Bonnie Lau Recognized by Leadership Council on Legal Diversity with Rick Palmore Award

Bonnie Lau, head of Morrison Foerster’s San Francisco Litigation Department, has been named by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) as a winner of the Rick Palmore Award for 2023. LCLD’s Rick Palmore Award – the highest honor in the more than 5000-member LCLD Alumni community – recognizes the outstanding achievements, commitment, leadership, and vision of LCLD alumni who have had a lasting impact on LCLD fellows and pathfinders communities.

“Bonnie’s unwavering commitment to LCLD and its Alumni community has left an indelible mark that has not only shaped the trajectory of her own journey but also paved the way for countless others to rise,” said Robert Grey, president of LCLD.

“It’s been an honor to serve and uplift the LCLD community, and a privilege to watch our LCLD alumni soar to new roles and new heights, lifting each other as they climb,” said Bonnie. “This award acknowledges the vision, commitment and contributions of countless individuals who have dedicated themselves to creating lasting change within LCLD and beyond. I am proud to be considered among this group.”

Bonnie has a track record of outstanding professional achievements and an unwavering commitment to leading diversity and inclusion. She devotes herself to advancing women, minority, and LGBTQ+ attorneys in the legal community, including the LCLD community. In 2013, Bonnie was selected as an LCLD fellow and participated in its rigorous year-long leadership, business development, and skills-building program. After her fellowship year, she has served each year in various leadership roles on the LCLD Alumni Executive Council, including as programming chair in 2018–2019, chair-elect in 2019–2020, chair in 2020–2021, and outgoing chair in 2021–2022. During her service, she helped create the GC Mentoring Circles program, Pathways to Equity, and expand the LCLD Sustainable Partnerships Program to the San Francisco Bay Area and Midwest.

In addition to her dedication to the LCLD community, Bonnie serves in leadership roles in a variety of affinity bar associations, including as the current co-chair of the Women’s Leadership Network for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), vice chair of the ABA Antitrust Section’s Women.Connected, board member of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Justice and Diversity Center, and liaison to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession.

She also maintains a robust pro bono practice and recently led her trial team to win a $15.5 million jury verdict, including $11 million in punitive damages, on behalf of Haitian victims of torture and extrajudicial killing in a human rights case.

Bonnie was presented with the Rick Palmore award at the twelfth annual LCLD Alumni Leadership Symposium, which took place June 8–10, 2023, in Seattle. To view the full list of winners, please view the LCLD’s website.