THE PDI CONNECTION AUGUST 2018

On May 31, the Ogletree Deakins Women's Initiative (ODWIN) piloted its first women’s leadership event in Kansas City at the beautiful Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, and it was a hit! Hosted by shareholders Kerri S. Reisdorff (ODWIN chairwoman),

Stacy M. Bunck (Office Managing Shareholder), and Michelle P. Wimes (Chief Diversity and Professional Development Officer), this event was designed specifically for women in legal departments to improve leadership skills and provide networking opportunities. There were over 50 women in attendance, as well as our own Managing Shareholder, C. Matthew Keen.

Ritu Bhasin, of bhasin consulting, inc., was the dynamic and engaging

Volume 2, Number 3

Authentic Leadership: ODWIN’s Women’s Leadership Event

(From left to right) Kerri S. Reisdorff (Shareholder, Kansas City); Ritu Bhasin (President, bhasin consulting inc.); C. Matthew Keen (Firm Managing Shareholder, Raleigh); Michelle P. Wimes (Chief Diversity and Professional Development Officer, Ogletree Deakins); and Stacy M. Bunck (Office Managing Shareholder, Kansas City)

The PDIConnection

August 2018

keynote speaker. She delivered a workshop titled Authentic Leadership: Unlocking the Power of Differences. The workshop was highly interactive (lecture, discussion, and Q&A) and included experiential learning and facilitated discussions. Each participant received a copy of The Authenticity Principle, authored by Bhasin.

After being inspired by Bhasin’s professional perspective and personal tales and anecdotes, there was a networking reception in the Atrium, where participants

had their books signed by the author.

(From left to right) Anne L. Hershewe (Associate, Kansas City); AnnRene Braun (Associate, Kansas City); Kierra Powell (Law Clerk to Judge Brian Wimes); Maggie Boyd (Law Clerk to Judge Brian Wimes); and Carol A. Krstulic (Counsel, Kansas City)

(From left to right) Scarlet Pressley-Brown (Director of Diversity, Denton’s); Emilie Keeton (Senior Professional Development Coordinator, Ogletree Deakins), Rebecca Baumgartner (Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Ogletree Deakins); Kori Carew (Director of Strategic Diversity Initiatives, Shook, Hardy & Bacon);and Laura Rogora (Senior Professional Development Manager, Ogletree Deakins)

I first encountered the concept of people-first language (e.g., “person with disabilities” as opposed to a “disabled person”)in law school. While I would like to think that I have been intentional in applying this principle, I found one of the articles on PDI’s OD Connect Resources page (“A Basket of

Deplorables, Nouns & Adjectives”) to be thought-provoking in how this same principle can be applied

On May 15, at The Westin Galleria Dallas, Bryan Garner presented his workshop, The Winning Brief, to over 65 Ogletree Deakins junior associates.

This year professor Garner—lawyer, lexicographer, and author—provided his acclaimed book, The Winning Brief: 100 Tips for Persuasive Briefing in Trial and Appellate Courts, to the associates. They experienced an interactive seminar that included writing exercises, media clips, and in-the-moment feedback from Garner. Associates enjoyed the workshop and once again gave it high praise.

Shareholders from the Dallas office—Michael R. Buchanan; Ron Chapman, Jr.; Sean C. Urich; and Gary D. Eisenstat— joined the associates during the welcome reception preceding the workshop.

2018 Legal Writing Seminar: The Winning Brief

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Curtis Y. Chow (Associate, Columbia)

Diversity and Inclusion Attorney Spotlight: Curtis Y. Chow

Michelle P. Wimes, Chief Diversity and Professional Development Officer, introduces professor Bryan Garner.

in other contexts. The premise of the article is that nouns and adjectives matter when describing undesirable behavior. A person whom we may be quick to label as racist or sexist (or any other “-ist”) may also be described as a “person who made an ‘-ist’ statement.” This minor linguistic distinction emphasizes a changeable undesirable behavior versus a categorical label. It encouraged me to reevaluate my own priorities when confronted with undesirable behavior. Is my purpose to condemn or to change behavior?

Oklahoma City Associate Lauren C. Oldham and Dallas Shareholder Michael R. Buchanan at the welcome reception

“I’ve had previous experiences where you leave a seminar exhausted from, not only the travel, but the material provided. However, I left Dallas recharged and excited to incorporate some of the writing techniques discussed.”

Jose G. Cabada (Associate, Orange County)

Rebecca Baumgartner started in the Professional Development and Inclusion (PDI) Department in March and has already become a valuable member of our team. Rebecca is passionate about diversity and inclusion, and brings a wealth of experience, including developing and facilitating training, mentoring, succession planning, onboarding, and performance review programs.

Inclusion Initiatives and Where They Can Go Wrong. The session addressed potential liability and backlash scenarios where the impact of your diversity and inclusion initiatives contradicts your intent.

On Friday morning, Homer Deakins awarded the Homer Deakins Service Award to Pam Gaber, CEO and founder of Gabriel’s Angels, which serves nearly 15,000 abused, neglected, and at-risk children in Arizona through the application of innovative pet therapy. The rest of the day was filled with keynote speeches and breakout sessions that covered topics ranging from political expressions at work to drug testing protocols to workplace safety. The day ended with attendees enjoying a relaxing time at the wrap reception, where more than 500 guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, sponsored by Ogletree Deakins Compliance Solutions.

2018 Workplace Strategies SeminarOgletree Deakins’ four-day seminar for clients kicked off on Thursday, May 10, with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Commissioner Chai Feldblum’s policymaker perspective keynote on sexual harassment in the workplace, followed by numerous panels addressing this same issue through employers’ perspectives. After a full day of sessions and visits to exhibitor booths, more than 600 attendees participated in a special reception enjoying local cuisine and cocktails while taking in the breathtaking views of the mountains that surround the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix.

Michelle P. Wimes (Chief Diversity and Professional Development Officer) and Shafeeqa Giarratani, (Shareholder, Austin) hosted a breakout session titled Diversity and

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Rebecca Baumgartner(Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Ogletree Deakins)

Meet Ogletree Deakins' New Diversity and Inclusion Manager

Arizona Biltmore

(From left to right) Laura Rogora(Senior Professional Development Manager)and Rebecca Baumgartner (Diversity and Inclusion Manager) hosted a booth at Workplace Strategies. They not only discussed Ogletree Deakins' Professional Development and Inclusion Department’s strategies and initiatives, but they had some really great swag to hand out as well!

Workplace Strategies attendees learned about Gabriel’s Angels, and met therapy dogs that provide comfort to at-risk children in Arizona. Parker, a Kerry Blue Terrier, makes new friends

Rebecca has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Missouri–Kansas City and a master's degree in human performance improvement from Grantham University. She is the proud mom of two very active boys and is a foodie like many of us in the PDI Department!

Welcome aboard, Rebecca! We are thrilled to have you with us as part of Ogletree Deakins’ professional development and inclusion team!

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Ogletree Deakins Presents “A Day in the Life…”

Client Corner

Three Ogletree Deakins attorneys—Lisa Karen Atkins (Shareholder, Birmingham), Eric D. Penkert (Associate, Greenville), and Shontell P. Powell (Of Counsel, Atlanta)—participated in the panel presentation A Day in the Life of an Attorney for Ogletree Deakins' new-manager training on May 24. This session, moderated by Michelle P. Wimes (Chief Diversity and Professional Development Officer), and presented by the Learning and Employee Development Department, emphasized Ogletree Deakins' culture of collaboration in the pursuit of providing excellent client service.

Christian Keeney (Shareholder, Orange County), and Keith Watts (Shareholder, Orange County) are proud to work with and spotlight 72andSunny, an advertising agency with offices in Los Angeles and New York. You might know their work (they do campaigns for large companies like Starbucks and Nike), but you probably did not know that they were the ones behind it. They created the Seventh Generation ad campaign featuring Maya Rudolph that challenges consumers to #ComeClean and ran ads in The New York Times, The Hill, and POLITICO to promote ingredient disclosure on product labels. 72andSunny also developed ads for a global campaign called #TIMESUPADVERTISING, shedding light on gender inequity, sexual harassment, and the lack of female representation in leadership in the advertising industry.

72andSunny strives to over index its workforce in relation to the diversity of the U.S. population. Currently, 15 percent of its creative directors are women,

(From left to right) Michelle P. Wimes (Chief Diversity and Professional Development Officer, Kansas City); Shontell Powell (Of Counsel, Atlanta); Eric D. Penkert (Associate, Greenville); Lisa Karen Atkins (Shareholder, Birmingham); Marcia Stokes (Director of Learning and Employee Development, Atlanta)

and 35 percent of the group director level and above are females. The agency's Diversity Playbook outlines its overall mission and strategy regarding its diversity and inclusion initiatives involving training, development, recruiting, engagement, and community involvement. Their creative residency program, 72U, provides apprenticeships to creative professionals in minority communities. Its mission is to develop vibrant new voices in the advertising industry, while serving the 72andSunny mission to expand and diversify the creative class.

72andSunny's Los Angeles office

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Diversity and Inclusion EventsWIHCL OC EventThe Ogletree Deakins Women’s Initiative (ODWIN) hosted a Women’s In-House Counsel Leadership Institute (WIHCL) workshop at the Orange County office in April. This invitation-only event included over 30 women assistant general counsels. Ogletree Deakins women shareholders successfully moderated panels and led hypothetical exercises in small groups. Shareholder Candace Gomez Harrison

American Constitution Society’s Diverse Legal Voices of Austin Networking Event

On May 22, Ogletree Deakins' Austin office sponsored the Austin Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society’s (ACS) Diverse Legal Voices of Austin Networking Event. The Honorable Robert Pitman, U.S. District

Judge, Western District of Texas, was the guest speaker. It was an evening of mixing and mingling, featuring a roundtable discussion about what is happening in the Austin legal community and building relationships within the local bar associations. The Austin Lawyer Chapter of

Walking a Mile in Her ShoesOn June 14, Jonathan M. Mraunac (Of Counsel, Chicago) participated in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event to raise awareness about the causes of violence against women. Jonathan has participated in this event for the past five years because “I believe that it is critical to increase male

awareness and engagement in addressing the problem of domestic violence. Walking publicly in high heels encourages humility and perspective, two things that all people, and especially men, can use more of.” See images from the event and Jonathan walking in heels!

(From left to right) Caroline Tang (Shareholder, Austin); Mindy Gulati (ACS Austin); The Honorable Robert Pitman (Western District of Texas); and Jessica Kirker (Associate, Austin)

said, “I was so impressed by the way each of our shareholders led their small group discussions and by the thought-provoking and genuine conversations they had with their individual groups.”

Through this workshop, the in-house counsel participants took advantage of a cohesive series of programs to increase their skills, further develop their competencies, grow their networks, and advance their careers.

Ogletree Deakins was represented by (from left to right) Shabri Sharma (Associate, New York City); Michelle P. Wimes (Chief Diversity and Professional Development Officer, Ogletree Deakins); Rebecca Baumgartner (Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Ogletree Deakins); Christina M. Schmid (Associate, New York City); and Simone R.D. Francis (Shareholder, St. Thomas) at the 2018 ACC Foundation's Global Women in Law & Leadership Symposium on June 19 at the United Nations.

Guest speaker Judge Pitman

Jonathan M. Mraunac (Of Counsel, Chicago)

ACS holds regular programs on topics including Citizens United, the right to counsel, the constitutionality of the individual health care mandate, and the state of judicial nominations.

National Employment Law Council’s 23rd Annual Conference

In April, the National Employment Law Council (NELC) hosted its 23rd Annual Conference at the InterContinental in New Orleans. Ogletree Deakins was a silver sponsor. Proudly representing the firm were: Paul Lancaster Adams (Shareholder, Philadelphia); Chambord V. Benton-Hayes (Associate, Sacramento); Katessa Charles Davis (Shareholder, Los Angeles); Elizabeth M. Ebanks (Shareholder, Richmond); Kyle R. Elliott (Associate, Richmond); Monique Gougisha

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Ogletree Deakins’ clients networking at a client dinner.

Leadership Institute of Women of Color Attorneys ConferenceThis year, Ogletree Deakins sponsored the 13th Annual Leadership Institute of Women of Color Attorneys Conference held on March 28 and 29 at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Atlanta. Shontell Powell (Of Counsel, Atlanta) and Ana Dowell (Associate, Atlanta) attended the conference and met with a number of practicing female attorneys from companies and organizations across the country. The conference kicked off with a Q&A-style reception with Juliette Pryor, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary

of Cox Enterprises. Juliette spoke about her career trajectory and the importance of cultivating work relationships. During the second day of the conference, the attendees participated in small group workshops, and attended an awards luncheon with a keynote address by Sandra Leung, Executive vice-president and General Counsel of Britsol-Myers Squibb. Sandra delivered a passionate speech about her legal career, filled with personal anecdotes of being raised by immigrant parents. She emphasized how her upbringing contributed to her overcoming the barriers she would later face in her professional career.

(From left to right): Shontell Powell (Of Counsel, Atlanta) and Ana C. Dowell (Associate, Atlanta)

Doucette (Shareholder, New Orleans); Lisa C. Hamasaki (Shareholder, San Francisco); Atoyia Scott Harris (Associate, New Orleans); Joan E. H. Harris (Senior Counsel, Minneapolis); Jimmy F. Robinson , Jr. (Office Managing Shareholder, Richmond); Brandon M. Shelton (Shareholder, Charlotte); and Shardé Skahan (Associate, Los Angeles). This three-day event celebrated NELC’s 23 years of supporting lawyers of color, who represent management in labor and employment matters. The annual conference is an opportunity for in-house and outside counsel of color to attend cutting-edge programs designed for advancing management-side practitioners in labor and employment law. Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr., spoke on a panel, Employment Challenges With the Gig Economy, which discussed issues employees are facing with misclassification of workers, "uberization" of the workforce, the growth of freelance workers in light of the Browning-Ferris decision, and a potential decision in the Grubhub case.

Joan E. H. Harris also spoke on a panel, Sexual and Other Forms of Harassment: Navigating Tough Harassment Issues in the #MeToo Era, discussed recognizing sexual harassment and the underlying conduct that may lead to unlawful harassment, such as bullying, foul language, and inappropriate conversations.

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Ogletree Deakins Attorney Selected for Higginbotham Fellowship

Michael D. Thomas (Associate, San Francisco) was selected by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) as

a participant in the 2018 AAA Higginbotham Fellows Program. This weeklong program, specifically devised to provide training to diverse attorneys, assists in preparation for careers in alternate dispute resolution (ADR) through interactive seminars and mock scenarios led by experts in the field.

Recent Diversity Awards In May 2018, Ogletree Deakins was ranked #2, in the 600+ Lawyers category, in Law360’s Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys report. This ranking is based on U.S. attorney headcount in order to compare them with similarly sized firms. Any firm that had a below-average female representation at any level of the firm was excluded. The remaining firms were ranked by the ratio of female non-partners to female partners at the firm. There were 62 law firms—in four size categories—that outpaced their peers.

Also in May, Ogletree Deakins moved from #75 to #68 on American Lawyer Media’s 2018 Diversity Scorecard ranking.

Ogletree Deakins again received a Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF). To receive this certification, the firm must meet objective criteria on participation of women lawyers at all levels of the firm.

Ogletree Deakins was again ranked in the top 15 on the National Law Journals 500 Women’s Scorecard this year. Ogletree Deakins ranked 12 out of the largest 350 firms eligible for ranking and increased our ranking over last year.

Awards & Accolades

Michael D. Thomas (Associate, San Francisco)

Ogletree Deakins Welcomes New AttorneysAndrew C. Avram - Associate, RaleighDaniel M. Bernstein - Associate, New York CityJonathan W. Black - Associate, San FranciscoAlexis Borestel - Associate, ParisKathryn L. Butler - Associate, Las VegasLorenzo R. Cabantog - Associate, BostonJoseph B. Cartafalsa - Shareholder, New York CityCaroline C. Dickey - Associate, Orange CountyAlex C. Farris - Special Counsel, TampaKaren Gal-Or - Senior Counsel, PittsburghLisa C. Hamasaki - Shareholder, San FranciscoWendy Harkness - Of Counsel, IndianapolisMargaret E. Hayes - Associate, IndianapolisLauren B. Hicks - Of Counsel, AtlantaJavier Jalice - Associate, New OrleansCaitlin S. Ladd - Special Counsel, IndianapolisTamsen L. Leachman - Shareholder, Portland (OR)Ann H. Lee - Of Counsel, DenverS. Abigail Littrell - Associate, Charlotte

Stephen J. Macri - Shareholder, New York CityNicholas Marfori - Associate, Los AngelesCécile Martin - Partner, ParisHeather M. Martone - Associate, Los AngelesAnne T. McKnight - Senior Counsel, NashvilleNicole A. Miller - Of Counsel, PhoenixYasmin A. Mohammad - Associate, MemphisRodney G. Moore - Shareholder, AtlantaLauren C. Oldham - Associate, Oklahoma CityMatthew O. O'Neill - Associate, RaleighKathryn T. Parham - Special Counsel, IndianapolisCécile Pudebat - Associate, ParisElizabeth A. Rowicki - Counsel, MilwaukeeDean J. Shauger - Associate, PhiladelphiaBrandon R. Sher - Associate, PhiladelphiaRobert M. Tucker - Of Counsel, New York CityMatthew T. Wholey - Associate, ClevelandSarah Zenewicz - Of Counsel, San FranciscoJoshua B. Zugish - Of Counsel, Birmingham

Atlanta n Austin n Berlin n Birmingham n Boston n Charleston n Charlotte n Chicago n Cleveland n Columbia n Dallas n Denver n Detroit (Metro) n Greenville n HoustonIndianapolis n Jackson n Kansas City n Las Vegas n London n Los Angeles n Memphis n Mexico City n Miami n Milwaukee n Minneapolis n Morristown n Nashville New Orleans n New York City n Oklahoma City n Orange County n Paris n Philadelphia n Phoenix n Pittsburgh n Portland (ME) n Portland (OR) n Raleigh Richmond n Sacramento n San Antonio n San Diego n San Francisco n Seattle n St. Louis n St. Thomas n Stamford n Tampa n Toronto n Torrance n Tucson n Washington, D.C.