Diversity Quarterly 1St Quarter 2013
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DIVERSITY QUARTERLY 1ST QUARTER 2013 edwardswildman.com diversity.edwardswildman.com SPOTLIGHT - 2013 DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES Boston and Chicago We proudly welcomed diverse law students on March 26 We’re looking forward to our Boston office as part of our Distinguished Speaker to hosting law students series. Approximately fifty students were joined by Edwards in the Chicago office Wildman lawyers and employees to hear the Honorable late in April for our next Fernande Duffly, Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Distinguished Speaker Court of Massachusetts. She spoke about her Asian heritage series and welcome the and the early advice given to her by her father who told her Honorable Shelvin Louise she could be anything that she wanted to be if she worked Marie Hall, Illinois Court hard; she mused, everything except president of the United of Appeals. Following States because she was not born in the US. That advice law school Justice Hall carried with Justice Duffly throughout her legal career, as she entered private practice. worked in private practice, provided pro bono legal services In the 1980’s she went Pictured: Associate Justice Fernande Duffly and Paulette Brown to the indigent and as she transitioned to the judiciary. to Washington, DC, Over the years, she has been honored and recognized for to work as Legislative Director to the late U.S. Congressman her work by bar associations, diversity organizations and Mickey Leland, then became a senior attorney with the Illinois the media. Justice Duffly was engaging and informative. In Department of Human Rights and subsequently became addition to career advice, she spoke about the importance General Counsel in 1984. On January 11, 1991, she was of law schools focusing on recruiting diverse students and appointed as a Circuit Court Judge of Cook County, and was encouraged attendees to participate in diverse student elected in November 1992. On February 2, 1999, she was groups and activities. It was an inspiring discussion followed assigned as an Appellate Court Judge and elected Appellate by a reception where students could network and continue Court Judge in 2000. Judge Hall has served as chairperson of to ask questions of our honored speaker as well as Edwards the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association, a nation- Wildman lawyers. We’re so pleased that Judge Duffly was al organization for this country’s 1,500 African-American able to spend time with us for this event. judges, and is former chair of the Illinois Judicial Council. IN THIS ISSUE DIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT 1 SPOTLIGHT - 2013 Distinguished 4 Emily Yu an “Up & Coming Lawyer” Edwards Wildman desires to increase the Speaker Series: Boston and Chicago 5 Association of Corporate Counsel productivity and enhance the viability of the 2 Welcome New Partners Women’s Initiative firm by creating and retaining a workforce 3 AALAM Founders Awardee, 5 Rhode Island MCLE Appointment with diverse perspectives, thereby promoting Rebecca Lee 5 Edwards Wildman Applauds Partner teamwork and the highest level of legal service Paulette Brown 3 Advancing Diversity: Where We’ve and counsel to our clients. To that end, we Been and Where We’ll Be 6 Edwards Wildman Palmer named are committed to developing an inclusive 4 Pam Robertson Named An Influential to practice in Hong Kong culture, offering to all a fair opportunity for Black Women in Business advancement. DIVERSITY NEWS - 1ST QUARTER 2013 Welcome New Partners Edwards Wildman continues to expand its diverse partnership and welcomes the following new partners. Aileen Meehan Alethia Nancoo Partner Partner New York Washington, DC Aileen recently joined the firm as a partner in the Insurance Alethia joined in January as a partner in the Public Finance and Reinsurance Department. With more than 25 years of Department. She has an impressive background in public experience as a corporate transactional lawyer, Aileen focuses and project-debt financings, with a clientele comprised her practice on public and private mergers and acquisitions, of municipalities, public issuers and authorities, nonprofit stock and asset acquisitions, purchases and sales of private corporations, and investment banks. She has advised clients in companies, and offerings of debt and equity securities, the US and Caribbean in infrastructure construction; airport, primarily in the insurance, retail and health care sectors. She toll road and surface transportation; mixed-use multifamily counsels clients on matters related to SEC filings and corporate housing; and water and sewer matters. She has advised governance matters. Her complementary practice will allow the several major airports and authorities in a variety of matters, firm to provide a broader range of services to clients. including the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the City and County of Denver in connection with Denver International Airport, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, among others. Carlos Ortiz Partner New York/New Jersey Rafael Perez In January, Carlos, a seasoned litigator, joined the firm’s Partner White Collar & Government Enforcement practice group. A New Jersey former Assistant US Attorney, he advises organizations and individuals on matters related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Ray, whose practice focuses on public finance for financial Act (FCPA), allegations of fraud against government agencies institutions, corporations and state agencies, joined the firm as a and financial institutions, securities and health care fraud, partner in the Public Finance Department. Ray has worked on a and high-risk tax controversies. He has significant experience wide variety of public finance projects, acting as bond counsel, representing corporations, including their boards of directors underwriter’s counsel, trustee’s counsel and borrower’s counsel. and committees, in connection with corporate governance and He represents investment banks, corporations organized under compliance matters. Carlos has conducted numerous domestic Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, for-profit and international internal investigations on behalf of firms in corporations, cities, townships, boroughs, states and their the financial services, pharmaceutical, health care, aerospace, agencies and authorities. He has also represented corporations energy, and telecommunications industries. and financial institutions in transactional and general corporate Carlos entered private practice in 2005 following a highly matters in the United States, Mexico and South America. regarded career at the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Earlier in his career, Ray served as executive director of the New Jersey and at the US Department of Justice. Ortiz served New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority, where he conducted as deputy and acting chief of the criminal division at the US financing and development of a variety of facilities for the Attorney’s office, where he supervised eight criminal litigation state’s public and private universities and colleges. He currently units, and as chief of the Government Fraud Unit. serves as chairman of the board of trustees of New Jersey City University. 2 AALAM Founders Awardee, Rebecca Lee Congratulations to Rebecca Lee (Boston) financing, leasing, condominium creation and dispositions. for receiving the Founders Award by the A particular focus of her practice is land use and development Asian American Lawyers Association of permitting, especially in the greater Boston area. Active in the Massachusetts (AALAM). The Founders community, Rebecca serves on the board of directors for Lawyers Award is presented annually to an Asian- Clearinghouse, on the board of overseers of WGBH, and as American attorney who has made significant co-chair of the NAIOP Energy and Economic Development contributions in business, academics and Committee. In 2010, Rebecca was the recipient of the Caroline the community in relation to the law. Since its incorporation in Chang Leadership Award in recognition of her outstanding 1984, AALAM’s mission has been to promote and enhance the professional and civic leadership and many contributions to Asian American legal profession by furthering and encouraging Boston’s Chinatown community. professional interaction and the exchange of ideas among its She is a member of New England Women in Real Estate, members and with other individuals, groups and organizations a past president of AALAM, and former Northeast Regional and to improve and facilitate the administration of law and Governor of the National Asian Pacific American Bar justice. Rebecca has a wide-ranging real estate practice in which Association. A graduate of LeadBoston’s Class of 1999, Lee is she represents developers, corporations, non-profit organizations also a member of the steering committee of Ricesticks and Tea, and lenders in a range of real estate matters, including Boston’s only Asian food pantry. Congratulations to Rebecca on site acquisitions and assemblages, procuring entitlements, this honor! ADVANCING DIVERSITY: Where We’ve Been and Where We’ll Be ALPFA Boston Hot Topics Seminar January 30, 2013 Boston, MA Association of Black Law Students Jazz for Justice February 7, 2013 Newark, NJ ABA Spirit of Excellence Annual Awards Luncheon February 9, 2013 Dallas, TX National Bar Association- 26th Annual Corporate February 21, 2013 Dana Point, CA Commercial Law Section Counsel Conference Asian American Bar Association 2013 Annual Dinner February 27, 2013 New York, NY