ABA Section of Business Law

Meeting Highlights

As in years past, the National Conference for the Minority Lawyer continues its commitment to providing stellar programming to meeting attendees. Below is a sample of this year's programming:


Plenary I:
The Minority Lawyer 2.0: Globalization and Technology from the General Counsel's View
Thursday, June 26th
9:30 am - 11:00 am
The 21st century has opened with breath-taking speed--exponential globalization and growth of technology has become the norm. But how do these mega-trends affect minority lawyers, and their role in the global economy? Join us in a conversation with several distinguished general counsel, past and present, who will share their views on how globalization and technology will shape our careers, and how to take advantage of the changes to come.

Speakers:

• Mike Dillon, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Sun Microsystems, Inc., Menlo Park, CA
• Carol Lam, Senior Vice President and Legal Counsel, QUALCOMM, Inc., San Diego, CA
• Simon Y. Leung, General Counsel, SYNNEX Corporation, Fremont, CA
• Laura Stein, Senior Vice President - General Counsel, The Clorox Company, Oakland, CA

Thursday Luncheon:
Thursday, June 26
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Keynote Speaker:
David C. Drummond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer, Google, Mountain View, CA

David Drummond joined Google in 2002, initially as Vice President of Corporate Development. Today as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, he leads Google's global teams for legal, government relations, corporate development (M&A and investment projects) and new business development (strategic partnerships and licensing opportunities). David was first introduced to Google in 1998 as a partner in the corporate transactions group at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, one of the nation's leading law firms representing technology businesses. He served as Google's first outside counsel and worked with Larry Page and Sergey Brin to incorporate the company and secure its initial rounds of financing. During his tenure at Wilson Sonsini, David worked with a wide variety of technology companies to help them manage complex transactions such as mergers, acquisitions and initial public offerings.



Plenary II:
Selling Out? Minority Lawyers and the Quest for Success
Friday, June 27th
8:30 am - 10:00 am
Like all lawyers, we strive for professional success. But whose measure of success are we using? Is pursuit of professional status, acclaim, and respect from our colleagues really a pursuit of approval from "white" society? Does pursuit of professional success reflect a disassociation from the values of our own cultures and communities? If we seek to do well by the standards of the mainstream culture in America, are we "selling out"? If we do not choose to return to our communities as public interest lawyers, civil rights activist, or storefront solo practitioners, are we somehow betraying our communities? And, if we happen to be perceived as "sellouts", how do we react and respond? Come join us to find out.

Moderator:

• Joan M. Haratani, Partner, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, San Francisco, CA

Speakers:

• Jeff Adachi, San Francisco Public Defender, San Francisco, CA
• Lindbergh Porter, Jr., Shareholder, Littler Mendelson P.C., San Francisco, CA
• Heather Dawn Thompson, Government Affairs Director, National Congress of American Indians, Washington, DC
• John D. Trasvina, President and General Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Los Angeles, CA

Friday Luncheon:
Minority Lawyers in America: A Town Hall Meeting
Friday, June 27th
11:45 am - 1:15 pm
In a historic first, leaders of national minority bar associations will hold a town hall meeting for minority lawyers from across the country. The floor will be open for minority lawyers at the conference to voice their views on what minority lawyers and their bar associations should be doing in the years to come. Don't miss this unique opportunity to be part of the dialogue that will begin the process of setting our shared priorities for the next decade!

Speakers:

• Vanita Banks, President, National Bar Association, Northbrook, IL
• Helen B. Kim, Partner, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Los Angeles, CA and President, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
• Victor M. Marquez, The Marquez Law Group, San Francisco, CA and President, Hispanic National Bar Association
• Heather Dawn Thompson, Governmental Affairs Director, National Congress of American Indians, Washington, DC