Esther was a judicial intern to the Honorable Pamela K. Chen of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of New York.
Esther serves as co-chair of the Insurance Subcommittee of the Business Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. She also serves as the Associate Chair of the DEI Committee of the firm’s Philadelphia office.
Professionals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds encounter significant challenges including biases, stigmas and misconceptions that hinder their journey from well before law school, through the hiring process, and into their professional career. They are also at increased risk of leaving the professional workforce, suffering burn-out due to prioritizing finance over work-life integration, facing imposter syndrome, and attaining less advancement. What can be done to develop and guide legal professionals across socioeconomic lines?
This panel will explore:
- Bridging the cultural gap between lower socioeconomic backgrounds and the corporate legal environment
- Stereotypes and misconceptions tied to socioeconomic background
- Recruitment & retention strategies to overcome inadvertent bias and stereotypes
- Importance of mentorship programs and providing invaluable insights into career navigation
Senior Privacy and Product Counsel of Incidents and Marketing at Atlassian who is IAPP certified in U.S. and European cyber security and data privacy law.
Eugenia (Jeannie) Hernandez is Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Privacy at Sodexo, Inc. In this role, she leads the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Privacy for the company in the United States and Canada. Since joining Sodexo in 2016, Jeannie has partnered with the Regional Leadership Team to promote a corporate culture that fosters ethical and compliant behaviors including trainings, policy review, annual certification programs, and risk assessments. Prior to joining Sodexo, Jeannie served in legal positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, Jeannie provided legal support to Daymon Worldwide as their General Counsel and Pitney Bowes as Assistant General Counsel.
Jeannie holds a B.A. in History, Spanish from Oberlin College. Jeannie graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law with a JD in Law.
Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., is a career attorney and former federal prosecutor. He is currently an Associate General Counsel on the Security Legal team of Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook. Mervin oversees the legal matters of Meta’s Law Enforcement Response Team and issues related to the Stored Communications Act (SCA). He served in the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for 13 years, most recently as Chief of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit where he was responsible for the Central Services, Witness Security, and Victim Advocacy sections of the nation’s largest United States Attorney’s Office (USAO). Mervin tried over 75 cases in D.C courts, and argued several times before the D.C. Court of Appeals, serving with distinction in the Appellate, Domestic Violence, Felony Major Crimes, Sex Offense, Cyber Crime, Fraud & Public Corruption, and Violent Crime & Narcotics Trafficking Sections of the Office. In 2018, Mervin was selected by the U.S. Attorney for the District of the U.S. Virgin Islands to head the Disaster Recovery Fraud Task Force in the disastrous wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria. There, Mervin led Homeland Security and FBI investigations into multi-million dollar FEMA fraud, healthcare fraud and other white-collar crimes.
Early in his career, after clerking for the Hon. Renee Jones Weeks in NJ Superior Court, Essex County, Mervin was sworn in as a Deputy Attorney General in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, where he oversaw investigations and litigated over a thousand child abuse and neglect cases in Newark, NJ and its surrounding cities. It was this experience that opened Mervin’s eyes to the fact that his life was a calling to help as many people as possible evolve to be the best versions of themselves possible, no matter their life’s circumstances. While practicing law, Mervin wrote his first book, A Single Mother’s Guide to Raising a Son, in response to a phenomenon that saw as high as 80% of American boys in many communities being raised without a father. He also produced an award-winning documentary, The Raising of the Son, which examined the impact of the absence and presence of fathers on society from the perspective of mothers and wives, sons and fathers, politicians, judges, professional athletes and the business community. Mervin’s forthcoming book, Sharpening Swords, is a daily meditation and personal growth guide for men en route to self-actualization and unlocking their life’s purpose. Mervin is also passionate about screen-writing and after writing his first screenplay, was selected to participate in the prestigious 2023 Rocaberti Writers Retreat in Dordogne, France in July.
Mervin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Morgan State University on a full four-year academic merit scholarship and was also a wide receiver for the Morgan State Bears football team. Mervin earned his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark, where he was a Seymour B. Jacobs Trial Advocacy Scholar. In 2022, Mervin was appointed to the Morgan State University Foundation Board of Directors. He has served as an instructor at Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop since 2022.
Chimdi (Nwosu) Ginsburg Tuffs represents various employers and entities in complex litigation including employer, professional and executive liability claims, premises liability, trucking liability and product liability matters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York federal and state courts. She draws on her vast courtroom experience as a former prosecutor in Philadelphia, and as a former felony sexual assault and domestic violence prosecutor in New York City, to develop an expertise in investigating and defending negligent security claims in the sexual assault context. She has tried many cases, both civil and criminal, to jury verdict and has experience in presenting before a grand jury. She prides herself on her aggressive, yet pragmatic, approach to litigation.
Formerly an Assistant United States Attorney, Kenya has 20 years of experience in high-stakes trials and investigations, including more than a decade as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
In that role, she represented the United States as lead counsel in 35 jury trials, 15 bench trials, and several evidentiary hearings involving complicated issues of first impression. She and her team prevailed in convicting a trafficker of adult sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, in one of the first federal trials of its kind in D.C. She also handled more than 100 grand jury investigations and defended 13 verdicts before the D.C. Court of Appeals. Kenya also served as co-chair of the D.C. Human Trafficking Task Force, a group of nearly 75 senior federal and local law enforcement officials, government agency leaders, and NGO executives, working to increase the prosecution of traffickers, provide comprehensive services to victims, and coordinate anti-trafficking efforts in the D.C. area.
At Boies Schiller Flexner, Kenya focuses on investigations and compliance work, particularly ESG-related issues such as ensuring the integrity of supply chains and labor practices. She also works with BSF attorneys on sex trafficking and sexual assault cases.
Kenya is an adjunct professor at American University where she teaches a course on the laws and policies surrounding domestic violence.
For many diverse professionals, trusting that good work, dedication, and responsiveness will propel their careers has created a glass ceiling and disillusionment. It’s time to break the rules and propel your career to the next level. Unlock the secrets to career advancement by cultivating a clear vision, fostering self-belief, and proactively advocating for your accomplishments. Discover actionable steps to showcase your achievements, express your goals, strike the right balance between networking, soft skills, technical knowledge, and more. Are you ready to overcome obstacles and take control of your career trajectory?
This panel will explore:
- Steps to showcasing the quality of your work
- Elevating your professional visibility by expressing what you want and your goals
- Developing sponsors, advocates, and allies
- Utilizing feedback as a catalyst for professional development
Kristen Budris is Privacy Counsel at Dell Technologies where she supports her colleagues in technology transactions, investigations, HR matters, and ensuring compliance with data protection laws and regulations. Prior to joining Dell, she held in-house counsel roles at Proofpoint, Inc., Highmark Health, and Industrial Scientific Corporation. Kristen serves as a co-chair for programming of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s IT, Privacy, and e-Commerce network. She is a graduate of Duquesne University and Duquesne University School of Law. Kristen holds CIPP/US and CIPM certifications as well as a Fellow of Information Privacy designation from the International Association of Privacy Professionals and a certificate in Sustainable Capitalism and ESG from Berkeley Law Executive Education. When not striving to protect data, Kristen enjoys writing, taking walks with her pup, reading, and learning to cook.
Ms. Bembry practices in the areas of insurance, international disputes, and litigation.
Ms. Bembry represents London Market Insurers on a number of significant insurance litigation issues, including asbestos and environmental claims. On behalf of London Market Insurers, Ms. Bembry tried an environmental coverage case in New Jersey state court, obtaining a substantial reduction to the insured’s claim. Ms. Bembry provides strategic counseling to insurers and reinsurers on a variety of coverage issues.
In addition to her insurance practice, Ms. Bembry represents foreign and domestic institutions in complex international commercial disputes. She has litigated cases involving claims of negligence, fraud, and breach of contract, and counseled clients on a variety of complex issues, including on matters relating to OFAC’s sanctions programs and the enforcement of foreign money judgments.
Ms. Bembry litigates cases in both state and federal court, at the trial and appellate levels. She has managed multiple large-scale, cross border document productions, tackling multifaceted e-discovery issues. In 2012 and 2013 she served on the DC Bar’s E-Discovery Committee, which meets regularly to discuss current issues in e-discovery.
Ashley R. Lynam is the Chair of Montgomery McCracken. She is the first woman and youngest person to hold the highest leadership position in the firm’s 112-year history. Ashley also serves on the firm’s Management and Hiring Committees.
Ashley is a trusted advisor and entrepreneurial advocate for her clients ranging from family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 companies. She handles all aspects of litigation across the full range of corporate and contract disputes, as well as antitrust and trade secret counseling, personal injury disputes, executive compensation counseling and catastrophic event response.
Ashley graduated summa cum laude as a business major from Villanova University and cum laude from Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law, where she was an executive member of the Moot Court Board.
Code-switching and Imposter Syndrome derail and haunt many talented diverse executives. How can you turn these phenomena into strengths allowing you to fulfill your potential and work authentically? This is a call to action, empowering you to navigate your identity, embrace your unique voice, and foster a workplace that celebrates diversity and authenticity.
This panel will explore:
- Distinctions between code-switching and imposter syndrome
- Strategies for conquering fear and breaking free from the grip of imposter syndrome
- Navigating workplace identity and working with authenticity
- Transforming imposter syndrome into a driving force of career advancement
Arianna Scavetti is a Complex Commercial Litigation partner in Weil’s Washington, D.C. office. Arianna represents corporate clients in a wide range and at all phases of commercial litigation. She regularly defends clients in the consumer products space against allegations of consumer fraud and deception and advises clients on ESG claims and marketing. Arianna is also an emerging leader in the sports industry, particularly in the areas of player safety, compensation, and well-being. She currently serves as co-head for the D.C. office’s Women@Weil affinity group, which focuses on mentoring, networking, recruiting, retention, and advancing women attorneys across Weil.
Whether successfully leading clients through high-stakes trials or negotiating advantageous resolutions where billions of dollars hang in the balance, Rachel Adcox is a standout amongst antitrust practitioners.
Rachel’s teams have proven uniquely adept at managing not only high-risk civil litigation but concurrent civil and criminal actions at both the state and federal levels. At every step, Rachel is able to present a full range of legal solutions for her clients, taking a proactive, business-minded approach that generates superior outcomes. As lead counsel on multiple major litigations for Fortune 100 companies, her clients routinely rely on her skill, judgment, and “clear, reasoned, and confident” advice. Her peers and clients likewise describe her as “an outstanding litigator,” and “the best of the best.”
As a result, Rachel has garnered numerous accolades for her work, including being recognized by Chambers USA as an Antitrust Litigation Specialist, by Legal 500 as a Leading Lawyer in Antitrust Civil Litigation/Class Action Defense, and by the National Law Journal as a Litigation Trailblazer. She has also been repeatedly short-listed for Lawyer of the Year, Litigator of the Year, and Matter of the Year by Global Competition Review, and was named to Global Competition Review’s prestigious list of Women in Antitrust in 2021.
Behind the scenes, Rachel is also a trusted confidential adviser and advocate on cartel and compliance matters before U.S. and international enforcers. Prior to joining Axinn, she was a Trial Attorney at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Kiran Mand is a legal and business executive leader with over 15 years of experience in providing strategic counsel and guidance to global organizations in various industries, such as finance, technology, media, travel, and retail. Her legal experience includes commercial transactions, strategic partnerships, data compliance, contract negotiation, legal process improvement, and team leadership.
Kiran Mand is currently the Assistant General Counsel at Capital One, where she previously supported the enterprise products and emerging payments teams, focusing on digital wallets and other innovative solutions. She now supports the Premium Products and Experiences team supporting the post-acquisition of a travel concierge business called Velocity Black. Her previous experience includes working as in house counsel at DoorDash, Disney, National Geographic, and Gap.
Kiran Mand’s mission is to enable and empower business growth and innovation, while protecting and advancing the interests and values of the company and her clients. In addition, Kiran Mand takes an active role in the diversity efforts in all her roles including but not limited to previously being co-chair of Disney Lawyers of Color, volunteering with the Mid Atlantic Innocence Project and mentoring young lawyers and law students to a variety of programs.
Ash Masrani is an associate in our Tech//Digital practice. She specializes in strategic technology and commercial transactions across industry sectors, with a keen focus on strategic outsourcings and digital transformation initiatives.
Ash excels in guiding clients through the lifecycle of a transaction, from structuring deals and provider selection to negotiations, contract execution and post-contract management.
Her expertise lies in advising clients on strategic information technology outsourcing (ITO) and business process outsourcing (BPO) transactions; software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreements; core systems implementations; software licensing and development arrangements; branding agreements, reseller agreements; and other related corporate and commercial transactions.
This panel offers a comprehensive examination of de-risking strategies for businesses in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling. Justices Gorsuch and Thomas have hinted that they would like to go further on affirmative action. As a result, there has been increased litigation from advocacy groups and reverse discrimination cases from employees. Companies need to audit and safeguard their operations while effectively running their DEI initiatives that align with their values and culture. What is the balance between robust DEI practices and the management of potential liabilities? How can we future-proof for what is coming? This panel is crucial for businesses looking to navigate the complexities of a changing legal and social environment.
This panel will explore:
- Strategies for de-risking companies in light of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling and related litigation
- Auditing values and the importance of DEI to the organization
- Methods for future-proofing businesses while maintaining active DEI initiatives
- ESG, hiring, and firing, to align with evolving DEI expectations
- Balancing DEI practices with potential legal liabilities
- Training leadership, managers, and stakeholders
Veronica has extensive experience representing and supporting clients regarding legal issues in the connected data use, information governance, and privacy space. She has supported clients as a litigation associate, a consultant, and as in-house counsel. Veronica’s practice as an associate primarily focused on representing financial institutions, healthcare systems, and consumer product manufacturers in civil disputes. As a consultant, she developed solutions for the legal obligations related to the management of data, including collaborating with legal and technical teams to develop playbooks and strategies for responding to litigation and compliance requirements. As in house counsel at JP Morgan Chase (JPMC), she has implemented electronic discovery strategies and best practices for enforcement matters and internal investigations. Additionally, in her current role as Vice President, Consumer Data Use at JPMC, she collaborates with teams from multiple lines of business to review data use and access initiatives by evaluating the legal and governance implications of the initiatives. Veronica continues to build her knowledge and skill set by teaching courses and developing content for industry programs and events. Veronica attended Northwestern University and Howard University School of Law.
Tanya Salgado is a Partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group at White and Williams. Tanya provides timely and effective counseling to her clients on all aspects of employment law compliance under federal and state law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the ADA, the FMLA, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and wage and hour laws. She provides training and client seminars on crucial updates to employment laws so that her clients stay current on these important compliance requirements. Her litigation practice includes defending clients in federal and state courts in cases involving allegations of violations of the employment discrimination laws.
Lindsay Burke co-chairs Covington’s Employment Practice Group and regularly advises U.S., international, and multinational employers on employee management and culture issues and international HR compliance. She is a key member of the firm’s Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility practice, working together with white collar colleagues to conduct culture assessments, internal investigations of executive misconduct, and civil rights and racial equity audits and assessments. Lindsay has been at the forefront of the changing workplace issues impacting employers in the U.S. in the last decade, including #MeToo, Covid-19, and the renewed focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She frequently advises employers in relation to their processes and procedures for investigating complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and advises executive teams and board members on culture risk and the assessment and lawful implementation of DEI programs.
Jason M. Knott, a litigator and employment lawyer with nearly two decades of experience, represents organizations and individuals in high-stakes civil and criminal disputes involving employment, insurance, and health care issues.
Drawing on his in-house experience, Jason also advises executives and companies on matters involving employment terminations, employment and severance agreements, Title VII, pay disputes, breaches of codes of conduct, and issues involving corporate culture.
Jason recently served as Chief People Officer for a rapidly-growing global technology company, where he provided executive leadership of the human resources function and partnered with other executives to enhance and expand the company’s global business operations while building, supporting, and retaining a team of leading professionals.
In today’s rapidly changing professional landscape, the pursuit of career fulfillment and a well-balanced life transcends generational boundaries. Every generation brings its unique perspective to the table – from those who have witnessed the traditional, career-centric model, to younger generations advocating for a life that equally values personal and professional satisfaction. This panel aims to bridge these diverse viewpoints, offering insights into how each generation can learn from the other to achieve a harmonious blend of career success and personal well-being.
This panel will explore:
- Shifting attitudes towards mental health and burnout: what this means for creating healthier work environments
- The evolving definition of ‘success’ and moving towards a more holistic view
- Managing and perfecting the work-life integration balancing act
- The impact of remote and in-office work environments on career advancement opportunities and preferences across different age groups
Marissa Comart is Assistant General Counsel, Employment at Brooklyn-based Etsy, Inc., where she supports a hybrid workforce across the United States and internationally for Etsy.com and the Company’s House of Brands, including London-based clothing resale marketplace Depop, Chicago-based music gear resale company Reverb, and Elo7, the “Etsy of Brazil.” As a trusted legal partner, Marissa helps ensure that Etsy is compliant with employment laws across jurisdictions as the Company leads the way in providing employees with the support and flexibility they need — both personally and professionally. Marissa is also a co-lead of the “Parents at Etsy” Employee Resource Group. Marissa graduated from New York University School of Law. Prior to joining Etsy, Marissa worked as a law firm associate and a law clerk for a federal judge in New York.
Seasoned in-house lawyer with experience providing strategic and practical counseling around data privacy, e-commerce, advertising/marketing, consumer protection, and procurement with experience in the tech, financial services, insurance, and education sectors. Currently a strategic partner providing practical and creative solutions to novel, complex privacy legal issues related to monetization bets. Prior notable experience includes maximizing deal value and mitigating risk by applying transactional and project management skills along with commercial insight. Proven track record of mitigating risk whilst driving growth and successfully enabling innovation. Passionate about partnering with executives and business teams to expand product reach and accelerate leads to revenue, as well as guiding companies through complex regulatory and compliance matters. Possesses strong business and legal acumen, strategic planning skills, as well as unquestioned integrity and an exhaustive work ethic. Champion for women and diverse talent in the legal field.
• Privacy: Domestic and international regulatory compliance | data protection and use | e-commerce | transparency | ad-tech | online behavioral advertising | M&A and integration due diligence | product review
• Marketing and Advertising: Truth in Advertising | consumer protection | social media | user generated content | sponsorship and endorsement | promotions and sweepstakes | gift cards | multichannel marketing, including telemarketing | marketing and product claims substantiation | state and federal regulation | agency/client contracts
Other interests/talents: commitment to women and diversity in the law | real estate | affordable housing | interior design
• Real Estate: affordable housing | rehab | contract negotiation | interior design | construction | marketing | sustainable housing | green homes
Ariane Mann is a trial and appellate lawyer who is driven by her passion to provide fair representation for inventors, creators, and innovators. She focuses on intellectual property litigation and counseling, including patent litigation, copyright, and trade secret disputes.
A former digital forensics analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, Ariane blends her analytical skills and technical background in computer science to offer clients unique perspectives into emerging technologies and strategic insights into cases to anticipate successful appellate review. She has experience before multiple forums, including district and appellate courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Ariane also has worked across a range of technologies—from mobile and robotics devices, telecommunications systems, software systems, and display devices to microscopes and tobacco-cessation devices.
Prior to joining RJLF, Ariane worked at three global law firms where she gained experience in all aspects of civil discovery, depositions, drafting motions and IPR petitions, as well as working closely with technical experts and reviewing source code. Ariane also clerked for the Honorable Kara F. Stoll of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Katherine Maddox Davis is a litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
She represents corporate clients in high-stakes disputes with consumers, shareholders, and foreign governments. Her pro bono practice is focused on state and federal criminal defense. Katherine has been recognized by the 2023 and 2024 editions of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Appellate Practice.
Outside of court, she publishes and speaks on international jurisdictional disputes, often with human rights implications. Her analysis has been featured in law reviews and Lawfare, and she is a regular contributor to the ABA International Section’s Year in Review. She serves as vice chair for Rule of Law on the ABA International Courts and Judicial Affairs Committee.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Katherine clerked at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
She received her law degree, with honors, from Emory University School of Law. She was elected editor in chief of Emory International Law Review and received the W. Richard Smith Founder’s Award for Writing Excellence and the Robert Beynart Award for Professionalism and Ethics. As a law student, Katherine interned with then-Justice Harold Melton of the Georgia Supreme Court, with civil rights prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice, sex trafficking prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, and war crimes prosecutors at the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Tamara Sorokanich Grimm is a Partner in the Philadelphia office of O’Hagan Meyer. Tamara specializes in complex litigation matters with a focus on the areas of employment law, condominium/HOA disputes, Directors and Officers liability, commercial litigation and defense of professional malpractice and general liability litigation.
Tamara’s employment litigation practice focuses on the representation of employers against claims of discrimination and retaliation based on race, gender, age, disability, and religion, as well as cases concerning wrongful termination, wage and hour claims, medical leaves and whistle blower claims. Her practice includes the litigation of restrictive covenants in employment contracts, disputes over confidentiality agreements and the misappropriation of trade secrets, as well as the drafting of employment contracts, severance packages, employee handbooks and disciplinary policies.
In addition to her employment practice, Tamara also has substantial experience defending clients in premises, products, and automobile liability matters in state and federal courts throughout New York and Pennsylvania, as well as representing corporations and individuals in shareholder disputes, Directors and Officers Liability matters, and civil racketeering claims.
Prior to joining O’Hagan Meyer, Ms. Grimm was a Senior Associate at a Manhattan based defense firm specializing in complex medical malpractice and general liability litigation and brings with her vast experience in defending physicians and hospitals in complex medical malpractice cases, including birth and obstetrical injuries, cerebral/Erb’s Palsy, failure to diagnose, emergency room, medication and surgical errors, hospital and nursing home negligence, and wrongful death actions, as well as Mental Hygiene Law, Guardianship and Assisted Outpatient Treatment Proceedings.
Tamara has successfully drafted and argued summary judgment and post-trial motions at the trial and appellate level. On appeal, Ms. Grimm achieved reversal of the trial court’s denial of defendants’ motions for summary judgment in two noteworthy cases, often cited for their holdings. See Sanabria v. Aguero-Borges, 117 A.D.3d 1024 (2d Dept 2014) and Pou v. E&S Wholesale Meats, Inc. 68 A.D.3d 446 (1st Dept 2009).
Tamara has served as a law clerk intern to a New York State Supreme Court Justice, as well as a policy analyst in the New York City Mayor’s Office under the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations. As a policy analyst, Tamara monitored the performance of mayoral initiatives, prepared chapters of the Mayor’s Management Report and developed outcome-based indicators to monitor agency performance. She also assisted in the coordination and operation of the City’s relief efforts following the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Tamara has conducted a number of lectures for both clients and colleagues on various topics including: employment discrimination, compliance with Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the effects of social media on the law, stress management, overcoming poor witnesses and juror misconduct. She also lectures hospital staff on medical malpractice issues.
Organizations nationwide have established ERGs, but transforming these groups into catalysts for genuine, diverse change requires strategic guidance. How can we leverage these invaluable resources to effect diverse change within the corporate sphere? Uncover the keys to success, best practices for recruiting and engaging membership, and aligning your DEI group with organizational objectives to secure essential buy-in and support in the current landscape.
This panel will explore:
- Blueprints for running successful ERGs and committees
- Showcasing wins to build momentum and ensure lasting impact
- Embedding DEI principles into organizational policies and procedures
- Building robust membership and the importance of allyship
- Measuring outcomes and demonstrating the positive organizational impact
Aryeh Fishman serves as Associate General Counsel, Regulatory Legal Affairs, for the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the trade association representing U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Aryeh is an energy industry professional with experience engaging with policymakers and advising organizational decision-makers on regulatory, public policy, and legislative issues. Before coming to EEI, Aryeh practiced law representing both energy and telecommunications companies.
Roundtable 1: “Shattering Glass Ceilings: The Unwritten Playbook for Career Success Beyond Hard Work”
Chimdi Tuffs, Partner, Gfeller Laurie
Roundtable 2: “Title TBA”
Presentation by O’Hagan Meyer
Chimdi (Nwosu) Ginsburg Tuffs represents various employers and entities in complex litigation including employer, professional and executive liability claims, premises liability, trucking liability and product liability matters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York federal and state courts. She draws on her vast courtroom experience as a former prosecutor in Philadelphia, and as a former felony sexual assault and domestic violence prosecutor in New York City, to develop an expertise in investigating and defending negligent security claims in the sexual assault context. She has tried many cases, both civil and criminal, to jury verdict and has experience in presenting before a grand jury. She prides herself on her aggressive, yet pragmatic, approach to litigation.
Speakers
Marissa Comart is Assistant General Counsel, Employment at Brooklyn-based Etsy, Inc., where she supports a hybrid workforce across the United States and internationally for Etsy.com and the Company’s House of Brands, including London-based clothing resale marketplace Depop, Chicago-based music gear resale company Reverb, and Elo7, the “Etsy of Brazil.” As a trusted legal partner, Marissa helps ensure that Etsy is compliant with employment laws across jurisdictions as the Company leads the way in providing employees with the support and flexibility they need — both personally and professionally. Marissa is also a co-lead of the “Parents at Etsy” Employee Resource Group. Marissa graduated from New York University School of Law. Prior to joining Etsy, Marissa worked as a law firm associate and a law clerk for a federal judge in New York.
Aryeh Fishman serves as Associate General Counsel, Regulatory Legal Affairs, for the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the trade association representing U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Aryeh is an energy industry professional with experience engaging with policymakers and advising organizational decision-makers on regulatory, public policy, and legislative issues. Before coming to EEI, Aryeh practiced law representing both energy and telecommunications companies.
Senior Privacy and Product Counsel of Incidents and Marketing at Atlassian who is IAPP certified in U.S. and European cyber security and data privacy law.
Lusanna Ro is a Vice President and East Region Chief Counsel for the Americas’ Design and Consulting Services Group of AECOM, a publicly traded global infrastructure consulting firm. She is based in AECOM’s Glen Allen, Virginia office and provides legal guidance to the U.S. East Region and Latin America on complex projects for public and private clients in the transportation, buildings, water and environment sectors. She leads a team of attorneys and legal professionals in the US, Mexico and Peru. Ms. Ro is a current co-chair of the ACC National Capital Region’s Corporate Scholars and past president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado.
Veronica has extensive experience representing and supporting clients regarding legal issues in the connected data use, information governance, and privacy space. She has supported clients as a litigation associate, a consultant, and as in-house counsel. Veronica’s practice as an associate primarily focused on representing financial institutions, healthcare systems, and consumer product manufacturers in civil disputes. As a consultant, she developed solutions for the legal obligations related to the management of data, including collaborating with legal and technical teams to develop playbooks and strategies for responding to litigation and compliance requirements. As in house counsel at JP Morgan Chase (JPMC), she has implemented electronic discovery strategies and best practices for enforcement matters and internal investigations. Additionally, in her current role as Vice President, Consumer Data Use at JPMC, she collaborates with teams from multiple lines of business to review data use and access initiatives by evaluating the legal and governance implications of the initiatives. Veronica continues to build her knowledge and skill set by teaching courses and developing content for industry programs and events. Veronica attended Northwestern University and Howard University School of Law.
Kristen Budris is Privacy Counsel at Dell Technologies where she supports her colleagues in technology transactions, investigations, HR matters, and ensuring compliance with data protection laws and regulations. Prior to joining Dell, she held in-house counsel roles at Proofpoint, Inc., Highmark Health, and Industrial Scientific Corporation. Kristen serves as a co-chair for programming of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s IT, Privacy, and e-Commerce network. She is a graduate of Duquesne University and Duquesne University School of Law. Kristen holds CIPP/US and CIPM certifications as well as a Fellow of Information Privacy designation from the International Association of Privacy Professionals and a certificate in Sustainable Capitalism and ESG from Berkeley Law Executive Education. When not striving to protect data, Kristen enjoys writing, taking walks with her pup, reading, and learning to cook.
Seasoned in-house lawyer with experience providing strategic and practical counseling around data privacy, e-commerce, advertising/marketing, consumer protection, and procurement with experience in the tech, financial services, insurance, and education sectors. Currently a strategic partner providing practical and creative solutions to novel, complex privacy legal issues related to monetization bets. Prior notable experience includes maximizing deal value and mitigating risk by applying transactional and project management skills along with commercial insight. Proven track record of mitigating risk whilst driving growth and successfully enabling innovation. Passionate about partnering with executives and business teams to expand product reach and accelerate leads to revenue, as well as guiding companies through complex regulatory and compliance matters. Possesses strong business and legal acumen, strategic planning skills, as well as unquestioned integrity and an exhaustive work ethic. Champion for women and diverse talent in the legal field.
• Privacy: Domestic and international regulatory compliance | data protection and use | e-commerce | transparency | ad-tech | online behavioral advertising | M&A and integration due diligence | product review
• Marketing and Advertising: Truth in Advertising | consumer protection | social media | user generated content | sponsorship and endorsement | promotions and sweepstakes | gift cards | multichannel marketing, including telemarketing | marketing and product claims substantiation | state and federal regulation | agency/client contracts
Other interests/talents: commitment to women and diversity in the law | real estate | affordable housing | interior design
• Real Estate: affordable housing | rehab | contract negotiation | interior design | construction | marketing | sustainable housing | green homes
Arianna Scavetti is a Complex Commercial Litigation partner in Weil’s Washington, D.C. office. Arianna represents corporate clients in a wide range and at all phases of commercial litigation. She regularly defends clients in the consumer products space against allegations of consumer fraud and deception and advises clients on ESG claims and marketing. Arianna is also an emerging leader in the sports industry, particularly in the areas of player safety, compensation, and well-being. She currently serves as co-head for the D.C. office’s Women@Weil affinity group, which focuses on mentoring, networking, recruiting, retention, and advancing women attorneys across Weil.
Tanya Salgado is a Partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group at White and Williams. Tanya provides timely and effective counseling to her clients on all aspects of employment law compliance under federal and state law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the ADA, the FMLA, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and wage and hour laws. She provides training and client seminars on crucial updates to employment laws so that her clients stay current on these important compliance requirements. Her litigation practice includes defending clients in federal and state courts in cases involving allegations of violations of the employment discrimination laws.
Travonte Warren is a Senior Counsel at the Procter & Gamble Company providing general legal support to its North American Feminine Care and Family Care businesses, with a focus on marketing/advertising. Prior to his current business-facing role, he was a Senior Counsel in Procter & Gamble’s Global Health, Safety & Environmental practice group counseling its multinational Product Supply organization on matters related to occupational safety, environmental protection, hazardous goods shipment, etc. Aside from his core work at Procter & Gamble, Travonte supports many organizational efforts including work on Legal Operations, driving a positive working culture on the North American Culture Network, etc. Travonte attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he earned his Bachelors’ degrees in Political Science and Public Policy and he received his JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Ms. Bembry practices in the areas of insurance, international disputes, and litigation.
Ms. Bembry represents London Market Insurers on a number of significant insurance litigation issues, including asbestos and environmental claims. On behalf of London Market Insurers, Ms. Bembry tried an environmental coverage case in New Jersey state court, obtaining a substantial reduction to the insured’s claim. Ms. Bembry provides strategic counseling to insurers and reinsurers on a variety of coverage issues.
In addition to her insurance practice, Ms. Bembry represents foreign and domestic institutions in complex international commercial disputes. She has litigated cases involving claims of negligence, fraud, and breach of contract, and counseled clients on a variety of complex issues, including on matters relating to OFAC’s sanctions programs and the enforcement of foreign money judgments.
Ms. Bembry litigates cases in both state and federal court, at the trial and appellate levels. She has managed multiple large-scale, cross border document productions, tackling multifaceted e-discovery issues. In 2012 and 2013 she served on the DC Bar’s E-Discovery Committee, which meets regularly to discuss current issues in e-discovery.
Matt is a Director & Associate General Counsel at Meta, where he leads a team responsible for counseling business groups on compliance with global anti-corruption laws and administering Meta’s anti-corruption compliance program. Matt joined Meta from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where he worked as a Director & Managing Counsel, Anti-Corruption in HPE’s Ethics & Compliance Office. Before moving to the private sector, Matt served as an Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, as an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, and for over ten years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he investigated and prosecuted dozens of cases in the District of Columbia.
Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., is a career attorney and former federal prosecutor. He is currently an Associate General Counsel on the Security Legal team of Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook. Mervin oversees the legal matters of Meta’s Law Enforcement Response Team and issues related to the Stored Communications Act (SCA). He served in the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for 13 years, most recently as Chief of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit where he was responsible for the Central Services, Witness Security, and Victim Advocacy sections of the nation’s largest United States Attorney’s Office (USAO). Mervin tried over 75 cases in D.C courts, and argued several times before the D.C. Court of Appeals, serving with distinction in the Appellate, Domestic Violence, Felony Major Crimes, Sex Offense, Cyber Crime, Fraud & Public Corruption, and Violent Crime & Narcotics Trafficking Sections of the Office. In 2018, Mervin was selected by the U.S. Attorney for the District of the U.S. Virgin Islands to head the Disaster Recovery Fraud Task Force in the disastrous wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria. There, Mervin led Homeland Security and FBI investigations into multi-million dollar FEMA fraud, healthcare fraud and other white-collar crimes.
Early in his career, after clerking for the Hon. Renee Jones Weeks in NJ Superior Court, Essex County, Mervin was sworn in as a Deputy Attorney General in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, where he oversaw investigations and litigated over a thousand child abuse and neglect cases in Newark, NJ and its surrounding cities. It was this experience that opened Mervin’s eyes to the fact that his life was a calling to help as many people as possible evolve to be the best versions of themselves possible, no matter their life’s circumstances. While practicing law, Mervin wrote his first book, A Single Mother’s Guide to Raising a Son, in response to a phenomenon that saw as high as 80% of American boys in many communities being raised without a father. He also produced an award-winning documentary, The Raising of the Son, which examined the impact of the absence and presence of fathers on society from the perspective of mothers and wives, sons and fathers, politicians, judges, professional athletes and the business community. Mervin’s forthcoming book, Sharpening Swords, is a daily meditation and personal growth guide for men en route to self-actualization and unlocking their life’s purpose. Mervin is also passionate about screen-writing and after writing his first screenplay, was selected to participate in the prestigious 2023 Rocaberti Writers Retreat in Dordogne, France in July.
Mervin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Morgan State University on a full four-year academic merit scholarship and was also a wide receiver for the Morgan State Bears football team. Mervin earned his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark, where he was a Seymour B. Jacobs Trial Advocacy Scholar. In 2022, Mervin was appointed to the Morgan State University Foundation Board of Directors. He has served as an instructor at Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop since 2022.
Eugenia (Jeannie) Hernandez is Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Privacy at Sodexo, Inc. In this role, she leads the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Privacy for the company in the United States and Canada. Since joining Sodexo in 2016, Jeannie has partnered with the Regional Leadership Team to promote a corporate culture that fosters ethical and compliant behaviors including trainings, policy review, annual certification programs, and risk assessments. Prior to joining Sodexo, Jeannie served in legal positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, Jeannie provided legal support to Daymon Worldwide as their General Counsel and Pitney Bowes as Assistant General Counsel.
Jeannie holds a B.A. in History, Spanish from Oberlin College. Jeannie graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law with a JD in Law.
Chimdi (Nwosu) Ginsburg Tuffs represents various employers and entities in complex litigation including employer, professional and executive liability claims, premises liability, trucking liability and product liability matters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York federal and state courts. She draws on her vast courtroom experience as a former prosecutor in Philadelphia, and as a former felony sexual assault and domestic violence prosecutor in New York City, to develop an expertise in investigating and defending negligent security claims in the sexual assault context. She has tried many cases, both civil and criminal, to jury verdict and has experience in presenting before a grand jury. She prides herself on her aggressive, yet pragmatic, approach to litigation.
Lindsay Burke co-chairs Covington’s Employment Practice Group and regularly advises U.S., international, and multinational employers on employee management and culture issues and international HR compliance. She is a key member of the firm’s Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility practice, working together with white collar colleagues to conduct culture assessments, internal investigations of executive misconduct, and civil rights and racial equity audits and assessments. Lindsay has been at the forefront of the changing workplace issues impacting employers in the U.S. in the last decade, including #MeToo, Covid-19, and the renewed focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She frequently advises employers in relation to their processes and procedures for investigating complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and advises executive teams and board members on culture risk and the assessment and lawful implementation of DEI programs.
Whether successfully leading clients through high-stakes trials or negotiating advantageous resolutions where billions of dollars hang in the balance, Rachel Adcox is a standout amongst antitrust practitioners.
Rachel’s teams have proven uniquely adept at managing not only high-risk civil litigation but concurrent civil and criminal actions at both the state and federal levels. At every step, Rachel is able to present a full range of legal solutions for her clients, taking a proactive, business-minded approach that generates superior outcomes. As lead counsel on multiple major litigations for Fortune 100 companies, her clients routinely rely on her skill, judgment, and “clear, reasoned, and confident” advice. Her peers and clients likewise describe her as “an outstanding litigator,” and “the best of the best.”
As a result, Rachel has garnered numerous accolades for her work, including being recognized by Chambers USA as an Antitrust Litigation Specialist, by Legal 500 as a Leading Lawyer in Antitrust Civil Litigation/Class Action Defense, and by the National Law Journal as a Litigation Trailblazer. She has also been repeatedly short-listed for Lawyer of the Year, Litigator of the Year, and Matter of the Year by Global Competition Review, and was named to Global Competition Review’s prestigious list of Women in Antitrust in 2021.
Behind the scenes, Rachel is also a trusted confidential adviser and advocate on cartel and compliance matters before U.S. and international enforcers. Prior to joining Axinn, she was a Trial Attorney at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Formerly an Assistant United States Attorney, Kenya has 20 years of experience in high-stakes trials and investigations, including more than a decade as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
In that role, she represented the United States as lead counsel in 35 jury trials, 15 bench trials, and several evidentiary hearings involving complicated issues of first impression. She and her team prevailed in convicting a trafficker of adult sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, in one of the first federal trials of its kind in D.C. She also handled more than 100 grand jury investigations and defended 13 verdicts before the D.C. Court of Appeals. Kenya also served as co-chair of the D.C. Human Trafficking Task Force, a group of nearly 75 senior federal and local law enforcement officials, government agency leaders, and NGO executives, working to increase the prosecution of traffickers, provide comprehensive services to victims, and coordinate anti-trafficking efforts in the D.C. area.
At Boies Schiller Flexner, Kenya focuses on investigations and compliance work, particularly ESG-related issues such as ensuring the integrity of supply chains and labor practices. She also works with BSF attorneys on sex trafficking and sexual assault cases.
Kenya is an adjunct professor at American University where she teaches a course on the laws and policies surrounding domestic violence.
Jason M. Knott, a litigator and employment lawyer with nearly two decades of experience, represents organizations and individuals in high-stakes civil and criminal disputes involving employment, insurance, and health care issues.
Drawing on his in-house experience, Jason also advises executives and companies on matters involving employment terminations, employment and severance agreements, Title VII, pay disputes, breaches of codes of conduct, and issues involving corporate culture.
Jason recently served as Chief People Officer for a rapidly-growing global technology company, where he provided executive leadership of the human resources function and partnered with other executives to enhance and expand the company’s global business operations while building, supporting, and retaining a team of leading professionals.
Kiran Mand is a legal and business executive leader with over 15 years of experience in providing strategic counsel and guidance to global organizations in various industries, such as finance, technology, media, travel, and retail. Her legal experience includes commercial transactions, strategic partnerships, data compliance, contract negotiation, legal process improvement, and team leadership.
Kiran Mand is currently the Assistant General Counsel at Capital One, where she previously supported the enterprise products and emerging payments teams, focusing on digital wallets and other innovative solutions. She now supports the Premium Products and Experiences team supporting the post-acquisition of a travel concierge business called Velocity Black. Her previous experience includes working as in house counsel at DoorDash, Disney, National Geographic, and Gap.
Kiran Mand’s mission is to enable and empower business growth and innovation, while protecting and advancing the interests and values of the company and her clients. In addition, Kiran Mand takes an active role in the diversity efforts in all her roles including but not limited to previously being co-chair of Disney Lawyers of Color, volunteering with the Mid Atlantic Innocence Project and mentoring young lawyers and law students to a variety of programs.
Ariane Mann is a trial and appellate lawyer who is driven by her passion to provide fair representation for inventors, creators, and innovators. She focuses on intellectual property litigation and counseling, including patent litigation, copyright, and trade secret disputes.
A former digital forensics analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, Ariane blends her analytical skills and technical background in computer science to offer clients unique perspectives into emerging technologies and strategic insights into cases to anticipate successful appellate review. She has experience before multiple forums, including district and appellate courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Ariane also has worked across a range of technologies—from mobile and robotics devices, telecommunications systems, software systems, and display devices to microscopes and tobacco-cessation devices.
Prior to joining RJLF, Ariane worked at three global law firms where she gained experience in all aspects of civil discovery, depositions, drafting motions and IPR petitions, as well as working closely with technical experts and reviewing source code. Ariane also clerked for the Honorable Kara F. Stoll of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Katherine Maddox Davis is a litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
She represents corporate clients in high-stakes disputes with consumers, shareholders, and foreign governments. Her pro bono practice is focused on state and federal criminal defense. Katherine has been recognized by the 2023 and 2024 editions of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Appellate Practice.
Outside of court, she publishes and speaks on international jurisdictional disputes, often with human rights implications. Her analysis has been featured in law reviews and Lawfare, and she is a regular contributor to the ABA International Section’s Year in Review. She serves as vice chair for Rule of Law on the ABA International Courts and Judicial Affairs Committee.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Katherine clerked at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
She received her law degree, with honors, from Emory University School of Law. She was elected editor in chief of Emory International Law Review and received the W. Richard Smith Founder’s Award for Writing Excellence and the Robert Beynart Award for Professionalism and Ethics. As a law student, Katherine interned with then-Justice Harold Melton of the Georgia Supreme Court, with civil rights prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice, sex trafficking prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, and war crimes prosecutors at the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Nakia Arrington assists clients by assessing, investigating, and resolving compliance issues across a variety of industries. Her practice covers environmental policy, pipeline safety, citizen suits pursuant to the Clean Water Act, hydroelectric power, compliance planning, incident response, internal investigations, and American Indian Law, as well as a broad range of civil litigation in federal and state courts. She also advises on environmental, social, and governance issues (ESG).
Nakia has recently advised clients navigating interactions with the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
During law school, Nakia was accepted into the U.S. DOJ Attorney General’s Honors Program. Following graduation, she served as Assistant General Counsel at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Sensitive and Strategic Information Litigation Section, where she handled complex litigation involving the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act with a nexus to national security, technology, data, high-visibility activities, and an array of sensitive matters.
In 2021, Nakia retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as an Operations Officer.
Since joining Van Ness Feldman, Nakia’s Pro Bono practice has focused on representing underserved individuals.
Nakia is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe.
Ash Masrani is an associate in our Tech//Digital practice. She specializes in strategic technology and commercial transactions across industry sectors, with a keen focus on strategic outsourcings and digital transformation initiatives.
Ash excels in guiding clients through the lifecycle of a transaction, from structuring deals and provider selection to negotiations, contract execution and post-contract management.
Her expertise lies in advising clients on strategic information technology outsourcing (ITO) and business process outsourcing (BPO) transactions; software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreements; core systems implementations; software licensing and development arrangements; branding agreements, reseller agreements; and other related corporate and commercial transactions.
Ashley R. Lynam is the Chair of Montgomery McCracken. She is the first woman and youngest person to hold the highest leadership position in the firm’s 112-year history. Ashley also serves on the firm’s Management and Hiring Committees.
Ashley is a trusted advisor and entrepreneurial advocate for her clients ranging from family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 companies. She handles all aspects of litigation across the full range of corporate and contract disputes, as well as antitrust and trade secret counseling, personal injury disputes, executive compensation counseling and catastrophic event response.
Ashley graduated summa cum laude as a business major from Villanova University and cum laude from Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law, where she was an executive member of the Moot Court Board.
Tamara Sorokanich Grimm is a Partner in the Philadelphia office of O’Hagan Meyer. Tamara specializes in complex litigation matters with a focus on the areas of employment law, condominium/HOA disputes, Directors and Officers liability, commercial litigation and defense of professional malpractice and general liability litigation.
Tamara’s employment litigation practice focuses on the representation of employers against claims of discrimination and retaliation based on race, gender, age, disability, and religion, as well as cases concerning wrongful termination, wage and hour claims, medical leaves and whistle blower claims. Her practice includes the litigation of restrictive covenants in employment contracts, disputes over confidentiality agreements and the misappropriation of trade secrets, as well as the drafting of employment contracts, severance packages, employee handbooks and disciplinary policies.
In addition to her employment practice, Tamara also has substantial experience defending clients in premises, products, and automobile liability matters in state and federal courts throughout New York and Pennsylvania, as well as representing corporations and individuals in shareholder disputes, Directors and Officers Liability matters, and civil racketeering claims.
Prior to joining O’Hagan Meyer, Ms. Grimm was a Senior Associate at a Manhattan based defense firm specializing in complex medical malpractice and general liability litigation and brings with her vast experience in defending physicians and hospitals in complex medical malpractice cases, including birth and obstetrical injuries, cerebral/Erb’s Palsy, failure to diagnose, emergency room, medication and surgical errors, hospital and nursing home negligence, and wrongful death actions, as well as Mental Hygiene Law, Guardianship and Assisted Outpatient Treatment Proceedings.
Tamara has successfully drafted and argued summary judgment and post-trial motions at the trial and appellate level. On appeal, Ms. Grimm achieved reversal of the trial court’s denial of defendants’ motions for summary judgment in two noteworthy cases, often cited for their holdings. See Sanabria v. Aguero-Borges, 117 A.D.3d 1024 (2d Dept 2014) and Pou v. E&S Wholesale Meats, Inc. 68 A.D.3d 446 (1st Dept 2009).
Tamara has served as a law clerk intern to a New York State Supreme Court Justice, as well as a policy analyst in the New York City Mayor’s Office under the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations. As a policy analyst, Tamara monitored the performance of mayoral initiatives, prepared chapters of the Mayor’s Management Report and developed outcome-based indicators to monitor agency performance. She also assisted in the coordination and operation of the City’s relief efforts following the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Tamara has conducted a number of lectures for both clients and colleagues on various topics including: employment discrimination, compliance with Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the effects of social media on the law, stress management, overcoming poor witnesses and juror misconduct. She also lectures hospital staff on medical malpractice issues.
Esther is a senior associate in the Insurance Recovery Group, focusing her practice on representing corporate, commercial, and residential policyholders in disputes with insurance companies. She works primarily with Commercial General Liability (CGL), Directors and Officers liability (D&O), Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O), and first-party property policies, providing coverage opinions, counseling, and dispute resolution. Esther serves well-known clients in the banking and financial institutions, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, transportation and energy sectors, as well as religious institutions and small and medium sized businesses. In law school, Esther was a judicial intern to the Honorable Pamela K. Chen of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of New York.
Esther serves as co-chair of the Insurance Subcommittee of the Business Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. She also serves as the Associate Chair of the DEI Committee of the firm’s Philadelphia office.
Sponsors
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is a leading International Law Firm, widely recognized as top tier firm for Corporate, Litigation, Restructuring and Tax, Executive Compensation & Benefits matters. Weil has provided legal services to the largest public companies, private equity firms and financial institutions for more than 90 years. With offices on three continents and more than two dozen practice groups, Weil is a preeminent provider of global legal services
White and Williams LLP
White and Williams LLP is a global-reaching, full-service law firm committed to developing and maintaining long-lasting partnerships with our clients. We believe premier-quality legal service is only part of the client relationship. Our lawyers rely on collaboration with one another and our clients to understand each client’s unique business objectives, anticipate impacts of real-world events and regulations on their industry, and develop creative and practical solutions that support client goals and objectives. Accessibility, communication and exceptional personal service are cornerstones of our firm and yield proactive counsel, successful outcomes and fulfilling relationships.
Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC
Goulston & Storrs PC.
Goulston & Storrs is a modern, vibrant firm where the practice of law is pursued with deep expertise, wide diligence and inspiring camaraderie. As an Am Law 200 law firm, we have a rich bench of lawyers, paralegals and business professionals collaborating across multiple disciplines and industries. Known for its roots as a real estate powerhouse, the firm includes leading corporate, litigation, and private client and trust practices.
G&S provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race (including traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, natural hair texture, type, length, and protective hairstyles), color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, handicap, disability, or veteran status in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. In addition, G&S complies with applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
Covington & Burling LLP
Covington & Burling LLP is a pre-eminent international law firm with more than 1,300 attorneys and advisors and offices in Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Washington, Shanghai, and Seoul. We are known for the high quality of our work, in-depth knowledge of key industries, sophistication in complex corporate, regulatory, advisory, and contentious matters, deep loyalty to clients, and commitment to the highest professional and ethical standards. In an increasingly regulated world, we have an exceptional ability to navigate clients through their most complex business problems, deals, and disputes. Our distinctively collaborative culture allows us to be truly one team globally, drawing on the diverse experience of lawyers and advisors across the firm by seamlessly sharing insight and expertise.
Axinn
Axinn combines the skills, experience and dedication of the world’s largest firms with the focus, responsiveness, efficiency and attention to client needs of the best boutiques. The firm was established in the late 1990s by lawyers from premier Wall Street firms with a common vision: provide the highest level of service and strategic acumen in antitrust, intellectual property and high-stakes litigation. Axinn’s lawyers have served as lead or co-lead counsel on nearly half a trillion dollars in transactions and, in the last 10 years alone, have handled more than 250 litigations.
Gfeller Laurie
Gfeller Laurie is a Northeast regional law firm providing “AmLaw 100” quality legal services with a more efficient and agile business model. Our Firm is comprised of experienced and tenacious litigators from some of the largest international law firms. We represent clients in complex litigation spanning a variety of business markets and jurisdictions, both nationally and internationally. We also advise clients on various aspects of their respective businesses. Gfeller Laurie maintains offices in West Hartford, Connecticut, New York City, Tarrytown, New York, Princeton, New Jersey, Boston, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP
Boies Schiller Flexner is a firm of internationally recognized trial lawyers, crisis managers, and strategic advisers known for our creative, aggressive, and efficient pursuit of successful outcomes for our clients. We believe that teams with diverse viewpoints and perspectives are critical to providing creative solutions to the unique challenges of our global client base. We have a proven commitment to diversity and inclusion at the firm, in the legal profession, and in society as a whole.
Zuckerman Spaeder LLP
Zuckerman Spaeder enjoys a reputation as one of the nation’s premier litigation firms. We have earned this reputation by successfully managing high stakes litigation disputes for over four decades. We are known for our trial skill and also for our ability to work effectively outside the courtroom to advance our clients’ positions with prosecutors, regulators, and opposing counsel. Our lawyers routinely handle high-profile cases in white collar defense, government investigations, complex commercial disputes, health care litigation, professional ethics disputes, class actions and a range of other matters. We pursue cutting edge legal theories and find creative solutions to complex legal problems. When the stakes are highest, clients count on Zuckerman Spaeder.
Reichman Jorgensen
Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) is an elite national trial firm that handles high-stakes commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes. The firm is majority women-owned and rejects the billable hour in favor of fee arrangements that align client interests. RJLF’s attorneys are diverse, exceptionally credentialed, and passionate about trial advocacy. From offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, the firm tries cases and argues appeals throughout the country. For more information, visit www.reichmanjorgensen.com.
Gibson Dunn
Gibson Dunn prides itself on hiring the best and the brightest from law schools and clerkships. We welcome experienced practitioners who join us as laterals. Across the board they possess a wide range of particularized skills: global language competence; technical knowledge; worldwide regional and industry understanding; and extensive prior government and regulatory service, to name but a few examples. They are seasoned professionals and acknowledged leaders in their practices. We invite you to review the wide range of their qualifications and capabilities.
Van Ness Feldman LLP
Van Ness Feldman LLP are attorneys and government advocacy specialists who come from diverse backgrounds and professional experiences. Many of them have worked in the business sector or served in government at high levels, giving the firm a network of strong, bi-partisan relationships with key government decision and policy makers, including leaders on both sides of the aisle in Congress, the White House, and various federal, state and local governmental agencies.
Our more than 100 professionals in Washington D.C., Seattle, the Bay Area, and Denver are renowned for providing a nationwide clientele with sophisticated, top-notch services that include: strategic business advice; legal and regulatory compliance counsel; legislative and policy advocacy, insight, and representation; support for project development, permitting, and transactions; representation in administrative proceedings, litigation, and investigations; a depth of knowledge that is unparalleled in our core areas of focus.
Clifford Chance
Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads
Montgomery McCracken’s collaborative approach – in all we do – delivers access to the right people at the right time, efficiencies in our work, and outcomes our clients need and expect. Fully engaged in our clients’ objectives, we deliver legal advice that empowers informed decision making and decisive actions. With Montgomery McCracken, our team becomes an extension of yours.
Our clients are publicly traded and privately held companies of all sizes, nonprofit organizations, educational and governmental entities, and individuals across a broad spectrum of industries. We represent them in complex litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and financial restructuring, corporate, business, tax, and regulatory matters.
Among all of our practices, collaboration is our best.
O’Hagan Meyer
Reed Smith LLP
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters. Now celebrating more than 140 years of service, our firm spans 30 offices with 3,000 people, including 1,700 lawyers.
Venue
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington, DC, 20036-4301
June 12, 2024
Pricing
Register By | In House Counsel | Law Firms & Vendors |
---|---|---|
May 15, 2024 | $0 | $895 |
May 29, 2024 | $0 | $1195 |
June 12, 2024 | $0 | $1395 |
- Payment is due in full at the time of registration and includes lunches, refreshments and detailed conference materials.
- Your registration will not be confirmed until payment is received and may be subject to cancellation.
- You may substitute delegates at any time. CenterForce does not provide refunds for cancellations.
- For cancellations received in writing more than seven (7) days prior to the conference you will receive a 100% credit to be used at another CenterForce conference for up to one year from the date of issuance.
- For cancellations received seven (7) days or less prior to an event (including day 7), no credit will be issued. In the event that CenterForce cancels an event, delegate payments at the date of cancellation will be credited to a future CenterForce event. This credit will be available for up to one year from the date of issuance.
- In the event that CenterForce postpones an event, delegate payments at the postponement date will be credited towards the rescheduled date. If the delegate is unable to attend the rescheduled event, the delegate will receive a 100% credit representing payments made towards a future CenterForce event. This credit will be available for up to one year from the date of issuance. No refunds will be available for cancellations or postponements.
- CenterForce is not responsible for any loss or damage as a result of a substitution, alteration or cancellation/postponement of an event. CenterForce shall assume no liability whatsoever in the event this conference is cancelled, rescheduled or postponed due to a fortuitous event, Act of God, unforeseen occurrence or any other event that renders performance of this conference impracticable or impossible. For purposes of this clause, a fortuitous event shall include, but not be limited to: war, fire, labor strike, extreme weather or other emergency.
- Please note that speakers and topics were confirmed at the time of publishing, however, circumstances beyond the control of the organizers may necessitate substitutions, alterations or cancellations of the speakers and/or topics. As such, CenterForce reserves the right to alter or modify the advertised speakers and/or topics if necessary. Any substitutions or alterations will be updated on our web page as soon as possible.
- All discounts must require payment at time of registration and before the cut-off date in order to receive any discount.
- Any discounts offered whether by CenterForce (including team discounts) must also require payment at the time of registration.
- All discount offers cannot be combined with any other offer.