“If we are to truly become a diverse and inclusive industry, providing mentorship and sponsorship opportunities for experienced and emerging diverse lawyers is critical. This is why the mission of the LCLD Fellowship and Pathfinders Program is so important,” said John Iino, Reed Smith’s Chief Diversity Officer. “We are very proud that Amber, Alice, and Brandon will represent the firm and our longstanding commitment to diversity and mentoring.”
The LCLD Fellowship Program is an intensive, yearlong professional development program that mentors the legal industry’s diversity leaders of tomorrow. Designed for lawyers with eight-to-15 years of experience, the LCLD Fellows Program connects high-potential attorneys with leading general counsel and managing partners.
The LCLD Pathfinders Program, now in its fourth year, is tailored for lawyers with three-to-five years of experience. The program provides practical tools for developing and leveraging professional networks, leadership skills, and career development strategies.
A well-regarded insurance recovery lawyer who has been a partner for a number of years, Amber has become a go-to lawyer for resolving disputes with insurance companies. With her commercial litigation and environmental background, she has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance proceeds for her commercial clients. She has been a force in the areas of general liability insurance, first party property insurance (including business interruption), environmental/pollution insurance, directors & officers insurance, errors & omissions insurance, mortgage insurance, product liability insurance, and media liability insurance. Furthermore, Amber has experience representing media, entertainment, and tech companies in identifying and incorporating risk mitigation strategies within their evolving operations. Amber, who is currently the diversity chair of the firm’s Los Angeles office, was recently recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the most influential minority attorneys in the city.
Like Amber, Alice is also a member of the Insurance Recovery Group in Los Angeles, and represents policyholders in disputes with their insurance companies. Her interest in the Pathfinder program is rooted in both her advocacy for social justice and for greater ethnic representation in the legal profession. As a law student at UC-Davis, Alice volunteered in the civil rights clinic, where she provided free legal services to prisoners and low-income individuals relating to civil rights violations. As part of this program, she argued before the Ninth Circuit and won an appeal on behalf of a mother whose son had died in prison after being denied proper medical care. Additionally, Alice, who is Armenian-American, cites the lack of representation among Armenian-Americans in Big Law as a motivating factor towards her interest in the Pathfinder program. As a result, she recently joined the Armenian Bar Association in which she takes an active role in its mentorship program, which pairs practicing attorneys with law students who share similar professional goals.
For Brandon, being a pathfinder is inherent to his nature. Brandon, who advises business and financial institutions in complex commercial and class action litigation matters in state and federal courts, and routinely appears in various arbitration forums, was the first member of his immediate family to graduate high school and college. Brandon cites the value he has received in mentorship and advocacy, as well as a desire to be an example for young African-American attorneys who have aspirations of reaching the rank of partner in a law firm as his motivation for participating in the Pathfinder program.
Reed Smith is among the original co-founders of the LCLD, which now includes more than 275 members comprising the general counsel of Fortune 500 corporations, along with the managing partners of the nation’s largest law firms. Additional information about the programs and the LCLD can be found at LCLDnet.org.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. Our belief is that by delivering smarter and more creative legal services, we will not only enrich our clients’ experiences with us, but also support them in achieving their business goals.
Our long-standing relationships, international outlook, and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for the speedy resolution of complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters.
For further information, please visit reedsmith.com.
