Wally Martinez named Chair and Brad Smith named Chair Elect of Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wally Martinez, Managing Partner of Hunton & Williams, has been named Chair of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD).

“The new Strategy & Innovation Committee will be responsible for scanning the horizon, both for identifying challenging issues to confront and for encouraging practices to replicate”

He succeeds Rick Palmore, General Counsel of General Mills, who served as Chair from the organization’s founding in 2009.

“I am excited about assuming the role as Chair of this very dynamic organization,” said Martinez. “Even though it’s only three years old, LCLD has accomplished a lot already. I’m eager to work with the other members of the Board of Directors to keep up this momentum.” Martinez has served on the LCLD board since 2009.

Martinez became managing partner of Hunton & Williams in 2006. He was a founding partner of the firm’s Miami office and in 2004 joined Diageo North America where he served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. He has been recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the nation's "50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers."

Brad Smith, General Counsel for Microsoft, was named Chair-Elect. New Board members include Susan L. Blount, general counsel of Prudential Financial, Inc.; Brett J. Hart, general counsel of United Airlines; John W. Daniels, Jr., chairman and managing partner of Quarles & Brady LLP; and Eric J. Friedman, executive partner of Skadden Arps.

Other announcements include heads of LCLD’s strategic committees: Pipeline (Chair: Laura Stein of Clorox, Vice Chair: Sandra Leung of Bristol-Myers Squibb); Partnerships and Teams (Chair: Jeff Gearhart of Walmart, Vice Chair: Michael Blair of Debevoise & Plimpton); and Talent Development (Chair: Deborah Majoras of Procter & Gamble, Vice Chair: Gary Sasso of Carlton Fields).

Also announced was a new committee, Strategy and Innovation, to be chaired by Brad Smith of Microsoft. Vice Chair is Peter Kalis of K&L Gates.

“The new Strategy & Innovation Committee will be responsible for scanning the horizon, both for identifying challenging issues to confront and for encouraging practices to replicate,” said LCLD Executive Director Robert J. Grey, Jr.

In other developments, LCLD announced the appointment of a deputy director, the opening of a national headquarters, the formation of a new strategic initiative, appointments in the leadership of its committees, and a number of additions to its Board of Directors.

Lori L. Lorenzo of the University of Miami School of Law was named Deputy Director of LCLD. She will be based at the organization’s new headquarters, located at 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.

Founded in 2009, LCLD is an organization of more than 200 corporate legal officers and law firm managing partners dedicated to creating a truly diverse legal profession through a combination of leadership, action, and results.

For more information, contact [e-mail] or visit www.lcldnet.org.