Fresh out of Harvard Law School with a job at Reed Smith, Cathy Bissoon was well aware she'd be among the few minorities at the Downtown law firm.

But Bissoon, who is Hispanic and was born and raised in New York City, was savvy enough to realize that as a minority, she needed strong connections to make her mark at the large, traditional practice.

"What I really had to do was make white men my mentors," said Bissoon, 35, who now heads Reed Smith's employment law group as well as its diversity committee.

Bissoon considers herself lucky: She was among the few minorities at Alfred University where she got her bachelor's degree "so I was accustomed to being the only minority in the room." And at Reed Smith, "I found some very willing mentors ... and a very nurturing environment."

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