Events & Partnerships

Mansfield Rule Certfication Plus

In 2017, Morrison Foerster joined a select group of major law firms and corporate legal departments in Diversity Lab’s pilot program of the Mansfield Rule. Mansfield Rule Certification measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions. Mansfield Certification Plus status indicates that, in addition to meeting or exceeding the baseline certification requirements, the firms have successfully reached at least 30 percent underrepresented lawyer representation in a notable number of their current leadership roles.

In 2018, Diversity Lab launched Mansfield Certification Plus status. Morrison Foerster is among a select number of firms that has achieved this distinction every year since its launch.

MoFo has already committed to participating in Mansfield Rule 6.0, which runs from July 2022 to July 2023, and we look forward to partnering again with Diversity Lab as MoFo continues to elevate its diversity in leadership.

2024 MoFo Summit for Women In-House Counsel

The MoFo Summit for Women In-House Counsel held in February 2024 in Brooklyn, NY brought together over 200 women leaders in the legal industry for a day filled with substantive panels and breakouts, professional development sessions, networking opportunities, and an inspirational keynote discussion.

We are thankful to our co-chairs, Carrie H. Cohen and Crystal Kaldjob, for their work and unwavering dedication in spearheading the event. We are also appreciative of our MoFo panelists and guests who made this year’s event an enormous success.

View the agenda for a full list of speakers and panels. 

Our panelists explored a variety of relevant topics, such as:

• Artificial Intelligence Compliance Challenges – A Double-Edged Sword

• Navigating the Evolving Regulatory Landscape: Digital Assets and FinTech in Today’s Climate

• Understanding and Preparing for Emerging Global Anti-Money Laundering & Sanctions Risks

• Parallel Government Enforcement Actions and Class Actions: 2023 Trends and Best Practices

• The SEC’s Cyber Disclosure Regime – Best Practices for Disclosures and Enforcement Risk Mitigation

• Hot Topics in the Life Sciences Industry

We were also honored to welcome Jill Ellis, renowned soccer coach and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, as our keynote speaker. Her inspirational discussion with MoFo partner Carrie H. Cohen, global co-chair of the Investigations + White Collar Defense Practice Group, resonated with attendees as she shared her personal journey of leadership, perseverance, and how she defined success in her career.

2022 MoFo Summit for Women In-House Counsel

In October 2022, Morrison Foerster brought together more than 250 women legal leaders for the MoFo Summit for Women In-House Counsel with a full day of programming. The theme for the 2022 Summit was Women Leaders Sparking Change focused on how women in-house counsel can embrace innovation and creativity to adapt to change, foster new ideas, generate business growth, and elevate confidence.

We are thankful for the dedication and tireless work of our co-chairs, partners Julie Park and Lisa Phelan, as well as the 2022 Steering Committee, including partners Alexis Amezcua, Ali Connaughton, Crystal Kaldjob, Bonnie Lau, Haima Marlier, Julie O’Neill, Tritia Murata, Carrie Cohen, and Stacey Sprenkel. We are also appreciative of our complete slate of speakers and guests who made this year’s event a huge success.

View the full agenda for the 2022 Summit.

The event featured the following programs:

Keynote Address – The founder of the ‘me too.’ Movement, Tarana Burke, embodied our theme through her tireless efforts to change the status quo around gender equity and re-work the narrative to be focused on the survivor-led viewpoint. Speakers: Tarana Burke (activist, author, & founder of the ‘me too.’ Movement) and Crystal Kaldjob (Morrison Foerster)

Women Legal Leaders Today – Seasoned in-house counsel across multiple industries and organizations shared their experiences and best practices on how we can embrace innovation and creativity to adapt to change, foster new ideas, generate business growth, and elevate confidence. Speakers: Rebecca Chavez (ChargePoint), Irene Chiu (MicroPort Orthopedics), Caitlin Johnston (Peloton Interactive), Ruth Ann Keene (Autodesk), Julie Park (Morrison Foerster), and Lisa Phelan (Morrison Foerster)

Supreme Court Highlights – A fast-paced, point-counterpoint conversation among Supreme Court advocates as they discussed hot-button issues facing the U.S. Supreme Court in the current October 2022 Term and recap the momentous decisions from the October 2021 Term. Speakers: Deanne Maynard (Morrison Foerster) and Lena Hughes (Morrison Foerster)

A New Dawn of Diversity in Law? – Perspectives on How We Move Forward – This panel featured a discussion with diverse in-house and other women lawyers about the current state of diversity in the law as we navigate forward through the pandemic and other socioeconomic changes. The panelists assessed the day-to-day influence of diversity, its interplay in conversations of allyship and sponsorship, and how today’s trends affect the path we take into the future. Speakers: Alexis Amezcua (Morrison Foerster), Jennifer Brown (Apple), Danielle Coleman (VMware), Heather Grenier (Apple), Christin Hill (Morrison Foerster), Purvi Patel (Morrison Foerster), and Rachael Shen (VMware)

2020 Summit for Women In-House Counsel Virtual Event Series

Over the several months in 2020, Morrison & Foerster hosted a virtual event series in lieu of the firm’s in-person Summit for Women In-House Counsel. We held eight virtual events with nearly 700 attendees total that represented over 300 companies. The theme for the 2020 Summit was Women Leaders in Law: Driving Innovation, with a focus on how women in-house counsel can embrace innovation and creativity to adapt to change, foster new ideas, generate business growth, and elevate confidence. The theme proved particularly appropriate in 2020, as we and our clients faced unprecedented challenges.

The virtual event series featured the following programs:

• In-House Collaboration, with Dr. Heidi Gardner of Harvard Law School
• Developing Resilience: Advice for Women Lawyers (a four-part series), with Paula Davis Laack, of the Stress & Resilience Institute
• Remembering RBG: The Legacy of Justice Ginsburg and the Future of the U.S. Supreme Court, with CNN legal analyst Joan Biskupic and MoFo partner Deanne Maynard
• A Cybersecurity Attack with No Risk: Experience the Challenges, Tough Decisions, and Ramifications of a Cyber Attack, with MoFo partners Carrie Cohen, Kristen Mathews, and Nancy Thomas
• Cross-Border Compliance and Investigations, with Saheli Datta of Universal Music Group, Ana Iacovetta of VMware, and MoFo partners Lisa Phelan, Ruti Smithline, and Christine Wong.

2018 Women’s Summit: Creating Sustainable Platforms for Women Leaders

Since its inception in 2012, MoFo’s Summit for Women In-House Counsel has brought nearly 700 women attorneys together for a day of enlightenment and empowerment. The 2018 event, held at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, New York, welcomed over 200 women for a day-long, inspirational program that has been a pillar of MoFo’s long-standing commitment to championing the advancement of women.

The 2018 event, Creating Sustainable Platforms for Women Leaders, influenced a program of curated content for current and future generations of female leaders, designed to grow a community of empowered women in the legal profession. In the spirit of creating a sustainable environment, invitations were extended to mentees of senior in-house counsel and senior East Coast associates at the firm for the first time in the Summit’s history.

This inspirational and empowering day would not have been possible without the leadership of the 2018 Summit co-chairs, Jamie Levitt and Jennifer Marines, along with the work of countless others. We want to thank all of the speakers and guests who made the 2018 Summit such a huge success.

View the full agenda for the 2018 Summit..

Tokyo Women in Business Series

The Women in Business Series is one of the only programs continuing to address the unique needs of women business professionals in Japan,  and the only one in the legal industry to focus on nongender issues.

Japan lags behind other developed nations with respect to gender equity in the workplace. According to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, Japan ranks 101 on a list of 145 countries.

Under the leadership of Louise Stoupe, co-chair of MoFo’s Commercial Litigation & Trial Group and a partner in our Intellectual Property Group, the Tokyo office has responded to this challenge by establishing a forum that supports women business leaders through knowledge sharing and relationship building.

Since 2014, more than 200 women business professionals and lawyers have participated in the series.

Resources:

• Women Gain Traction in Japanese Legal Landscape
• What It’s Like to Practice Law in Japan as a Woman

MoForever Alumni Network Events

In 2017 the WSC launched MoForever Women’s Network, a women’s alumni network; this also resulted in MoFoLink, a searchable directory and in-house job opportunity site visible to both current lawyers and alumni. Networking events are held throughout the year and are great opportunities for current and former MoFo women to stay connected. To learn more about our MoForever Network and alumni resources, visit MoFo’s Alumni Center.

Institutional Partnerships

We partner with law schools, bar associations, and other professional organizations that share our commitment to the advancement of women in the legal profession. For example, we continued our corporate sponsorship of the VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab through Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University, which offers insights into the barriers to women’s advancement and provides innovative and workable solutions to promoting gender equality.

Ms. JD

Several MoFo women lawyers have been asked to share their insights and advice with women law school students during the Annual Ms. JD Conference, including Tritia Murata, Purvi Patel, and Carrie H. Cohen. Ms. JD is a nonprofit organization focused on ensuring the success of women lawyers in their early careers.

WilPower Program

For the last five years, we have hosted a series of professional development workshops produced by Leading Women in Technology aimed at elevating the next generation of women leaders in the technology industry, including women lawyers.