 |
Minority Counsel ProgramMCP: Creating Mutually Rewarding Business
Opportunities The ABA Minority Counsel Program ("MCP") is a program that brings together minority lawyers who are interested in, and capable of, handling legal matters for large corporate clients and corporate counsel who are interested in retaining minority lawyers as outside counsel. MCP promotes the development of mutually rewarding business relationships that benefit both the minority lawyers and the corporate clients. Daniel Davillier and David Cade are two such lawyers. Daniel Davillier is a pretty regular attendee at the semi-annual MCP meetings. He was a senior associate at Phelps Dunbar, a regional firm of over 230 attorneys, with its largest office in New Orleans, when his firm first sent him to an MCP meeting. There he met Charles Fairfax, who at the time was a lawyer with General Motors ("GM"). Charles was a litigator and Daniel was a transactional attorney, but Daniel was persistent and he kept in touch with Charles. It wasn't long before Daniel learned about a GM project that would be starting in Louisiana and that would require some transactional legal work. He contacted Charles, who arranged for Daniel to meet with David Cade, the GM lawyer who was overseeing the deal. David liked Daniel and retained him to handle the matter for GM. The deal went well and when a similar matter arose in Oklahoma, even though Daniel and his firm had no presence in Oklahoma, GM hired them to supervise local counsel. It proved to be most efficient and economical for GM. GM now uses Daniel and his firm nationwide to handle issues like these when they arise. Did Daniel do anything special to get business from GM? No, he simply took advantage of the opportunity that the Minority Counsel Program offers. Without a doubt, says Daniel, the Minority Counsel Program was a tremendous benefit to him. "I appreciate the chance to participate," he explained. "Lawyers need to realize that this program is not about walking in and getting a file. It's all about developing relationships with these corporate clients. MCP gives me plenty of chances to do just that." Indeed, Daniel further cultivated his relationship with David Cade and GM at the Fall, 2002, MCP Meeting. GM is launching a new project in Michigan, Ohio and Canada in which David will be the lead in-house counsel. It's a billion dollar transaction. And Daniel Davillier is the new outside lead counsel.
|
|
Needless
to say, soon after GM first retained Phelps Dunbar, Daniel happily
became a partner in the firm. And the firm, recognizing and appreciating
the value that Daniel brings as a minority lawyer, is now very diverse.
Nine percent of its lawyers are lawyers of color and 50% are women.
As Daniel explains it, "GM Daniel Davillier and David Cade
values diversity and, as a minority lawyer, I had the opportunity
to show GM what I could do. The firm understands that. Consequently,
my firm has made a greater effort to hire and retain minority lawyers."
And Daniel continues to attend the Minority Counsel Program, recently
bringing a minority associate whom he is mentoring.