May.08.2012
New York – Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced today that the New York City Bar Association has named New York restructuring partner and head of Orrick’s Diversity Initiative Lorraine McGowen one of its 2012 Diversity & Inclusion Champions.
The award recognizes the critical role individual attorneys have played in initiating and sustaining change within their organizations and the overall New York legal community. The award recipients embody the New York City Bar’s Statement of Diversity Principles, which defines diversity as an inclusive concept, encompassing race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, nationality, age, disability and marital and parental status.
“We are extremely proud of Lorraine and all that she has accomplished as a successful restructuring lawyer, an engaged senior leader of the firm, and as a dedicated head of our Diversity Initiative,” said Ralph Baxter, Orrick’s Chairman and CEO. “At Orrick, we place the utmost importance on diversity and view the success of our diverse lawyers and staff as critical management and business goals.”
A former practice group leader, McGowen has chaired Orrick’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiative since 2005 and is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. As a member of Orrick’s senior leadership, she has supported the advancement of diverse individuals at the firm through mentorship, leadership and collaboration on successful diversity and inclusion initiatives and policies.
Laura Saklad, Orrick’s Chief Lawyer Development Officer, said Ms. McGowen “has created numerous programs and has championed initiatives and policies that have helped us attract, retain, and promote diverse lawyers. “Lorraine has made a tangible impact on the success of countless diverse lawyers at Orrick by personally driving a shift from diversity conversations that take place at the abstract level of organizational commitment to discussion of concrete individual action plans that are responsive to the unique career opportunities and challenges of each diverse lawyer in the firm.”
Ms. McGowen is an active member of Legal Outreach’s Board of Legal Advisors, and through her advocacy, Orrick has supported the program for nearly a decade. She is also on the Board of Directors for Legal Momentum and the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. In addition, she is the former Chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Minorities in the Profession and is currently on the Advisory Committee of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, through which Orrick hosts an attorney participating in the South African Visiting Lawyer Program.