Our deeds and shared values define our culture. As a firm, we are equally passionate about delivering legal excellence and making a difference in the world. MoFo+ shares news and thought leadership from our lawyers and their teams who are proud to contribute to the legal profession and the communities we call home.<h2>About Morrison Foerster</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

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Jennifer K. Brown is Senior Pro Bono Counsel at Morrison & Foerster LLP, with responsibility for the overall direction of the firm’s pro bono program. Ms. Brown also develops pro bono opportunities and promotes lawyers’ participation in the firm’s offices on the east coast of the U.S. as well as in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.Before joining Morrison Foerster, Ms. Brown was vice president and legal director of Legal Momentum, the nation's first women’s rights legal organization, originally known as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund. There, she directed cutting-edge litigation and policy advocacy focused on employment discrimination, domestic violence victims' rights, and sexuality and family rights. Previously, she served as the reproductive rights director with the Civil Rights Bureau of the Office of the New York Attorney General and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.Ms. Brown brings to the firm her deep knowledge of public interest legal organizations and the most pressing civil rights issues of the day. She has, as well, a rich array of litigation experience, having represented individuals as well as federal agencies and the public, from both the plaintiff and defense positions, in trial and appellate courts. As Senior Pro Bono Counsel, she applies this knowledge and experience to multiple goals: encouraging the firm's attorneys from all practice areas to bring pro bono projects to the firm; easing the way for attorneys to undertake meaningful pro bono service; and working with legal service and public interest organizations to identify creative ways to tap the passion and intellect of the firm's lawyers to pursue the public good. Recent achievements include collaborating with a legal services organization to represent individuals whose claims for unemployment insurance benefits are challenged, and forming a project to represent disabled individuals who are seeking federal disability benefits.Ms. Brown received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1993, where she was essays editor of the Yale Law Journal (1992-1993) and was awarded the Benjamin Scharps and Israel H. Peres prizes for outstanding writing. Ms. Brown’s publications include, "The Nineteenth Amendment and Women's Equality," 102 Yale Law Journal 2175 (1993) (student note), and "Life and Death with Joan," in AIDS: The Women, Cleis Press, 1988.

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Senior Pro Bono Counsel

Staff

As senior pro bono counsel, Jennifer manages and promotes the pro bono participation of lawyers on the East Coast.

Jennifer K. Brown

Natalie Kernisant is Morrison Foerster’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.Natalie provides strategic leadership to advance recruiting and retention of diverse talent at the firm, as well as providing client development support in the area of diversity and inclusion. She works closely with the firm’s Diversity Strategy Committee co-chairs Alexis Amezcua, Purvi Patel, and Mark Whitaker, and Women’s Strategy Committee co-chairs Carrie Cohen, Julie Park, and Stacey Sprenkel.Natalie joined Morrison Foerster in November 2013. She was appointed to the newly created role of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer in December 2020, having previously served as the firm’s Global Director of Diversity and Inclusion.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Natalie served as Human Resources Manager for Risk Management within Global Banking and Markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Before that, she practiced trademark and copyright law and then served as the Special Projects Manager in the Office of Institutional Policy & Planning at Harvard Medical School overseeing the school’s 2011 accreditation process.In 2021, Natalie was named by Crain’s New York Business to its list of Notable Black Leaders & Executives 2021. The special section recognizes black men and women who have impacted New York City in major ways and sets out to honor their professional, civic, and philanthropic achievements. In 2023, Natalie was recognized as one of Savoy Magazine’s 2023 Most Influential Executives in Diversity & Inclusion. She was also selected to Law360’s Diversity & Inclusion Editorial Advisory Board, whose goal is to provide feedback on Law360’s coverage as well as expert insight on how to shape future coverage. Additionally, she was recognized in the Financial Times 2023 North America Innovative Lawyers report as one of seven individual “Change Makers” in the legal industry for her strategic leadership of the firm’s efforts to interrupt unconscious bias and advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In 2024, Natalie was named as a Change Driver in the Annual Diversity Awards of World IP Review (WIPR). The annual Diversity Awards recognize those who have made exceptional contributions to diversity and inclusion in the field of intellectual property.During Natalie’s tenure at MoFo, the firm has received multiple <a href="/culture/diversity#page-section-4" target="_self">diversity and inclusion awards and recognitions</a>.

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Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Natalie Kernisant is Morrison Foerster’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

Natalie Kernisant provides strategic leadership to advance recruiting and retention of diverse talent at Morrison Foerster, as well as providing client development support in the area of diversity and inclusion.

Natalie Kernisant

Dorothy L. Fernandez is Pro Bono Counsel based in the Denver office of Morrison & Foerster LLP. She is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive pro bono program which includes, among other things, providing free legal services to low-income individuals, advising nonprofit organizations and assisting in other matters that serve the public interest. Dorothy’s primary focus is on working with lawyers in the firm’s Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver and Tokyo offices.In 1999, Dorothy joined Morrison & Foerster as an associate in the Securities Litigation, Enforcement and White-Collar Criminal Defense Group. She was elected a partner of the firm in 2004. Dorothy handled complex litigation at the state, federal and appellate levels and was responsible for drafting key dispositive motions in some of the firm’s largest securities litigation matters. In addition, she had an active pro bono practice and represented clients in individual matters, as well as cases addressing the treatment of children in foster care and the rights of LGBT individuals.A dedicated advocate for the LGBT community, Dorothy has served as co-chair of the board of directors of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and she also served on the board of the Pride Law Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to law students working on issues related to the equal rights of LGBT citizens and people living with HIV/AIDS.Dorothy currently serves on the board of directors of Centro Legal de la Raza, a nonprofit based in Oakland.Dorothy graduated from Stanford University in 1992 with a B.A. in psychology. She earned a J.D. in 1996 from Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review and co-chair of HLS Lambda. She has taught as an adjunct instructor at both Golden Gate University Law School and Santa Clara University Law School.

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Pro Bono Counsel

Dorothy works with lawyers in our Denver, Los Angeles, and San Diego offices on various pro bono initiatives.

Dorothy L. Fernandez

Rachel Williams is pro bono counsel based in Morrison & Foerster’s San Francisco office. She is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive program of providing free legal services to low-income individuals, to nonprofit organizations, and in matters that serve the public interest. Rachel works primarily with lawyers in the firm’s San Francisco, Palo Alto, London, Berlin, and Brussels offices. She is an active member of the Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative and the board of directors of OneJustice. Rachel joined the firm in 1999. Prior to becoming a pro bono counsel, Rachel was a litigation associate in the firm’s Palo Alto office and worked on attorney training and development initiatives. Before law school, Rachel worked for various nonprofit organizations, was an investigator for the public defender’s office in Seattle, and served as a Coro Public Affairs Fellow in New York City.

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Rachel is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive program of providing free legal services to low-income individuals, to nonprofit organizations, and in matters that serve the public interest.

Rachel P. Williams

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Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to diversity, inclusion, and pro bono work. MoFo+ shares news and thought leadership from our lawyers and their teams who are proud to contribute to the legal profession and the communities we call home.

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Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to diversity, inclusion, and pro bono work. MoFo+ shares news and thought leadership from our lawyers and their teams who are proud to contribute to the legal profession and the communities we call home.

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Brings together legal insights and in-depth analyses on trends and complex issues shaping the global technology industry.

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Provides insights and reports on the most current class actions lawsuits and product liability issues that affect consumer-facing companies.

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MoFo Sponsors the 2024 NAPABA Convention

Navigating Justice and Disability: A Conversation with Judge David Tatel

The MoFo Foundation Supports Pro Bono Partners

MoFo Sponsors the Black Counsel Forum 2024

Faces of MoFo: Giselle Caridad Sardinas

MoFo is proud to have sponsored the 2024 NAPABA Convention, which was held on November 7–10, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. The NAPABA Convention is an annual gathering of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students, bringing meaningful insights, networking opportunities, and perspective to the legal community.Our firm was well represented at the convention by several of our distinguished attorneys, who participated in various panels and discussions:<ul class="li-text-orange"><li class="li-text-orange"><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/bonnie-lau" target="_blank">Bonnie Lau</a>, Partner | Antitrust and co-chair of NAPABA’s Women’s Leadership Network, shared her perspective on two panels: “Go Network They Say: But what exactly is ‘networking’?” and a fireside chat with Michele Lee, GC of Pinterest, regarding how perfectionism has impacted their career paths.</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/nicholas-fung" target="_blank">Nicholas Fung</a>, Partner | IP Litigation and co-chair of MoFo’s Asian Affinity Network</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/julie-park" target="_blank">Julie Park</a>, Office Managing Partner | Class Actions + Mass Torts</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/timothy-chen-saulsbury" target="_blank">Timothy Saulsbury</a>, Partner | IP Litigation</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/aya-eguchi" target="_blank">Aya Eguchi</a>, Partner | Technology Transactions</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/eric-min" target="_blank">Eric Min</a>, Partner | Financial Transactions</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/hannah-jiam" target="_blank">Hannah Jiam</a>, Associate | IP Litigation</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/bu-yin" target="_blank">Bu Yin</a>, Associate | Patent Strategy + Prosecution</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/jean-nguyen" target="_blank">Jean Nguyen</a>, Associate | Patent Strategy + Prosecution</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/evangeline-phang" target="_blank">Evangeline Phang</a>, Associate | Technology Transactions</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/sumaiya-sharmeen" target="_blank">Sumaiya Sharmeen</a>, Associate | IP Litigation</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/amy-chen" target="_blank">Amy Chen</a>, Associate | Mergers + Acquisitions</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/yuan-xia" target="_blank">Yuan Xia</a>, Associate | Executive Compensation</li><li><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/vi-tran" target="_blank">Vi Tran</a>, Associate | IP Litigation</li></ul>MoFo’s sponsorship of the NAPABA Convention underscores our longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. In 2023, MoFo was honored with the NAPABA Law Firm Diversity Award, recognizing our efforts to recruit, retain, and promote Asian Pacific American lawyers to equity partnership and firm leadership. This award reflects our dedication to fostering an inclusive environment that strengthens the quality of service we provide to our clients and communities.

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Partner

Bonnie helps clients navigate internal and government antitrust investigations, enforcement proceedings, and class action litigation in federal and state courts. She leverages her over 15 years of exp

Bonnie Lau

Nevro Corp. v. Stimwave Technologies, Inc.

Avago Techs. U.S., Inc. v. nanoPrecision Products, Inc. 

Investors Exchange LLC v. Nasdaq, Inc. 

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Nick Fung advises clients on a broad range of intellectual property issues, with a focus on high-stakes patent litigation and trade secrets disputes.

Nicholas Rylan Fung

Nick Fung advises clients on a broad range of intellectual property issues, with a focus on high-stakes patent litigation and trade secrets disputes.

Nicholas Fung

MoFo’s Disability Affinity Network recently hosted a fireside chat in its Boston office, moderated by partner and co-chair of the firm’s Appellate and Supreme Court practice <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/joseph-palmore">Joe Palmore</a>, with Judge David Tatel. Judge Tatel recently retired as a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and has served with distinction since his appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1994. His career spans private practice, where he founded the education practice at Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells), and public service, including his role as the Director of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.Judge Tatel’s passion for civil rights began early in his career. Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he participated in a commission investigating the causes of the subsequent riots in Chicago. His role involved interviewing students, teachers, principals, and small business owners, which deepened his interest in civil rights and education. This experience was pivotal, as it coincided with the national expansion of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Judge Tatel seized the opportunity to become the founding director of the Chicago committee. His leadership there marked the beginning of a lifelong dedication to civil rights, eventually leading him to serve as the director of the National Lawyers’ Committee and later the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under the Carter Administration.Judge Tatel reflected on the collegial nature of the D.C. Circuit, highlighting how this environment fostered a collaborative approach to judicial decision-making. He cherished the opportunity to work closely with judges appointed by presidents from both political parties, which enriched the deliberative process and helped to mitigate the influence of individual ideologies on judicial outcomes. This collegiality, according to Judge Tatel, is crucial for producing legitimate judicial decisions. He also highlighted how collaborative attitudes can significantly improve all workplaces.At 15, Judge Tatel was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable genetic retinal disease that eventually leads to vision loss. He managed his condition privately for many years, fearing it might jeopardize his professional opportunities. However, his approach changed during a job interview in 1974, when he openly discussed his condition for the first time. The response from the interviewer, who simply asked what support Judge Tatel would need, exemplified the type of inclusive attitude he hopes more employers will adopt. That moment was a turning point for Judge Tatel, affirming that openness and support can remove barriers and create empowering environments for individuals living with disabilities.Additionally, Judge Tatel emphasized the role of technology in enhancing the lives and careers of individuals living with disabilities. During the discussion, he detailed how technological advancements have dramatically transformed his ability to independently perform his judicial duties. Initially, he relied on human readers to read everything that came across his desk. However, as technology advanced, Judge Tatel adopted various tools that reduced his dependence on human assistance. He demonstrated this during the discussion when he read an excerpt from his book, Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice, using a Braille computer—a device that operates similarly to a standard laptop but features Braille keys and auditory output.Judge Tatel expressed hope that his book and personal story will resonate with other individuals living with disabilities, providing them with a sense of solidarity and encouragement. He highlighted the importance of role models and mentors in his life, noting a lack of visually impaired role models during his earlier years. Through his book, he seeks to fill that gap for others, offering his life story as a testament to the possibilities that can unfold when individuals receive the support and accommodations they need.

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Joe Palmore co-chairs Morrison Foerster’s Appellate and Supreme Court practice. Chambers USA describes him as “an outstanding oral advocate,” who is “calm, focused, effective and doesn’t back down,” and has “complete command of the facts.” Joe “writes great briefs” (Chambers USA), with one client recounting that “the Court mirrored the language he thoughtfully chose in its ultimate order” (Legal 500).

Joseph R. Palmore

Joseph R. Palmore is co-chair of the firm's Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group and Managing Partner for the Washington, D.C. office. Before joining Morrison Foerster, Joe was an Assistant to the Solicitor General at the United States Department of Justice and the Deputy General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Joseph Palmore

Navigating Justice and Disability: A Conversation with Judge David Tatel

MoFo’s Disability Affinity Network recently hosted a fireside chat in its Boston office, moderated by partner and co-chair of the firm’s Appellate and Supreme Court practice Joe Palmore, with Judge David Tatel. 

Lawyers in Morrison Foerster offices all around the world live out our proud pro bono tradition every day. In all matters, we are guided by the principle of according equal dignity and applying equal rigor to our pro bono endeavors. Likewise, the <a href="https://www.mofo.com/culture/mofo-foundation" target="_blank">Morrison & Foerster Foundation</a>, one of the oldest law firm-affiliated charitable foundations in the United States and funded primarily by MoFo’s lawyers and staff, promotes our collective social engagement while respecting and celebrating the differences that make our communities thrive.In September, the MoFo Foundation announced the largest set of grants in its history, in recognition of its 40th anniversary. The Foundation celebrated the milestone with $1.7 million in large Special Project Grants for nonprofit organizations broadly serving disadvantaged youth and families.Two of the firm’s pro bono partners, <a href="https://advocatesforchildren.org/" target="_blank">Advocates for Children of New York (AFC)</a> and <a href="https://oaklandreach.org/" target="_blank">Oakland REACH</a>, were among the organizations nominated by lawyers and employees and chosen by the Foundation to receive funds from this year’s Special Project Grants Program.The Foundation donated $225,000 to AFC, which will assist in the addition of a Bilingual Education Advocate to provide direct assistance to migrant families living in shelters who are experiencing barriers to a quality public education.AFC’s mission is to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds with special education needs. AFC services include legal representation, trainings, and workshops for families, communities, and educators. The organization also engages in policy advocacy and impact litigation to compel education reform.In July, a team of MoFo litigators—supported by attorneys at AFC—secured early intervention services for a three-year-old child with autism who was wrongfully denied assistance by public agencies in New York City. After a lengthy hearing and even lengthier settlement negotiations, the defendants agreed to provide the child 210 hours of compensatory services and to pay $75,000 in attorneys’ fees. This was an excellent outcome for the child and her family, who needed these early intervention services to help the child overcome a significant developmental delay. The case presented novel jurisdictional issues between the Department of Health and the Department of Education, and the MoFo team’s creative strategy broke the deadlock in time to make a real difference in the client’s life.“The jurisdictional questions presented us with a difficult and interesting case, but honestly our client and her family couldn’t have cared less about the thorny legal issues. What matters is that, together with the great team from AFC, we got what our client needed—exactly what we try to do for all of our clients,” said New York partner Michael Miller.Along with Michael, the MoFo pro bono team included Washington, D.C. associate Victoria Dalcourt Angle and New York associate Jacqueline Chervak.The Foundation donated $150,000 to the Oakland REACH, which will help create a new curated mobile tech platform, inREACH, that provides supplemental academic support to accelerate learning and help close the achievement gap for low-income children of color in Oakland, California.Oakland REACH empowers families and community members by providing them with training to become tutors for students in Oakland’s lowest-performing schools. Additionally, the program equips them with the skills to effectively advocate for the educational needs of these students.Oakland REACH was a plaintiff in the firm’s recent pro bono case, <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/news/240201morrison-foerster-secures-2-billion-for-california-students" target="_blank">Cayla J. v. State of California</a>, in which MoFo secured at least $2 billion in funding to support California students who fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic—one of the largest education-related settlements in U.S. history. Under the settlement agreement, local education agencies will direct Emergency Block Grant Funds to evidence-based programs that are proven to increase student outcomes. The programs must serve the lowest-performing students in the school district, identified using a data-driven “needs assessment” process that incorporates academic performance as well as absenteeism data.The MoFo pro bono team, led by the recently retired Michael Jacobs, was also comprised of Palo Alto partners Lily Li and Erik Olson, Los Angeles partner Purvi Patel, San Diego partner John Lanham, Palo Alto associates Chelsea Kehrer and Max Levy, and San Francisco associate Ian Bennett.<a href="https://www.mofo.com/culture/pro-bono" target="_blank">Learn more</a> about MoFo’s commitment to pro bono work.

Jennifer K. Brown is Senior Pro Bono Counsel at Morrison & Foerster LLP, with responsibility for the overall direction of the firm’s pro bono program. Ms. Brown also develops pro bono opportunities an

Jennifer Brown

Dorothy L. Fernandez is Pro Bono Counsel based in the Denver office of Morrison & Foerster LLP. She is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive pro b

Dorothy Fernandez

Rachel Williams is pro bono counsel based in Morrison & Foerster’s San Francisco office. She is responsible for managing and promoting the participation of lawyers in the firm’s extensive program of p

Rachel Williams

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (Eastern District of Pennsylvania)

In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation (Eastern District of New York)

Copperweld Wiring (Northern District of Alabama and other courts)

SoftBank/Sprint/T-Mobile

Arm Limited/Softbank

Southwest Gas Holdings

Programmatic Advertising

Alcon Vision (Southern District of New York)

Dale v. T-Mobile, et al. (Northern District of Illinois)

EMV Litigation (Northern District of California)

In re Late Fee and Over-Limit Fee Antitrust Litigation (Northern District of California)

In re Dental Supply Antitrust Litigation (Eastern District of New York)

Antitrust and Bank Holding Company Act Litigation (Middle District of Florida)

Amadeus IT Group (Southern District of New York)

Overdraft Litigation (Eastern District of Pennsylvania)

Other Merger Clearances

FCRA Matters

GSE FCRA Litigation (Ninth Circuit, District of Arizona)

Data Breach Matters

Privacy Litigation (District of Columbia; District of Columbia Superior Court)

Richbell Information Services, Inc., et al. v. Jupiter Partners LP, et al

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Michael Miller regularly represents clients in managing antitrust risk in complex transactions and other business matters, including strategy and structuring of transactions to avoid antitrust risk an

Michael Miller

Michael B. Miller

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Associate

Tori Dalcourt Angle is an associate in the Government Contracts practice in Morrison Foerster’s Washington, D.C. office.
Tori advises clients on various government contract matters, including both pre

Victoria Dalcourt Angle

Victoria Angle

MoFo is proud to have sponsored the 2024 Black Counsel Forum (BCF), which was held on September 27-28, 2024 at De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor, England. This two-day professional development experience brought together Black legal professionals to gain invaluable insights into achieving success, share experiences, cultivate resilience, and join a supportive community deeply committed to advancing the careers of Black lawyers.Partner, and co-chair of MoFo’s Europe Diversity Committee, Trevor James participated in two panels titled “Accelerating Your Career in Law Firms: Tools and Strategies for High-Performance Associates” and “The Gen Z Effect: Views from Lawyers.”“Diversity and inclusion have always been a central part of MoFo’s DNA. That’s why we are proud to support the Black Counsel Forum and its mission to empower Black lawyers to thrive. Our goal is to create an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels they can grow professionally and make a meaningful difference,” said Trevor.Other MoFo attendees described the event as energizing and inspiring, allowing them to feel completely at ease but also providing them with practical insights and connections that are directly applicable and beneficial to their careers.“As a newly qualified lawyer, attending a conference specifically designed for Black lawyers has been an incredibly valuable experience for me. It was the first time I found myself in a room filled with people who truly understood the unique challenges of navigating this career. The insights I gained from their experiences have inspired me to make key decisions and lay a strong foundation for my career,” said associate Brittnie Moss-Jeremiah. “The networking opportunities were also invaluable, and I’ve built meaningful connections that I plan to nurture throughout my professional career. I can confidently say this has been the most impactful start to my career, and I would love the opportunity to attend again next year.”“BCF24 was the first networking event and conference that I attended where I walked away feeling empowered about the trajectory of my training contract and my future career as a solicitor,” stated trainee solicitor Angela Utubor. “The conference gave me access to around 400 Black lawyers, many of whom I connected with and have maintained relationships with since the conference took place a few weeks ago. Some will act as mentors for me who I can learn and grow from – making me a better lawyer, and others will be a great support network going forward. I met truly inspirational people who have been resilient in their careers and have inspired me to see that I can set goals in my career and take actionable steps to achieve them. This is so important as I very rarely come across legal professionals from similar backgrounds to myself, let alone have access to many as mentors or a support network. Attending the conference next year (and other similar events through the year) will allow me to build on this momentum and receive better guidance for my career at MoFo.”“I can’t emphasize enough just how crucial it is to see people with similar backgrounds to yourself in the positions that you aspire to be in. City firms can often be lonely and alienating environments for Black lawyers. There is a lot of work being done in the industry to rectify this and MoFo is a great example of a firm that actively supports its minority talent by fostering an inclusive community, but there is still work to be done,” noted trainee solicitor Marissa Oluwadare. “In the meantime, events such as Black Counsel Forum are picking up the slack by providing Black lawyers with a space to support and inspire each other.”BCF’s mission is to empower Black lawyers by fostering a vibrant community of top Black legal talent committed to mutual enhancement and support in safe and inclusive spaces where lawyers can connect, learn, and share. The organization empowers Black lawyers to take charge of their career journey and ensure they have the support, network, role models, and opportunities to thrive.<a href="https://www.blackcounselforum.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about BCF.</a><div data-reactroot=""><img class="rich-text-embed-image" alt="241018-blog-photo-2.jpg" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt89ce0feedc9be3d1/671263eb9c37a364afbb0cd6/241018-blog-photo-2.jpg?format=auto&amp;quality=60"/></div><div data-reactroot=""><img class="rich-text-embed-image" alt="241018-blog-photo-1.jpg" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blte2aecf8118d923b1/671263cde43e438cd89a03cf/241018-blog-photo-1.jpg?format=auto&amp;quality=60"/></div><div data-reactroot=""><img class="rich-text-embed-image" alt="241018-blog-photo-3.jpg" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/bltcade6721e386889f/67129d05134c18437067dd44/241018-blog-photo-3.jpg?format=auto&amp;quality=60"/></div>

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Trevor has over 30 years of experience in providing corporate and international tax advice. His practice focuses on advising client on the tax planning aspects of international transactions and strat

Trevor James

Trevor L James

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Brittnie Moss-Jeremiah is an associate in the firm’s London office and a member of Morrison Foerster’s global Privacy + Data Security Group.

Brittnie Moss-Jeremiah

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MoFo Sponsors the Black Counsel Forum 2024

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MoFo is proud to have sponsored the 2024 Black Counsel Forum (BCF), which was held on September 27-28, 2024 at De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor, England.

Editors’ Note: As part of our ongoing Faces of MoFo series, Giselle Caridad Sardinas, a Transactions associate in the firm’s Miami office, discusses her career path and what led her to call MoFo home.I’m a first-generation Cuban American, the oldest of three sisters, and the first in my family to graduate from college and earn a professional degree. My parents came to the United States from Cuba in the 1980s with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Their resilience and hard work have been the foundation of my journey.From a young age, I watched them grow their business from a one-man operation locksmith van to a fully operational brick-and-mortar commercial security enterprise. Their story is just one of many similar stories you’ll come across in the vibrant immigrant community of Miami-Dade County, where I grew up. I have been fortunate to witness firsthand how my parents, and the Latinx community as a whole. have shaped Miami-Dade County into what it is today. There is beauty in seeing how the people of this community will consistently lift one another up, recognizing that many have had to bootstrap their way to success.In my own journey, I found that one of the glaring challenges for immigrants and first-generation Americans was the often limited access to information. For instance, when it came to applying for college, there was a prevailing mindset in the immigrant community that any college in America was a step in the right direction. It was only when I saw friends filling out applications to universities I had never heard of that I learned about how different schools offered different benefits and that I needed to be strategic in where to apply.Once enrolled at the University of Miami as an undergrad, I had to learn how to navigate the road ahead on my own—figuring out which courses to take, what to major in, what activities to get involved with, and so forth. I did not know what to choose and neither did my parents. Still, having always been a curious person, I explored various disciplines until I ultimately chose to focus on finance and legal studies (with a math minor because I enjoyed calculus) because of their practical implications. I found finance particularly insightful because it challenged how many in my Latinx community and I were raised to think about money. Growing up, money was meant to be saved (not invested) and debt was viewed negatively, with an emphasis on paying off mortgages quickly and avoiding revolving credit. During my years working in the commercial lending space and later in real estate development, it was clear that, when managed wisely, debt can be a powerful tool for growth and investment, which is especially important for immigrants like my parents and first-generation Americans seeking to achieve the American Dream and for younger cities to flourish and become booming metropolises. Over the last 15 years, I have seen a shift in this mindset in the Latinx community in Miami-Dade County, and I have had the privilege of watching small businesses like my parents’ enterprise bloom and the Miami skyline explode. Unsurprisingly, I am now a real estate and fund finance lawyer and feel deeply fulfilled in my practice.My journey thus far has also been purposeful in shaping one of my greatest passions: expanding access to information to help people get ahead. I greatly enjoy mentoring others and providing solutions to family, friends, and now, clients. From serving on the student government executive board in high school to being president of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity in undergrad, there was never a time when I wasn’t working for the benefit of others. Now at MoFo, I chair the Miami office Associate Committee, ESG Committee, and Women’s Affinity Group, and have worked on various immigration pro bono cases on behalf of Afghan migrants that helped the United States during the war in Afghanistan, unaccompanied minors that enter the U.S. border, and Dreamers renewing their Dream Act applications, among others. In my community, I currently serve on the Young Professionals’ Council for Legal Services of Greater Miami, where we help the organization raise money so it can continue to bridge the justice gap by providing high-quality, free civil legal services to low-income individuals and families in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, and also serve on the Young Alumni Board of the University of Miami Law Review, where we mentor members of the Law Review as they look to pave their own path in the legal profession. I truly enjoy bringing people together, connecting those in my network, and being a resource whenever possible.My parents left everything they knew behind in the pursuit of the American Dream, and as I recount my own experiences, including working at MoFo, I can happily say that I’ve achieved my own version of this dream so many strive to reach, and this is only the beginning. I’m proud to work in a firm that values hard work and embraces authenticity and individuality. A favorite MoFo motto, which was said by our prior chair during my first-year orientation, is that “we do serious work without taking ourselves too seriously,” — a sentiment that perfectly captures the supportive and approachable environment I’ve found here. I have found a family at MoFo and feel honored to be a part of this firm.In my free time, I enjoy checking out the Miami food scene, boating with my family and friends, rollerblading, and belting out “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion at karaoke.

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Giselle Sardiñas