WAVe Celebrates Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris
To mark the 100th anniversary of women securing the right to vote in the United States, WAVe launched a campaign in early 2020 to celebrate the women who have most inspired our personal and professional lives. Little did we know that before the year's end, Americans would have elected our country's first woman vice president. WAVe chair Jennifer Bruton had this to say about this historic moment:
"Kamala Harris's extraordinary achievement in becoming the first woman and first woman of color to win the vice presidency is particularly poignant in this important anniversary year. Whether running for attorney general, the Senate, and now the second-highest office in the nation, Vice President-Elect Harris has steadfastly refused to allow any external barriers get in the way of her personal goals—no matter how ambitious—and that should serve as an inspiration to all of us."
Nora Garrote Named Partner in Charge of Diversity and Inclusion for Venable
Co-chair of Venable's Intellectual Property Transactions Group, Nora Garrote has been selected to fill our newly created diversity leadership role. Nora is already a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion initiatives within the firm, and her new role will allow her to further develop and implement programs, outreach, and mentoring opportunities that promote personal and professional growth.
Identity Politics: A Conversation with Author and Commentator Keith Boykin
LGBTQ@Venable hosted an illuminating conversation with activist, best-selling author, and president of the National Black Justice Coalition Keith Boykin. Keith shared his personal experiences coming out as a gay man of color, his thoughts on the most effective means of promoting diversity, and the importance of speaking truth to power.
Women on Corporate Boards
Earlier this year, Belinda Vega, a partner in our Los Angeles office, published an insightful article in Mergers & Acquisitions about why businesses are beginning to add more women to their boards. In it she examined how a new California law requiring public companies headquartered in the state to meet certain gender-inclusion requirements on their boards is driving the trend.
Since publishing her article, Belinda has been quoted in several outlets about this issue. In October, she told SHRM that "Women have a different way of approaching risk and innovation, and that's also true for people who are minorities. We all bring our experiences to the table." Belinda also co-authored an article about Nasdaq's new proposal that would require companies listed on the exchange to have at least two diverse directors on their boards and to publicly disclose the breakdowns of their boards by race, gender, and sexual orientation. Companies that do not comply could be delisted or kicked off the exchange.
WAVe Member Activity
Suzanne St. Pierre, chair of the New York Real Estate Group, was recognized by Connect CRE for her professional achievements and the key mentorship role she plays for others in commercial real estate.
Sarah Cronin, a partner in our Los Angeles office, was nominated by the Los Angeles Business Journal for its 2020 Women's Leadership Awards in the Rising Star of the Year category. The awards recognize individuals who excel in their professional lives, lead through mentorship, and encourage entrepreneurship.
Stacie Tobin was featured in the Baltimore Business Journal discussing the unexpected challenges she faced in her first year as partner-in-charge of the Baltimore office and how she managed to keep the staff engaged and connected, even as most continue to work remotely. Stacie also spoke to the Journal about Venable's evolving diversity and inclusion initiatives, particularly the firm's recently launched Moments and Movements campaign, which is intended to promote understanding of racial injustice through resource materials and speaker events, and by providing a platform through which employees can share their personal experiences.
Diverse. Dynamic. Dedicated. Announcing Venable's New Diversity and Inclusion Brochure
At Venable, we have long understood the necessity of incorporating a diversity of viewpoints into the solutions we offer our clients. We're pleased to share our latest brochure, which highlights the success of our ongoing efforts to ensure our firm is a place where all voices are represented and heard.