THE BOOK
This year’s list of Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting & Law features a cohort of 56 who have overcome challenges and bias to rise to the top of their professions. With the death of George Floyd and the intensified Black Lives Matter movement, many have stepped up to more visible roles in diversity and inclusion initiatives. At professional services firms, they are involved not just in recruiting but in making sure young associates have the tools and opportunities to advance and succeed. Many are writing, speaking and engaging social media on issues of racial and social justice. Some
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are conducting training in implicit bias. They take on pro bono work to help the disadvantaged and join community organizations to support at-risk youth. At their firms, these professionals are helping to navigate the pandemic, whether supporting colleagues in remote work or helping clients in matters of employment law, immigration, intellectual property, mergers, raising capital or managing taxes. In an extraordinary year, they’ve risen to the challenge. By Judith Crown
METHODOLOGY: The honorees did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from the nomination materials. This list features only individuals for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after a review by our editorial team. To qualify for the list, nominees must be based in the Chicago area and be employed full time at a public accounting, consulting or law firm of 25 or more employees. They must have shown the ability or power to effect change in their role or area of practice, serve as a role model or mentor, and have assumed a leadership position outside their organization.
SERGIO ACOSTA
IMRON ALY
Partner Akerman
Partner Schiff Hardin
Former prosecutor Sergio Acosta is co-chair of Akerman’s white-collar crime and government investigations practice. He handles criminal and civil investigations and enforcement actions. Acosta served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, including seven years as chief of the general crimes section. As criminal civil rights coordinator at the U.S. attorney’s office, he led the team of prosecutors and agents that indicted former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge, notorious for his role in torturing African American men in police custody. He was on former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s task forces on ethics reform and police accountability. Acosta joined Akerman in 2018 after eight years as a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson. He is on Akerman’s Chicago committee on racial justice, diversity and equality.
Imron Aly serves as co-leader of the intellectual property practice group and co-leader of the Hatch-Waxman and biosimilars practice group. His practice focuses in part on patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation litigation and medical devices. Aly recently led a team in a successful groundbreaking appeal for Fresenius Kabi USA against Pfizer subsidiary Hospira; it not only benefited the client’s generic version of the sedative Precedex, but further developed the case law for generic drugs. He represents a number of generic-drug manufacturers based in India. Aly joined Schiff Hardin in 2014 from Winston & Strawn, where he was an intellectual property partner. He is on the board of nonprofit Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms, which provides training and mentorship programs to assist minority lawyers.
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MELISSA ANYETEI
Partner Mayer Brown
Intellectual property attorney Melissa Anyetei has more than 15 years of experience in patent litigation, patent procurement and counseling. Earlier this year, Anyetei secured a victory for the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, a group of the 18 largest vehicle manufacturers in Europe, Asia and the U.S. The dispute, litigated in Delaware bankruptcy court, centered on the ownership of a patented touch-based technology that measures a driver’s blood alcohol level. Anyetei serves as chair of the firm’s Black lawyers affinity group and is a founding member of Mayer Brown’s associate diversity council. As a member of the firm’s Project Equity leadership team, she helps organize outreach and pro bono initiatives to advance social and racial justice. Anyetei joined Mayer Brown in 2005 and became a partner in 2014.
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CRAIN’S 2021
OLIVIA BEDI
Partner Neal Gerber Eisenberg
Olivia Bedi is a partner in the litigation and intellectual property groups. A registered patent attorney and member of the trial bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, she represents clients at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and in federal and state courts. She has won recognition for pro bono services. During the pandemic, Bedi started regular Zoom meetups for women in her practice group. Earlier, she established a support group for female IP attorneys. And she helped create a scholarship for a student pursuing IP law at a historically Black educational institution. Before joining Neal Gerber Eisenberg in 2016, Bedi was a shareholder at Niro Haller & Niro. Earlier, she spent five years as a patent examiner. She serves on the board of the American Writers Museum.
RODERICK BRANCH
ROBERT BLACKWELL JR.
CEO EKI-Digital
Partner Latham & Watkins
In the past year, CEO Robert Blackwell Jr. led the IT consultancy through COVID-19 turbulence without layoffs and with minimal disruption. EKI-Digital helps organizations design, implement and manage business applications. Blackwell began his career at IBM and founded EKI-Digital in 1998 and now employs more than 100 technology and business consultants. Clients have included Boeing, Kraft, Hospira and Northern Trust. Blackwell also leads table-tennis brand Killerspin. Blackwell serves as co-chair of the U.S. Black Business Participation Task Force, which recently reported recommendations for job creation to U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill. They include digitizing government services and creating digital innovation campuses in Black neighborhoods. Blackwell hosts a weekly radio show on WVON-AM/1690 in which he discusses how to improve Black economic participation.
As a partner in Latham’s finance department, Zulfiqar Bokhari represents commercial and investment banks in syndicated loan markets. He recently advised a major U.S. bank on multiple transactions, including as lead agent/arranger and lender in $2 billion revolving credit facilities for a global health care company and related financings for its European operations. Bokhari specializes in cross-border financings for working capital, acquisitions and other purposes. He represents lead banks across the credit spectrum for lending that includes unsecured investment grade, secured leveraged high yield and asset-based. Bokhari has been with Latham since 2015. Earlier, he was a partner at Sidley Austin. Since 2015, Bokhari has been a member of the advisory board of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
MATTHEW BREWER
Partner Latham & Watkins
Partner Bartlit Beck
A partner in the corporate department at Latham, Roderick Branch advises on capital markets transactions, with a focus on securities offerings by non-U.S. issuers. He’s a member of the capital markets and Latin America practices. This year, Branch advised IEnova, Mexico’s largest private-sector energy company, in an $800 million bond offering. In Chicago, he advised Aon in a $1 billion senior note financing, Hyatt Hotels in bond financings of $1.65 billion and Cars.com in its debut $400 million high-yield financing. He is the immediate past Chicago office leader of the Hispanic/Latin American lawyers group. Branch leads Latham’s International Visiting Associate program, through which law firm associates join Latham full time for a year. This year, Branch was named to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra board of trustees.
At Bartlit Beck, Matthew Brewer advises U.S. and international companies in commercial disputes including intellectual property, false advertising and product liability. Recent clients have included PwC and Nielsen. Earlier this year, Brewer decamped to Hong Kong to support a client managing a high-profile investigation. He implemented strategies to assure that the company’s operations were aligned with regulatory requirements. Brewer joined Bartlit Beck in 2008 and became a partner in 2013. Earlier, he lived in Beijing and worked in the Chinese music industry. For the past seven years, Brewer has served as a Chicago Housing Authority commissioner and is on the executive committee of the Metropolitan Planning Council. In addition, he is the founder of floChicago, a leadership program that fosters leadership development and civic engagement in high school students.
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ZULFIQAR BOKHARI
RUBÉN CASTILLO
Partner Akerman
Judge Rubén Castillo joined Akerman last year after retiring from the federal bench following 25 years of service, including six years as chief judge of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. This year, Castillo’s successor, Chief Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, asked him to chair the new federal court committee on racial justice and diversity that will examine court operations and make recommendations to improve diversity and eliminate racial inequities. Castillo represented the Cook County state’s attorney’s office during the Jussie Smollett investigation by special prosecutor Dan Webb. As a partner in Akerman’s litigation practice group, Castillo focuses on corporate investigations, white-collar criminal defense, arbitration and mediation. He chairs Akerman Bench, a panel of appellate lawyers and former judges that provides guidance for trial and appellate court presentations.
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SPONSORED CONTENT
CLAUDINE HOLLACK Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
PARRISH IVY Principal, Deloitte Tax LLP
DANIEL LITTMANN Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP
AYESHA RAFIQUE Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
MARIANNE STANKE Managing Director, Deloitte Services LP
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CRAIN’S 2021
ERIC CHOI
MICHAEL CHU
Partner Neal Gerber Eisenberg
Partner McDermott Will & Emery
Trial lawyer Eric Choi has experience in commercial disputes, including contract claims, business torts, payor-provider disputes and insurance coverage disputes. Last year, Choi and fellow Neal Gerber Eisenberg attorneys were recognized for their pro bono work in a civil rights case involving unlawful search and arrest. In 2018, Choi and two Neal Gerber Eisenberg attorneys, working with Northwestern Law’s Center on Wrongful Convictions, secured a not guilty verdict and exonerated a client who had been wrongfully convicted of murder and served eight years in prison. Choi is a member of the firm’s diversity and inclusion committee. He is also a member of the firm’s hiring committee and active in recruiting. He serves on the executive board and as treasurer of the Korean American Bar Association of Chicago.
At McDermott Will & Emery, Michael Chu is intellectual property litigation practice group leader in Chicago and handles IP litigation, patent opinions and prosecution in the consumer, electronics, software and medical device industries. In the past 18 months, Chu successfully represented 3M in a trademark case in price gouging and counterfeit products related to the coronavirus pandemic. He is chair of the firm’s racial and ethnic diversity committee and helped develop the firm’s diversity and inclusion department. Chu joined McDermott Will & Emery in 2014 from Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, including the Inter-Pacific Bar Association’s North American Regional Conference. Chu is an amateur photographer whose work has appeared on NPR, CNN and Chicago magazine websites.
FRANCISCO CONNELL
Principal Chuhak & Tecson
As leader of the firm’s banking group, Francisco Connell represents banks and other financial institutions in bankruptcy proceedings, creditors’ rights cases and workouts. He also represents small and midsize businesses in real estate acquisitions, intellectual property and contracts. Connell oversees 26 attorneys in Chicago and New York. He began his career as an officer in the Chicago Police Department and says his decade of experience handling conflicts in the community taught him how to diffuse tense situations. He joined Chuhak & Tecson in 2008 as an associate in the banking group and was elevated to shareholder principal in 2017. Connell has chaired the firm’s recruitment committee and Diversity & Inclusion Council. He judges moot court at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, his alma mater.
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KIMBERLY COOK
Partner Schiller DuCanto & Fleck
Kimberly Cook represents entertainers, athletes and executives in divorce and family matters. She is responsible for negotiating pre- and post-nuptial agreements, property settlements, and spousal and child support matters. In February, Cook was admitted into the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is the first African American member in the chapter. During the pandemic, Cook has expanded her training to become a certified mediator. She is co-founder and co-chair of the firm’s community outreach and partnership committee, which promotes increased volunteer opportunities and community engagement by the firm in the Chicago area. Cook also is a member of the firm’s recruiting committee. She has served with the March of Dimes as a fundraiser volunteer, team leader and as a member of the mission investment committee.
THEODORE T. “TED” CHUNG Partner Jones Day
Former prosecutor Theodore T. “Ted” Chung is practice leader of investigations and white-collar defense at Jones Day. In the past 18 months, Chung has served as lead counsel for a number of Fortune 500 companies. One case involved investigating allegations of corporate misconduct in a company’s Middle East operations. Another investigated misconduct involving business partners in Southeast Asia, resulting in a Justice Department decision not to pursue enforcement action. As an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, Chung was lead prosecutor in several Operation Safe Road bribes-for-licenses cases. He went on to serve in the city of Chicago’s law department and as general counsel for the administration of Gov. Pat Quinn. He joined Jones Day in 2010. He is on the board of Legal Aid Chicago.
MARLÉN CORTEZ MORRIS
Partner Barnes & Thornburg
Litigation partner Marlén Cortez Morris represents businesses on franchise and distribution, labor and employment, and commercial matters in courts, in alternative dispute resolution venues and before government agencies. She is a member of the firm’s Latinx affinity group, Chicago diversity committee and racial justice committee and is a summer program mentor. She handles immigrants’ rights cases on a pro bono basis and is a member of the National Immigrant Justice Center’s Junior Leadership Board. Before joining Barnes & Thornburg in 2018, Morris was partner at Cheng Cohen; before that, she practiced at Winston & Strawn for six years. She serves on the International Franchise Association’s Diversity Institute board and co-chairs the Women’s Franchise Network’s Chicago chapter. She speaks on franchising, employment and diversity issues at legal conferences.
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INFLUENCERS. INNOVATORS. LEADERS.
Congratulations to Olivia Luk Bedi and Eric Choi for their wellearned recognition as two of Crain’s 2020 Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting and Law. Both Olivia and Eric exemplify Neal Gerber Eisenberg’s commitment to our clients and the communities we serve. Within the firm and the legal industry, they are emerging leaders engaged in the development and advancement of minority attorneys.
2 0 2 0 NG E HO NO RE E S
Patricia Cain Partner
Notable Women in Law Award
Susan Goldenberg Partner
Notable Women in Law Award
Tonya Newman Partner
Notable Women in Law Award
Sonya Rosenberg Partner
Notable Women in Law Award
Leah Schleicher
Sonia Menon
Partner
Chief Operating Officer
Notable Women in Law Award
Notable Women Executives Over 50 Award
Neal Gerber Eisenberg is proud of its legacy leading the advancement of women in law firms and helping them achieve their professional goals through programming, training and advocating for women to achieve leadership positions within the firm. www.nge.com/womensnetwork
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CRAIN’S 2021
SCOTT CRUZ
Officer Greensfelder Hemker & Gale
Scott Cruz joined Greensfelder Hemker & Gale this year, just days before the pandemic set in. He specializes in labor and employment law, including civil litigation and preventive counseling. Despite the challenge of this timing, Cruz has provided counsel to clients navigating employment and labor issues surrounding workplace safety, leave policies and remote work. He represented the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and Illinois Retail Merchants Association in a lawsuit on behalf of business organizations challenging the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission on an emergency rule that created a presumption that the workplace was the cause of a COVID-19 infection. Cruz previously practiced at Clark Hill. He serves on the board of nonprofit Alivio Medical Center, which provides health care to the uninsured and underprivileged Latino community.
LINDSEY D.G. DATES
ROBERT FERNANDEZ
Partner Barnes & Thornburg
Partner Latham & Watkins
Partner Lindsey D.G. Dates represents clients in commercial litigation including breach of contract, class action, business tort, product liability and other issues. In the past 18 months, he helped secure a nearly $16 million summary judgment in a complex litigation action with respect to power modules, battery backup units and capacitors. As important, Dates has played a critical role in voicing concerns about the plight of Black lawyers in corporate America in the wake of protests and the looming economic recession. He has presented to in-house groups and corporate legal departments on the disparate treatment of Black lawyers at law firms. His social media posts on the subject have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. He serves on the board of the Black Men Lawyers’ Association.
As a member of Latham’s real estate practice, Robert Fernandez specializes in financings, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, commercial leasing and real estate development. Over the past year he has advised institutional investors on joint ventures in connection with multifamily, student housing, industrial and large mixeduse developments. He advised a hedge fund in connection with a large office tower lease in Chicago and a real estate investment and hospitality management company on a joint venture to acquire a Las Vegas hotel and casino. Fernandez joined Latham last year after practicing for almost 20 years at Dentons. He’s a member of Latham’s Global Diversity Leadership committee as well as the Chicago office leader of the firm’s Hispanic/Latin American lawyers group. He serves on the Civic Federation board.
“My experience in law enforcement provided opportunities to interact with people of different backgrounds. Working with and listening to people from all walks of life helped develop my ability to effectively communicate, which has helped me respond to and support a diverse pool of clients. In true Chuhak & Tecson fashion, I am right there with them every step of the way.” — Francisco (Cisco) Connell Cisco, we congratulate you as one of Chicago’s Notable Minority Executives in Accounting, Consulting & Law. We feel privileged that over the past 11 years, you continue to practice with us.
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THE BOOK
HIKARU “KOH” FUJIMOTO
AMOL GAVANKAR
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ASHEESH GOEL
Partner Kirkland & Ellis
Principal CDH
Managing director KPMG
At CDH in Itasca, Hikaru “Koh” Fujimoto consults with Japanese individuals living in the United States to navigate U.S. inheritance and gift tax laws. He’s also an expert in rules pertaining to green card and citizenship status, foreign financial accounts reporting and estate planning. Last year, Fujimoto completed a five-year term as CDH managing partner, during which the firm increased revenue by more than 80 percent. Last year, Fujimoto opened a CDH office in Japan, the firm’s fourth office. He serves on the board of Chicago Shimpo, a local Japanese newspaper, and is a board member of the Chicago Japanese Club. Since 2013, he has raised funds for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life event. He prepares webinars on cross-border inheritance and gift tax issues.
Amol Gavankar oversees KPMG’s federal tax credit consulting practice in the Midwest. During the past year, he developed a tax credit consulting service from incentives stemming from the CARES Act, the COVID-19 relief bill. Over the past seven years, Gavankar has doubled the Midwest tax credit practice. He spearheaded development of artificial intelligence and other automation-based solutions to support projects. Before joining KPMG in 2010, Gavankar was a director at a Texas consultancy, Tax Projects Group. Earlier in his career, Gavankar worked as a software engineer at Motorola and is the first engineer to join the federal tax credit consulting practice. He since has built an engineering team to support the group. He serves on the advisory council of StreetWise, a newspaper that provides opportunities for homeless people.
Partner Asheesh Goel co-leads the government enforcement defense and internal investigations group and recently became a member of Kirkland’s global management executive committee. He advises on securities enforcement, including corporate and securities fraud, anti-corruption and insider trading, with a focus on cross-border enforcement. Clients include private-equity firms and alternative-asset managers. Goel is active in the firm’s diversity and inclusion task force, which was refreshed this year due to the national focus on racial injustice. He has helped the group develop its agenda and achieve goals toward improving diversity and inclusion at Kirkland. Earlier, he was branch chief of the Securities & Exchange Commission’s enforcement division. Goel is a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, where he teaches a class on enforcement risks in cross-border transactions.
Congratulations to our partner Juan Morado on being recognized as a Notable Minority Executive in Accounting Consulting and Law. We are proud to also acknowledge our other 2020 Notable Executives:
Bryna Dahlin Women in Law
Margo Wolf O’Donnell Women Over 50 and Women in Law
www.beneschlaw.com
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CRAIN’S 2021
NICHOLAS GOWEN
GRAHAM GRADY
Partner Taft Stettinius & Hollister
Partner Burke Warren MacKay & Serritella
Trial attorney Nicholas Gowen represents Fortune 500 companies and middle-market companies in commercial disputes in courts and arbitration forums. He handles cases involving intellectual property, trade secrets, unfair competition and employment litigation. In the past 18 months, he served as lead trial counsel for a U.S. manufacturer in an international arbitration involving a $10 million contract with a Chinese metal packaging conglomerate. Before joining Burke Warren MacKay & Serritella in 2016, Gowen was a partner at Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn. Between 2017 and last year, Gowen served as chair of the Chicago State University board of trustees. For 12 years, he was a visiting lecturer in the University of Illinois at Chicago political science department. Gowan is on the board of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation.
Partner Graham Grady advises real estate developers, property owners and commercial tenants seeking entitlements and solves problems with government on zoning, land use, license and building code compliance matters. He is one of three African American real estate professionals leading the new Chicago Emerging Minority Developer Initiative, which seeks to build a pipeline of community-focused minority developers to participate in city projects. Before joining Taft in 2012, Grady was a partner at K&L Gates. Earlier, he served as Chicago buildings commissioner, zoning administrator and ex-officio member of the Chicago Plan Commission. He’s a member of Taft’s diversity and inclusion committee and mentors attorneys from diverse backgrounds. Grady is a director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, WTTW Chicago PBS and WFMT, and the Civic Consulting Alliance.
LEE HENDERSON
Partner, Americas EY private leader EY
A 25-year EY veteran, Lee Henderson works with teams to support entrepreneurs and middle-market companies including venture-capital, private-equity and family enterprises. During the pandemic, Henderson developed webcasts and virtual roundtables for the entrepreneurial community. He serves as executive sponsor of the recently launched EY Entrepreneurs Access Network, which supports Black and Latinx startups in U.S. cities. Henderson is responsible for oversight of EY’s annual Strategic Growth Forum, a gathering of growing companies that this year is a virtual event. Henderson was named an assurance partner in 2006 and promoted to his current position last year. He serves on the board of the Big Shoulders Fund and helped create a STEM-focused entrepreneurship program in 20 Chicago-area Big Shoulders Fund schools.
EKI-Digital congratulates our CEO and Founder ROBERT BLACKWELL JR. on being named to Crain's 2020 Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting and Law list.
Quantitative Digital Innovation and Transformation EKI-Digital has helped large organizations identify and capture billions of dollars in new revenue and savings using its algorithmic approach, data and lean-digital delivery. 33 West Monroe, Suite 1050 | Chicago, IL 60603 | (312) 236-0903 | www.eki-digital.com
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THE BOOK
CLAUDINE HOLLACK
JOHN HSIAO
Partner, audit and assurance, Deloitte & Touche Deloitte
As leader in the Midwest audit practice for the life sciences and manufacturing industries at Deloitte & Touche, Claudine Hollack oversees global audits of Fortune 100 companies. She’s one of the first women of color to serve in this capacity. She developed and scaled the life sciences program to include a dozen emerging companies. And she serves on the partner admissions committee for the audit and assurance business. Hollack has held leadership roles in Deloitte offices, including a stint in Prague where she led multinational audits. She speaks frequently at industry events including Ascend, an organization focused on the recruitment and advancement of Asian business professionals. Hollack serves as Chicago inclusion leader for the audit and assurance business, focused on retention and advancement of women and minorities.
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PARRISH IVY
Tax partner MichaelSilver
Principal, Deloitte Tax Deloitte
At accounting firm MichaelSilver in Skokie, John Hsiao manages the tax department of 30 professionals and helps clients navigate complex tax law. On assuming the department leadership in January, Hsiao overhauled processes, resulting in improved efficiency. When the pandemic hit, staff was provided with tools to work from home, and the department continues to work remotely. He leads the firm’s CARES Act Group, assisting clients with Payroll Protection Program applications and other economic stimulus programs. As an executive committee member, he is responsible for setting firm policies, communicating tax law changes and maintaining client relationships. His contributions to recruiting efforts have helped diversify the company’s workforce. Hsiao serves on the executive committee and is treasurer of the Chinese American Museum of Chicago.
Parrish Ivy is multistate tax principal for several Fortune 500 clients in Chicago, focused on life sciences, health care, transportation and manufacturing. He also serves as central region growth leader for the tax practice, responsible for designing and implementing growth strategies across 22 offices. In the past 18 months, he secured three wins totaling more than $3.5 million in direct revenue from Fortune 500 companies. Before joining Deloitte, Ivy served more than four years in the Air Force. He serves as tax inclusion leader responsible for developing strategies for recruiting, retaining and promoting women and historically underrepresented minorities. Recently, he launched a mentoring and sponsorship program to help professionals position themselves for long-term success by exposing them to enriching client and leadership experiences.
Congratulations to Graham Grady, Daniel Saeedi, and Derrick Thompson for being honored as Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting, and Law by Crain’s Chicago Business. Graham Grady Partner
Derrick Thompson Partner
Daniel Saeedi Partner Taftlaw.com
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CRAIN’S 2021
PRAN JHA
Partner Sidley Austin
At Sidley Austin, Pran Jha is a partner in the corporate practice group, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, spinoffs, joint ventures and corporate governance. In the past 18 months he has handled securities offerings for Citrix Systems and Wintrust Financial. This year, Jha led the firm’s efforts to address issues facing lawyers from diverse backgrounds in the wake of the pandemic and the racial justice issues prompted by George Floyd’s death. Jha is jointly responsible for a multimillion-dollar budget for programs that provide mentor opportunities for lawyers from diverse backgrounds, including programs with clients. As a result, the firm has won increased business credited to these lawyers and increased retention among associates, and diversified its Chicago partner classes. Jha is firmwide co-chair of the diversity and inclusion committee.
TIMOTHY KINCAID
Partner Winston & Strawn
Corporate partner Timothy Kincaid focuses on private-equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions. He has represented corporations, private-equity funds and investment banks in negotiating acquisition, sale, capital raising and equity purchase deals. Since last year, he has handled transactions totaling more than $2 billion. As a member of Winston’s executive committee, Kincaid has worked with firm leadership in programs that support female and minority attorneys and diversify recruiting. He’s the youngest member to be elected to that committee. He also is on the partner compensation committee and the associate evaluation committee, and is chair of the foundation committee. Kincaid joined Winston & Strawn as an associate in 2007 and was named a partner in 2013. Outside the firm, he serves on the Legal Aid Chicago board.
ALAN KING
Partner Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila
Employment litigator Alan King joined Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila in September as chair of the labor and employment practice. He and his team advise clients across industries, as well as municipalities and minority-owned businesses. Previously, King was vice chair of the labor and employment group at Drinker Biddle & Reath, which merged with Faegre to become Faegre Drinker. Last year, King was appointed to the American Arbitration Association’s national panel of employment arbitrators. Recent accomplishments include defending a Fortune 100 retailer and an international airline in discrimination suits. In 2007, King defended the city of Chicago in a discrimination complaint from a female police officer, resulting in verdicts for the city and defendants. He is chair of the Children First Fund: The Chicago Public Schools Foundation.
Naseem Wenzel, CPA Partner, Real Estate Advisory
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THE BOOK
JORGE LEON
GEETA MALHOTRA
Partner Michael Best & Friedrich
At Michael Best & Friedrich, Jorge Leon is group co-leader of the employee benefits practice. As a manager, he sets budgets, coordinates evaluations and mentors attorneys. In his practice, he and his team oversee the design and administration of health and welfare programs, executive compensation and retirement plans. In a recent article, Leon wrote that the CARES Act was flawed by limiting some of the household members who could tap retirement funds. The IRS subsequently issued a notice expanding the application of the law. Leon serves as co-chair of the diversity and inclusion committee and was instrumental in developing and implementing a transgender policy. Outside the firm, he mentors attorneys from diverse backgrounds through his involvement as a fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.
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LAKEISHA MARSH
Partner Sidley Austin
Partner Akerman
At Sidley Austin, Geeta Malhotra focuses on white-collar criminal matters, fraud and bribery investigations, and cybersecurity. She leads teams undertaking crisis management for Fortune 500 companies and serves on Sidley’s COVID-19 task force. Malhotra and a team investigated allegations against Redflex Traffic Systems in the red-light-camera bribery scandal that led a $20 million settlement with the city of Chicago. Malhotra and a Sidley team represented Neiman Marcus in its highly public cybersecurity intrusion. She represents the ACLU pro bono in a long-fought challenge to the Parental Notification of Abortion Act. Malhotra is on Sidley’s diversity and inclusion committee and committee for the evaluation and compensation of associates. She serves on the boards of the Better Government Association and Connections for Abused Women & Their Children.
Partner LaKeisha Marsh chairs the higher education and collegiate athletics practice and is deputy chair of the government affairs and public policy group. She represents colleges and universities on regulatory compliance, accreditation, governance and NCAA compliance. During the pandemic, Marsh is advising higher education institutions on COVID-19 matters and return-to-campus protocols and policies. Marsh represents a collegiate athletic association in its concussion litigation. She is co-chair of Akerman’s Women’s Initiative Network, which advocates for the recruiting, retention and advancement of women at the firm. And she started a mentoring network for the firm’s African American female lawyers. Marsh is on the executive board of Girls in the Game, which mentors girls through sports and leadership programs. She also serves on the Chicago Leadership Council of the Posse Foundation.
Extraordinary Lawyers for Extraordinary Times Congratulations to our RSHC Partners recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business among Chicago’s Notable Minorities in Law 2020.
Joseph Q. McCoy
Alan S. King
Simone A. Randolph
Rodney Perry
#ProudtobeRSHC rshc-law.com CHICAGO | SAN FRANCISCO | NEW YORK | ANN ARBOR | IRVINE / LOS ANGELES
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CRAIN’S 2021
STEPHANIE S. MCCANN
JOSEPH Q. MCCOY
Partner, corporate advisory McDermott Will & Emery
Partner Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila
Stephanie S. McCann handles financing transactions, including acquisitions, loan workouts and restructurings. In the past 18 months, she handled H.I.G. Capital’s acquisition of Supply Source Enterprises, a distributor of personal protective equipment, a major 2020 transaction in the midst of a decline in global M&A activity. She led a $700 million offering of senior secured notes for American Builders & Contractors Supply. McCann serves on McDermott’s executive and management committees. She recruits talent for McDermott’s finance practice, and half the team is made up of lawyers from diverse backgrounds. She also plays a lead role in planning McDermott’s Women’s and Racial & Ethnic Diversity summits. Before joining McDermott in 2014, McCann was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis for more than 11 years.
On joining Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila in 2017, Joseph Q. McCoy established the business transactions group, which he manages. In an area of practice where African American attorneys have been underrepresented historically and are still underrepresented today, McCoy built a group in which eight of nine attorneys are African American and all six partners are African American. The group advises on M&A, privately held transactions, private-equity and venture-capital investments, lending, leasing, workouts and other types of deals. McCoy previously was Chicago managing partner at Bryan Cave and chair of the airport concessions practice. He structured multiple concessions operator deals at Midway Airport. He serves on the board of the Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education. McCoy was an adjunct professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law for nine years.
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LESLIE MINIER
Corporate partner Katten
As chief diversity partner, Leslie Minier co-chairs the firm’s diversity committee and advises Katten on business development opportunities. Minier spearheaded Katten’s participation in the Mansfield Rule program aimed at boosting diversity in law firm leadership—Katten achieved certification for meeting standards requiring that at least 30 percent female, LGBTQ+ and minority attorneys be considered for leadership roles. She helped the firm gain recognition for implementing professional development opportunities, including pairing firm leaders with female and minority attorneys. She developed Katten’s diversity, minority associate and LGBTQ committees. Recently, she moderated a Black Lives Matter discussion via WebEx for Katten associates and a dozen other firms. As a longtime partner in Katten’s corporate practice, Minier continues to advise companies on structuring, negotiating and documenting mergers, acquisitions and dispositions.
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THE BOOK
JUAN MORADO JR.
Partner Benesch
Juan Morado advises health systems, physicians and pharmacies and works with clients to establish new facilities and secure approvals for ownership changes. He has led teams to obtain regulatory approval for three new rehabilitation hospitals and facilitated multimillion-dollar facility ownership changes. Morado serves as co-chair of the diversity and inclusion committee and mentors Latino attorneys and associates. In October, Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed Morado to the board of the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority. Before joining the firm in 2017, Morado was general counsel and ethics officer for the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board. Earlier, he was an attorney and deputy chief of staff in the governor’s office. Morado recently joined the board of nonprofit La Casa Norte. He’s a 2020 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity fellow.
RODNEY PERRY
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RICHARD POLONY
Partner Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila
Partner, litigation Hinshaw & Culbertson
Rodney Perry is a partner in the litigation practice group. In the past 18 months, Perry represented a Fortune 500 manufacturer in litigation involving property rights issues and railroad easements. In pro bono work, Perry represents a Chicago health clinic that provides low- or no-cost essential health care services to individuals in at-risk communities. He’s also represented the National Headache Foundation. Perry is co-lead of the Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila engagement and culture committee. He joined RSHC in 2017 from Bryan Cave, where he practiced for 17 years. He was one member of a two-attorney team to open that law firm’s Chicago office in 2001. At the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Perry has developed programming to spur connections among attorneys from diverse backgrounds.
Litigator Richard Polony has tried multiple cases in state and federal courts, including misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duties and shareholder disputes. Recently, Polony secured a favorable settlement for clients in a class-action lawsuit that involved more than 20 defendants. To resolve the dispute, it was necessary for the defendants to negotiate one agreement among themselves and another with the plaintiff. As a founder of Hinshaw’s Hispanic affinity network, Polony has shaped and implemented programs to promote recruitment, retention and advancement of minority attorneys and staff. He also chairs the firm’s associates compensation committee. Since 2015, Polony has served on the board of nonprofit Chicago Committee on Minorities at Large Law Firms, which works to increase diversity in the legal profession.
Congratulations, Amol Gavankar for being recognized as one of Crain’s 2020 Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting & Law. By leveraging emerging technology and employing diverse teams, your innovative approach provides unique value for our clients. Thank you for your dedication to our firm and our people. Learn more about our innovative business solutions and careers at kpmg.com.
© 2020 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee.
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CRAIN’S 2021
KEYONN POPE
Partner Reed Smith
Keyonn Pope was named Chicago office hiring partner in August. In that role, he directs recruitment and hiring of associates and participates in firmwide recruiting strategy. Pope also is a member of the Reed Smith Racial Equity Task Force in Chicago, a 15-member group launched in August to implement the firm’s Racial Equity Action Plan. As a litigator, Pope focuses on IP litigation involving patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights. He also handles media and entertainment matters. He recently closed an IP licensing transaction and secured a multimillion-dollar payout, with additional royalties in the future, for the heirs of an internationally renowned jazz musician. Earlier in his career, Pope was an electrical engineer at Caterpillar. He serves on the board of the Jazz Institute of Chicago.
SIMONE RANDOLPH
Partner Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila
Simone Randolph is a partner in Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila’s business transactions group, focusing on real estate and financial services. She’s also active in the firm’s airport concessions practice. Over the last 18 months, she has closed about $500 million in loans, including construction, multilender syndicated and mezzanine transactions. This includes $53 million in construction financing for a mixed-use complex in Hollywood, Calif., and $56 million in syndicated construction financing for a residential project in Salt Lake City. Randolph joined RSHC in 2017 and serves on the firm’s associate development committee. In the community, she is on the executive board of the Chicago Loop Alliance. And she is on the board of the Women’s Bar Foundation, which provides scholarships to young women pursuing law degrees.
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MARIA DE J. PRADO
CEO Prado & Renteria
Maria de J. Prado is a co-founder of the 30-year-old firm, which counts itself as the largest Hispanic-owned CPA firm in Illinois. Prado is responsible for the firm’s strategic planning process, marketing and business development. She also handles financial and resource management including revenue generation, expense management and staff productivity. Prado led the creation of an internal professional growth and development program for employees that includes mentoring and coaching. The program aims to help professionals expand their capabilities and advance their careers, and also help create the next generation of minority-owned CPA firms. In August, Prado was named by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to the Illinois Board of Examiners, which certifies completion of educational and examination requirements for CPA candidates. She serves on the board of nonprofit Resurrection Project.
DANIEL SAEEDI
Partner Taft Stettinius & Hollister
Partner Daniel Saeedi focuses on employment law, unfair competition, privacy and information security. He represents clients in trade secrets and restrictive-covenants disputes. In the past 18 months, Saeedi has presented arguments in the field of trade secrets and privacy law, many of which tackle issues that are of first impression before the courts. He is experienced in the rapidly developing fields of biometric privacy and facial recognition technology. Saeedi speaks on diversity, inclusion and implicit bias, and provides implicit-bias training to hundreds of lawyers each year, including in-house counsel. He serves on the boards of the Illinois State Bar Association and nonprofit Just the Beginning—A Pipeline Organization, which encourages students of color to pursue career and leadership opportunities in the law.
AYESHA RAFIQUE
Partner, Deloitte & Touche Deloitte
At Deloitte & Touche, Ayesha Rafique is national corporate M&A growth and market development leader. She specializes in consumer products, covering the retail, distribution and the food and beverage sectors. Clients include Fortune 500 strategic buyers and private-equity firms. She has led due diligence engagements on more than 200 transactions ranging in size from $10 million to $38 billion, including some of the most iconic M&A transactions in the consumer industry. She serves on Deloitte’s U.S. board council and the company’s M&A executive committee. Rafique is the leader of Deloitte’s Women’s Initiative for M&A in Chicago. In that role, she leads initiatives to empower and advance women in M&A. She is on the board of Kids in Danger, a nonprofit dedicated to safety in children’s products.
RAJ N. SHAH
Chicago office co-managing partner DLA Piper
In March, Raj N. Shah was named co-managing partner of the DLA Piper Chicago office. He’s also chair of the Chicago litigation group and national co-hiring partner—associates. Shah also is on the firm’s policy and partner nominating committees. In his practice, Shah serves as lead counsel for clients involved in disputes across regulated industries, including pharmaceuticals and medical devices, telecommunications, transportation and financial services. Shah developed a practice representing Indian companies and the Indian community and is co-head of DLA’s India practice. The attorney Shah mentored the most during his career passed away unexpectedly in 2018 from a heart defect; DLA Piper renamed its undergraduate internship in his memory, the Raja Gaddipati Fellows Program. The internship is for undergraduates from diverse backgrounds with an interest in law school.
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THE BOOK
TEJAS SHAH
MOLSHREE “MOLLY” SHARMA
Partner Barnes & Thornburg
Immigration specialist Tejas Shah helps employers navigate regulations as they seek to hire and retain foreign national employees. In the past 18 months, Shah represented employers, including medical institutions and small businesses, in challenging visa denials in federal court. He has represented employers seeking to obtain exceptions to this year’s presidential proclamation suspending issuance of certain visas. Shah produced a podcast to provide a perspective on how executive orders and decisions in the travel ban case compare to the historical record. Tejas assists individuals and families pro bono through the National Immigrant Justice Center and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. This year, he led a bar association initiative to help international students understand the implications of the pandemic and immigration changes on their enrollment at U.S. universities.
Partner Feinberg Sharma
One of two lead partners, Molshree “Molly” Sharma specializes in divorce, custody and family law cases. Sharma has expertise handling international custody disputes and Hague Convention cases related to a treaty that resolves issues of child abduction and jurisdiction. She argues international child abduction cases and custody cases in federal court. She speaks often on the topic, most recently at the Child’s Rights Convention in Israel and University of Westminster in London. Sharma has also published articles important to minority communities, most recently on Hindu marriage and divorce in the American Bar Journal. She lectures annually at the I-Stand Conference organized by parents of children who have been internationally abducted, and she also lectures practitioners, parents and members of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Children’s Issues.
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PAUL STEPHENS
Partner Marshall Gerstein & Borun
Partner Paul Stephens specializes in intellectual property litigation and patent prosecution. He represents clients in the medical diagnostics and imaging, medical devices, wireless communications, network architecture and security and e-commerce industries. Stephens has managed patent protection in areas of imaging-based early detection of retinal damage, wearable devices for blood pressure monitoring and nanowire structures for small scale computing systems. He also chairs the firm’s pro bono committee. Stephens serves on the board of Cabrini Green Legal Aid, where he also represents clients in petitions to expunge an arrest or criminal conviction. He also is on the board of Lawyers Lend-AHand, which promotes mentoring and tutoring programs in disadvantaged Chicago communities. Stephens and his mother endowed a scholarship for minority students at their alma mater, the University of Michigan.
Congratulations to our partner, Richard B. Polony, on his selection as one of Crain’s 2020 Notable Minority Executives in Accounting, Consulting, and Law.
©2020 Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP | Attorney Advertising
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CRAIN’S 2021
VENU TALANKI
Shareholder Vedder Price
Venu Talanki is vice chair of the finance and transactions group and a member of the firm’s board. He advises financial institutions, private-equity funds and corporate borrowers in transactions, including leveraged, asset-based, cash flow, acquisition and bankruptcy-related. He also counsels lenders and borrowers in restructurings and workouts. As associate committee chair, Talanki leads summer and lateral associate hiring and manages the annual summer associate program. He’s a member of the firm’s diversity committee. Talanki was on the board of the North American South Asian Bar Association and is a co-founder of the South Asian Bar Association of Michigan. A highlight: singing the national anthem in the Detroit Tigers’ inaugural season at Comerica Park during an event organized by his former firm, Dickinson Wright.
JOSEPH J. TORRES
DERRICK THOMPSON JR.
Partner Taft Stettinius & Hollister
Trial lawyer Derrick Thompson Jr. handles sports and entertainment-related disputes and other matters in real estate, employment and intellectual property. Thompson has a sports background, having played football for Northwestern University in the late 1990s. While attending law school, he worked as an NFL player agent. Thompson serves as Northwestern’s representative to the Big Ten Advisory Commission, which is made up of former student athletes and advises the conference on issues affecting African American student athletes at member institutions. Recently, he was appointed to the Big Ten Conference Anti-Hate Anti-Racism Coalition. He’s a member of the Chicago Bar Association advocacy committee and leads Taft’s involvement in the foundation’s Investing in Justice Campaign. Before joining Taft in 2017, Thompson was a litigation attorney at Hoogendoorn & Talbot.
ANDREW VOUZIERS
Partner Jenner & Block
Partner Sidley Austin
ERISA litigator Joseph J. Torres joined Jenner & Block last year. He is chair of the firm’s practice relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and he’s co-chair of the labor and employment practice. He handles cases in courts and administrative agencies involving discrimination, employee benefits, whistleblower, retaliation and other claims. In the past 18 months, Torres prevailed in an appeal before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California for Abbott Laboratories in an ERISA matter. He is handling several ERISA class actions for clients in federal courts. Torres is on the firm’s management committee and its associate development and evaluation committee, and he is co-chair of the Hispanic Lawyers Forum. He joined Jenner & Block from Winston & Strawn, where he had practiced since 1990.
At Sidley Austin, Andrew Vouziers represents investment banks, direct lenders, sponsors, commercial banks and borrowers. He is a primary relationship partner for JPMorgan and Japan’s MUFG Bank. This year, he was first chair for an MUFG sustainability-linked loan in the financial services sector. He also acted as co-counsel for JPMorgan in restructuring the debt of retailer Bed Bath & Beyond in the face of COVID-19. He’s handled financings for Coca-Cola Bottling, Time Warner, Sony, Caterpillar and Priceline. Vouziers joined Sidley in 2008 and spent six months in the firm’s office in Sydney. This year, Vouziers spearheaded the Hispanic Heritage Roundtable featuring prominent Hispanic and Latinx business leaders, including the chairman of United Airlines. He is on the board of the Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund of Illinois.
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VANESSA TIRADENTES
Partner, litigation practice Gould & Ratner
Partner Vanessa Tiradentes handles litigation in federal and state courts, including allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, business divorces, contract disputes and indemnification claims. She assists clients with construction matters, including contractor disputes and breach of warranty claims. Tiradentes writes and presents on issues affecting minorities, women and vulnerable populations. She leads the firm’s pro bono work with the Illinois Prison Project, an organization that assists elderly prisoners with filing clemency petitions. Tiradentes chairs the firm’s Inclusion Committee and is an active member of Gould & Ratner Opportunities for Women, a program that helps female clients and contacts network with the firm’s female attorneys. Tiradentes joined Gould & Ratner in 2016 and was named a partner in 2018. Previously she practiced at Delaware firm Bayard.
NASEEM WENZEL
CPA, partner CohnReznick
As a head of strategy and innovation at CohnReznick, Naseem Wenzel helps investment managers, administrators and real estate companies develop operating models and technology roadmaps and implement data strategy projects. Wenzel is chairman of OSCRE International, a member-based organization supporting the development and implementation of real estate data standards and data governance practices. She’s a faculty member of the OSCRE Academy, where she provides training in the implementation of data governance and standards. She’s helped develop and lead in-person and virtual courses. Wenzel served as managing director of NOI Strategies, a boutique real estate consulting practice and former division of CohnReznick. Earlier, she was a vice president at Brookfield Asset Management. She’s a member of professional association Commercial Real Estate Women.
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THE BOOK
DAVID WILLIAMS
JOHNER “J.T.” WILSON III
Partner Faegre Drinker
Partner David Williams represents investment management clients, counseling investment advisers and fund boards on fund formation, regulatory requirements and corporate governance. He also advises institutional investors. In the past 18 months, Williams was retained by a pre-eminent investment adviser to serve as lead special counsel for ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) and impact investing disclosure. Williams serves as co-vice chair of the firmwide diversity and inclusion committee and has led initiatives in hiring, training and retention. He launched Faegre Drinker’s diversity continuing legal education program and has conducted implicit-bias training. After the death of George Floyd and other incidents of police brutality, Williams led small group sessions across the firm to explore the impacts of systemic racism in society and at the firm.
GROWING DIVERSITY IN THE CPA PROFESSION, 2018
Partner Dinsmore & Shohl
White
Trial attorney Johner “J.T.” Wilson III focuses his practice on labor and employment law and leads the labor and employment team in Chicago. In the past 18 months, he won a favorable outcome for a Class 1 railroad client in Cook County Circuit Court involving an employee who sued for injuries. In U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, he defended a public official charged with gender discrimination and retaliation under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Wilson joined Dinsmore & Shohl last year from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, where he was a partner. He is a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 2020 fellow. Wilson served as coach at the American Bar Association/National Employment Law Council’s 2019 Employment Law Trial Institute at Chicago-Kent Law School.
Nonwhite
New-grad hires
70%
30% Professional staff 71% 29% CPAs 84% 16% Partners
91%
9% In the legal profession, 86% of all lawyers in 2020 were non-Hispanic whites, a decline from 89% a decade ago. Five percent of all lawyers are African American. Similarly, 5% of all lawyers are Hispanic. And 2% of all lawyers are Asian. Sources: Association of International Certified Public Accountants, American Bar Association
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR PARTNER VANESSA TIRADENTES AND ALL OF CRAIN’S NOTABLE MINORITIES IN ACCOUNTING, CONSULTING AND LAW We salute Vanessa’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession Complex World. Practical Solutions.®
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www.gouldratner.com
Member of LawExchange International
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