Diversity&INCLUSION

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Our differences are our greatest strength

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Diversity&INCLUSION

Tracy Richelle High partner since 2008

Diversity Committee Co-Chairs

Diversity & Inclusion—We’re All In

Our diversity and inclusion program is extensive, designed to support our lawyers as they develop professionally and to strengthen our community. Our practice is global and our teams find themselves at the center of important matters shaping the world. Often, the solutions we come up with have never been thought of before.

But how do we get there?

At S&C we’re united around one thing: excellence. We strive for excellence in everything we do. And to be excellent, you have to be yourself.

The combination of our lawyers’ talents, backgrounds, cultures and perspectives makes us stronger and makes our ideas better.

In these pages, you’ll learn more about our diversity and inclusion program, meet some of our partners and read about the exciting work they’re doing. We hope you come away with a sense of how we work and support each other.

Our people are our greatest strength; diversity of our people makes us even stronger. As you start to get to know us, you’ll find the commitment to our people in everything we do.

Welcome to

David H. Braff partner since 1993

Meet 10 partners Who are raising the bar, across the Firm and around the world ................................................. 4

Leadership Meet one of our newest partners who is helping lead our diversity efforts ..................................... 15

Support Affinity networks are a great way to connect with other lawyers and get support to achieve your ambitions ............................................................. 16

Community Read about our signature programs, sponsorships and events ..................................... 18

S&C Celebrates DiversityDiversity leaders present to the Firm .................. 20

Career Development An associate taps into the S&C alumni network to start the next chapter of her career ................ 22

Pro bono Helping two gay couples who want citizenship for their children .................................................. 24

Making classical dance accessible to all ............ 25

InclusionEveryone at S&C is committed to fostering an inclusive environment. And mentorship is key .... 26

We mean it Our chairman, Joe Shenker, on why diversity matters ................................................................. 28

On the cover, partners Ann-Elizabeth Ostrager, Sergio Galvis, Inosi Nyatta and Davis Wang.

CONTENTS

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Inosi Nyatta’s work takes her around the world—she’s led cutting-edge energy, power and natural resources projects in Africa, Australia, Latin America and, of course, the United States.

But travelling widely doesn’t mean you’ve had an impact. And Inosi has always wanted to have an impact.

“When I entered law school, my aim was to use the law to help improve the world,” she says, “even if I wasn’t quite sure how to do it yet.”

Contributing to innovation in power generation and supply, and delivering natu-ral resources in new ways are how she makes the kind of difference she was after.

Recently, she’s led high-profile projects in renewable energy like wind, solar and hydroponics, such as helping TerraForm Power escape the bankruptcy of its par-ent company unscathed, and to continue pumping out 2,600 megawatts of solar and wind power in the United States, enough to power as many as 2.6 million homes.

“I couldn’t have imagined then that I’d end up doing what I do today,” she says. “My practice allows me to accomplish exactly what I aspired to back in law school.”

Inosi Nyatta partner since 2011

who are raising the bar, across the Firm and around the world.

partnersMe et 10

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What can you achieve at S&C?

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A judicial clerkship provides great experience. Annie Ostrager has had three.

When she was a fifth-year litigation associate and young mother, she embarked on her third federal clerkship at the Second Circuit. She returned to S&C and is one of our newest partners, being elected soon after having her second child.

“Everyone here has been hugely supportive to let me craft my career,” she says.

The range of matters she handles speaks to what it means to be a generalist, a hallmark of being an S&C lawyer.

Recently, she negotiated favorable results in sensitive DOJ investigations into activities at an African gold mine, is defending a closely watched employment discrimination case and is handling massive product liability matters.

She’s also worked on a variety of pro bono matters, including for the Sanctuary for Families’ Courtroom Advocates Project and the Innocence Project, which works to exonerate the wrongly convicted. Currently, she represents a gay couple in Michigan who has been denied the ability to adopt children.

“You don’t need to come in with a lot of preconceived ideas about what you want to do,” she says. “You’ll be exposed to so many new things and that will lead you to figure out what you’ll ultimately love.”

Ann-Elizabeth Ostrager partner since 2018

Davis Wang is the calm center of some of the world’s most complicated cross-border deals, advising clients on tax solutions for their most important transactions.

Consider some of his recent work: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in its IPO and spinoff of Ferrari. Amazon in its acquisition of Whole Foods. Vornado Realty Trust in its spinoff of JBG Smith.

Now, Davis is living through one of the most demanding moments for tax law-yers—helping clients manage the aftermath of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the most significant reform of the U.S. tax code in over 30 years.

“The legislation was passed quickly,” says Davis. “Unintended consequences are likely. Our clients are wrestling with a great deal of uncertainty.” Clients are positive about rate reductions, but may be vexed by untested changes to interna-tional taxation, passthroughs and interest deductions, to name a few issues.

The changes provide a big opportunity for Davis and the S&C team.

“We’re living through a sea change in how we think about tax law,” he says. “New lawyers with fresh perspectives, collaborating with seasoned practitioners, means we have a 360-degree view to finding truly novel solutions that others might miss.”

Davis Wang partner since 2013

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As co-head of judicial clerk recruiting, former Supreme Court clerk Diane McGimsey has encouraged more than 100 judicial clerks to join S&C in the last three years.

“We look for intelligence, presence, confidence, intellectual curiosity and leadership skills,” says the Los Angeles-based litigator. She’s also a champion of S&C’s commitment to recruiting lawyers from diverse backgrounds.

But why did she choose S&C?

“I wanted the best: the best work, the best mentors, the best training—the best start to my career that I could possibly get,” she says. “S&C stood apart.”

And her plan worked. “I got experience that most new lawyers don’t get and I was supported by the Firm every step of the way,” she says.

Now, she has a robust litigation practice and is on the Daily Journal’s prestigious list of “Top Women Lawyers,” calling her one of the most powerful lawyers in California. Her multidisciplinary practice includes a range of areas, including class actions, shareholder litigation and employment matters. Recently, she played a key role in helping Volkswagen resolve its diesel emission issues, overseeing the largest vehicle recall in history.

“At S&C, your talents and interests become your practice,” she says. “Everyone at the Firm supports you to be at the top of your game.”

S&C was a perfect match for native Spanish-speaker Werner Ahlers, who, upon joining the Firm, immediately gravitated to our storied Latin America practice.

Now, he’s worked in countries throughout the region—Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Panama, to name a few. And he’s worked on some of the largest and most newsworthy transactions ever executed in the region.

But, as a summer associate, it was his first assignment, representing the Panama Canal Authority on the $10 billion expansion of the Panama Canal, that set the tone for the work that followed.

During his first week, three boxes arrived at his office.

“They held everything from the Panamanian Constitution to the treaty between the United States and Panama to the regulations that set up the Panama Canal Authority.” Werner’s job? To read all of it and decide what provisions in the documents might pose problems for lenders.

“It was a fascinating, open-ended, creative and intellectually engaging project,” he says. “And it was tied to practical objectives with real-life, international consequences. From then on, I was hooked.”

Werner Ahlers partner since 2014

Diane McGimsey partner since 2011

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Krishna Veeraraghavan has led his share of mega deals—transactions that reshape industries or garner notice for their sheer dollar value. But when his client Amazon announced it was acquiring Whole Foods, the response was different.

The first sign was when he got an unexpected phone call.

“My wife and I have been together since I started practicing law,” he says, “but we never talk about any deal I’m working on until it’s done. She’s a busy physician with her own practice, so her time is precious, but when this deal was announced, she stopped her day to call me up. She said, ‘Did you work on that?’”

The acquisition became front-page news, and the stories went on for weeks. And it makes sense: the $13.7 billion transaction touches the lives of a vast demographic of consumers. The work landed Krishna on AmLaw’s list of “Dealmakers of the Year,” a rare and coveted achievement in the legal industry.

For Krishna, it was a chance to work on a deal that will shape the future of the food industry, online retail and how we shop for just about everything. “It’s no surprise that this deal provoked so much interest,” he says. “People are excited about the possibilities.”

Krishna Veeraraghavan partner since 2011

Juan Rodriguez makes innovation possible.

When companies want to combine for strategic reasons, Juan advises them on how to get their transaction approved by competition authorities around the world, particularly in the European Union.

The global, cross-border deals that are driving innovation lead to exciting solutions. For example, if a car company wants to start building driverless cars, it might acquire another company that has developed technology to make that possible. But as forward-thinking as any deal may be, it will first need to be approved by authorities.

“To obtain approval, we have to show the authorities that the transaction will not impede competition in any of the relevant markets and why the deal makes sense,” says Juan, who’s the head of our EU Competition Group. “Without approval, the transaction can’t proceed, and the companies’ anticipated synergies can’t be achieved.”

Recently, he helped obtain EU Commission approval for one of the world’s biggest and most complex mergers ever—Bayer’s $66 billion acquisition of Monsanto. The landmark transaction creates a sophisticated agricultural company positioned to develop solutions for global problems like farming through droughts caused by climate change.

“We’re entrepreneurial at S&C, which is a unique and exciting way to practice law,” he says. “We’re thinking creatively about what’s possible.”

Juan Rodriguez partner since 2007

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Stephen Salley knows that maintaining diversity requires vigilance.

“I was reviewing the staffing for one of our client teams,” Stephen says. “And realized that the team didn’t include any women.”

Stephen is one of our newest partners and is a member of our Financial Services Group.

“I was surprised,” he says, “because about half the associates in our practice group are women. Once we noticed it, we fixed it immediately.”

Stephen redoubled his efforts to be vigilant about team makeup. “No matter how high our standards are, we have to continually examine our efforts on the ground,” he says.

And the results are manifest in the creative work S&C lawyers do. Stephen has recently represented American Express on a range of matters, from the sale of its Costco credit card portfolio to the restructuring of its U.S. banking operations.

“Clients come to S&C for creative solutions,” he says. “Solutions that are not always obvious to other practitioners. To be the best, our teams need to reflect our clients and the range of backgrounds and experience our lawyers have. At S&C, we welcome diversity—in all its forms.”

Tracy High is the deputy managing partner of our 300+ lawyer Litigation Group. The group was named New York Law Journal’s “Litigation Department of the Year,” one of the profession’s most prestigious recognitions.

A natural leader and innovator, she is also the partner in charge of S&C’s Diversity Management department, with broad responsibility across all diversity initiatives, co-chair of the Diversity Committee, a co-founder and co-chair of the Firm’s Women’s Initiative Committee, and a hiring partner.

Her litigation career and her work to promote diversity and inclusion at S&C and across the legal profession have received many awards. Recently, the New York State Bar Association named her a “Diversity Trailblazer.”

“When I first came to S&C, I knew that I wanted to be a partner,” she says. “I encourage new lawyers to ‘think big.’ S&C has the most supportive community of colleagues anywhere in the world and our Firm is the ultimate platform to achieve your loftiest ambitions.”

Tracy Richelle High partner since 2008

Stephen Salley partner since 2018

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Gwen Wong partner since 2011

Gwen Wong leads multibillion-dollar merger and acquisition deals and massive cross-border capital markets transactions. She’s won plaudits from clients, who value her creative problem solving and forward-thinking approach to advancing business strategy—both hallmarks of what it means to be an S&C lawyer.

While her practice is impressive—including representing prominent enterprises, financial services companies and foreign investors—Gwen takes pride in a major milestone for the Firm: she co-led the team responsible for establishing the Firm’s Hong Kong law practice in 2011. She is now also the head of our Beijing office.

“It has been very exciting to build the Hong Kong law practice,” says Gwen. “I still feel that excitement when we bring in a new client. And it’s even more exciting when an existing client calls and says, ‘Let’s do another deal.’”

Together with her colleagues, she’s helped these clients grow from their original line of business to become important players in the Chinese market. “The progress of our clients—their tremendous success—means that our efforts have succeeded,” she says.

Clients are successful and so is the Hong Kong law practice, which Gwen was instrumental in building from the ground up.

Diversity is a top priority at S&C, and we know that diversity doesn’t just happen. It requires a continuous effort. That’s why the 38 lawyers who constitute our Diversity Committee are always thinking creatively and collaborating with their colleagues across the Firm to incorporate diversity into everything we do.

The committee is made up of leaders across the Firm, including management committee members, practice and office heads and the heads of the Firm’s affinity networks. Pavan Surapaneni, one of our newest partners, joined the committee as a sixth-year associate, in his role as co-chair of the Asian Associates Network.

Pavan advises clients in the real estate and sports industries. He’s handled a wide array of transactions for the likes of Vornado Realty Trust, General Growth Properties, The New York Giants, Major League Baseball and Madi-son Square Garden, among many others. As a member of the Diversity Committee, one of his goals is to make sure everyone at S&C feels welcome and has the opportunity to succeed.

“From day one at S&C, I’ve always felt heard and valued for who I am,” says Pavan. “I also had mentors who were there to guide me and help me develop my network within the Firm.”

“A key element of the Firm’s commitment to diversity is making sure that everyone has those same experiences,” he continues. “I want to help ensure that you can be yourself at S&C—that you bring your whole self to work every day—and that you have those opportunities to de-velop deep relationships, like I did.”

“The chairs of our affinity networks, most of whom are associates, sit on the Diversity Com-mittee,” he says. “It’s a terrific opportunity to provide real-time feedback to the Firm’s senior management. It’s also a great chance for these associates to further develop their own leader-ship skills and interact with partners in a collab-orative setting.”

The Diversity Committee solicits advice and feedback from our lawyers Firmwide and incorporates their input into diversity-related initiatives. Pavan is proudest of the Firm’s Diversity Task Force, which was established at the request of the affinity network chairs in order to evaluate how the Firm recruits, trains and promotes diverse associates.

“It isn’t good enough just to get diverse people to join the Firm,” Pavan says. “It’s also about inclu-sion, making sure they have the best long-term experience they possibly can have—profession-ally, culturally and personally.”

The S&C Diversity Committee: putting our priorities into action

Pavan Surapaneni, partner since 2018

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AFFINITY NETWORKS

STATISTICS:

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PARTNERS

28 COUNSEL

242 ASSOCIATES

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PARTNERS

4 COUNSEL

99 ASSOCIATES

10

PARTNERS

3 COUNSEL

33 ASSOCIATES

9 PARTNERS

2 COUNSEL

30 ASSOCIATES

Our LGBT lawyers Our Black and Latino lawyers Our Women lawyersOur Asian lawyers

The commitment to our people is in everything we do. Affinity networks help us support each other to develop as lawyers.

ASIAN ASSOCIATES NETWORKThe Asian Associates Network (AAN) is dedicated to the support, advancement and professional development of our Asian lawyers. AAN offers its members a candid forum where they can meet other lawyers of East Asian, Pacific Island, Southeast Asian, South Asian and Asian-American backgrounds and maintains a two-to-one mentoring program, matching two senior members of the group with each new associate. Members organize networking and educational activities and help recruit new associates.

LGBT NETWORK NETWORK OF BLACK & LATINO LAWYERSOur Network of Black & Latino Lawyers (NOBLL) provides members with resources and opportunities to help fulfill their professional goals. NOBLL members focus on professional, personal and community development and help with high school, college and law school student outreach. They also participate on law school panels and attend law school affinity group programs. NOBLL maintains a two-to-one mentoring program, matching two senior members of the network with each new associate and hosts an associate-led speaker series covering substantive practice and professional development topics.

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE COMMITTEEThe Women’s Initiative Committee (WIC) was established to enhance the experience of our women lawyers and lead our efforts to retain and advance women lawyers by providing professional development, networking and mentoring opportunities at all stages of their careers. The support the WIC provides is constantly evolving and is significantly influenced by feedback from associates about their experiences at the Firm and in the broader legal community. The WIC believes providing multiple and varied opportunities for professional development and mentoring is key to associate retention and advancement.

Over time, all S&C lawyers build relationships across the Firm, but when lawyers first join, and as they start to develop in their careers, affinity networks provide support and can help ease the way. Although each network is unique, they’re united in their aim to promote diversity and inclusion.

S&C has a long-standing commitment to supporting our LGBT people and standing up for the LGBT community and causes. Our LGBT Network was organized to reinforce these commitments and to provide a nurturing social and professional community at the Firm. The network works to enhance the inclusive environment of the Firm overall, contributes to our LGBT pro bono work and helps recruit new associates. Members organize professional, social and educational events.

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SIGNATURE DIVERSITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

Our affinity networks and the Women’s Initiative Committee have created signature programs to further their missions and strengthen the support they provide members. They also host social and networking events, which offer opportunities to connect with lawyers across the Firm.

AAN, LGBT NETWORK AND NOBLLThroughout the year, the networks host:

� meetings

� events in celebration of individual heritage months

� speaker programs

� spring social events

� summer associate meet and greets

� summer associate receptions, often held at the homes of partners

� new associate welcome dinners

In the interest of building strong communities, network members are encouraged to bring their partners and spouses to many events. The af-finity networks also participate in and support various legal organizations that support diverse communities nationwide and globally.

BUILDING THE PIPELINES&C is also committed to increasing the number of diverse lawyers in the legal community. We support and participate in internship, mentoring and development programs for diverse high school, college and law school students, including:

� Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

� Legal Outreach, New Jersey Law & Empowerment Project and Boys’ Club of New York

� Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program, Inc.

� Sponsors for Educational Opportunity

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE COMMITTEEThe Women’s Initiative Committee (WIC) was born from our desire to establish a formal body whose sole charge is enhancing the experience of women lawyers at the Firm. The WIC leads the Firm’s efforts to retain and advance our women lawyers by providing professional development, networking and mentoring opportunities to women at all levels of seniority. The support the WIC provides is constantly evolving and is significantly influenced by regular feedback from S&C associates about their experiences at the Firm and in the broader legal community. The WIC believes providing multiple and varied opportunities for professional development and mentoring is key to associate retention and advancement.

� Women@S&C Lunch, a series of monthly, informal, small group lunches with the Firm’s women associates, special counsel and partners. Each lunch starts with a topic chosen to facilitate discussion and then opens up a wide range of conversations.

� Office Hours, our women partners set aside specific windows of time each month for one-on-one discussions with women associates to network, talk and connect.

Adam Sofen and Kate Doniger, LGBT Network co-chairs

Camille Orme, Katy McArthur and Tracy Richelle High, WIC co-chairs

Veronica Ip and Pavan Surapaneni, AAN co-chairs

Rudy Kleysteuber and Christine Parker, NOBLL co-chairs

� Women’s Leadership Lunch, a series that provides guidance on how to navigate a path to leadership at S&C. The series brings women associates and special counsel together with both men and women partners for panel presentations, ideation breakout sessions and discussions on ways to maximize professional development and achieve professional goals.

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The Trials of Constance Baker Motley

Growing up, Joel Motley III was used to seeing his mother on television.

As a prominent figure of the civil rights move-ment, his mother, Constance Baker Motley, ar-gued 10 cases before the United States Supreme Court and won nine of them, all historic victories aimed at ending racial segregation and discrimi-nation.

Now, using the sort of news footage he intimately remembers, interspersed with present-day inter-views with his mother’s clients, Joel tells the story of his mother’s life and career in a short docu-

mentary film, “The Trials of Constance Baker Motley.”

Every year, our Diversity Committee invites the entire Firm to S&C Celebrates Diversity, a speak-er series where diverse leaders discuss topics in diversity and the legal profession. Joel is the latest speaker in the series, where he screened his film, which debuted at the TriBeCa Film Festival, and answered questions from the S&C audience.

Throughout her career, Constance Baker Motley achieved a number of important firsts, includ-ing being the first Black woman to argue a case

before the United States Supreme Court, to serve in the New York Senate and to be named a federal judge.

As a lawyer for the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, she challenged segregated schools across the South, winning historic victories for Black stu-dents. She won the Little Rock Nine’s enrollment to Central High, secured James Meredith’s ad-mission to the all-white University of Mississippi and drafted the complaint that set into motion the landmark school desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education.

S&C CELEBRATES DIVERSITY

After nearly two decades at the center of the civil rights movement, she entered politics. She first served as Manhattan borough president and then as a New York State senator. Ultimately, she was appointed as a federal judge in the Southern Dis-trict of New York.

At the Q&A that followed, when asked about his mother’s career aspirations, Joel said she wanted to change the world for the better. Her life’s story proves that she did.

Joel Motley at the screening of his film.

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From High Finance to Hollywood

Maria Suárez was a high-achieving student who loved movies.

International relations and law were things that interested her. But movies were her passion.

“Growing up, my three siblings and I were obsessed with movies,” Maria says. “We watched everything and analyzed them constantly—direction, cinematog-raphy, screenwriting, music—every detail.”

“I pursued law because I knew it would position me for a variety of careers. In law school, I was curious about being an entertainment lawyer, but didn’t know how to go about it,” she says.

So she decided to get the best training she could possibly get and joined S&C.

“I had an incredible experience at S&C,” she says. “I did a lot of different kinds of deals in corporate finance and learned so much. The quality of the work and incredible lawyers provide an unparalleled training ground.”

Not only did she appreciate the complex work, but her matters were winning awards. She worked on the largest project financing in the United States, named “Best Energy Deal of the Year” in 2015 by Project Finance International.

But movies were still a big part of her life. Her siblings all live in Los Angeles and work in film and she was still curious about how she could break into the in-dustry. So she contacted the S&C Career and Alumni Resource Center, who put her in touch with an S&C alum working at Paramount Studios.

After an initial conversation, they stayed in touch, and when a job opened up her new connection told Maria about it and submitted her resume.

It turns out that her future boss, who was hiring for the position, is also an S&C alum. After a few rounds of interviews, the job was hers.

“Now, I work in worldwide licensing and distribution at Paramount, which is the profit-generating branch of the movie business,” she says. “My work is fo-cused on business and legal affairs in connection with distributing feature films and television series to television and digital platforms. The space is rapidly changing as technology develops and affects the way we consume content, so it’s an exciting area to be in.”

Looking back, she’s grateful to be able to combine her strengths and interests.

“S&C will always be an important part of my career,” she says. “The Firm shaped me as a lawyer and positioned me to do exactly what I always wanted to do.”

An associate taps into the S&C alumni network to turn a passion for movies into the next chapter of her career

Maria Suárez S&C alum

S&C CAREER AND ALUMNI RESOURCE CENTER

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Aiden and Ethan Dvash-Banks are twin boys born minutes apart. Aiden is a U.S. citizen, while Ethan is not.

This puzzling predicament may sound like a brainteaser, but it’s actually the astonishing fact of a pro bono case handled by S&C lawyers Jessica Klein and Ted Edelman. The Firm is representing Ethan and his parents, Andrew and Elad Dvash-Banks, as well as another toddler, Lucas, and his parents, Allison and Stefania Zaccari-Blixt, in federal court challenges to a State Department policy that has denied Ethan and Lucas U.S. citizenship. In both cases, the government has treated them as if they were born out of wedlock abroad, even though their same-sex parents are married.

These litigations, filed in January, are a recent example of S&C’s pro bono commitment to fighting for the rights of the LGBT community. In the past, the Firm has helped defeat state adoption bans targeting same-sex couples and strike down North Carolina’s prohibition against gay marriage.

After Andrew and Elad Dvash-Banks were married in Canada, a surrogate gave birth to

For children, the benefits from learning dance are well documented: increased physical fitness, higher test scores and better academic outcomes.

But not every child has access to dance education.

Since 1977, New York City-based nonprofit Ballet Tech has been working to change that, including through its unprecedented partnership with the New York City Department of Education to create a tuition-free public school for fourth through eighth grade students, making it possible for students to study ballet as part of the regular school day.

Today, children of all backgrounds—a majority of whom are diverse and low-income—are receiving all the benefits of a dance education.

As a New York State not-for-profit corporation, Ballet Tech was recently subject to changes in bylaw and other corporate governance requirements. S&C sponsored a clinic in partnership with JPMorgan and the Lawyers

PRO BONO

their twin boys in that country in 2016. Although children born abroad to a married U.S. parent normally can qualify for U.S. citizenship, the State Department applied a rule to the Dvash-Banks’s that only applies to unwed mothers. Under that rule, the child must be genetically related to a U.S. citizen. As a result, Aiden, who was conceived with U.S. citizen Andrew’s genetic material, has U.S. citizenship. But Ethan, who has Israeli citizen Elad’s genes, does not.

Allison and Stefania were similarly blindsided when Stefania gave birth to Lucas in London in 2015 through donor conception. Stefania, an Italian citizen, and Allison, a U.S. citizen, were married in London. The State Department denied Lucas’s passport application because Lucas isn’t genetically related to a U.S. citizen. Lucas’s brother Massi, who was carried by Allison, is a U.S. citizen.

Working with Immigration Equality, the nation’s leading LGBT immigrant rights organization, S&C maintains that the State Department’s action violates the constitutional rights of the boys and their U.S. citizen parents. The head of our pro bono practice Jessica Klein and partner Ted Edelman are leading this effort.

Fighting for the rights of the LGBT community

Making classical dance accessible to all

Alliance for New York to help nonprofits make needed changes.

“We discussed more than 30 legal issues with Ballet Tech to align its governance with applicable law and best practices regarding legal entities,” says S&C associate Joaquin Perez Alati, who volunteered at the clinic.

The advice was extremely helpful to Ballet Tech, according to Maggie Christ, Ballet Tech’s director of operations.

“Having the one-on-one attention was incredibly useful,” she says. “In fact, after the clinic, we made edits to our bylaws and sent them to our president and our chairman, and we’re going to be making those changes official at our next board meeting.”

For Joaquin, pro bono work is rewarding. “The clinic allowed us to help organizations and people who are devoting 100 percent of their time to serving others,” he says. “It’s a great way to give back.”

Left, the Dvash-Banks family. Right, the Zaccari-Blixt family. Ballet Tech students in Eliot Feld’s Pointing 1

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Everyone at S&C is committed to fostering an inclusive environment. At the core of inclusion is the development and mentorship of lawyers. Creating a culture of inclusivity ensures that all of our people become active contributors, empow-ered to achieve their ambitions.

The Firm’s global head of recruiting, Sergio Galvis, explains: “The Firm’s values are collaboration and a commitment to excellence, and the more senior lawyers here have an intuitive understanding of the capabilities of new lawyers,” he says. “These principles guide the recruiting and mentor-ship programs here at S&C.” Sergio is also head of our Latin America practice and is on our management committee, the Firm’s highest gov-erning body.

The many partners who act as mentors within the Firm foster an environment where the talents and contributions of all can be de-veloped to their fullest. To that end, they work to guide lawyers to their highest levels of performance and professional achieve-ment, beginning with their first interview and continuing as they grow, enter partnership, move in-house or answer the call of public service.

“We view mentoring as a long-term commitment because people develop throughout their careers,” Sergio says.

S&C partner Inosi Nyatta has become heavily involved in mentoring others in her career, and she attributes her depth in this area, at least in part, to the way that Sergio mentored her, from the time she was a third-year associate.

“The best mentors give newer lawyers a lot of responsibility early on,” Inosi says. “During one of our first deals together, Sergio decided that I was going to make a presentation to 30 lawyers in Buenos Aires. I was nervous. I didn’t speak Span-ish—I wouldn’t have volunteered for this mission.”

But the presentation was a success. “Partners who mentor people here often recognize your capabilities before you do,” Inosi says. “Sometimes, you need your mentor to take away the safety net. Sergio helped me figure things out, and then gave me indepen-dence when I was ready. And that’s how I now try to work with newer lawyers.”

Mentorship has also contributed to the profes-sional development of litigation partner Annie Ostrager and tax partner Davis Wang.

“You have to push yourself to go outside your comfort zone as a lawyer, and to do that you need support and guidance,” Annie says. “People here give that to you through mentorship, which pro-vides incredible opportunities to develop and reach new heights.”

“My mentors were absolutely committed to my professional development,” says Davis. “It’s an-other way of putting our collaborative ethos into action, parallel to how we work together and serve our clients.”

Inosi adds that mentorship evolves as the men-tee’s career matures.

“New partners are trying to find their long-term career paths,” she says. “This requires exposure to potential clients and relevant industries. When you find the right mentor, he or she will help open doors with clients and identify opportunities for you to raise your profile across the industry. And you might be surprised by who your best mentor turns out to be. It might not be anyone you would have guessed on the first day.”

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INCLUSION

Support to be the best

From left, partners Sergio Galvis, Ann-Elizabeth Ostrager, Davis Wang and Inosi Nyatta.

WE’RE ALL IN

28

When we say our differences are our greatest strength, it is not a slogan or a program. We mean it because we live it.

Sullivan & Cromwell brings together the best lawyers in the world, collaborating to develop novel solutions to the most difficult legal and business problems. Getting the best people means we must recruit from the broadest group possible. Getting to the best ideas requires a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. Our differences make our work better and smarter.

We train our lawyers to be the best and we work to make this Firm one where talented people of all races, ethnic backgrounds, genders and orientations can succeed. We know there is no one-size-fits-all approach to lawyering or to career development, and are committed to helping our lawyers discover their own authentic styles. Our differences are the basis of our success, individually and collectively.

Our clients are incredibly diverse, in terms of their people, industries, regions and business needs. We are 100 percent aligned with them in making diversity a priority. Our differences

LAST WORD

Joseph C. Shenker Chairman

mirror our clients and the business environment we inhabit, and they must continue to do so.

We foster an inclusive, welcoming community where lifelong working relationships, client relationships and friendships are forged; where the best people want to be; where lawyers become deeply engaged and love what they do. Our differences immeasurably enhance our quality of life and make Sullivan & Cromwell a great place to work.

We know that diversity doesn’t just happen. It requires an active effort. And we still have a lot of work to do. But we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and we’re committed to ensuring that diverse lawyers, like all lawyers who come to the Firm, have every opportunity to push the boundaries of what’s possible; to work with the best people; to have the best mentors and the best training; and, ultimately, to become S&C lawyers—among the best in the world.

To be the best, we must be diverse

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Diversity&INCLUSION

WE’RE ALL IN