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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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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Welcome to the Mofo+ Blog

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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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MoFo Wins Asylum for Cameroonian Political Refugee

MoFo Sponsors the 2024 NAPABA Convention

Navigating Justice and Disability: A Conversation with Judge David Tatel

The MoFo Foundation Supports Pro Bono Partners

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We continue our celebration of National Mentoring Month with a spotlight on <a href="https://www.mofo.com/mofo-navigate">MoFo Navigate’s</a> Associate Liaison and Pathway Mentoring Programs.Associate Liaison ProgramAs attorneys begin their careers at MoFo, it’s important that they find the right kind of support and mentorship. Through the Associate Liaison Program, each new associate is assigned a peer liaison to support their integration.Associate Liaisons provide invaluable support as they:<ul><li>Welcome new associates to the firm and help them understand the firm’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jXUPt2jL3g" target="_blank">core values</a></li><li>Answer general questions about the firm, such as office space, processes and procedures, and tools and resources</li><li>Broaden their new associate’s internal network by introducing them to attorneys from across the firm</li><li>Help identify their new associate’s Pathway Mentor</li></ul>Pathway Mentoring ProgramThe Pathway Mentoring Program (formerly the Odyssey Mentoring Program) pairs new associates with a partner mentor to support their continued growth and development. An associate’s partner mentor is often in their department or practice group and is selected with input from their associate liaison. This relationship is designed to help new associates integrate into the firm, whether they joined the firm as a first-year or lateral associate.A Pathway Mentor’s responsibilities include:<ul><li>Providing informal training and feedback</li><li>Introducing their mentee to other attorneys across the firm</li><li>Advising on practical things like how to balance workload, establish development goals, and navigate firm/office culture</li><li>Helping their mentee prepare for the firm’s annual evaluation process</li></ul>To learn more about these programs, watch the below videos featuring MoFo associates Manny Perez and Rebecca Tesfaye as they discuss their experiences in the Associate Liaison and Pathway Mentoring Programs.<a href="https://together.mofo.com/topics/celebrating-national-mentoring-month">Read more</a> about MoFo's celebration of National Mentoring Month, and stay tuned for additional insights and stories which will be featured on our MoFo+ Blog and in our social media posts.<iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4iNNBnVBXkY?rel=0" title="Video: MoFo Navigate Turns One - Associate Liason Program" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="1" title="iframe"></iframe><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ifCPToyS4CY?rel=0" title="Video: MoFo Navigate Turns One - Pathway Mentoring Program" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="1" title="iframe"></iframe>

National Mentoring Month: Spotlight on Associate Liaison and Pathway Mentoring Programs

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National Mentoring Month: Spotlight on Associate Liaison and Pathway Mentoring Programs

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We continue our celebration of National Mentoring Month with a spotlight on MoFo Navigate’s Associate Liaison and Pathway Mentoring Programs.

January is National Mentoring Month. At MoFo, we understand that effective mentorship is critical to each attorney’s success. That is why we are thrilled to celebrate and recognize the one-year anniversary of <a href="https://www.mofo.com/mofo-navigate">MoFo Navigate</a>.MoFo Navigate is a global initiative which unifies the firm’s mentoring and sponsorship programs. It is through MoFo Navigate that we take a holistic approach to professional growth and strive to provide attorneys with the right kind of support and guidance at the right points in their careers.MoFo Navigate is also uniquely and specifically designed to promote greater equity and inclusion. It is overseen by the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion (D+I) Group and trains both mentors and mentees on some of the common root causes of attrition and how to mentor more effectively across differences.The five MoFo Navigate programs include:<ul><li>Welcome: Associate Liaison Program (Orientation to 6 months) ‒ Associate liaisons welcome new associates into the firm with regular and informal check-ins to make sure they are being introduced to attorneys and learning what it means to be part of the MoFo community.</li></ul><ul><li>Integrate: Pathway Mentoring Program (6 to 24 months) – New associates are assigned Pathway mentors. As the associates become more comfortable with their mentors, their associate liaisons will gradually step back, allowing the formal mentorship relationship to take shape.</li></ul><ul><li>Develop: Affinity Mentoring Programs (Year 2+) – We offer mentoring programs for our Black, Latinx, and AAPI associates, who are among the most underrepresented demographics in the legal profession. These cross-office mentoring programs help support the unique growth, integration, and development of our minority attorneys.</li></ul><ul><li>Advance: Sponsorship Initiative (5th year and above) ‒ The Sponsorship Initiative is designed to support and expand upon the firm’s culture of sponsorship, paying particular attention to diverse and women talent.</li></ul><ul><li>Support: New Diverse and Women Partner Liaison Program (1st year in the partnership) ‒ Even after attorneys are promoted or hired into the partnership, the firm takes an active approach to supporting their successful integration, growth, and development. Each new diverse and/or woman partner is assigned a partner liaison from the Diversity or Women’s Strategy Committee.</li></ul>Beginning with the below kick-off message from our Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Natalie Kernisant, we will be sharing content throughout the month to delve deeper into each of the programs under MoFo Navigate. Stay tuned for additional insights and stories which will be featured on our MoFo+ Blog and in our social media posts.<iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/UYpBETfQdMY?rel=0" title="iframe"></iframe>

Celebrating National Mentoring Month

Celebrating National Mentoring Month

January is National Mentoring Month. At MoFo, we understand that effective mentorship is critical to each attorney’s success. That is why we are thrilled to celebrate and recognize the one-year anniversary of MoFo Navigate.

Morrison Foerster has always valued the differences among people within our firm while recognizing our similarities. This year, MoFo was proud to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) to bring awareness to and celebrate the unique experiences and many contributions of employees with disabilitiesAs part of MoFo’s observance of NDEAM, David Cross—chair of the firm’s Antitrust Litigation practice, Disability Affinity Network liaison, and an active member of the Diversity Strategy Committee—shared his personal experience navigating the legal industry as an attorney with a disability.What does Disability Employment Awareness Month mean to you?When I started my career 20 years ago, I had two friends who were both gay men. One was not open about it; one was. And I remember we would discuss with the one who was not open about why he wasn’t. He was open with his family, so it wasn’t that; his concern was that the industry hadn’t fully embraced tolerance and that being open about his sexuality could affect his career opportunities.Twenty years later, I think we’ve made a lot of progress on that front. However, I think people with disabilities are still concerned that there continues to be a stigma and are worried about self-identifying. If you were to ask the people who interviewed me when I came here seven years ago, I imagine some of them would say they had no idea that I had any disability until deep in the process, because I know that, in that context, consciously and unconsciously, I’m going to hide it. My concern is that people sitting in the room, no matter how decent they might be, will have unconscious biases. And we’ve learned that we justify unconscious biases in conscious ways. We’ve learned that people who may not want to hire someone because they’re a woman, or because they’re a person of color, will find a qualitative distinction to say, “Well, this person wasn’t qualified.” That's always my fear, that someone’s going to be put off or distracted by my disability.Even now, there are people that I cannot have a conversation with without them pretty frequently staring at my arm. That’s a very marginalizing feeling, that people you respect, people you consider very sophisticated, people you would consider very open-minded and fair and equitable, are still human, and at some level, to them you’re almost a circus freak. The reason I think it’s important to talk about this is because there are a lot of folks who probably feel the same and aren’t comfortable identifying as disabled.In 20 years of practice, 20 years of interacting with thousands of lawyers, I can’t think of another lawyer with a physical disability whom I’ve ever come across. That is an extraordinary statistical improbability, when you consider the number of disabled people in the country. I think there are two things that drive that. One is unconscious bias, which makes it harder for folks with disabilities to get hired and get into leadership positions, particularly at our level of practice. And the second is that there are probably a lot of us out there, like me two years ago, who didn’t talk about it. Who just wanted to pretend it didn’t exist and wanted to keep our hands in our pockets. I finally decided a couple years ago that’s not healthy for me or for others. I spent a lot of time thinking about it and paying psychologists to help analyze and think about that.I would like to give people more comfort that, no matter how you are different or diverse, whether it’s color, sexuality, gender, disability, or anything else, everybody struggles in a different way. But everybody should feel open about that and not feel like they must mask their struggle.What are some of the biggest challenges that Disabled individuals face in society today? What changes have you seen starting to take shape to ease or eliminate these challenges?I can remember a partner telling me he was not going to include me in a pitch; it was an in-person pitch. He said he was going to talk about my experience and sell me to the client, that I was perfect for the assignment, but he was concerned the client may have an adverse reaction to someone with a disability. The client might think, “Oh, how’s a judge or jury going to react to this?” So, the partner said, let’s get hired, they’ll get to know your work, and by the time they’re aware of your disability, it won’t be a concern. The irony of it is, in the moment, I remember thinking, “Oh, there’s total logic to that.” But there’s something insidious about it, too. No one would ever say, “We’re not going to include a person’s color on a pitch because we think our prospective client might be racist.” We would just not work with that client.One of the challenges that people with disabilities have combating discrimination—whether conscious or unconscious—is that people justify ableism more, because the reality of being disabled is there are certain things you cannot do. I’m never going to juggle. It’s not going to happen. And so, I think people will justify it. When we think about things like skin color, gender, or sexuality, that does not have any impact on your performance. It is just pure unmitigated bigotry to judge someone or assess their value based on that.I think people look at those with disabilities and say, “If you’re in a wheelchair, or you have some other physical or mental disability, it actually affects your performance.” So, people will justify ableism to say things like that partner said, which is, “What if a jury is put off or distracted by you giving an opening statement with a disability?” And my response is: “Well, there was a time when people would say the same about people of color and women.” I think we’ve made a lot of progress in other categories, but there’s still more progress to be made on the disability side.How have you seen the legal industry shift in recent years with respect to Disability inclusion?It dawned on me that I was approaching 20 years of practice, and in all that time, I had never seen anyone else with a disability. But at the same time, I had seen the profession make great strides in other diverse areas. It’s started to feel like those of us with disabilities are falling behind in the diversity and inclusion efforts. And again, I don’t think that’s for insidious reasons; there are certain unconscious things that are in play there.The president of the United States at the time commented on the Special Olympics; I wrote a piece on this. And he had people in who had won medals. He went from praising them to saying, “I tried to watch it, but I couldn’t watch it too much.” That is like code in the community of the disability, which is “I couldn’t watch these people; it’s like a trainwreck watching these people do what they do.” There’s all the spin that came on it, but it’s clear to me and many others what he meant. You can’t watch this in the same way that you can watch normal people excel at the Olympics. If that sort of mindset is at the highest levels of leadership, then something is wrong, and there needs to be a voice about that.How has being Disabled made you a better lawyer?I think in the way I serve clients, with creativity, problem-solving, and relentlessness. I get a lot of feedback from clients that they like those positive traits. Because I have such an acute sense of what it feels like to be marginalized or left out, I find myself very empathetic to that. At my prior firm, whenever associates were struggling, I’d always be the one who got the call: “Can you come in and help this person?” One of the associates who came over with me from my prior firm used to joke that I would put myself on the island of misfit toys; I took this as a compliment, which was how she meant it. Everybody struggles in some way. I think everyone probably feels a little left out sometimes. For me—being empathetic—I find myself gravitating to people who are struggling and trying to help.What advice would you give to encourage more individuals with disabilities to pursue a career in law?There is not a great third-party organization in the legal community for people with disabilities. There have been a couple attempts at it, but not in the way that we have bar associations for other diverse groups. That’s part of the challenge: there’s not a great networking organization and that’s one of things I would like to see develop. But I do think that the diversity organizations are important, and folks should get involved, as I have.The other thing I’ll say is that it’s important to find advocates who can at least relate to your experience, people who suffer similar discrimination, whether on race, gender, or sexuality. One of my closest friends from law school is Black, and I remember him coming back from his first-year class saying he was the only Black person in his entire summer class 20 years ago. We talked about how marginalizing that was. I can never fully appreciate what it’s like to be a victim of racism, even implicitly, just like he can’t fully appreciate my experience. But we can relate. That’s where I think we can find advocates and sponsors.<iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/mO7HXBwRQu8?rel=0" title="Video: Making Disability a Part of the Equity Equation in the Legal Industry" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="1" title="iframe"></iframe>

Making Disability a Part of the Equity Equation in the Legal Industry

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Making Disability a Part of the Equity Equation in the Legal Industry

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Morrison Foerster has always valued the differences among people within our firm while recognizing our similarities.

Editors’ Note: As part of our ongoing Faces of MoFo series and in honor of Veterans Week, Will Baker, an incoming associate in the firm’s Litigation Department, discusses his service in the Coast Guard and why he chose to begin his legal career at MoFo.I was born in Chicago and grew up in San Diego, where I learned to love the ocean, surfing, and Padres baseball. I also grew up in a mixed-race family, with my younger brother and sister having been adopted from South Korea. Visiting Seoul as a second grader was my first experience outside the U.S. and something I’ll never forget!I left sunny San Diego after high school and, on my eighteenth birthday, I took my oath of office on the parade field of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. The next four years involved navigating the rigors of cadet life: sailing the tall ship “Eagle” through a hurricane, survival suit swimming in the Bering Sea, marching in President Obama’s inaugural parade, and surviving multivariable calculus as a public policy major.After graduating from the Academy, I served as an officer in the Coast Guard specializing in federal law enforcement and maritime security. I was stationed in Portland, Maine and Portsmouth, Virginia, with duties taking me everywhere from the northern most inhabited village in Labrador, Canada to Key West, Florida. During that time, I got to jump on fishing boats, fly in helicopters, coordinate hurricane recovery operations, and conduct congressional investigations.After five years of active-duty service and learning to love legal work, I decided to pursue a legal career independently and headed back to southern California for law school at UCLA. After attending a MoFo recruiting event in L.A., I was thrilled to learn that MoFo had a San Diego office, spurring my unlikely journey back to my hometown.I joined MoFo because every lawyer I met in the firm had a clear commitment to integrity and ethics that resembled the core values of “Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty” within the Coast Guard. MoFo’s attorney veterans and the “MoFo Vets” affinity group have made me feel welcome and valued at the firm, and I can’t wait to continue that experience as part of the San Diego office. The picture below is from 2009, with me standing watch for the first time on the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle. While I’m a bit older and wiser than the kid in the picture, I bring the same values and commitment to integrity that the Coast Guard instilled in me over a decade ago. Semper Paratus!<div data-reactroot=""><img src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt7d5b48c9cbc6aaa1/636e398fbbf71c312ab22261/221111-faces-of-mofo.jpg?format=auto&amp;quality=60" alt="faces of mofo"/></div>

Spotlighting our Veterans: Will Baker

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Spotlighting our Veterans: Will Baker

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I was born in Chicago and grew up in San Diego, where I learned to love the ocean, surfing, and Padres baseball. I also grew up in a mixed-race family, with my younger brother and sister having been adopted from South Korea. Visiting Seoul as a second grader was my first experience outside the U.S. and something I’ll never forget!

Editors’ Note: As part of our ongoing Faces of MoFo series and in honor of Veterans Week, <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/matthew-blum">Matt Blum</a>, an associate in the firm’s Technology Transactions Group, discusses how his experience as an active duty U.S Army veteran and now Major in the U.S. Army Reserve influences his practice at MoFo.As far back as I can recall I always had a desire to serve in the military, despite the fact that the closest tie I had to the service was limited to stories about both of my grand-uncles and my paternal grandfathers serving in World War II or Korea, and all of whom passed before I was born. My path began to take shape beginning in college when I joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Northeastern University. After graduation and my commission as an active duty officer, I received a service deferment to attend law school. Three years later—and about one week after finishing the bar exam—I was off to the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence school.After five years of active duty service as a military intelligence officer, including assignments in Kansas and a combat deployment to Afghanistan with the U.S. Army’s storied 1st Infantry Division—Big Red One—followed by two years in Germany at the headquarters of U.S. Army Europe, I decided to transition to the Army Reserve so that I could move back to Boston to pursue my legal career. After working for a period of time as in-house counsel at a technology company and then as a technology transactions associate at my prior firm, I was offered an incredible opportunity to join the MoFo team and pursue the further broadening and development of my legal skills.MoFo appealed to me because of its reputation of excellence in the legal profession, which clearly is driven by the dedicated individuals who are a part of the organization. The impression I quickly formed of the attorneys and staff at the firm while I was learning about MoFo was the critical factor that ultimately led to my decision to join the firm. From my perspective, MoFo’s greatest strength is that it is a collaborative and learning environment of very talented and motivated professionals who place total emphasis on upholding our core values and doing what is right at all times for our clients, the firm, the legal profession, and—perhaps most critically as the glue for these other components—each other.My time in the Army has allowed me to travel the world, build lifelong and irreplaceable relationships (including the most important of all, my wife, who is a fellow service member), and gain invaluable personal and professional values and life lessons. I am fortunate to reap the benefit of these unique experiences, which I apply every single day: The Army Values of Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, and Integrity, among others, are completely applicable to my work and professional philosophy at MoFo. I also appreciate (and always have), first and foremost, organizations that emphasize a team-based approach and that value their people. The phrase “Mission First, People Always” is an often-used phrase I have heard throughout my time in the service, and I have found that this concept works extremely well in the legal profession. This concept is consistently applied by my mentors in the Army and at MoFo, and I always aim to use this same approach as a coach and mentor in my own capacity. Lastly, the Army motto, “This We’ll Defend,” signifies constant readiness to preserve and defend our country—a motto that can be similarly applied to the legal profession in the context of upholding our duties to client service.For all these reasons, I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities that my Army service and time at MoFo have afforded me. The picture below is from a recent nine-month mobilization to the Middle East, during which time I had to take a leave of absence from MoFo to support aspects of the final year of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.  <div data-reactroot=""><img src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt68287490c30c561f/636ad6f935d2ed777db286c2/221108-matt-blum.jpg?format=auto&amp;quality=60" alt="matt blum"/></div>

Spotlighting our Veterans: Matt Blum

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Associate

Matt Blum is an associate in the Technology Transactions Group, where he represents and advises clients across a wide range of sectors including life sciences; healthcare and pharmaceuticals; software

Matthew Blum

Spotlighting our Veterans: Matt Blum

Editors’ Note: As part of our ongoing Faces of MoFo series and in honor of Veterans Week, Matt Blum, an associate in the firm’s Technology Transactions Group, discusses how his experience as an active duty U.S Army veteran and now Major in the U.S. Army Reserve influences his practice at MoFo.

Editors’ Note: As part of our ongoing Faces of MoFo series and in honor of Veterans Week, Marcelo Pendleton-Moreno, an attorney in the firm’s Litigation Department, discusses how the skills he learned in the Army Judge Advocate Corps help him better serve his clients at MoFo.My journey to MoFo was unconventional. After graduating from law school, I commissioned into the United States Army Judge Advocate Corps. As a Judge Advocate, I advocated for soldiers on both military and civilian matters in legal assistance. I advised commanders on civilian labor and employment disputes. I provided legal analysis on the Army’s environmental impact on Native American lands. I held a special appointment as a Part-Time Military Magistrate. In this role, I issued law enforcement search-and-seizure warrants and held pre-trial confinement hearings.I developed dozens of skills and traits while serving in the military. The military taught me adaptability. I was constantly introduced to new practices of law with which I had little-to-no experience. In fact, the Judge Advocate career model requires one to be “broadly skilled” early in one’s career. When I wasn’t changing practice areas, I was being reassigned to a new geographical location, through a permanent change of station or deployment.The military also taught me decisiveness. My commander looked to me for swift and sound legal advice. Often I was asked whether a case should settle or litigate.Most notably, the military taught me strong collaboration skills while working across multidisciplinary teams like intelligence, logistics, and civil-military operations to advance the Army’s military objectives.Outside of work, I perform videography at my church in Brooklyn and do community service with my fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. I love traveling, trying new foods, seeing performances on Broadway, and rooting for “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. You can also find me exploring New York City with my family and taking random photos like the one below.Working at MoFo provides the opportunity to sharpen those soft skills I acquired in the military by now zealously advocating for clients in a commercial space. MoFo’s strong sense of collaboration and opportunities for leadership and responsibility earlier in one’s career make the firm a unique place. At MoFo, one can bring one’s authentic self to work, and diversity and inclusion are celebrated. I am a proud Army veteran and a proud face of MoFo.<div data-reactroot=""><img src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt4340017a0a0b54bd/6369498c4acbcc466ea8e253/221107-marcelo-pendleton-moreno.jpg?format=auto&amp;quality=60" alt="marcelo pendleton moreno"/></div>

Spotlighting our Veterans: Marcelo Pendleton-Moreno

Spotlighting our Veterans: Marcelo Pendleton-Moreno

Editors’ Note: As part of our ongoing Faces of MoFo series and in honor of Veterans Week, Marcelo Pendleton-Moreno, an attorney in the firm’s Litigation Department, discusses how the skills he learned in the Army Judge Advocate Corps help him better serve his clients at MoFo.

In recognition of Latinx Heritage Month, MoFo partner Claudia Vetesi recently hosted a webinar with Efrén C. Olivares, a leading immigration lawyer currently serving as the Immigrant Justice Deputy Legal Director at the Southern Poverty Law Center, and author of My Boy Will Die of Sorrow.Early on, after working in Big Law, Efrén was focused on civil rights, doing legal work near the Texas border where his family was located. It wasn’t until April 2018, as a result of the Trump administration’s “Zero Tolerance” policy on unauthorized immigration, that Efrén became much more involved in immigration rights. Under this “no tolerance” policy, all migrants—including asylum seekers—attempting to cross the U.S. border anywhere other than an official port of entry were to be detained and criminally prosecuted. This resulted in thousands of children being separated from their parents at the border.As a result of this separation policy, Efrén got involved on the frontlines and started visiting the families at the border. He and his paralegal would take down the individuals’ information in order to track separated families since the government failed to do so.“In this case, cruelty met incompetence, with very poor documentation and no process in place by the government,” stated Efrén.In addition, parents often didn’t realize immediately that their children were separated from them; they were told that they would meet their children back at border patrol when they returned. Efrén informed parents of the reality that no one knew exactly when or where they would see their children again. The greatest concern was that parents would be deported, and children would be placed in a shelter or in foster care with no record. Still, through Efrén’s human rights work, he interviewed 380+ separated families and was able to place the majority with pro bono lawyers.Further complicating matters, in March 2020 the Trump administration invoked Title 42—part of the Public Health Service Act of 1944 that aimed at preventing the spread of communicable diseases in the country—for the first time since its creation as a means to stop the spread of COVID-19. The policy, according to Efrén, was unjustly used as an immigration tactic rather than as a public safety measure. Many more migrants were expelled because of Title 42, even when evidence lacked showing that the policy would slow the virus’ spread in the United States.Twenty-five years earlier, Efrén was separated from his own father for several years when he migrated to the United States to work. Efrén’s memoir, My Boy Will Die of Sorrow, combines his clients’ enthralling stories with stories of his own childhood, and also reflects on the history of U.S. immigration policy.Inspiration for the title of his memoir is attributed to Efrén’s first day in court visiting detained families, when he interviewed one of the fathers separated from his children. When asked what he thought his son would think when finding out reunification with his father was unknown, the father said to Efrén, “My boy will die of sorrow.”While it shines a light on the persecution and hostility faced by immigrant families, his book also provides deep perspective to the power of empathy and compassion for fellow human beings and the effect it has on public opinion. Shortly after an audio file of young children crying incessantly for their separated parents was leaked and made public, the “Zero Tolerance” policy changed, no longer allowing families to be separated at the border.“In hearing the audio file, no one could see the color of the children’s skin, and this allowed people to feel their pain at a visceral level and express empathy towards this cruelty,” explained Efrén.

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Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month: A Conversation with Efrén C. Olivares

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In recognition of Latinx Heritage Month, MoFo partner Claudia Vetesi recently hosted a webinar with Efrén C. Olivares, a leading immigration lawyer currently serving as the Immigrant Justice Deputy Legal Director at the Southern Poverty Law Center, and author of My Boy Will Die of Sorrow.



Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month: A Conversation with Efrén C. Olivares

From September 15 to October 15, Morrison Foerster is pleased to take part in Latinx Heritage Month as part of the annual celebration of the history and culture of the Latinx community. Throughout the month, MoFo took time to honor the contributions and experiences of our Latinx lawyers, including presentations and entertainment sponsored by the Diversity + Inclusion Group and the Latinx Affinity Network.In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, we asked some of our Latinx lawyers to share their thoughts on the month-long celebration, which Latinx individuals they admire most, and how their identities have shaped their careers.Meredith Angueira is an associate in the Litigation Department in MoFo’s San Francisco office. She was previously a summer associate at the firm for two summers, one of which as a Wetmore Fellow, and received her J.D. from Harvard Law School.Q: How has being Latinx made you a better lawyer?A: By virtue of being Latina, I bring a unique perspective to corporate law. My perspective as a Cuban‑American was born out of the sacrifice, resilience, and hopes of those closest to me. When I was growing up as a daughter and granddaughter of Cuban exiles, topics of law and righteousness were everyday themes. My family impressed upon me from a very young age the significance of education and advocacy as tools to empower ourselves and those around us. These experiences and lessons allow me to bring a different outlook to problem-solving and decision-making. They also continue to shape my character and integrity as a lawyer.<span class="embedded-entry redactor-component inline-entry" type="entry" data-sys-entry-uid="bltb71a106271792f94" data-sys-entry-locale="en-us" data-sys-content-type-uid="image_content" sys-style-type="inline"><img class="dangerously-set-container__img-left" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/bltf11f1e470305184a/627342534d9f89297129112f/ascarrunz_veronica_blog_150x150.png?format=auto&amp;quality=60" alt="Veronica Ascarrunz" data-reactroot="">Veronica Ascarrunz is of counsel in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s Washington, D.C. office. She is an intellectual property litigator with more than a decade of experience litigating patent, trademark, and trade secret matters in federal courts, at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).Q: What advice would you give to encourage more Latinx individuals to pursue a career in law?A: A career in the law offers endless areas and opportunities to work on issues that you are passionate about. Latinx attorneys have a powerful voice, deep passion, and richness of experience that can contribute greatly and make a legal career personally rewarding.<span class="embedded-entry redactor-component inline-entry" type="entry" data-sys-entry-uid="blte0cf00bfe78b14c0" data-sys-entry-locale="en-us" data-sys-content-type-uid="image_content" sys-style-type="inline"><img class="dangerously-set-container__img-left" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt6b9d7aeea75396e6/6273e8467198441d81b3bc6b/mendell_nate_blog_150x150.png?format=auto&amp;quality=60" alt="Nate Mendell " data-reactroot="">Nate Mendell is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Boston office and a member of the firm’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Practice Group. He is a former acting U.S. attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. He represents companies, financial institutions, boards, and executives through all phases of investigation and litigation involving allegations of corporate healthcare fraud, securities and other financial fraud, public corruption, criminal intellectual property theft, and international money laundering.Q: Is there a Latinx individual you admire that you know personally or professionally whose achievements within the Latinx community you would like to recognize?A: A Latina whom I know personally and whose achievement I’d like to recognize: my own mother. She came here as a Cuban Exile and followed my father to—of all places—Buffalo, New York. Not the easiest climate for somebody from Cuba. Also not the easiest place to live if you have a heavy Cuban accent. But, facing that adversity, she became a leader in the Hispanic community and at the college where she was a professor of Spanish. She mentored many people who went on to professional careers—some to elected office. That’s an achievement worth recognizing, and I’m proud to be her son.Q: How has being Latinx made you a better lawyer?A: Being Hispanic has helped me as a lawyer because, by virtue of being bilingual and bicultural, and having to navigate some class and socioeconomic differences, I’ve learned an adaptability and a flexibility that are very useful in analyzing problems. I’ve also learned that the assumptions people make—the assumptions we all make from time to time—are often incorrect, so they’re worth challenging, and that kind of thinking is at the heart of being a good lawyer.<span class="embedded-entry redactor-component inline-entry" type="entry" data-sys-entry-uid="blta8e6967d6441becd" data-sys-entry-locale="en-us" data-sys-content-type-uid="image_content" sys-style-type="inline"><img class="dangerously-set-container__img-left" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blta4d48eff062bd1ac/62732ef87198441d81b3ad29/navarro_lauren_blog_150x150.png?format=auto&amp;quality=60" alt="Lauren Navarro" data-reactroot="">Lauren Navarro is an associate in Morrison Foerster’s San Francisco office. She is a member of the firm’s Investigations + White Collar Criminal Defense Group and the FCPA + Global Anti-Corruption practice. Lauren’s practice focuses on complex white-collar criminal matters, including defending clients facing U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement proceedings and conducting internal investigations with and without parallel government investigations.Q: What advice would you give to encourage more Latinx individuals to pursue a career in law?A: To any Latinx individual looking to pursue a career in law, my advice is to dive in and believe that you belong. This month we celebrate the strength of the Latinx community and the diverse experiences and viewpoints that our Latinx attorneys bring to the table; know going into it that the legal profession is better off with your participation and your voice and opinions matter.<span class="embedded-entry redactor-component inline-entry" type="entry" data-sys-entry-uid="blt0d1971782e354bb2" data-sys-entry-locale="en-us" data-sys-content-type-uid="image_content" sys-style-type="inline"><img class="dangerously-set-container__img-left" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/bltb9521c58e17f1494/6273420d4d9f892971291113/glazer_samantha_blog_150x150.png?format=auto&amp;quality=60" alt="Samantha Rose" data-reactroot=""><a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/samantha-rose">Samantha Rose</a> is an associate in the San Francisco office of Morrison Foerster and a member of the firm’s Corporate Department. Her practice focuses on advising clients on domestic and cross-border corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, minority investments/venture financings, and corporate governance.Q: How has being Latinx made you a better lawyer?A: As a Latina, I bring a unique viewpoint to solving problems and leverage my background to implement creative and innovative solutions for our clients.<span class="embedded-entry redactor-component inline-entry" type="entry" data-sys-entry-uid="bltf9aab4e62342ae4c" data-sys-entry-locale="en-us" data-sys-content-type-uid="image_content" sys-style-type="inline"><img class="dangerously-set-container__img-left" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt973918efebcdc007/6273343823c6cf2a1c3afeec/tapernoux_camila_blog_150x150.png?format=auto&amp;quality=60" alt="Camila Tapernoux" data-reactroot="">Camila Tapernoux is an associate in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s San Francisco office. Her practice focuses on complex litigation with an emphasis on class action and commercial litigation.Q: What does Latinx Heritage month mean to you?A: For me, celebrating Latinx Heritage month at MoFo provides an opportunity to recognize the contributions of our Latinx attorneys and staff, as well as reflect on where we are succeeding and where we need to continue to work to improve our D+I efforts, from recruiting and retention to pro bono activities in our community.To learn more about MoFo’s commitment to diversity, please visit our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/culture/diversity/">Diversity page</a>.

Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month 2022

From September 15 to October 15, Morrison Foerster is pleased to take part in Latinx Heritage Month as part of the annual celebration of the history and culture of the Latinx community. Throughout the month, MoFo took time to honor the contributions and experiences of our Latinx lawyers, including presentations and entertainment sponsored by the Diversity + Inclusion Group and the Latinx Affinity Network.



 Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month 2022

<a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/nathaniel-mendell">Nathaniel (Nate) Mendell</a> is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Practice Group and was the former Acting U.S. Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. He represents companies, financial institutions, boards, and executives through all phases of investigation and litigation involving allegations of corporate healthcare fraud, securities and other financial fraud, public corruption, criminal intellectual property theft, and international money laundering. After almost two decades of service in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Nate offers deep experience and insider perspectives in white collar defense, internal investigations, and government enforcement actions.In two to three sentences, describe your practice.My practice is focused on internal investigations and criminal matters, with an emphasis on healthcare fraud statutes, including the False Claims Act and the Anti-kickback Statute. I represent clients in federal criminal investigations and counsel them on compliance, and I also represent clients in all types of matters brought in the District of Massachusetts – including civil litigation.Why did you choose to make MoFo your professional home?MoFo is a positive and supportive firm where teamwork and good humor are rewarded. The prospect of building the criminal litigation practice in Boston is especially appealing to me after all my work in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston.How do clients benefit from having diverse teams of lawyers working for them?Diversity of experience, perspective, and thinking tends to foster creativity and ingenuity. For that reason, diverse teams yield better decisions and better outcomes.<iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VpdHPmEjKFg?rel=0" title="iframe"></iframe>

Partner Spotlight: Nate Mendell

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Partner

Nathaniel (Nate) Mendell is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense and Privacy + Data Security practice groups and was the former Acting U.S. Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. 

Nathaniel Mendell

Nathaniel R. Mendell

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Partner Spotlight: Nate Mendell

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Nathaniel (Nate) Mendell is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Practice Group and was the former Acting U.S. Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Morrison Foerster is honored to be named as a Diversity Lab 2022 Inclusion Champion for firm leadership, with record participation of more than 240 law firms.According to Diversity Lab, participating firms completed the Inclusion Blueprint assessment by submitting data on four key diversity and inclusion indicators, including:<ul><li>Current diversity representation based on average or above-average benchmarks</li><li>Year-over-year diversity representation progress</li><li>Diversity representation tracking</li><li>Meaningful inclusion practices and activities</li></ul>Firms were also encouraged to commit to implementing at least one “Do Something Hard” action. The Inclusion Blueprint is distinctive for measuring firms’ actions in addition to overall representation.Morrison Foerster was one of eight law firms recognized as an Inclusion Champion in 2022, having met challenging criteria that included at least one diversity representation threshold or making year-over-year progress for each of the four underrepresented populations assessed by the Inclusion Blueprint.More information can be found on <a href="https://www.diversitylab.com/research/inclusion-blueprint/">Diversity Lab’s website</a>.<iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Bv2N1ybky-w?rel=0" title="iframe"></iframe>

MoFo Named as a Diversity Lab 2022 Inclusion Champion

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MoFo Named as a Diversity Lab 2022 Inclusion Champion

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Morrison Foerster is honored to be named as a Diversity Lab 2022 Inclusion Champion for firm leadership, with record participation of more than 240 law firms.