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: November Pro Bono Roundup

Matters That Matter: November 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 supporting new technologies to prevent California wildfires, aiding vulnerable and underserved communities in the Americas, and measuring the individual wellbeing of people from countries around the globe. These are just a few examples of the many ways our lawyers are living out our proud pro bono tradition every day.Improving Anti-Corruption Enforcement in Latin America New York litigation partner <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/ruti-smithline.html">Ruti Smithline</a> and Washington, D.C. litigation partner <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/james-koukios.html">James Koukios</a> are working with the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://www.vancecenter.org/">Cyrus R. Vance Center for Justice</a> on a comprehensive report, detailing best practices for anti-corruption enforcement in Latin America. They will be working closely with local law firms, academic institutions, and civil organizations throughout the region to gather the necessary data.The report will be a continuation of Ruti and James’s ongoing work regarding anti-corruption enforcement practice in Latin America, which includes substantive associate training. Over the years, the firm has worked on a number of pro bono projects with the Cyrus R. Vance Center for Justice, which is an affiliate of the New York City Bar Association and a leading force organizing law firms in Latin America to provide pro bono legal services.Supporting Technologies to Curb California Wildfires San Francisco corporate partner <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/susan-mac-cormac.html">Susan Mac Cormac</a>, Denver tax attorney Joseph Tucci, San Francisco corporate associate <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/benjamin-tr-fox.html">Ben Fox</a>, and San Francisco corporate associate <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/michael-santos.html">Michael Santos</a> are helping existing client <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.vibrantplanet.net/">Vibrant Planet</a> in setting up a new nonprofit organization whose work will address gaps in data-driven tools designed to mitigate the risk of California wildfires.The goal of the nonprofit is to build a platform that synthesizes complex information on forest structure and wildfire risk to guide targeted forest treatments, like selective thinning or prescribed burning, to mitigate wildfire risk and improve ecological function. Additionally, the nonprofit will engage key stakeholders in creating a platform designed for government personnel involved in wildfire mitigation and forest restoration planning, and provide all stakeholders access to improved risk data.Measuring Individual Happiness with the Wellbeing Project Beijing and Shanghai corporate managing partner <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/paul-mckenzie.html">Paul McKenzie</a> and San Francisco Technology Transactions attorney Can Cui are helping the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://wellbeing-project.org/">Wellbeing Project</a> by researching legal issues pertaining to proposed data collection. The Wellbeing Project has identified eight social change organizations from multiple countries, including one organization in China, that want to take part in research aimed at improving their own internal organizational cultures.Staff members of the participating organizations will be, in essence, willing research subjects in a project that will include surveys of individual wellbeing, including the taking of cortisol samples. Before starting the research, the Project needs advice on any legal restrictions around collecting research data in China and what data can be permissibly exported.Creating a Hemisphere of Opportunity for All Miami corporate partner <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/randy-bullard.html">Randy Bullard</a> is providing general corporate advice to the Pan American Development Foundation. The Pan American Development Foundation is a nonprofit organization established by the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1962 that serves vulnerable and excluded people and communities in the Americas.With the support of civil society, governments, and private sector partners, the Foundation is working towards creating a Hemisphere of Opportunity for All. Its programs focus on a number of initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable economic and social progress, from promoting democratic participation and making STEM education accessible to preparing and responding to natural disasters.Championing Reproductive Health and Rights for All London employment attorneys <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/annabel-gillham.html">Annabel Gillham</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/oliver-spratt.html">Oliver Spratt</a>, and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/lara-sirimanne.html">Lara Sirimanne</a> are reviewing consultancy and employment agreements for the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Additionally, the team is conducting an employment law training for the IPPF Human Resources department and directors involved in recruitment.The IPPF’s mission is to lead a locally owned, globally connected civil society movement that provides and enables services and champions sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, especially the underserved. Founded in 1952 by eight national family planning associations, the organization today comprises 133 Member Associations working in 146 countries, with an active presence in a further 20 countries.Supporting Job Training for Worldwide Deaf Community New York tax partner Jay Blaivas and associate Harris Cornell, along with San Francisco corporate associate Rose Zukin Pierson, are advising <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://www.globalreachout.org/">Global Reach Out Initiative</a> (GRO), a Delaware 501(c)(3) based in Los Angeles whose mission is to provide job training and other resources to the worldwide deaf community. The MoFo team is providing general corporate governance advice, including advice related to the appointment of new board members. The team will also be providing tax advice related to work with an affiliate in India.Answering Tax Questions Related to Low-Income Housing San Diego corporate partner <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/jim-krenn.html">Jim Krenn</a>, with assistance from San Diego partner <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/people/shane-shelley.html">Shane Shelley</a> and San Francisco tax associates Jessica Stern and Adam Nguyen, is advising our client <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.sdvlp.org/">San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program</a> on general tax and corporate matters regarding low-income housing requirements.Founded in 1983, SDVLP is the country’s oldest and most comprehensive pro bono services program. The focus of the nonprofit organization is serving the most vulnerable members of its community, including the homeless, abused children, victims of domestic abuse, elderly victims of abuse, veterans, immigrants, and those affected by HIV/AIDS. Women and children currently make up 75% SDVLP’s clients.Fighting for the Right to Bond Hearings for Detained Immigrants New York litigation attorney Jim Beha is filing an amicus brief in the First Circuit Court of Appeals in support of a lower court ruling that immigrants in deportation proceedings who are subject to mandatory detention are entitled to bond hearings and an individual determination of whether continued detention is appropriate. The brief will be filed on behalf of amici who are uniquely qualified to opine on the wisdom and importance of bond hearings in immigration court: former immigration judges and former members of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).This is the third time we have represented former immigration judges and BIA members as amici in challenges to prolonged detention of immigrants during removal proceedings. We previously filed an amicus brief in the instant case, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://law.yale.edu/studying-law-yale/clinical-and-experiential-learning/our-clinics/worker-and-immigrant-rights-advocacy-clinic/reid-v-donelanin-re-reid">Reid v. Donelan</a>, in the First Circuit. We also filed a brief in the Supreme Court in <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.aclu.org/cases/jennings-v-rodriguez">Jennings v. Rodriguez</a>, which raised the same issue. In the prior appeal in Reid v. Donelan, the First Circuit remanded the case to the district court. The district court’s decision on remand is now back at the First Circuit, where this brief will be filed.The <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://law.yale.edu/studying-law-yale/clinical-and-experiential-learning/jerome-n-frank-legal-services-organization-lso">Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization</a> at Yale Law School, which is the appointed class counsel for the detained immigrants, referred this opportunity to the firm.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>.