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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After a decade-long fight for justice, MoFo recently secured a $15.5 million verdict, including $11 million in punitive damages, for our Haitian clients in the 2017 lawsuit Boniface v. Viliena. The high-profile human rights case holds former Haitian mayor and defendant Jean Morose Viliena responsible for extrajudicial killing and torture committed against David Boniface, Nissandère Martyr, and Juders Ysemé, and their families. The MoFo pro bono team was led by partner Bonnie Lau and included associates Christina Ademola, Sarah Vandervalk, Emani Oakley, and Jack Haisman.

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MoFo Team Unites as One to Win Decade-Long Case Against Human Rights Abuses in Haiti | MoFo+

After a decade-long fight for justice, MoFo recently secured a $15.5 million verdict, including $11 million in punitive damages, for our Haitian clients in the 2017 lawsuit <a href="https://cja.org/what-we-do/litigation/boniface-v-viliena/" target="_blank">Boniface v. Viliena</a>. The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/01/world/americas/haiti-politics-violence.html?_r=1" target="_blank">high-profile</a> human rights case holds former Haitian mayor and defendant Jean Morose Viliena responsible for extrajudicial killing and torture committed against David Boniface, Nissandère Martyr, and Juders Ysemé, and their families. The MoFo pro bono team was led by partner <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/bonnie-lau.html" target="_blank">Bonnie Lau</a> and included associates Christina Ademola, Sarah Vandervalk, Emani Oakley, and Jack Haisman.In 2013, Bonnie first partnered with the <a href="https://cja.org/what-we-do/litigation/boniface-v-viliena/" target="_blank">Center for Justice and Accountability</a> (CJA) to investigate Viliena’s brutality and human rights violations. Since then, a team of lawyers from MoFo, CJA, and Dentons US LLP have served as co-counsel for the victims, with assistance from the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), a Haitian human rights organization.In July 2007, David Boniface’s brother, Eclesiaste Boniface, was lured out into the street by Viliena’s armed militia, shot, and his head smashed with a cinder block in reprisal for David Boniface speaking out against Viliena’s abuses of power. A year later, Viliena and his militia destroyed the first local radio station in Les Irois in order to silence dissent and political opposition, and beat, pistol-whipped, shot, and nearly killed Nissage Martyr and Juders Ysemé during the radio station attack.The verdict was a major victory for MoFo and our clients, and one that is especially meaningful to Bonnie Lau, who has devoted considerable time to the case for nearly a decade.“It is one of the most emotionally impactful cases that I have had the privilege of working on,” states Bonnie. “The clients have been so brave throughout the process, despite the ongoing threats, intimidation, and being forced to live in hiding. They have remained hopeful and committed in their belief that they would ultimately hold the defendant accountable for his abuses and obtain justice for what they have suffered.”A human rights activist and natural leader, David Boniface has always been a bright light, so it was sobering to witness him retreat into himself as a result of his years-long suffering and isolation. “But after he finally testified at trial and had the opportunity to tell his story, a huge weight was lifted off of his shoulders,” says Bonnie, “and we saw him smile and joke around for the first time in years. He never lost faith, and when the verdict was finally read, everyone in the courtroom cried.”The team’s dedication to this case also exemplifies the power of volunteering and collaborating for an important cause. April is Volunteer Month, and volunteering and mentoring go hand-in-hand. For Bonnie, the opportunity to be in the trenches with our talented associates was one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.“I was fortunate to work with and offer mentorship to Christina and Sarah and hope that the skills that they developed through this pro bono trial serve as a catalyst for their own careers,” says Bonnie. “We had the opportunity to strategize together about all aspects of trial preparation, including hours of practice developing the testimony of our fact and expert witnesses, direct and cross-examination strategy, and framing our closing arguments and demonstratives. And the hours of practice in the hotel war room paid off, as Christina and Sarah each skillfully presented their respective witnesses at trial.”Volunteering time through pro bono work often presents lawyers with some of the most gratifying experiences in their careers. “What we are able to accomplish for a person of little to no means is very impactful and can truly change someone’s life, which is amazing,” Bonnie stresses. “It also offers lawyers an opportunity to learn skill sets that will further their abilities as a lawyer for their billable clients.”To learn more about volunteering time through pro bono work, visit MoFo’s <a href="https://www.mofo.com/culture/pro-bono" target="_blank">Pro Bono</a> page.