The Duane Morris DEI 360 podcast, hosted by Partner and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Joseph K. West, features candid conversations with legal and business leaders on the issues and challenges in our collective efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.
Episode 38: Joanna Kuang of Illumen Capital: Impact Investing to Drive Systemic Change
Joe West interviews Joanna Kuang, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Impact at Illumen Capital, an impact fund founded on the thesis that “reducing racial and gender bias can potentially also be a contributor to financial success.” Joanna shares how her “lived experience as the daughter of Chinese immigrants” has driven her career in impact investing, which she describes as “a great way to kind of marry my skill set and opportunities I've been given with the world that I want to see.” While earning her math degree at Duke, Joanna worked at a Freedom School in the Mississippi Delta, where she saw firsthand the inequities her Black students faced, compared to the numerous opportunities she had growing up in an affluent New Jersey suburb. She realized “the power of capital to drive impact in ways that are community based” and has focused her career on trying to “change the face of what the investment industry looks like and how those people who are in the investment industry make decisions” ever since.
Episode 37: Tarik Gause: Finding His Place and Making His Mark Around the World
Joe West sits down with Tarik Gause, “superstar scholar” who’s now based in Amsterdam as Roku’s Associate General counsel for Business & Legal Affairs (EMEA) and was a recipient of the MCCA’s Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship during Joe’s time leading the MCCA. After graduating Howard University feeling “like the world was out there for me to go out and find my place in it,” Tarik’s career certainly took him around the world, from Washington, DC, to Sao Paolo, Brazil, to Charlotte, North Carolina and then to Amsterdam. Tarik shares some of the challenges of having an international career while trying to raise a family, as well as the “amazing gift” of giving his children “the privilege of growing up in the U.S., Brazil and in Europe” and a vastly different experience than his own. As advice to younger lawyers trying to find their way in the world, Tarik offers “build your cheerleading squad” and “make that effort” to find the “people who want you to succeed,” who give you “fuel to keep going on and achieving.”
Episode 36: Rob Rader and the Transformative Power of Education
Joe is joined by Rob Rader, GC and Corporate Secretary of Ovation TV, for a discussion on Rob’s career as “a truly ‘general’ general counsel” and how his approach as an executive who educates and shares information elevates everyone. Rob credits his entire career and life to the transformative power of education and strives to be able to give what education had done for me back to another generation of students as an elected member of Santa Monica College’s Board of Trustees since 2004.
Episode 35: Sandra Yamate: The True Histories and Experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Sandra Yamate, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession, talks with Joe about the current state of DEI and how the challenges present “an opportunity to separate what DEI efforts for the 21st century look like and how they're going to be different from 20th century efforts.” Sandra also discusses Polychrome Publishing, which she and her husband founded after finding that “there were no children's books really about children of Asian ancestry as Americans.” Polychrome sought to publish “children's books that address the experience of being a child of Asian ancestry growing up in the U.S.” Lastly, Joe and Sandra explore the meaning and importance of AAPI History Month, not just as a cultural celebration, but as a way to share the true histories and experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions to the United States.
Episode 34: John Simpson: Growing Up as a Military Brat in the Segregated South
Joe West talks with Duane Morris Partner John Simpson about his remarkable experiences and lessons learned from growing up as “a military brat” in the segregated South, attending Harvard after being accepted by the U.S. Air Force Academy and West Point, to getting drafted during the Vietnam War and choosing to be a platoon leader, knowing it was the “most dangerous job in the Marine Corps.” After his military service, John attended Columbia Law School, where his civil procedures professor was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Those contrasting experiences, living through the civil rights movement and serving in the military during the anti-war protests sweeping college campuses, shaped John into the nationally recognized trial lawyer he is today, with a focus on animal law. He finds parallels between Duane Morris and his approach to law: “We're not afraid to go to trial, and if we get to trial, we're going to bury the other side. So if you want to win a case that nobody says can be won, we are the people you hire. This is what we do and we do it well.” For younger lawyers finding their own paths, John advises: “If you're a trial lawyer, you've got to be all-in on your client's point of view and you've got to empathize. You've got to, as we used to say, hug the cactus.”
Episode 33: Being Seen: Why Visibility Matters to Dan Mitchell, Engineer and Patent Litigation Associate
Dan Mitchell shares his journey from graduating Georgia Tech with an engineering degree, working at the U.S. Patent Office while attending law school at night, to joining Duane Morris as a patent litigation associate. Dan understands he’s a rarity and “there aren’t a lot of diverse, African American engineers” and even “fewer diverse engineers with law degrees.” Growing up in southern Georgia, Dan didn’t know engineers or lawyers and now he’s both. For Dan, “it's very important that you have an example that you can see, because once you see it, it just seems more obtainable.” Having set out on an ambitious and daunting career path, Dan feels a responsibility “to be visible in my community” and “to let others see me” in the hope of inspiring others to reach for more than they thought possible, as he did. Dan also advises younger lawyers to find mentors, “someone that's been there and done that.” And if “they can't find anyone, tell them to call me, I will talk to each and every one of them. I'll take the time.”
Episode 32: Christi Campbell Worldwide™
Joe West talks with “one of his favorite people on the planet” Christi Campbell, IP partner and chair of the Duane Morris Women's Impact Network for Success (WINS), about how she got started in the legal profession and what her day-to-day looks like protecting branding and trademarks for well-known companies and individuals. Christi also shares how she went from being initially skeptical of the importance and need for women’s initiatives, to leading the firm’s WINS program, which provides opportunities for networking, leadership training, business development skills and advancement. Finally, Christi quotes Tom Petty when offering advice to young lawyers entering this difficult profession: “Don’t back down.”
Episode 31: John Nixon: The Trusted Advisor and the Virtuous Cycle
Joe West talks with Executive Compensation and Benefits Partner John Nixon about his career path and how he helps clients negotiate their compensation contracts, which can be overwhelming and involve “a firehose of terms” and personal considerations beyond simply the money. The son of school teachers who “didn’t get stock options,” John understands that for “a lot of us, we’re the first generation in our family to be in this position.” He strives to be “a trusted advisor that they can ask questions of” and not “feel uncertain or insecure” in these pivotal moments. Additionally, John shares his thoughts on the future of ESG and his perspectives as a person of color in a field where that’s a rarity. Finally, John offers advice for younger lawyers: build the virtuous cycle and focus on being good at what you do. Then, “people will want to work with you and the work will follow.”
Episode 30: Dalayna Tillman: A Soaring Trajectory of Building on Prior Experiences and Being Open to New Challenges
Dalayna Tillman, Director and Global Environmental, Health, and Safety Counsel at American Airlines, talks with Joe about her career path, her work at American Airlines and how ESG and good corporate citizenship have been surprisingly longstanding values in the business world. As she was getting started, Dalayna found a way to make her passion for science into a career as an environmental lawyer, with stops in private practice, Amazon Web Services and now at American Airlines. Dalayna advises young lawyers just starting their journeys that “each opportunity is going to look different and it’s your obligation to take what you can from it.”
Episode 29: Mark Lerner: The Importance of Community
Mark Lerner, Duane Morris Partner and Chair of the Trademark, Copyright, Entertainment and Advertising Division of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group, sits down with Joe to discuss joining the firm a month before the pandemic shutdowns, finding a community and his role co-chairing the firm’s Pride ERG. They also discuss how much progress the LGBTQ community has made and the many hurdles it still faces ahead.
Episode 28: Hector Chichoni: Loving the Practice that Chose Me
Hector Chichoni, Duane Morris Immigration partner in the Miami and Boca Raton offices, talks with Joe West about his thriving corporate immigration practice, the very active and dynamic Latino/Hispanic Employee Resource Group he co-leads and what inspired him to become a lawyer in the first place.
Episode 27: A Conversation with ABA President, Deborah Enix-Ross
Deborah Enix-Ross, American Bar Association president, shares how she went from growing up in Harlem to being the first in her family to graduate high school, college and then law school. Deborah’s legal career began in community legal services, a “sink or swim” experience that taught her how to be a litigator. Now a senior advisor to the International Dispute Resolution Group of Debevoise & Plimpton for her “day job,” Deborah also leads the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. She talks with Joe about her career journey and her thoughts on the future of the profession and why society needs lawyers in these tumultuous times more than ever before.
Episode 26: Miles Plaskett: Familiar Territory
Miles Plaskett recounts his path from the U.S. territory to Georgetown and Georgetown Law and to Duane Morris, where he’s practiced corporate law for more than 20 years, focusing on project development and project financing in the Caribbean and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Miles talks about doing business in the Caribbean, cultural mistakes to avoid and the changes he’s seen in the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts over the years.
Episode 25: Making the Case of Diversity through Activities, Actions and Words
Joe West reconnects with his friend, mentor and hero Tom Sager, General Counsel at DuPont, about his pioneering efforts to push for diversity at DuPont and in founding the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Tom and the leadership at DuPont had the prescient vision and understanding that diversity was not only about elevating diverse talent, but that diversity creates a very real competitive advantage that benefits entire organizations.
Episode 24: Water Is Life: A Conversation with Randy Hayman
Philadelphia Water Department Commissioner and CEO Randy Hayman talks with Joe West about his career and his responsibilities as commissioner and CEO of the Philadelphia Water Department. Often taken for granted, water is essential to everything. As Randy notes, “Water is life.” Managing this critical resource requires investment in infrastructure as well as drawing in a new generation of workers to tackle the challenges of providing water to our growing populations in the face of climate change.
Episode 23: Rosa Ertze - From Double Axels to Acquisitions
Joe West talks with Rosa Ertze, partner in our Corporate Practice, about her leadership of the Hispanic and Latino Employee Resource Group and her thriving international practice. Rosa also shares why she became a lawyer and what she would change about the profession if given the power to do so.
Episode 22: How Adversity Builds a Titanium Spine
Joe West and Joan Haratani have a conversation about her experiences as a Japanese American lawyer and leader, whose parents were among the approximately 112,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated by the U.S. government during World War II. Joan shares how that injustice and adversity became driving forces throughout her life and career to advocate for change. In addition to her high-profile litigation work, Joan has earned numerous accolades for her efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession, including the ABA’s 2021 Margaret Brent Award and the Chambers USA’s 2020 Outstanding Contribution to Furthering the Advancement of Diversity in the Legal Profession Award.
Episode 21: Eve Klein: Covering Employment Law from A to Z
Eve Klein, chair of the firm’s Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group, discusses the changing legal landscape and the importance of diversity in the era of remote work, the Great Resignation and the pandemic.
Episode 20: ESG is Growing Teeth – What’s Next On The Enforcement Horizon
Duane Morris Partner Brad Molotsky talks with Joe West about how ESG is changing minds and the business world as the marketplace increasingly demands corporate responsibility across a range of issues: the environment, diversity, equity and inclusion and good governance. Having a strong ESG program is a competitive advantage that improves the bottom line and attracts the best talent, while addressing issues that affect everyone.
Episode 19: Angela Winfield: Leaning into the Tough Questions on Diversity as a “Blind, Black Woman”
Angela Winfield, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for the Law School Admission Council, talks with Joe West about her work to encourage diverse and talented individuals to see themselves in the legal industry and to support them through law school and their legal careers. Describing herself as “proudly and unabashedly a blind, Black woman” who “owns all three of those things fully,” Angela shares how her own challenging journey drives her to forge a path for those following in her footsteps.
Episode 18: IP Partner Alain Villeneuve on LGBT Rights and the Pendulum Swing of Progress
Joe West talks with Alain Villeneuve about what drew him to the firm, how being LGBT and an immigrant shaped his career and experiences and the importance of finding the positives when our social progress seems stalled and suffers setbacks.
Episode 17: A Conversation with Wendell Pierce in Honor of Juneteenth
Duane Morris Partner and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Joseph K. West speaks with the actor, activist and entrepreneur Wendell Pierce on issues of concern to communities of color and Wendell’s recent entry into media ownership.
Episode 16: Damon Hewitt and His Career of Fighting for Civil Rights and Racial Justice
Joe West talks with Damon Hewitt about his career of fighting for civil rights and racial justice.
Episode 15: Corporate Partner Amauri Costa Discusses Doing Business in Latin America
Joe talks with Amauri Costa, Partner in our Duane Morris Corporate Practice Group, about his career doing business in Latin America and his role as co-leader of the firm’s attorney Hispanic and Latino employee resource group.
Episode 14: Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford Discusses: Public Services as a Calling
Aaron Ford, Attorney General of Nevada and the first African American to hold statewide constitutional office in Nevada, talks with Joe West about his career path and calling: to serve the public as a teacher, lawyer and elected official.
Episode 13: A Conversation with Sharon Caffrey, Co-Chair of the Duane Morris Trial Practice Group
Joe West talks with Trial Practice Group Co-Chair Sharon Caffrey about leading the largest practice at the firm while maintaining her own active practice, developing the next generation of trial lawyers, how the firm combats implicit bias in assignments, and her advice for young lawyers in the hybrid workplace.
Episode 12: Austin So: The Evolution of the Trusted Adviser and Supporting the GC in Times of Transition
Austin So, General Counsel & Head of Sustainability of Armstrong World Industries, talks with Joe West about “the hot mess” of the first half of his career and how following his mentor’s advice to “ruin his resume” gave him the variety of skills and experiences needed to move up and into the C-suite. Austin also shares what led him to pursue a legal career, the importance of diversity and mentoring and the advice he has for young lawyers.
Episode 10: Mike Zullo and Advocating to Improve the Lives of People with Disabilities
Duane Morris Partner and American Association of People with Disabilities Board Member Mike Zullo talks about his work at the firm and with the AAPD to advocate for full civil rights for the over 60 million Americans with disabilities.
Episode 9: JAMS VP and CMO Mark Smalls on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Mark Smalls, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of JAMS, talks about the importance of diversity and representation in arbitration, mediation and alternative dispute resolution.
Episode 8: Yvonne Kilmer Discusses Office Management, Community Engagement and Inclusiveness
Partner and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Joe West sits down with Yvonne Kilmer, Office Manager of the Duane Morris San Diego office, Co-leader of the Hispanic/Latino Staff Employee Resource Group, and Vice President of the Association of Legal Administrators, San Diego Chapter, about her experiences at the firm and her involvement in the community.
Episode 7: Sherry Williams and the Leadership Trifecta: Chief Legal Officer, Compliance and HR
Joe West talks with Sherry Williams, Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Corporate Secretary and SVP of Human Resources at SMI (Strategic Materials, Inc.), about her career path and the importance of having your own personal board of directors.
Episode 6: Diversity, Brilliance and Intellectual Property – A Discussion with Former PTAB Judge and Duane Morris IP Partner Monté T. Squire
Joe West talks with Monté T. Squire about his career path – engineer, law school, administrative patent judge and member of the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board – and the value a lawyer with deep STEM skills can bring to a business.
Episode 5: Leadership, Mentoring and The C-Suite – A Conversation With Erica McKinley
Erica McKinley, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of the Big Ten Conference, shares how mentorship – and her active approach to being mentored – helped build relationships and create opportunities throughout her career.
Episode 4: Michael Bernick: Raising Awareness of Neurodiversity, Creating Opportunities for the Neurodiverse
Joe West talks with colleague Michael Bernick, employment lawyer at Duane Morris LLP, about his experiences and efforts to raise awareness of neurodiversity and create job opportunities for people with autism, ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions. Michael serves on the board of the Autism Aspergers Spectrum Coalition for Education Networking and Development (AASCEND) and is the author of The Autism Job Club and The Autism Full Employment Act.
Episode 3: Representation Matters: A Conversation with the Honorable Shira Scheindlin
Joe West talks with the Hon. Shira Scheindlin, former U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of New York, about her career, the landmark cases she presided over, including the “stop-and-frisk” ruling, and why representation matters.
Episode 2: April Smith, Deputy District Attorney, Alameda County
Joe West talks with April Smith, Deputy District Attorney for Alameda County, about her career and why she became a lawyer, her advice for young lawyers, addressing the lack of diversity in the legal profession and a reminder for lawyers who are fighting for change and progress to take time to care for themselves, too.
Episode 1: Don Liu: Cultivating the Next Generation of Legal Talent
Joe West and Don H. Liu, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Risk Officer at Target, discuss the importance of creating a culture of professional development within corporate legal departments. Topics include building one's professional brand, navigating moving between industries and developing a career path in the legal industry. Recorded during the 2021 Reuters Events Legal Leaders conference.