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

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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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In this edition of Matters That Matter, we honor the many lawyers who have dedicated their time to important pro bono causes. This month, we highlight a variety

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Matters That Matter: January Pro Bono Roundup

Matters That Matter: January Pro Bono Roundup | MoFo+

In this edition of Matters That Matter, we honor the many lawyers who have dedicated their time to important pro bono causes. This month, we highlight a variety of worthy projects, such as tackling questions regarding housing rights for people living with mental health disabilities, advocating for those living with diabetes, and helping combat environmental crimes in the Amazon. These are just a few examples of the many ways our lawyers are living out our proud pro bono tradition every day.Preventing Indefinite Immigration Detention for Families On January 28, 2020, New York litigators Amanda Aikman and Natasha Menell and senior pro bono counsel <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/jennifer-brown.html">Jennifer Brown</a> filed an amicus brief on behalf of 40 religious and inter-religious organizations opposing new federal regulations that would authorize the indefinite detention of families during immigration proceedings. The new regulations have been blocked by a federal district court as contrary to the Flores settlement agreement, which requires that children only be detained in state-licensed child care facilities, and for the least time possible. The brief was filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear the government’s appeal of the lower court ruling. Read the full brief <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/assets/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt0b3f876657a93cbd/627321017198441d81b3a8b7/200128-flores-amicus-brief-as-filed-9th-cir.pdf">here</a>.Making Solar More ScalableSan Francisco corporate attorneys <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/susan-mac-cormac.html">Susan Mac Cormac</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/benjamin-tr-fox.html">Ben Fox</a>, and Jason Parnell, along with tax attorneys Maureen Linch, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/shane-shelley.html">Shane Shelley</a>, and Jessica Stern, are advising <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://gridalternatives.org/">GRID Alternatives</a> (GRID) on a Solar Access Fund. GRID is a nonprofit dedicated to providing underserved communities with access to clean energy and contributing to the clean energy economy through the installation of solar energy systems and solar job training.Through its Solar Access Fund, GRID is working with one of its partner organizations to develop an online platform that will help make it easier for nonprofit organizations to provide Program-Related Investments (PRIs) to commercial-scale solar projects that serve low-to-moderate income communities. The MoFo team is advising on how to structure GRID’s relationship with its solar developer partner organization, in addition to one or more investment vehicles to attract PRIs, for-profit, and debt investments, among other tax matters.Supporting a “diaTribe” Against Diabetes San Francisco trademark attorneys <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliana-finley-ba397b56">Juliana Finley</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/muzamil-huq.html">Muzamil Huq</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/joyce-liou.html">Joyce Liou</a>, Ryan Romain, and Jennifer Taylor are providing intellectual property advice to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://diatribe.org/foundation/">the diaTribe Foundation</a>. Founded by type 1 patient Kelly Close, the diaTribe Foundation’s origins date back to 2006 with the creation of the diaTribe newsletter, aimed at providing meaningful content to people touched by diabetes, and the organization was designated as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2013.The diaTribe Foundation is passionately committed to raising awareness about the national—and worldwide—epidemic of diabetes, advocating for new approaches to treatment, and improving the daily lives of people with diabetes and pre-diabetes. The nonprofit’s core programs are designed to engage policy-makers, industry leaders, providers, and the public in an effort to elevate the national conversation on diabetes and connect leaders in the field.Reducing Lengthy Prison Stays for Incarcerated Individuals MoFo’s pro bono team has initiated a multi-office project with the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.splcenter.org/">Southern Poverty Law Center</a> (SPLC) that aims to help incarcerated individuals who are serving mandatory sentences in Mississippi to reduce their prison stays. Mississippi’s harsh “three-strikes” sentencing law has resulted in numerous individuals receiving lengthy prison sentences, some equating to decades in prison. However, the Mississippi state legislature recently passed a law that allows three-strike, incarcerated individuals who have served at least 25% of their mandatory sentence to petition their sentencing courts and seek parole. SPLC estimates that there are as many as 1,200 inmates who could take advantage of this relief.MoFo Tokyo partners <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/j-lawrence.html">Alex Lawrence</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://jp.linkedin.com/in/akira-irie-3598903">Akira Irie</a> are working with several Tokyo associates to take on our first set of eight matters with SPLC.Researching Fair Housing Laws for Individuals with Mental Health Disabilities Los Angeles litigation partner <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/ryan-malloy.html">Ryan Malloy</a> and several MoFo associates are helping <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://mhas-la.org/">Mental Health Advocacy Services, Inc.</a> (MHAS) with research on three questions related to how state and federal fair housing laws protect individuals with mental health disabilities who rent rooms in private homes or live in homeless shelters.MHAS is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to people with mental disabilities. The organization assists both children and adults, with an emphasis on obtaining government benefits and services, protecting rights, and fighting discrimination. MHAS also serves as a resource to the community by providing training and technical assistance to attorneys, mental health professionals, consumer and family member groups, and other advocates. In addition, MHAS participates in impact litigation in an effort to improve the lives of people with mental disabilities.Combatting Environmental Crimes in the Amazon Washington, D.C. finance of counsel James Black and partner Charles Cole are reviewing a contract for existing client, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.amazonconservation.org/">Amazon Conservation Association</a> (ACA). ACA has been offered a substantial subcontract to assist with a USAID-funded project focused on combating environmental crimes in Peru, specifically monitoring threats of illegal logging and gold-mining, and building government capacity to respond. This builds on the ACA’s years of work in its Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP), as well as its work training forest users in preventing and reporting environmental crimes, working in close collaboration with Peru’s Environmental Prosecutors Office, the Peru Forest Service, and others.Amazon Conservation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that unites science, innovation, and community to protect the western Amazon—the greatest wild forest on earth. Over the past 20 years, Amazon Conservation’s approach of protecting wild places, empowering people, and putting science and technology to work has protected over 8 million acres of threatened natural areas.Restoring Tax-Exempt Status to Help Disadvantaged Children New York tax associate Katherine Erbeznik won restoration of tax-exempt status for a Virginia group that helps disadvantaged children in Fairfax County schools improve their educational opportunities. Our client fell into a not-uncommon trap for small nonprofits: it failed to file an annual informational return with the IRS for three consecutive years, resulting in automatic revocation of its tax-exempt status. Katherine guided the client in submitting the filings needed to regain exempt status, and on December 30th, 2019 learned the good news that the IRS has retroactively restored the client’s tax exemption.xxxMatters That Matter looks at some of the most significant, recently opened matters and developments in our global pro bono efforts, from staffing legal clinics and advising nonprofits on their legal needs to advocating for individuals who would otherwise be denied equal access to justice. For more examples of MoFo’s global pro bono efforts, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/culture/pro-bono/">visit our website</a>.