(CHICAGO) Katten announced today that three attorneys — Partner Dilen Kumar and Associates Katie E. O'Brien and Christopher T. Vazquez — were selected for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows and Pathfinder programs focused on professional development.
"These programs present a tremendous opportunity for our attorneys to develop new relationships with industry leaders, expand their leadership skills and continue the upward trajectory in their career paths,"said Katten Chief Diversity Partner Leslie Minier. "This group of high-achieving attorneys is not only committed to delivering industry-leading client service but also is deeply engaged in the firm's DEI efforts."
Kumar, selected for the Fellows program, has extensive experience representing private equity firms and public and private companies in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, investment transactions and general corporate governance matters. He previously served as co-chair of the Texas Minority Counsel Program, an affiliate of the State Bar of Texas that seeks to increase opportunities for diverse attorneys in Texas.
The yearlong Fellows program offers mid-career attorneys leadership training, relationship-building resources, and opportunities to interact with and learn from legal leaders, including managing partners from various law firms and the general counsel of large US corporations.
A participant in the Pathfinder program, O'Brien focuses her practice on intellectual property, advertising and related commercial litigation, including trademark infringement, false advertising, unfair competition and defamation. She is also a co-chair of the firm's Committee for Racial and Ethnic Diversity, which provides mentoring, educational and career development support and resources, and leadership opportunities for associates of color. She completed the 1L LCLD Scholars program at Katten in 2016.
Also named to the Pathfinder program, Vazquez focuses his practice on consumer class action litigation and complex commercial litigation, representing corporate clients and financial institutions in cases involving breach of contract, tortious interference, fraud, and violation of consumer protection and discrimination laws. He is chair of the Latinos@Katten affinity group, which offers networking, mentoring and educational activities to attorneys and business professionals from the Hispanic and Latine communities.
The seven-month-long Pathfinder program is designed to provide early-career attorneys with practical tools for developing and leveraging internal professional networks, leadership skills and an understanding of career development strategies.
LCLD is an organization comprised of more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners with the ultimate goal of building a more equitable and diverse legal profession.
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