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.

Social

Search

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.

brown_jennifer_blog_150x150.png

brown_jennifer_common_640x280.jpg

brown_jennifer_heroretina_2700x1160.jpg

brown_jennifer_mobileretina_750x1040.jpg

brown_jennifer_social_600x600.jpg

Senior Pro Bono Counsel

Staff

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

Jennifer K. Brown

Natalie Kernisant is Morrison Foerster’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.Natalie provides strategic leadership to advance recruiting and retention of talent with a wide range of experiences and perspectives 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 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>.

kernisant_natalie_blog_150x150.png

kernisant_natalie_common_640x280.jpg

kernisant_natalie_heroretina_2700x1160.jpg

kernisant_natalie_mobileretina_750x1040.jpg

kernisant_natalie_social_600x600.jpg

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Partner

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 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.

fernandez_dorothy_blog_150x150.png

fernandez_dorothy_common_640x280.jpg

fernandez_dorothy_heroretina_2700x1160.jpg

fernandez_dorothy_mobileretina_750x1040.jpg

fernandez_dorothy_social_600x600.jpg

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.

williams_rachel_blog_150x150.png

williams_rachel_common_640x280.jpg

williams_rachel_heroretina_2700x1160.jpg

williams_rachel_mobileretina_750x1040.jpg

williams_rachel_social_600x600.jpg

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

favicon.ico

favicon-16x16.png

favicon-32x32.png

apple-touch-icon.png

MoFo Favicons

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.

Welcome to the Mofo+ Blog

240920-mofo+-header.jpg

Welcome to the Mofo+ Blog

240920-mofo+-header

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.

Welcome to the MoFo+ Blog

MoFo Community

Blog - Terms of Use

Blog - Privacy Policy

Blog - Blog Disclaimer

Blog - Attorney Advertising

morrison-foerster-blog-logo.png

Provides a data-driven look at the Federal Circuit.

Federal Circuitry

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

MoFo Tech

Equips our clients with the most up-to-date and relevant information on employment and labor law issues.

Employment Law Commentary

In-depth analysis of developments and trends impacting government contracting.

Government Contracts Insight

Government Contracts Insights

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

Class Dismissed Blog

Class Dismissed

The MoFo+ blog shares news and insights from lawyers who are adding value to the legal profession and making a difference in the communities we call home.

MoFo+

  Linkedin

MoFo LinkedIN

Together Blog - RSS

Stay Connected

Never miss a post from MoFo Together. Enter your email below to stay up-to-date.

Subscribe

Making a Positive Impact Together

Morrison Foerster - Footer

Blogs -  Home Button

Home

Blog - Topics

MoFo Pro Bono

MoFo Diversity

MoFo Life

MoFo Women

Topics

Blog - Editors

Editors

Blog - About

About

Blog - Subscribe

More

MoFo Celebrates Earth Day

Celebrating Black History Month with Maya Wiley, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Faces of MoFo: Dominick Divine III

MoFo's Women of Color Collective: A Conversation with CCWC’s Laurie Robinson Haden

MoFo Wins Asylum for Cameroonian Political Refugee

LinkedIN

Morrison Foerster recently secured at least $2 billion in funding to support California students who fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic—one of the largest education-related settlements in U.S. history. The funding settles a lawsuit brought on behalf of low-income students in Black and Latinx communities over the state’s failure to provide children with adequate access to remote education during pandemic school closures, and its subsequent failure to offer services necessary to overcome these children’s disproportionate learning losses.Under the settlement agreement in <a href="https://publiccounsel.org/our-cases/cayla-j-v-california/" target="_blank">Cayla J. v. the State of California</a>, local education agencies will allocate a minimum of $2 billion from the existing Learning Emergency Block Grant Funds toward programs that are proven to improve student performance. The funding must be directed to the lowest‑performing students in the school district, who will be identified using a data-driven “needs assessment” process that incorporates academic performance in math and English language arts, as well as absenteeism rates. School districts will be required to measure and report on the effectiveness of these programs for the populations they serve.Notably, the proposed legislation marks a first for California by enabling funds to be directed to community organizations with documented success in improving student achievement. Each local education agency will devise a plan and evidence-based programs tailored to the students it serves as part of the annual Local Control and Accountability Plan, with obligatory reporting on program success using measurable outcomes. Moreover, the public will have recourse to file complaints related to these plans under the Uniform Complaint Procedure, recognizing that the education of the next generation is a matter that impacts every resident of California.“MoFo is proud to have worked with Public Counsel, Oakland REACH, and Community Coalition to achieve this historic settlement for the students of California whose education was most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michael Jacobs, who led MoFo’s pro bono team for Cayla J. v. State of California before his recent retirement from the firm. “This case is yet another example of the firm’s commitment to quality education for all in our State.” In addition to Jacobs, the MoFo team was comprised of Palo Alto partners Lily Li and Erik Olson, Los Angeles partner Purvi Patel, San Diego partner John Lanham, Palo Alto associates Chelsea Kehrer and Max Levy, and San Francisco associate Ian Bennett.MoFo co-counseled the case with <a href="https://publiccounsel.org/" target="_blank">Public Counsel</a>, a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice. <a href="https://oaklandreach.org/" target="_blank">The Oakland REACH</a> and <a href="https://cocosouthla.org/" target="_blank">Community Coalition</a>, who were also plaintiffs in the lawsuit, have continued their involvement as supportive partners.<a href="https://www.mofo.com/culture/pro-bono" target="_blank">Learn more</a> about MoFo’s commitment to pro bono work.

Morrison Foerster recently secured at least $2 billion in funding to support California students who fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic—one of the largest education-related settlements in U.S. history.

MoFo Secures $2 Billion for California Students

Morrison Foerster has long championed the advancement of women. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization struck down 50 years of precedent that MoFo lawyers, on behalf of our clients, had fought to defend in nearly 20 cases since 1989, including Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2016 that reaffirmed a woman’s constitutional right to abortion.While the Dobbs decision unleashed chaos in the legal status of abortion, it has not dampened the commitment of many MoFo lawyers to preserving women’s access to reproductive health care through legal support inside and outside the courtroom.In the immediate aftermath of the Dobbs decision, Litigation partner Jamie Levitt was one of the first to endorse a call to action published in The American Lawyer, which was later signed by more than 2,650 women partners from 190 law firms and outlined a personal commitment to continue “offering pro bono legal services to organizations that defend and support women’s rights to autonomy, equality and safe access to reproductive care, including abortion.” MoFo’s Privacy team, led by New York Privacy + Data Security partner Miriam Wugmeister, quickly developed and issued <a href="https://view.ceros.com/mofo/tips-protecting-privacy/p/1" target="_blank">MoFo Privacy Tips for Protecting Reproductive Rights</a> to offer guidance to the public on how to safeguard their personal health information.On another front, Jamie Levitt and senior pro bono counsel Jennifer Brown spent months working closely with several public interest organizations to develop the <a href="https://abortiondefensenetwork.org/" target="_blank">Abortion Defense Network</a> (ADN), bringing together lawyers from top law firms and reproductive rights organizations to offer a nationwide resource for abortion-related confidential legal advice. Dozens of lawyers have attended trainings offered by ADN and, since its inception one year ago, MoFo lawyers have advised more than 25 abortion providers and support organizations who were referred by ADN or similar regional networks, helping these clients untangle the web of contradictory state laws that now govern this field of medicine. MoFo lawyers, led by New York Litigation partners Jamie Levitt and J. Alexander Lawrence, are continuing to work with the Center for Reproductive Rights on critical litigation as well.Since March 2023, MoFo lawyers and the Center have been fighting in several cases to establish that medical emergency exceptions to state abortion prohibitions must be interpreted so that women’s lives are not jeopardized when they face severe and dangerous complications during pregnancy. In a Texas case, MoFo litigators are representing lead plaintiff Amanda Zurawski and other women who were denied urgently needed abortions as their health deteriorated drastically because doctors could not risk criminal punishments of up to 99 years in prison and $100,000 in fines if a prosecutor disagreed with the doctor’s determination that a medical emergency justified an abortion.  As Jamie Levitt explains, “We are representing women who have all faced serious pregnancy complications, and the issue with the current law is the statutes have standards that are very unclear, so our lawsuit is seeking clarity.” After two days of riveting testimony, the Texas trial court hearing the case issued an order in August 2023 clarifying that “emergent medical conditions” – meaning conditions that, without an abortion, threaten the pregnant woman’s life or health – come within the medical emergency exception to the Texas abortion bans, and there is no need to wait for a patient to be in crisis before offering treatment. The court’s ruling, however, was immediately stayed when the state appealed the case to the Texas Supreme Court. That court heard argument in November 2023 and has not yet issued its decision.Meanwhile, when a Texan named Kate Cox, whose pregnancy with a non-viable fetus threatened her health and her future fertility, heard about the Zurawski case, she bravely came forward to ask for legal help to end her pregnancy. She, her husband, and her OB-GYN became plaintiffs in a case that was urgently litigated by MoFo lawyers and the Center for Reproductive Rights. Women and men across the country followed the case closely as the trial court held that an abortion was permitted under the Texas medical emergency exception. Before Cox could get treatment, however, the Texas Supreme Court issued a stay of the trial court’s order and within the week, it ruled against her, her husband, and her doctor. (Cox left the state to obtain an abortion.)MoFo lawyers are also partnering with the Center for Reproductive Rights in the case Blackmon v. Tennessee, being heard in Tennessee state court. As in the Texas litigation, the goal of this case is clarification from the court that the medical condition exception to Tennessee’s abortion ban allows a doctor to provide abortion care when a pregnant woman has a physical emergent medical condition that poses a risk of death or a risk to the woman’s health, including her future fertility. The state’s motion to dismiss that case is scheduled for argument in early April 2024. MoFo lawyers remain undaunted. “As long as women’s reproductive rights are threatened, our pro bono team remains on the front lines and will continue to marshal the time, talent, and resources needed to zealously advocate for our clients in Texas and beyond,” said Jamie Levitt. The dozens of MoFo lawyers who have collectively contributed more than 3,000 hours to these efforts since the Dobbs decision surely agree.

MoFo Lawyers Lead Pro Bono Advocacy for Reproductive Justice in a Post-Dobbs Era

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

Jennifer Brown

Pearlstein v. Blackberry Limited 

Global Transportation Company and Its Board of Directors 

FutureSelect Portfolio Management Inc. v. Ernst & Young 

Residential Capital, LLC 

In re NOVAGOLD Resources, Inc. Securities Litigation

Nicholas Skiadas v. Acer Therapeutics, Inc.

In re WorldSpace Securities Litigation 

Canadian Superior Energy Inc. Securities Litigation

Altayyar v. Etsy, Inc.

JPMorgan Chase/SouthEdge 

Menaldi v. Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC

Parker v. United Industries Corp.

Veeco Instruments, Inc.

In re Metromedia Fiber Networks, Inc. Securities Litigation

Metromedia Fiber Networks, Inc. (MFN) Audit Committee Chair Investigation (SEC)

American Home Mortgage

Chobani LLC

Alcon Vision, LLC. v. Lens.com and Alcon Vision, LLC v. Allied Vision Group, Inc

Bradley Pharmaceuticals Investigations (SEC)

Johnson v. Glassman

Staehr v. Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.

Metropole v. RemoteReality

CFLP v. Market Data Corporation

Outside Directors and Audit Committee of Take Two Interactive Software, Inc.

Interpool Audit Committee

Financial Institution Executive Compensation Investigation

Viatel Audit Committee

First Bank v. Silverman

ICS Travel v. Cheap Tickets, Inc.

Verified Identity Pass, Inc. v. Fischer

TouchTunes Musical Group 

Hortonworks Shareholder Lawsuits

levitt_jamie_blog_150x150.png

levitt_jamie_common_640x280.jpg

levitt_jamie_heroretina_2700x1160.jpg

levitt_jamie_mobileretina_750x1040.jpg

levitt_jamie_social_600x600.jpg

Jamie Levitt is a trial lawyer who serves as managing partner of the New York office and co-chair of the firm’s Securities Litigation group. She is also the former head of the New York Litigation Department and a former co-chair of both the firm’s Complex Litigation and Trial groups.

Jamie A. Levitt

Jamie A. Levitt | Commercial + Securities Litigation

Jamie Levitt is a trial lawyer who serves as managing partner of the New York office and co-chair of the firm’s Securities Litigation group. She is also the former head of the New York Litigation Department and a former co-chair of both the firm’s Complex Litigation and Trial groups.

Jamie Levitt

240307-celebrating-international-women-day.jpg

MoFo Lawyers Lead Pro Bono Advocacy for Reproductive Justice in a Post-Dobbs Era

240307-celebrating-international-women-day

Morrison Foerster has long championed the advancement of women. 

MoFo recently won asylum for an Afghan woman and her young son, after nearly a year of waiting for the Asylum Office to issue its decision following the asylum interview. The firm’s pro bono client is a widow from a religious and ethnic minority who empowered other women and girls in her community as the principal of a school for girls and a provider of community services. When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, she spent days making her way to Kabul with her young son in tow, afraid of being singled out and taken away by the Taliban for, among other things, remaining an unmarried woman out in society. When the pair finally made it onto a U.S.-bound plane through the <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/allieswelcome" target="_blank" dir="ltr">Operation Allies Welcome </a>program, their ability to remain safe from Taliban persecution continued to rest on shaky ground. Asylum was their only chance of staying together; if their application were denied and they were forced to return to Afghanistan, under Afghan law, the woman would lose custody of her son to her late husband’s family. While awaiting the decision from USCIS, the woman did not let the delays and uncertainty of the U.S. immigration system slow her down—she learned to ride a bicycle (a skill she could never learn back home), learned English at a rate that outpaced many of her classmates, and even obtained her driver’s license. Together, mother and son began to build a new life here in the United States. And now, with their new asylee status, the pair can remain safe and together, and can turn this newly built life into a more permanent one.The MoFo team representing the woman and son is led by Palo Alto partner Ken Kuwayti, and includes Palo Alto associate Michelle Larg, Washington, D.C., associate Nicole Ang, Los Angeles associate Erik Manukyan, and Palo Alto senior paralegal Daisy Belle Visitacion.MoFo has been steadfast in its commitment to pro bono services for Afghan asylum seekers, assisting more than 40 Afghan refugees in their quest for immigration relief. In addition, our pro bono team completed over 300 initial screening interviews of Afghan refugees as part of Project Afghan Legal Assistance (PALA), an initiative led by the organization <a href="https://humanrightsfirst.org/" target="_blank">Human Rights First</a> in response to the influx of Afghan refugees following the United States’s abrupt withdrawal from the country in the summer of 2021. MoFo’s support of Afghan refugees, through these various initiatives, marks one of the largest pro bono projects in the firm’s recent history.

mofotogether-probono-thumb.jpg

MoFo Assists CASE Force with Implementation of US$1 billion California Rebuilding Fund; includes 778 funded loans totaling US$50 million given to small businesses

mofotogether-probono-thumb

MoFo recently won asylum for an Afghan woman and her young son, after nearly a year of waiting for the Asylum Office to issue its decision following the asylum interview. 

MoFo Wins Asylum for Widow and Young Child Who Fled Taliban-Seized Afghanistan

Morrison Foerster secured a significant victory for its pro bono client, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness (NMW), obtaining the dismissal of a mining company’s lawsuit that threatened to undo government efforts to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a million-acre wilderness region known for its pristine waters. This victory is the latest step in a lengthy legal battle involving mining interests whose activities pose a significant and irreversible threat to the Boundary Waters. MoFo has represented NMW since 2016 in a series of cases in federal court in Minnesota and the District of Columbia regarding mining activity in the Boundary Waters watershed.In August 2022, Twin Metals Minnesota and its subsidiary, Franconia Minerals, both of which are part of Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta plc, filed suit in federal district court in the District of Columbia challenging a series of actions taken by the U.S. Department of the Interior that precluded Twin Metals from developing a sulfide-ore copper mine within the watershed of the Boundary Waters. Twin Metals claimed that the cancellation of its leases and rejection of its lease applications and mine plan of operations were arbitrary and capricious. The U.S. government moved to dismiss plaintiffs’ claims for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim. Our client, NMW, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the Boundary Waters, together with a group of environmental organizations and recreational businesses, joined as defendant-intervenors in May 2023 and moved to dismiss shortly thereafter.On September 6, 2023, the court granted defendants’ and defendant-intervenors’ motions to dismiss in full. As we argued, the court determined Twin Metals’ claims related to the leases were essentially contract claims that fell within the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The court also held the plaintiffs failed to state legally viable claims regarding the rejection of their lease applications and mine plan of operations.The MoFo team representing NMW is led by Washington, D.C. partner Alex Ward, together with Washington, D.C. associates Haydn Forrest, Robin Smith, Krista Nunez, and Roke Iko, New York associate Hannah Yang, and Washington, D.C. paralegal Sulay Ozturk-Gunertem.Commenting on the court’s recent decision, Alex said, “It’s gratifying to see such a thoughtful, well-reasoned opinion on this important issue. The MoFo team has worked long and hard to help our clients preserve the Boundary Waters. This is a major step toward lasting protection for this very special place.”Learn more about the <a href="https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/" target="_blank">Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters</a>.